Book Challenge: June 2007 [Archive] - MotheringDotCommunity Forums

nancy926

06-01-2007, 03:02 PM

Hey, I get to start a new thread! Cool!

#36: Eagle Blue: A Team, A Tribe, and A High School Basketball Season in Arctic Alaska, by Michael D'Orso

Great book. He follows a boys' team for one season and manages to throw in a ton of stuff about Native living, public education, Alaska's problems and family life. I really enjoyed this.

#37: Fluke, by Christopher Moore

Funny, and a great send-up of field research (though I studied voles, not whales...but they're almost the same, right?). I did not laugh aloud, but I did chuckle inside quite a bit. I'm looking forward to reading more from Moore. :)

#38: Skin Game, by Caroline Kettlewell

Memoir of a "cutter" (woman who cut herself with a razor blade) - covers from about age 12 up to 25 or so. I started out not really liking the book, but wound up wanting to underline entire paragraphs. Take out the cutting part and whole chunks of it sound like my childhood, adolescence, and parts of my adulthood. Amazing, and I'm reading it again with a pencil nearby to take notes.

Mamax3

06-01-2007, 03:59 PM

I don't know what number I am on but right now I'm reading The Clan of the Cave Bear, I've read so much about this series (Earth's Children) I thought that I needed to read it. Pretty good so far.

Bufomander

06-01-2007, 04:58 PM

#81 Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban
good stuff -- forgot how interesting the time turner and shrieking shack elements were...

#82 The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
number 2 in the percy jackson and the olympian series -- juvenile lit. really really really like this series -- cathe, did you read the first one? (Lighting Thief) they are funny. basically a boy -- 13 yo? -- discovers he's actually a 'half-blood' -- that his father is posiedon -- just gets better from there. :)

#83 Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark
total fluff -- what can i say, i've got cramps today.

#84 Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
great story line -- young adult fiction -- elsewhere is the name of the place a 15 yo girl finds herself after she dies...

cathe

06-01-2007, 05:50 PM

"The Body of Christopher Creed" by Carol Plum-Ucci

YA novel about a class freak who disappears - and how it affects who's left and what happened to him. Pretty good.

serenetabbie

06-01-2007, 07:21 PM

I just returned the last batch of books to the library, and did not pick any up for myself! I will be putting a bunch on reserve again after reviewing my "to read" list though :)

I read;

The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner. Short stories, fluff. I like her full length books much better.

Mrs. Greenthumbs Plows Ahead, Five Steps to the Garden of your Dreams by Cassandra Danz. Loved it. Funny (how many gardening books can you say that about?!) and full of useful, practical information.

And... from a previous book challenge thread...

1000 White Women, The Journals of May Dod by Jim Fergus The journal of a woman who goes to live with the Cheyenne Indians through a gov't sponsored program. Loved this one too. Thanks for the suggestion!

That puts me at 22/48 :)

***Heather***

06-01-2007, 08:29 PM

#36 Something's Wrong with Your Scale
by Van Whitfield

Fiction. Surprisingly good. It's one of my library book sale finds. I bought 30 hardcover books and a library tote bag for $20. I'm thrilled to have all the books but it was quite embarrassing. I *almost* had to make 2 trips to my car! :bag:

Ok, about the book. I started reading the first page and did a double take. The story was about a MAN (!) who was worried about his weight. Falls in love with a woman from his dieting group. It was a good story, but from an odd perspective. :lol Talks a lot about being happy with how you are, being treated as a human being even if you are fat, the need for better plus sized clothes, service, respect etc.

#1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, #2 Sacred Contracts, #3 Yummy Yarns, #4 The Face (Dean Koontz), #5 A Quaker Book of Wisdom, #6 Women of the Silk, #7 A Piece of Heaven (Barbara Samuel), #8 The 10th Insight (James Redfield), #9 Just listen (Sarah Dessen), #10 Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs (Clarke Snell & Tim Callahan)#11 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix #12 Living Dangerously (Katie Fforde), #13 The Whole Parenting Guide: Strategies, Resources and Inspiring Stories for Holistic Parenting and Family Living (Alan Reder, Phil Catalfo, Stephanie Renfrow Hamilton), #14 An Inconenient Truth (Al Gore), #15 Urgent Message From Mother: Gather the women; save the world (Jean Shinoda Bolen), #16 The Brief History of the Dead (Kevin Brockmeier) #17 Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince #18 Second Thyme Around (Katie Fforde) #19 The Red Tent (Anita Diamont) #20 When the Heart Cries (Cindy Woodsmall), #21 The Brethren (Beverly Lewis), #22 Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt (Anne Rice), #23 The Tender Years (Janette Oke), #24 A Searching Heart (Janette Oke) #25 Plain Truth (Jodi Picoult) #26 Eragon (C. Paolini) #27 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams), #28 The Celestine Prophecies & #29 The 10th Insight (James Redfield), #30 The Honk and Holler Opening Soon (Billie Letts) #31 The Mermaid Chair (Sue Monk Kidd) #32 The Gunslinger The Dark Tower (Stephen King) # 33 A Certain Age (Tama Janowitz) #34 Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Robert T. Kiyosaki) #35 The COMPLETE Tightwad Gazette (Amy Dacyczyn) #36 Something's Wrong with Your Scale! (Van Whitfield)

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-01-2007, 10:32 PM

#22: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bantam Anthology)
by William Shakespeare
edited by David Bevington

My review of A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bantam Anthology) can be found here (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/midsummer-nights-dream-bantam-anthology.html).

I was in Midsummer my senior year in high school ... here are some pictures (http://bryansbookblogaccessory.blogspot.com/2007/06/nay-faith-let-me-not-play-woman-i-have.html). What do you think, do I pull the costume off?

#1 Beowulf: A New Verse Translation (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/beowulf-new-verse-translation-norton.html), #2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-chamber-of-secrets.html), #3 Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins: Authoritative Texts, Textual Introduction and Tables of Variant Criticism (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/puddnhead-wilson-and-those.html), #4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-prisoner-of-azkaban.html), #5 The Summoning of Everyman (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/summoning-of-everyman-norton-anthology.html), #6 The Marrow of Tradition (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/marrow-of-tradition.html), #7 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/harry-potter-and-goblet-of-fire-audio.html), #8 Billy Budd and Other Tales (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/billy-budd-and-other-tales.html), #9 White Noise (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/white-noise.html), #10 On the Road (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-road.html), #11 I'm an English Major – Now What?: How English Majors Can Find Happiness, Success, and a Real Job (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/im-english-major-now-what-how-english.html), #12 The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/tragical-history-of-doctor-faustus.html), #13 The Ox-Bow Incident (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/ox-bow-incident.html), #14 Middle Passage (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/middle-passage.html), #15 King Lear (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/king-lear-bantam-anthology.html), #16 Native Son (The Restored Text Established by the Library of America) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/native-son-restored-text-established-by.html), #17 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/harry-potter-and-order-of-phoenix-audio.html), #18 To Kill a Mockingbird (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/to-kill-mockingbird.html), #19 The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/postmodern-condition-report-on.html), #20 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/harry-potter-and-half-blood-prince.html), #21 The Taming of the Shrew (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/taming-of-shrew-bantam-anthology.html), #22 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/midsummer-nights-dream-bantam-anthology.html)

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-01-2007, 11:47 PM

#23: The Merhcant of Venice (Bantam Anthology)
by William Shakespeare
edited by David Bevington

My review of The Merchant of Venice (Bantam Anthology) can be found here (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/merchant-of-venice-bantam-anthology.html).

#1 Beowulf: A New Verse Translation (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/beowulf-new-verse-translation-norton.html), #2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-chamber-of-secrets.html), #3 Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins: Authoritative Texts, Textual Introduction and Tables of Variant Criticism (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/puddnhead-wilson-and-those.html), #4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-prisoner-of-azkaban.html), #5 The Summoning of Everyman (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/summoning-of-everyman-norton-anthology.html), #6 The Marrow of Tradition (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/marrow-of-tradition.html), #7 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/harry-potter-and-goblet-of-fire-audio.html), #8 Billy Budd and Other Tales (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/billy-budd-and-other-tales.html), #9 White Noise (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/white-noise.html), #10 On the Road (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-road.html), #11 I'm an English Major – Now What?: How English Majors Can Find Happiness, Success, and a Real Job (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/im-english-major-now-what-how-english.html), #12 The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/tragical-history-of-doctor-faustus.html), #13 The Ox-Bow Incident (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/ox-bow-incident.html), #14 Middle Passage (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/middle-passage.html), #15 King Lear (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/king-lear-bantam-anthology.html), #16 Native Son (The Restored Text Established by the Library of America) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/native-son-restored-text-established-by.html), #17 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/harry-potter-and-order-of-phoenix-audio.html), #18 To Kill a Mockingbird (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/to-kill-mockingbird.html), #19 The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/postmodern-condition-report-on.html), #20 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/harry-potter-and-half-blood-prince.html), #21 The Taming of the Shrew (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/taming-of-shrew-bantam-anthology.html), #22 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/midsummer-nights-dream-bantam-anthology.html), #23 The Merchant of Venice (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/merchant-of-venice-bantam-anthology.html)

konamama

06-02-2007, 01:00 AM

add more to the list :-)

Hollysmom

06-02-2007, 07:07 AM

Subscribing....

I start back to work on Monday so I should get quite a bit more reading done on my commute. Good thing since I have about 30 books piled up to be read:lol

Igraine

06-02-2007, 10:47 AM

Since February I have read:

#1 The Golden Compass #2 The Subtle Knife #3 The Amber Spyglass P. Pullman #4 The No A$$hole Rule R. Sutton #5 Outlander by D. Gabaldon and #6 Common Sense Parenting Burke, Herron and Barnes.

Outlander was fun and a little surprising. My friends who recomended it did NOT tell me it was a historical romance. I normally would turn my nose up to books in that genre. I am glad I didn't know because I had a great time reading it and will continue with the series.

Common Sense Parenting was good and somewhat refreshng for a pretty mainstream parenting book. Not "AP" and yet I noted several similarities. NO spanking, yelling, shaming or guilting your kids. A big part of the book is devoted to having parents accept that they influence their children's behavior more than they realize. And some very good ideas about keeping calm. Some of the more behaviorally focused approaches would make many on MDC cringe, I would imagine. For me, more tools for my tool box.

Just started #7 The Explosive Child By Ross Green. I read it before I became a parent and figured it would be worth revisiting since I recommend it a lot to the parents I work for.

BookGoddess

06-02-2007, 11:24 AM

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - My SIL recommended this book. Set in 19th century China, this is a beautiful and understated story.

A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel - A funny, lovely book about growing up in a small town in Indiana.

snozzberry

06-03-2007, 07:06 PM

#20 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Ah, I'd forgotten how much I love this one. :loveeyes: I am now officially back in that HP addiction mode where I want to read during every free moment of the day.

nancy926

06-03-2007, 08:12 PM

#39: Silver is for Secrets, by Laurie Faria Stolarz

YA fiction - third in a series about a young witch named Stacey Brown who has ominous dreams. This time she's at a beach house with her boyfriend and 4 of her friends, and the dreams are about another beachgoer named Clara. I was out of town for business and able to browse through a bookstore for nearly 2 hours....saw this and decided it'd be an easy read for the plane ride home. I still feel like the series is not all that great...nothing happens for 5/6 of the book and then suddenly it all goes wonky at the end. It's cool that someone is writing about a young Wiccan, though.

There is a fourth book but I have no desire to read it...but check with me again when I'm away on business next time. ;)

I'm getting ready to start reading all the HP books again (the UK editions)...maybe another week or so. I know once I start, I will devour them quickly and then will have to wait for #7!

Alkenny

06-04-2007, 05:38 AM

A Good and Happy Child by Justin Evans
"This debut novel grips readers from the first chapter, which introduces 30-year-old George Davies, a man whose life is falling apart because he is scared to death to be in the same room as his newborn son. When he consults a psychiatrist for help, readers are thrust into the past, encountering George as a pudgy, friendless boy whose father has just died under mysterious circumstances. Is George really possessed by a demon, or is he just losing his mind? Does he need an exorcism—as his father's friends believe—or should he be committed to the state asylum?"

I was expecting more from this. It was good enough to hold me to the end, but I don't know...something was missing.

cathe

06-04-2007, 10:05 AM

cathe

06-04-2007, 10:11 AM

"Dream When You're Feeling Blue" by Elizabeth Berg

Major disappointment. I usually like Berg's books but this was just silly - seemed like she just took generic stuff she researched about life during WWII and stuck it into this book.

"You Suck" by Christopher Moore

Well, all this mention of Christopher Moore lately so I thought I'd check out one of his books. I enjoyed this story of teen vampires (though I must admit, it made me feel pretty out of it - I didn't understand a lot of the (street) language) and I was definitely embarassed about walking around with a book with this title in big red letters. Moore is a very funny writer though - I loved the character of the teen goth girl who wants to join the undead. Definitely a fun book.

cathe

06-04-2007, 10:23 AM

The Sea of Monsters [/B]by Rick Riordan
number 2 in the percy jackson and the olympian series -- juvenile lit. really really really like this series -- cathe, did you read the first one? (Lighting Thief) they are funny. basically a boy -- 13 yo? -- discovers he's actually a 'half-blood' -- that his father is posiedon -- just gets better from there. :)

...

I don't think I read it - I'll go request it from the library. Thanks.

fremontmama

06-04-2007, 10:55 AM

#22 The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

Another historical fiction on the Tudor Family with Henry VIII and his many wives. This one takes place after Jane Seymour has died and is written from 3 perspectives, that of Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard (wives #4 and #5) and Jane Boleyn (Anne Boleyn's sister in law). Good as always. Fast read.

#23 The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

A story about a husband and wife who give birth unexpectedly to twins. The daughter is born with Down's syndrome, the son is fine, and he gives the nurse his daughter to take to an institution. She instead keeps the baby and raises the girl as her own. Great book. Almost done. Must finish before tonight's book club meeting. :lol

sunnylady303

06-04-2007, 05:53 PM

So far I read:

Confessions of a Teen Sleuth by Chelsea Cain. This book was wonderful. The premise is that it is written by the real Nancy Drew, who says that Carolyn Keene (the author of the Nancy Drew books) got a lot of stuff wrong and used her life unfairly. It is so so funny, especially for me, who read all the Nancy Drew books I could get my hands on as a child. The real story about her relationship with Ned, her friendships with Bess and George, what happened to her mom, and why Carolyn wrote all the books about her. So clever and so funny.

Homeschooling: The Early Years by Linda Dobson. Helpful and encouraging. Made me more excited to homeschool, but then all homeschooling books seem to do that.

The Way of Ignorance by Wendell Berry. Very complex writing. But he is brilliant and incisive as always. He really cuts to the core of issues. This was an essay book, some he wrote and some were speeches he gave. My favorite two essays were "Compromise, Hell!" and "Notes for the Kerry Campaign, If Interested." Part of why I read it is because we are moving to his community this fall. But I always enjoy his writing. He is one of my heroes.

1growingsprout

06-04-2007, 09:17 PM

#38: Skin Game, by Caroline Kettlewell

Memoir of a "cutter" (woman who cut herself with a razor blade) - covers from about age 12 up to 25 or so. I started out not really liking the book, but wound up wanting to underline entire paragraphs. Take out the cutting part and whole chunks of it sound like my childhood, adolescence, and parts of my adulthood. Amazing, and I'm reading it again with a pencil nearby to take notes.

This is an excellent book, i refer back to it alot. A similar book is "cutting" by steven levenkron author of 'luckiest girl in the world'

cathe

06-04-2007, 09:20 PM

Alkenny

06-05-2007, 07:14 AM

[QUOTE=cathe;8297334]"Dream When You're Feeling Blue" by Elizabeth Berg

"You Suck" by Christopher Moore

QUOTE]

I just picked up the Berg book...;)

I'm a huge Christopher Moore fan...check out his Lamb.

cathe

06-05-2007, 01:35 PM

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the Berg book.

And yes, I'll check Lamb out - I definitely want to read more of Moore.

theotherkenny

06-05-2007, 04:54 PM

Good Grief
by Lolly Winston

I can't wait to finish this book, so far it's good. It's about a woman trying to deal with the recent death of her husband. I know, it doesn't sound special, but believe me, it's so much more than a wife being depressed, good stuff.

kofduke

06-05-2007, 06:02 PM

#23, Bone Walker, Gear

In their third Anasazi mystery, the Gears continue the saga of Browser [who] seeks to ensure their survival by ending the bloody strife...Paralleling the past story is a present-day murder mystery involving archaeologist Dusty Stewart. Browser's desperate attempts to form alliances and to hunt down and slay the evil Two Hearts give the war chief a chance to display his great cunning and bravery. And Dusty is forced to confront a great many personal demons as he struggles to solve a witchcraft-related murder that could lead to more deaths...extensive bibliography...

It's the last book in the series so I can finally stop talking about it. Really fascinating - not only are there parallels between the engrossing fictional stories, but the archeologist writers are able to draw parallels from the time of the Anasazi to today in a way that makes you think but isn't heavy-handed.

#1 - Tiger in the Well, #2 - Laptop Lunch User's Guide, #3 An Inconvenient Truth, #4 Lucifer's Shadow, #5 A Woman's Eye, #6 - A Cold Day for Murder, #7 The Visitant, #8 - Mothering the New Mother, #9- Pharos, #10 - Neverwhere, #11 - How does your Engine Run?, #12 - The Memory Keeper's Daughter, #13 - Nursery Crimes, #14 - Coraline, #15 - Playful Parenting, #16 - Vanishing Acts, #17 - Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth, #18 - Super Suppers, #19 - See Jane Hit, #20 - A Cold Heart, #21 Peter and the Starcatchers, #22 The Summoning God, #23 - Bone Walker

Bufomander

06-05-2007, 10:48 PM

#85 Sheer Abandon by Penny Vincenzi
Great story -- long -- 600 pages. Apparently Vincenzi is pretty well known in Britain (where she is from). This is the first one of hers I've read. Looked her up on Amazon and she's got lots of 4 1/2 and 5 star ratings. This one is about three women who meet while traveling during their gap year. They spend a few days together and this is 16 years later... Which one of them abandoned a baby at the airport? This simplifies the plot greatly, of course. One of those books where all of the characters connect with each other in different ways. Nice.

#86 The Places In Between by Rory Stewart

Non-fiction. The author walked across Afghanistan in 2002.

#87 The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Very short juvenile fiction. Lucky is a 10 yo girl living in a tiny (pop.43) town in California. She's afraid her guardian is going to leave her and go back to France. Nice.

#88 The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
read this a ton when i was young, in a "kid's" version, so I was really really familiar with the story. Interesting stuff. Didn't know that this was the first time the "time machine" idea was used in fiction. Surprised how short the story was.

fremontmama

06-06-2007, 12:58 PM

#24 Peaceful Parents Peaceful Kids by Naomi Drew

Eh, okay, not all that exciting though. I like Barb Coloroso, Alfie Kohn and the Parent Effectiveness Training guy better.

hrutledge

06-06-2007, 05:56 PM

#15 Name all the animals
it was ok
#16 Unless
could not get into it at all

rabrog

06-08-2007, 12:26 AM

1. Two Little Girls in Blue - Mary Higgins Clark 2. The 5th Horseman - James Patterson 3. C is for Corpse - Sue Grafton 4. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (the Third Summer) - Ann Brashares 5. Obstruction of Justice - Perri O'Shaugnessy
_______________________________________
6. Prime Cut - Diane Mott Davidson 7. Beach Road - James Patterson 8. At Risk - Patricia Cornwell 9. Christmas Thief - Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark 10. Honeymoon with Murder - Carolyn G. Hart
______________________________________
11. Chromosome 6 - Robin Cook 12. Dragonwell Dead - Laura Childs 13. Presumed Innocent - Scott Turow 14. Hitched - Carol Higgins Clark
15. Blood Orange Brewing - Laura Childs 16. Manor of Death - Leslie Caine
____________________________________________
17. The Dead Cat Bounce - Sarah Graves 18. Judge and Jury - James Patterson
_____________________________________________
19. Shopaholic and Sister - Sophie Kinsella: not the best of them, but okay.
20. Mallory's Oracle - Carol O'Connell
21. Everywhere That Mary Went - Lisa Scottoline
22. Killer Smile - LIsa Scottoline
__________________________________________________
23. Killer Hair - Ellen Byerssum - Okay for something different
24. Killed by Clutter - Leslie Caine

Jenn

Alkenny

06-08-2007, 05:49 AM

Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez
A terrific opening chapter—colorful, suspenseful, funny—ushers readers into the curious closed world of Afghan women. A wedding is about to take place, arranged, of course, but there is a potentially dire secret—the bride is not technically a virgin. How Rodriguez, an admirably resourceful and dynamic woman, set to marry a nice Afghan man, solves this problem makes a great story, embellished as it is with all the traditional wedding preparations. Rodriguez went to Afghanistan in 2002, just after the fall of the Taliban, volunteering as a nurse's aide, but soon found that her skills as a trained hairdresser were far more in demand, both for the Western workers and, as word got out, Afghans. On a trip back to the U.S., she persuaded companies in the beauty industry to donate 10,000 boxes of products and supplies to ship to Kabul, and instantly she started a training school. Political problems ensued ("too much laughing within the school"), financial problems, cultural misunderstandings and finally the government closed the school and salon—though the reader will suspect that the endlessly ingenious Rodriguez, using her book as a wedge against authority, will triumph in the end.

Loved it!

cathe

06-08-2007, 08:04 AM

Bufomander

06-08-2007, 08:21 AM

So far I read:

Confessions of a Teen Sleuth by Chelsea Cain. This book was wonderful. The premise is that it is written by the real Nancy Drew, who says that Carolyn Keene (the author of the Nancy Drew books) got a lot of stuff wrong and used her life unfairly. It is so so funny, especially for me, who read all the Nancy Drew books I could get my hands on as a child. The real story about her relationship with Ned, her friendships with Bess and George, what happened to her mom, and why Carolyn wrote all the books about her. So clever and so funny.

.
just put this one on hold @ the library -- i'm #11. i, too, read lots of n.d. when i was little -- though i will have to say that they are not ones that i can go back and read now and enjoy -- unlike harriet the spy or the westing game.....

how cool that you are moving close to wendell berry, by the way!

sunnylady303

06-08-2007, 09:16 AM

how cool that you are moving close to wendell berry, by the way!

Yeah, I'm way excited. Although I can't imagine what I would say to him if we meet - "Hi. You don't know me but you are the closest thing I have to an idol. Can we just sit and talk for an hour?" :lol

BTW, I loved Harriet the Spy growing up and I think I am going to go back and read it now. Thanks for reminding me!

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-08-2007, 12:53 PM

"The Wide Window" by Lemony Snicket

#3 in the SEries of Unfortunate Events - not as good as the first 2.

"THe Miserable Mill" by Lemony Snicket

#4 in the Series of Unforunate Events - this one was good

Yeah, DW and I almost gave up after Book 3 and 4, they were getting formulaic and repetitive (orphans have new guardian, Count Olaf arrives, guardian dies, Mr. Poe doesn't believe the orphans EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE BEEN RIGHT EVERY TIME, Count Olaf is unmasked, on to new guardian), but we had someone tell us that you have to stick it out until Book 5 and then it starts to take off, and they were right!

Hollysmom

06-08-2007, 07:22 PM

#11) Turn Left at Sanity - By Nancy Warren

From the Publisher
In Turn Left at Sanity, Nancy Warren takes readers to a delightfully quirky, Mayberry-meets-Bedlam kind of town, where two exceedingly sensible people are about to discover that love just isn''t always so sensible--and that sometimes desire can take a body to a realm far beyond all reason. Corporate shark Joe Iskerson wastes no time in getting to the heart of the matter--and getting exactly what he wants. And what he wants is to spend one brief night in Saunders, Idaho, buy up most of the land for a fertilizer plant, and get out. But nobody bothered to warn Joe that Saunders is home to an astonishingly kooky collection of outrageous eccentrics who don''t seem to grasp the concept of money. Worse, the Shady Lady B&B where Joe is staying turns out to have been a former brothel which now houses retired ladies of the evening. And then there''s Emylou Gainor, the Shady Lady''s proprietor, pretty, warm, and apparently not afflicted with whatever derangement the rest of the town has. Emylou, for her part, has always been a levelheaded girl. But then, she''s never met anybody quite like Joe before. When he''s around, Emylou feels like going deliciously, wickedly insane. Or maybe that old brothel magic really is starting to finally work on her.

I wanted to read something fluffy....I think this was a little too fluffy even for me. I did not enjoy this book.

Alkenny

06-10-2007, 09:26 AM

Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg
A Rita Hayworth look-alike and her sister keep the home fires burning for young men going off to fight WWII in Berg's nostalgic tale of wartime romance and family sacrifice. Hoping her boyfriend, Julian, will propose before shipping out to the Pacific, beautiful redhead Kitty Heaney discovers not only is she not engaged, but she's enlisted as the delivery person for her sister Louise's engagement ring from Michael, her boyfriend, who has departed for the European front. Distance makes Louise's and Michael's hearts grow fonder while Kitty discovers independence through her job at a bomber factory. As the months go by, Louise learns she is pregnant and Kitty meets an attractive soldier (one of many the girls encounter) at a USO dance. As the young soldiers offer a range of feelings about war from humor to anger, wonder to despair, Berg (We Are All Welcome Here; The Handmaid and the Carpenter; 2000 Oprah pick Open House) captures changing attitudes toward working women and single mothers in this sentimental celebration of a bygone era.
Feeling for Bones by Bethany Pierce
Rainy-afternoon readers could do far worse than to curl up with Pierce's treat of a first novel. Pierce, who teaches English at Miami University in Ohio, introduces readers to Olivia, the 16-year-old budding artist who narrates this lush story. Olivia not only takes readers deep into her struggles with anorexia but introduces a rich cast of characters, like her funny, needy little sister, whose birth name is Claire, but who everyone calls Callapher, short for "Calla Flower." With the help of beautiful Mollie, a free-spirited, devout Christian girl who quickly befriends the family, and Margaret, an old, kind, busy-body great-aunt who is always ready with a helping hand, Olivia and Callapher do their best to settle into their new home, nicknamed "The Shoe Box" because of its tiny size. They've just moved to a small town where Mom and Dad try to make a new life after a scandal forces Dad out of his position as pastor of their old church in Ohio. This story is about family, faith, love, starting over and a whole host of life's curve balls, beautifully told by a girl who has endless heart but a tough mountain to climb when it comes to loving herself as is.

*****

Feeling for Bones...a light/quick read...more like beach reading, IMO, than my usual fair.

Cathe...you were right about Berg's...the writing seemed immature to me, more like a YA novel (now, I've read some YA ones that were good, but you know what I mean?) and I just absolutely HATED the ending. She wrapped it up too quickly, how did THAT happen (without spoiling it)???

sunnylady303

06-10-2007, 10:37 AM

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. This is my new favorite non-fiction book. I thought that I was beyond inspiring on this topic - that I was as convinced and convicted as I could be. Her writing and journey inspired me more. I usually fly through books but I tried so hard to read this one slowly because I didn't want it to end. I'm reading it again. What a treat and how amazing is her writing.

Alkenny

06-11-2007, 05:35 AM

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

I'm just starting this! :)

Yesterday, I finished Safe Trip to Eden: 10 Steps to Save Planet Earth from the Global MeltdownPut good food on your table, put good products in your home, plant a tree, drive a cool car, stop being toxic—these are five of the 10 simplistic but generally sensible bromides espoused by health magazine publisher Steinman. He's earnest, sometimes even bombastic, about how an army of "green patriots" can individually and incrementally confront global warming by embracing a "carbon-neutral" lifestyle. The "good food" chapter harrowingly recounts a visit to California's Central Valley—the most productive agricultural land in the United States but also the site of pesticides and poisoned water that have sickened generations of farm workers. However, his solution—to buy locally, eat organically and patronize food producers who emphasize organic products—is still out of reach for most Americans. A chapter on the importance of trees in combating global warming starts with the big picture of Costa Rica's remarkable commitment to reforestation before narrowing its focus to a list of manufacturers providing recycled papers. The ethic of every-little-thing-helps infuses the book—the author even counsels such micro-acts as unplugging unused appliances that draw "standby" power. A lengthy resource guide provides tips on everything from organic food deliveries and eco-friendly furniture to recycled toothbrushes

and Way off the Road: Discovering the Peculiar Charms of Small Town America
Why does the Midwest seem to have more colorful characters than the rest of the country? Emmy Award-winning correspondent and commentator Geist (Little League Confidential) profiles the unique characters, animals, and pastimes of small-town America. Some of the stories will be familiar to fans of his segments on CBS News Sunday Morning, but others are new and definitely of the laugh-out-loud variety. Join Geist as he interviews an entrepreneur who has a successful business vacuuming prairie dogs out of the ground with a used sewer-cleaning truck; discover what happens at a festival dedicated to a headless chicken; and tag along as he searches for new dining pleasures: "In rural Kansas, I asked our motel desk clerk for the name of the best restaurant in the area. After mulling it over, he answered: 'I'd have to say the Texaco, 'cuz the Shell don't have no microwave.'" Geist genuinely delights in his finds, and readers will, too.

***Heather***

06-11-2007, 08:13 AM

#37 Interview with the Vampire
by Anne Rice

Fiction (Thank God!) Good. But very sad. I saw the movie years ago, but it's the first time reading the book. I have the next 2 books in the series, but need to take a bit of a break before starting them. I found Interview with the Vampire so sad, heavy, full of despair. But good. It really sucked me in. :laugh:

Well, we're almost halfway through the year. From the January Book Challenge Thread:

This year, my goal is to read 65 books. And, it's also my goal to actually keep track of them!

Looks like I UNDERestimated my reading abilities. :)

#1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, #2 Sacred Contracts, #3 Yummy Yarns, #4 The Face (Dean Koontz), #5 A Quaker Book of Wisdom, #6 Women of the Silk, #7 A Piece of Heaven (Barbara Samuel), #8 The 10th Insight (James Redfield), #9 Just listen (Sarah Dessen), #10 Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs (Clarke Snell & Tim Callahan)#11 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix #12 Living Dangerously (Katie Fforde), #13 The Whole Parenting Guide: Strategies, Resources and Inspiring Stories for Holistic Parenting and Family Living (Alan Reder, Phil Catalfo, Stephanie Renfrow Hamilton), #14 An Inconenient Truth (Al Gore), #15 Urgent Message From Mother: Gather the women; save the world (Jean Shinoda Bolen), #16 The Brief History of the Dead (Kevin Brockmeier) #17 Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince #18 Second Thyme Around (Katie Fforde) #19 The Red Tent (Anita Diamont) #20 When the Heart Cries (Cindy Woodsmall), #21 The Brethren (Beverly Lewis), #22 Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt (Anne Rice), #23 The Tender Years (Janette Oke), #24 A Searching Heart (Janette Oke) #25 Plain Truth (Jodi Picoult) #26 Eragon (C. Paolini) #27 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams), #28 The Celestine Prophecies & #29 The 10th Insight (James Redfield), #30 The Honk and Holler Opening Soon (Billie Letts) #31 The Mermaid Chair (Sue Monk Kidd) #32 The Gunslinger The Dark Tower (Stephen King) # 33 A Certain Age (Tama Janowitz) #34 Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Robert T. Kiyosaki) #35 The COMPLETE Tightwad Gazette (Amy Dacyczyn) #36 Something's Wrong with Your Scale! (Van Whitfield) #37 Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice)

fremontmama

06-11-2007, 11:25 AM

#25 Twice Blessed by Joan Leonard

A book about welcoming the 2nd child into your family. Eh, not too excited about this one either. There seems to be a lot of emphasis on how much of a chore and been there done that feeling there is with a 2nd child, at least for this woman. I'm not to enthusiastic about reading a book that is so darn negative about an experience I am looking forward to.

#26 Above All, Be Kind by Zoe Weil

I like this one. It's all about how to raise your children to be humane and help them learn the skills to be happy well rounded adults. I have enjoyed it.

cathe

06-11-2007, 11:44 AM

Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg
Cathe...you were right about Berg's...the writing seemed immature to me, more like a YA novel (now, I've read some YA ones that were good, but you know what I mean?) and I just absolutely HATED the ending. She wrapped it up too quickly, how did THAT happen (without spoiling it)???

I know - it was like HUH - who's married to who and why? How did that happen.

But even the banter between the sisters was so silly - you're right - like a teen book.

cathe

06-11-2007, 11:49 AM

Yeah, DW and I almost gave up after Book 3 and 4, they were getting formulaic and repetitive (orphans have new guardian, Count Olaf arrives, guardian dies, Mr. Poe doesn't believe the orphans EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE BEEN RIGHT EVERY TIME, Count Olaf is unmasked, on to new guardian), but we had someone tell us that you have to stick it out until Book 5 and then it starts to take off, and they were right!

Oh good - glad to hear it. The plots were getting a bit old. We just got #5.

cathe

06-11-2007, 11:53 AM

"Blind Submission" by Debra Ginsberg

I really liked this one - I'm not sure why - it's not that wonderfully written and the main character is a little bit too much of a victim until the end - but I found it a lot of fun. I guess it's partly because I love stuff about the behind-the-scenes of publishing.

It's about a woman who goes to work for a top literary agent and gets totally used and abused but ends up coming out on top. Kind of reminds me of - - - I forgot the name but the one where the secretary whose boss kept stealing her ideas and then she goes and makes a big business deal on her own and shows up her boss.

snozzberry

06-11-2007, 07:47 PM

Kind of reminds me of - - - I forgot the name but the one where the secretary whose boss kept stealing her ideas and then she goes and makes a big business deal on her own and shows up her boss.Do you mean Working Girl with Melanie Griffith? ;)

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-11-2007, 10:07 PM

Bufomander

06-12-2007, 08:45 AM

#89 The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Young adult fiction. Narrated by death. Nazi Germany. I wasn't as engrossed in this one as I expected to be (based on others' experience -- Cathe, i think, and dh) but it still got me at the end --definitely an interesting read.

cathe

06-12-2007, 09:43 AM

Do you mean Working Girl with Melanie Griffith? ;)

Yeah - that's the one I mean.

nancy926

06-13-2007, 08:29 AM

#40: The Hurried Child, by David Elkind
This was recommended by a friend, so I got it out of the library even though I'm on a self-imposed hiatus from reading books about parenting or children. I enjoyed it for the most part, though the publishers need better proofreaders. :) His premise is that by putting 2-year-olds in preschool and 4-year-olds on soccer teams (that's not all - he also talks about TV, changes in family structure, more two-parent-working families, etc), we are hurrying our children along to adulthood too quickly, and this can result in all manner of fallout, including depression, drug use, rebellion, etc. He also talks about schooling in general quite a bit and how it's shifted toward a "hurrying" mentality.

In my case it was sort of preaching to the choir, but I still thought it was worth reading.

#41: The Man of My Dreams, by Curtis Sittenfeld
I read this while in the throes of a nasty virus, and still really liked it. Easy to read but not superficial. Smart. I read "Prep" (her other book) reluctantly since I'd heard all the propaganda about how she wrote it when she was 15. I still liked "Prep" and I like this one even more. Most fiction doesn't do much for me, so this is saying a lot.

slowtime

06-13-2007, 09:47 AM

I just stumbled into this thread and I like it already. Can I join? How does the numbering system work - are you counting from some previous month?

This month I've read:

Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson

I must be the last person in Chicago to have read this book. It's a historical account of two men in Chicago in the 1890's. One, Daniel Burnham, was the man behind the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Following the success of the Columbian Exposition, Burnham became a massively influential Urban Planner. The other man was H.H. Holmes, one of America's first and most prolific serial killers. Both men were active at the same time, in the same place, laying the groundwork for the twentieth century. The author, Erik Larson, said he tried to channel Truman Capote in writing this book, and I don't think he really succeeded (the book is neither as personal nor chilling as In Cold Blood), but it's still wonderfully written and an engaging read.

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan

I'm not sure how to sum this book up. Loosely speaking, it's about evolution. It's about finding who we are as a species by looking into our past. The book discusses gene mutation, the history of evolutionary theory, and ends with a long look at our closest genetic relatives, the apes. Sagan and Druyan think that we can't learn how to progress as a species if we don't understand where we come from and can't accept the animal roots of some of our behavior. There is some knee-jerk anti-religious sentiment, but I read that as defensive and ignored it. (I'm not that religious - I just think that Sagan did himself no favors by distancing his work so much from people who are religious. It shouldn't be faith versus science, and scientists who treat it that way aren't helping. Not that science should compromise - just that open hostility doesn't make anyone sympathetic.) All in all, it was a really interesting book. I plan to read more from that series.

The Shelters of Stone, by Jean Auel

Reading about evolution got me in the mood to read about cavemen. I read the Earth Children series through the Plains of Passage when I was in high school, but by the time The Shelters of Stone came out I was an English major and kind of embarrassed to buy a book about randy Cro-Magnons. So last week I went to the library and found it. Boy, was I disappointed. I remembered that Auel repeated herself a lot in the previous books, but I remembered the other books having more story to them. If Auel's editors trimmed out half the sequences where 1) People notice Ayla's accent; 2) People notice how beautiful Ayla is; 3) People notice Jondalar's "intensely vivid " blue eyes; 4) Ayla shows someone how to make fire; 5) Ayla and Jondalar show people how to use the spear-thrower; 6) Ayla tells people how she tamed her wolf and horses; 7) Ayla is introduced to anyone (their introductions include all their family references, and Auel repeats them all every single time); and 8) Ayla drinks tea - the book would lose at least half its length. I got really annoyed with both Ayla and Jondalar. Is there anything Ayla doesn't invent? Does she have no flaws at all? I could've forgiven the brain-numbing repetition and the increasing blandness of Ayla and Jondalar's perfection if there had been a plot, but there was not.

I just noticed that cathe read "Blind Submission," by Debra Ginsberg. Is that the same Debra Ginsberg who wrote "Waiting - The True Confessions of a Waitress"? I liked that book a lot. I was still a waitress the first time I read it.

christy005

06-13-2007, 09:47 AM

1. The power of Play --David Elkind
2. The ten basic principles of Good Parenting

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-13-2007, 10:05 AM

I just stumbled into this thread and I like it already. Can I join? How does the numbering system work - are you counting from some previous month?

Welcome! Some of us have set a reading goal for the year (i.e. 100 in 2007), some have not. Those of us that have set a goal number our books to keep track ... but that is by no means a requirement to join the thread. The thread is mainly just a place to share the books we have read throughout the month, be exposed to new books and just revel in being bibliophiles!

Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson

I must be the last person in Chicago to have read this book. It's a historical account of two men in Chicago in the 1890's. One, Daniel Burnham, was the man behind the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Following the success of the Columbian Exposition, Burnham became a massively influential Urban Planner. The other man was H.H. Holmes, one of America's first and most prolific serial killers. Both men were active at the same time, in the same place, laying the groundwork for the twentieth century. The author, Erik Larson, said he tried to channel Truman Capote in writing this book, and I don't think he really succeeded (the book is neither as personal nor chilling as In Cold Blood), but it's still wonderfully written and an engaging read.

When I read this book (it's been about 2 years now) on the recommendation of my Mom, I could not put it down. I found it riveting, though I agree that it is "neither as personal nor chilling as In Cold Blood", but then Capote wasn't worried about facts, per se, and a lot of what is in ICB is not necessarily what happened, whereas in Devil in the White City, all Larson gives his reader is fact and clearly indicates where he was speculating. This, of course, lends to the more dispassionate tone of Devil as opposed to ICB ... gives it more of a history textbook feel than tabloid splash.

nancy926

06-13-2007, 12:33 PM

Welcome slowtime!

Those of us who number our books are counting from Jan 1, 2007. Some of us have specific goals, though I can't remember my own, LOL. I think it might have been 50 books, which doesn't seem like much (especially since I'm already at 40 and we're not yet 6 months through the year). In any case, I like keeping track like that. I did it once on paper for a year and it was fun to go back and see what I'd read.

The Sagan/Druyan book is intriguing...I may have actually read it ages ago, lol. Jared Diamond's The Third Chimpanzee is good, too.

cathe

06-13-2007, 08:45 PM

I just noticed that cathe read "Blind Submission," by Debra Ginsberg. Is that the same Debra Ginsberg who wrote "Waiting - The True Confessions of a Waitress"? I liked that book a lot. I was still a waitress the first time I read it.

Hi Slowtime - welcome.

I don't know if it's the same Debra Ginsberg but I will check that book out. I did a lot of waitressing thru highschool and other times so I think I'd like it.

cathe

06-13-2007, 08:49 PM

Just requested it from the library. It is the same author.

Bufomander

06-14-2007, 07:35 AM

I just stumbled into this thread and I like it already. Can I join? How does the numbering system work - are you counting from some previous month?

This month I've read:

Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson.

Welcome slowtime! I'm glad you found us!

I've had this book sitting around for a while but still haven't read it - now it's our book club book for July, so that's good -- I'll be reading it soon...

cathe

06-14-2007, 12:31 PM

"Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos" by R.L. LaFevers

I went to a children's literature writing workshop last saturday and bought an armful of books. This one was great. A juvenile novel about a girl who's parents are curators of the Musuem of Legends and Antiquities in London. SHe has the unique ability to tell when objects are cursed and has taken it upon herself to remove the curses to keep her family safe. Fun book and educational too - lots of stuff about ancient Egypt. Also, a nice strong female character.

cathe

06-14-2007, 12:35 PM

Oh - and I'm off to Boston for a week. See you all when I get back. I've got Barbara Kingsolver's book packed to read on the plane.

Bufomander

06-14-2007, 07:26 PM

oooh, i want to go to a children's lit workshop, cathe! did you have a good time? have a blast in boston and enjoy the Kingsolver! is it a family trip?

rabrog

06-15-2007, 12:41 PM

fremontmama

06-15-2007, 01:07 PM

#27 You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

A very helpful book for me. Loved it!

JanB

06-15-2007, 01:20 PM

The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Go Get Pregnant by Dan Savage.

Very funny, and at times moving, saga of how Dan Savage (a Seattle-based journalist who writes the column "Savage Love" among other things, if you're not familiar with him) and his boyfriend adopted their son. I blew through this in less than a day, it was such a great read.

The Commitment : Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family, Dan Savage.

Yeah, so I went on a little Dan Savage kick recently. This one is his ruminations on the state of gay marriage in this country, specifically as it applies to his own relationship. He and his boyfriend, and their family members, and their friends, go back and forth about whether marriage is something that is right for them. Another great read, although not quite as funny and touching as The Kid.

Everything Conceivable: How Assisted Reproduction is Changing Men, Women, and the World, Liza Mundy.

Nice overview by a Washington Post journalist of the current state of assisted reproduction, including IVF, adoption, and other reproductive issues. She covers a huge range of topics, from the moral backlash against IVF to the difficulty of carrying a triplet pregnancy. Surprisingly, this was another quick read. It's very well-written and I'd highly recommend it.

Bufomander

06-15-2007, 04:54 PM

#90 Summer Reading by Hilma Wolitzer

Fiction -- set in the Hamptons -- "offers a seductive glimpse into the lives of three very different women" -- Angela, a retired English professor who is leading a book club, Lissy, one of its members, and Michelle, who works for Lissy as a sort of housecleaner/maid. Okay.

kofduke

06-15-2007, 09:38 PM

#24 - The Famished Road, Ben Okri

Teeming with apocalyptic visions as well as harrowing scenes of violence and wretched poverty, this novel by Nigerian writer...Okri won the 1991 Booker Prize. Azaro, is a spirit child who maintains ties to the supernatural world. Possessed by " boiling hallucinations, " he can see the invisible, grotesque demons and witches who prey on his family in an African ghetto community...The sheer bulk of episodes...tends to slow narrative momentum, but they build to a powerful, compassionate vision of modern Africa and the magical heritage of its myths.

Beautifully written and very evocative, but I couldn't get into the narrative of it very well.

#1 - Tiger in the Well, #2 - Laptop Lunch User's Guide, #3 An Inconvenient Truth, #4 Lucifer's Shadow, #5 A Woman's Eye, #6 - A Cold Day for Murder, #7 The Visitant, #8 - Mothering the New Mother, #9- Pharos, #10 - Neverwhere, #11 - How does your Engine Run?, #12 - The Memory Keeper's Daughter, #13 - Nursery Crimes, #14 - Coraline, #15 - Playful Parenting, #16 - Vanishing Acts, #17 - Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth, #18 - Super Suppers, #19 - See Jane Hit, #20 - A Cold Heart, #21 Peter and the Starcatchers, #22 The Summoning God, #23 - Bone Walker, #24 - The Famished Road

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-15-2007, 11:07 PM

#24: Much Ado About Nothing
by William Shakespeare
edited by David Bevington

My review of Much Ado About Nothing can be found here (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/much-ado-about-nothing.html).

#1 Beowulf: A New Verse Translation (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/beowulf-new-verse-translation-norton.html), #2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-chamber-of-secrets.html), #3 Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins: Authoritative Texts, Textual Introduction and Tables of Variant Criticism (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/puddnhead-wilson-and-those.html), #4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-prisoner-of-azkaban.html), #5 The Summoning of Everyman (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/summoning-of-everyman-norton-anthology.html), #6 The Marrow of Tradition (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/marrow-of-tradition.html), #7 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/harry-potter-and-goblet-of-fire-audio.html), #8 Billy Budd and Other Tales (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/billy-budd-and-other-tales.html), #9 White Noise (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/white-noise.html), #10 On the Road (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-road.html), #11 I'm an English Major – Now What?: How English Majors Can Find Happiness, Success, and a Real Job (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/im-english-major-now-what-how-english.html), #12 The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/tragical-history-of-doctor-faustus.html), #13 The Ox-Bow Incident (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/ox-bow-incident.html), #14 Middle Passage (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/middle-passage.html), #15 King Lear (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/king-lear-bantam-anthology.html), #16 Native Son (The Restored Text Established by the Library of America) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/native-son-restored-text-established-by.html), #17 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/harry-potter-and-order-of-phoenix-audio.html), #18 To Kill a Mockingbird (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/to-kill-mockingbird.html), #19 The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/postmodern-condition-report-on.html), #20 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/harry-potter-and-half-blood-prince.html), #21 The Taming of the Shrew (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/taming-of-shrew-bantam-anthology.html), #22 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/midsummer-nights-dream-bantam-anthology.html), #23 The Merchant of Venice (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/merchant-of-venice-bantam-anthology.html), #24 Much Ado About Nothing (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/much-ado-about-nothing.html)

kofduke

06-16-2007, 07:25 PM

#25 - From Asparagus to Zucchini, MACSAC

This informative and easy-to-use cookbook celebrates sustainable farming with a wide array of scrumptious recipes for seasonal, farm-fresh produce. From peas, peppers and potatoes to basil, bok choy, and burdock root, From Asparagus to Zucchini highlights the best of seasonal cuisine from around the country.

Been wondering what to do with the veggies in your CSA box? This book is totally the answer for anyone. More than just recipies, it has growing information and a history on each of the veggies. I'm soooo glad I got this!

#1 - Tiger in the Well, #2 - Laptop Lunch User's Guide, #3 An Inconvenient Truth, #4 Lucifer's Shadow, #5 A Woman's Eye, #6 - A Cold Day for Murder, #7 The Visitant, #8 - Mothering the New Mother, #9- Pharos, #10 - Neverwhere, #11 - How does your Engine Run?, #12 - The Memory Keeper's Daughter, #13 - Nursery Crimes, #14 - Coraline, #15 - Playful Parenting, #16 - Vanishing Acts, #17 - Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth, #18 - Super Suppers, #19 - See Jane Hit, #20 - A Cold Heart, #21 Peter and the Starcatchers, #22 The Summoning God, #23 - Bone Walker, #24 - The Famished Road, #25 - From Asparagus to Zucchini

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-16-2007, 08:17 PM

#25 - From Asparagus to Zucchini, MACSAC

Been wondering what to do with the veggies in your CSA box?

Okay, stupid question time. What is a "CSA Box"? All I can think of is Confederate States of America Box and I know that's not right!

kofduke

06-16-2007, 08:28 PM

Okay, stupid question time. What is a "CSA Box"? All I can think of is Confederate States of America Box and I know that's not right!

CSA is community-supported agriculture. Basically you pay a fee at the beginning of the season for the farmer's operating expenses, and then share in the bounty of the farm, getting fresh produce weekly.

Alkenny

06-17-2007, 06:22 AM

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver-interesting!

ColoradoMama

06-17-2007, 09:17 PM

#9 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling - We listened to this book on our trip. It is the second book in the series and it's awesome!

#10 Felicity: An American Girl, Story Collection, by Valerie Tripp - We also listened to this book on our trip. It is a book for kids, but dh and I enjoyed it, too. It starts off in 1774. Felicity is a 9 year old girl, and her family are patriots. I love the way the history of the American Revolution is woven through the story.

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-18-2007, 04:56 AM

#9 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling - We listened to this book on our trip. It is the second book in the series and it's awesome!

Isn't Jim Dale great?!

ColoradoMama

06-18-2007, 08:52 AM

Isn't Jim Dale great?!

Yes he is. I really enjoyed hearing him read it.

chellemarie

06-18-2007, 10:21 AM

I posted to the April thread, but I think I missed May's. Since April I've read:

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Saw the movie years ago and enjoyed it. I loved the book. Absolutely loved it.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides
I read Middlesex years ago and loved it. After that, I wanted to read more of this author. This was my second try with this book. The first time I couldn't get past a few pages. This time I wanted to keep reading to see what happened. But I didn't feel connected to the characters. I think the author was trying to really say something and I just wasn't hearing it.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
I liked it though the second half was loose and the end was even looser. I've been scouring the internet for the clip of him on The Real World. I remember watching that episode and thinking the two guys Judd was talking to were real a-holes. I don't still believe Dave Eggers is an a-hole and I'm inspired to play Frisbee with my kids.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Liked it a lot until the end. The end is annnnnnnnnoying me days later. (I stayed up all night reading for THIS!? Gah!)

fremontmama

06-18-2007, 10:46 AM

I was skimming through the thread last week and noticed a couple mentions of a children's writing course? Just thought I would throw this out there. I have a friend who is doing a Children's Writing E-Course. It's all online. You can email her for more information here;

moonfinder at earthlink.net Her name is Terri

She is great and the class should be awesome. I am not able to take this session but am looking forward to the next session :thumb

Happy Monday!

Bufomander

06-18-2007, 05:47 PM

so i'm going to be lazy and type in what i wrote on my library 'comment cards' (a sort of adult reading program where you read a new or featured title and get entered in drawings! i'm excited -- the first drawing is the 26th and i've got three entries so far!)

#91 Wrestling with Gravy by Jonathan Reynolds

The author is a foodie as well as a playwright, actor, screenwrite, producer -- a "culinary memoir" complete with recipes. Fun to hear about some older actors (Burt Reynolds, Michael Caine, Ian McKellan) from an "insider". *Very* fancy recipes (read:expensive)....

#92 The Savage Garden by Mark Mills

Wow -- very dark mystery. Set largely in Italy, though the story starts and ends in England. Takes place in 1958. British young man goes to study a garden in Italy, discovers a murder -- both in the distant past and more recently. I liked this one.

Snozzberry, how's the Goblet of Fire coming? I'm with Harry and the other champions right at the edge of the lake....:loveeyes:

Traci mom23boys

06-18-2007, 05:58 PM

I can't remember what I posted last...

#16 The City of Ember (YA)
Terrific read set far in the future, where the characters live underground but don't know it. I plan to read the whole series.

#17 Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban
I am trying to get ready for the new H.P., I hadn't read this in years!
Really Good!

#18 Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
I really enjoyed this. I read another book written by her years ago called *Patty Jane's House of Curl* so when I saw this I grabbed it and I am so glad I did. I laughed, I cried yada yada...

#19 Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
I am almost finished with this, oh so good!

Blessings,

snozzberry

06-18-2007, 06:17 PM

Snozzberry, how's the Goblet of Fire coming? I'm with Harry and the other champions right at the edge of the lake....:loveeyes:I'm right after the second task! I've had a lot going at work (and *ahem* just got a BFP on Sunday!), so it's taking me longer with this one. Are you waiting for me? :wink If so, that's awfully nice of you, as I can see you can read circles around me!!! :lol

christy005

06-18-2007, 10:53 PM

3. Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman's Inspirational Story by Jodee Blanco
A VERY good book about childhood bullying and how it affects kids. I read it in one day, it was so good. I couldn't believe it was a true story. I had forgotten how mean kids could truly be to other kids.

snozzberry

06-19-2007, 06:05 AM

Mamax3

06-19-2007, 09:43 AM

I just finished Fortune's Daughter by Alice Hoffman. It was okay, not a must read IMO.

Now I am reading Middlesex. I am hooked and only on page 20 or so.

1growingsprout

06-20-2007, 02:39 AM

HI, I follow this thread but never seem to post
Over the past couple weeks Ive had alot of time to read...

1. Ive heard that song before, Mary Higgings Clark
2. Dark Road Home, Karen Harper (amish thriller)
3. The Memory Keepers Daughter, Kim Edwards, (this just made me cry)
4. Rage Therapy ,Daniel Kalla (great book, very freaky at times, i was not expecting the ending)
5. Ninteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult

I am a book-aholic, I love the library, i love bookstores... My pile of 'to reads' seems to grow quicker then I can read... My oldest 2 children are definate readers too...

Alkenny

06-20-2007, 05:34 AM

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Just as good as The Kite Runner, IMO...maybe better (interesting as the main characters are women).

Bufomander

06-20-2007, 06:31 PM

I'm right after the second task! I've had a lot going at work (and *ahem* just got a BFP on Sunday!), so it's taking me longer with this one. Are you waiting for me? :wink If so, that's awfully nice of you, as I can see you can read circles around me!!! :lol

:balloons :balloons :broc: :banana :carrot

Congratulations Snozzberry! How exciting!

I'm not exactly *waiting* on you, more like taking my time so that we are sort of reading at the same time...:wink (Sidenote re:Goblet of Fire -- if Krum doesn't show back up in book 7, it seems a little empty that Hermione was the 'thing he would miss most' -- kwim?) Right now I'm at the point in GOF where Harry is telling Snape and Dumbledore what happened when he touched the Triwizard Cup....

#93 Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman

Perhaps a book for you, NewCrunchyDaddy? Author is a video-game design consultant and a doctoral candidate in English Literature at U of C in Berkeley, specializing in Romantic and Victorian Lit.

A superhero book --villians, good guys, and a bit of in between. I didn't love it the way dp did, but it was fun. I sort of wonder if there'll be a second one...

snozzberry

06-20-2007, 07:40 PM

:balloons :balloons :broc: :banana :carrot

Congratulations Snozzberry! How exciting!Thanks! I'm over the moon. :love We were expecting it to take a long time, but it took just a couple tries, so I'm just so so so happy!!! Okay, sorry to hijack book talk... ;)

I'm not exactly *waiting* on you, more like taking my time so that we are sort of reading at the same time...:wink (Sidenote re:Goblet of Fire -- if Krum doesn't show back up in book 7, it seems a little empty that Hermione was the 'thing he would miss most' -- kwim?) Right now I'm at the point in GOF where Harry is telling Snape and Dumbledore what happened when he touched the Triwizard Cup.... Aw, that's sweet of you! :loveeyes: MDC folks are just the best in the world. I'm a little behind you now, but don't worry--I'll catch up soon!

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-20-2007, 07:54 PM

(Sidenote re:Goblet of Fire -- if Krum doesn't show back up in book 7, it seems a little empty that Hermione was the 'thing he would miss most' -- kwim?)

Well, in 2004 JKR did say that Krum will reappear (http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2004/0304-wbd.htm) (It's about half-way down the page in the link ... best to to CTRL+F "Krum"). (I've got 30 loose ends left at the end on HPB on my Book Blog (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/thirty-loose-ends-waiting-to-be-tied-up.html) ... that's how I had that so fast off the top of my head :loveeyes:)

#93 Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman

Perhaps a book for you, NewCrunchyDaddy? Author is a video-game design consultant and a doctoral candidate in English Literature at U of C in Berkeley, specializing in Romantic and Victorian Lit.

A superhero book --villians, good guys, and a bit of in between. I didn't love it the way dp did, but it was fun. I sort of wonder if there'll be a second one...

I'll have to look it up and put it in my TBR pile. Though that particular pile is rather large right now ... I'm getting ready to take the GRE this year. :dizzy:

***Heather***

06-20-2007, 09:00 PM

I'm trying and trying to remember the last book I read. It seems like there was something in between Interview with the Vampire and Rose Madder but I'm coming up with a blank. Maybe it's just my imagination. :lol

#38 Rose Madder
by Stephen King

Fiction. Good. So I guess Stephen King is an ok author. ;) I actually liked this book. :lol I did find parts of it disturbing (who wouldn't?!) but it was an interesting book. I did find the ending a little odd. I don't understand why she had all that anger.

#1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, #2 Sacred Contracts, #3 Yummy Yarns, #4 The Face (Dean Koontz), #5 A Quaker Book of Wisdom, #6 Women of the Silk, #7 A Piece of Heaven (Barbara Samuel), #8 The 10th Insight (James Redfield), #9 Just listen (Sarah Dessen), #10 Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs (Clarke Snell & Tim Callahan)#11 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix #12 Living Dangerously (Katie Fforde), #13 The Whole Parenting Guide: Strategies, Resources and Inspiring Stories for Holistic Parenting and Family Living (Alan Reder, Phil Catalfo, Stephanie Renfrow Hamilton), #14 An Inconenient Truth (Al Gore), #15 Urgent Message From Mother: Gather the women; save the world (Jean Shinoda Bolen), #16 The Brief History of the Dead (Kevin Brockmeier) #17 Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince #18 Second Thyme Around (Katie Fforde) #19 The Red Tent (Anita Diamont) #20 When the Heart Cries (Cindy Woodsmall), #21 The Brethren (Beverly Lewis), #22 Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt (Anne Rice), #23 The Tender Years (Janette Oke), #24 A Searching Heart (Janette Oke) #25 Plain Truth (Jodi Picoult) #26 Eragon (C. Paolini) #27 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams), #28 The Celestine Prophecies & #29 The 10th Insight (James Redfield), #30 The Honk and Holler Opening Soon (Billie Letts) #31 The Mermaid Chair (Sue Monk Kidd) #32 The Gunslinger The Dark Tower (Stephen King) # 33 A Certain Age (Tama Janowitz) #34 Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Robert T. Kiyosaki) #35 The COMPLETE Tightwad Gazette (Amy Dacyczyn) #36 Something's Wrong with Your Scale! (Van Whitfield) #37 Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice) #38 Rose Madder (Stephen King)

Traci mom23boys

06-20-2007, 10:52 PM

ColoradoMama

06-21-2007, 12:25 PM

Thanks! I'm over the moon. :love We were expecting it to take a long time, but it took just a couple tries, so I'm just so so so happy!!! Okay, sorry to hijack book talk... ;)

Yea for you! Congrats!

#11 Choosing Simplicity: Real People Finding Peace and Fulfillment in a Complex World by Linda Breen Pierce
I really enjoyed this book. She did a survey of people who were living a life of voluntary simplicity. Then she went on to interview many of them more in depth. This book chronicles many of their stories, and she splits them up into many different categories - people living simply to benefit the earth, people who had suffered a tragedy or illness, people who had always lived simply, etc. The book has many small sections, which made it very convenient to read with little children always interrupting!

fremontmama

06-21-2007, 12:46 PM

#28 The Fig Eater by Jody Shields

Murder mystery set in early 1900's Vienna. Very fascinating. Lots of reference to old Gypsy superstitions and spells, antique photographic technology, etc. I enjoyed it.

muttix2

06-21-2007, 06:13 PM

I don't know what number I'm on or even which monthly challenges I remembered to post to so I'm starting my count over :) This time I'll remember to look for the next month :) I'm just going to start with the books I finished this month.

#1 A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony I love his books and everyone has said I need to read this series (Xanth) so I've finally started. :) So far, so good.

#2 Source of Magic by Piers Anthony Xanth Series

#3 Castle Roogna by Piers Anthony Xanth Series

#4 Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent I read this years ago but I'm pregnant again so reread it. I love it :)

PrennaMama

06-21-2007, 10:27 PM

New new new here... So, um, I gather we try to read as much as possible in a month and post what we've read and what we thought of what we read?

chellemarie

06-21-2007, 11:57 PM

Adding to June....

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I loved it. It scared me. I'm still trying to wrap my head around parts of it. I checked the copyright date no less than a dozen times while I was reading.

Alkenny

06-22-2007, 06:11 AM

If Today Be Sweet by Thrity Umrigar Tehmina Sethna's beloved husband has died this past year and she is visiting her son, Sorab, in his suburban Ohio home. Now Tehmina is being asked to choose between her old, familiar life in India and a new one in Ohio with her son, his American wife, and their child. She must decide whether to leave the comforting landscape of her native India for the strange rituals of life in a new country.

This is a journey Tehmina, a middle-aged Parsi woman, must travel alone.

The Parsis were let into India almost a millennium ago because of their promise to "sweeten" and enrich the lives of the people in their adopted country. This is an ancient promise that Tehmina takes seriously. And so, while faced with the larger choice of whether to stay in America or not, Tehmina is also confronted with another, more urgent choice: whether to live in America as a stranger or as a citizen. Citizenship implies connection, participation, and involvement. Soon destiny beckons in the form of two young, troubled children next door. It is the plight of these two boys that forces Tehmina to choose. She will either straddle two worlds forever and live in a no-man's land or jump into the fullness of her new life in America.

If Today Be Sweet is a novel that celebrates family and community. It is an honest but affectionate look at contemporary America—the sterility of its suburban life, the tinsel of its celebrity culture, but also the generosity of its people and their thirst for connection and communication. Eloquently written, evocative, and unforgettable, If Today Be Sweet is a poignant look at issues of immigration, identity, family life, and hope. It is a novel that shows how cultures can collide and become better for it.
This was light reading for me. Okay, but I thought it was lacking.

christy005

06-22-2007, 02:01 PM

4. Talking to Babies: Healing with words on a maternity ward

I thought it would have been more interesting than it was. It is about a psychoanalyist talking to babies and their mothers after birth, trying to help ease the transtion outside of the mother's womb, and working with babies who are failing to thrive and mother's with baby blues. the first half of the book was interesting, but i had to force myself to try to finish the last, and skimmed through the last chapter.

Bufomander

06-22-2007, 03:44 PM

NewCrunchyDaddy, Thanks for the info about Krum -- it inexplicably made me feel smart (that I needed him to reappear in order to feel content:rolleyes ) And good luck on the GRE -- when will you take it? DP took it a couple of years ago (he just finished his first year of doctoral work).

New new new here... So, um, I gather we try to read as much as possible in a month and post what we've read and what we thought of what we read?

Yep, that's it exactly -- though you don't have to try to read as much as possible if you don't want to:wink! but yeah, just posting what you've read, maybe a short synopsis of plot, and if you'd recommend it! Welcome!

#94 Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See by Robert Kurson

about a man who was blinded in a chemical explosion at the age of three, who (at the age of 45 or something like that) is offered the chance at a surgery that might give him vision again. really fascinating stuff, extremely well written, not at all dry. interesting to think more about vision in general.

cathe

06-22-2007, 05:37 PM

oooh, i want to go to a children's lit workshop, cathe! did you have a good time? have a blast in boston and enjoy the Kingsolver! is it a family trip?

It was kind of a family trip - it was me visiting my family but without my family . . . I mean I was visiting parents and siblings but dh and dd's stayed home. We're taking a family trip next month and couldn't afford 4 airfares twice but another sister of mine who has moved out of Massachusetts was going to be in Boston for work so I decided to go for Father's DAy and stay with my sister in Boston for a few days.

Anyway - it was a great trip. Not too much reading though - just on the plane.

The first book was "Before You Know Kindness" Chris Bohjalian

I was kind of mad. I bought this book to bring on the plane after 1 chapter, realized I had read it before and hadn't been too thrilled with it the first time. The writing is good (he is the author of Midwives) but I don't like the way he stereotyped the characters. It's about a vegan/animal activist and I understand that he is trying to protray what happens when you are too fanatic about something but he really puts in all these digs about vegan food and products, e.g. the vegan waffles have a bitter aftertaste, probably because of the soymilk. THat really irked me because most vegan/healthy food can really taste great. Then he has the guys wife sneaking slim jims and mcdonalds - please.

On the way home, I read:

"How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff

This was another one recommended in the Children's Lit workshop. It was great. A YA novel about a current day occupation of England and what it's like for a group of teens trying to survive (no electricity, gas, etc.) when their Mom gets separated from them.

cathe

06-22-2007, 05:42 PM

Congratulations Snozzberry!!!!

snozzberry

06-22-2007, 06:09 PM

Thanks, cathe! :D

kofduke

06-22-2007, 06:15 PM

#27 - Shadow Divers

Kurson's chronicle of an extraordinary deep-sea discovery...in 1991, divers John Chatterton and Rich Kohler came across the buried remains of a German submarine just off the coast of New Jersey. Unable to identify the ship and mystified as to its origins, the two men became obsessed with learning where the U-boat came from and what brought it to the bottom of the sea...plenty of drama inherent in the text; lengthy and detailed passages describing deep-water dives, and the horrible things that can go wrong with them, evoke mental pictures that are atmospheric and downright claustrophobic at times.

I really enjoyed this - the true story of a group of divers who discover a German submarine off the coast of NJ that no one knew was there. The divers go on to prove the written histories wrong through outstanding academic research and daring deep sea dives.

#1 - Tiger in the Well, #2 - Laptop Lunch User's Guide, #3 An Inconvenient Truth, #4 Lucifer's Shadow, #5 A Woman's Eye, #6 - A Cold Day for Murder, #7 The Visitant, #8 - Mothering the New Mother, #9- Pharos, #10 - Neverwhere, #11 - How does your Engine Run?, #12 - The Memory Keeper's Daughter, #13 - Nursery Crimes, #14 - Coraline, #15 - Playful Parenting, #16 - Vanishing Acts, #17 - Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth, #18 - Super Suppers, #19 - See Jane Hit, #20 - A Cold Heart, #21 Peter and the Starcatchers, #22 The Summoning God, #23 - Bone Walker, #24 - The Famished Road, #25 - From Asparagus to Zucchini, #26 - Shadow Divers

chellemarie

06-22-2007, 08:18 PM

The first book was "Before You Know Kindness" Chris Bohjalian

I was kind of mad. I bought this book to bring on the plane after 1 chapter, realized I had read it before and hadn't been too thrilled with it the first time. The writing is good (he is the author of Midwives) but I don't like the way he stereotyped the characters. It's about a vegan/animal activist and I understand that he is trying to protray what happens when you are too fanatic about something but he really puts in all these digs about vegan food and products, e.g. the vegan waffles have a bitter aftertaste, probably because of the soymilk. THat really irked me because most vegan/healthy food can really taste great. Then he has the guys wife sneaking slim jims and mcdonalds - please.

Midwives made me mad. Years ago I mentioned to my mother that maybe I'd like to be a midwife. She gave me this book and said, "You have to read this." SUBTLE MUCH? It's as though the author says, "Here's this thing you might have heard something about. Some people think it's dangerous or kooky. Look, I'll show you why."

:irked:

snozzberry

06-23-2007, 06:23 AM

Midwives made me mad. Years ago I mentioned to my mother that maybe I'd like to be a midwife. She gave me this book and said, "You have to read this." SUBTLE MUCH? It's as though the author says, "Here's this thing you might have heard something about. Some people think it's dangerous or kooky. Look, I'll show you why."

:irked:I felt like that too after I read it! How about a book about the unnecessary tragedy and drama that occurs when doctors take a perfectly fine childbirth and muck it up? And the book made me wonder: What if it were a doctor, not a midwife, stuck in that house during an ice storm with a woman in labor? How would they have reacted? I don't know the answer, but I feel that most doctors would have tried to do *something* to save the baby too.

Bufomander

06-23-2007, 03:12 PM

#27 - Shadow Divers

I really enjoyed this - the true story of a group of divers who discover a German submarine off the coast of NJ that no one knew was there. The divers go on to prove the written histories wrong through outstanding academic research and daring deep sea dives.

This is the same author as the Crashing Through book I just read -- the one about the blind man, Shadow Divers was first.

rabrog

06-25-2007, 12:10 AM

Alkenny

06-25-2007, 05:46 AM

When We Get There by Shauna Seliy
Over the course of one winter in 1974, in the coal-mining town of Banning, Pennsylvania, the youngest member of a large and boisterous Eastern European family takes it upon himself to find his mother, who has recently disappeared without explanation." "Lucas, an only child whose father died in a coal-mine blast, lives with the legacy of loss. Despite his heavy inheritance, Lucas is just a curious thirteen-year-old trying to make sense of the world around him. He shuttles between the homes of his family elders, whose old-world ways he can't quite understand. He explores the industrial detritus of the town's defunct mines. He befriends the son of the local Croatian club owner." "When Zoli, Lucas's mother's estranged boyfriend, comes back into the picture, violence and retribution escalate until no one, especially Lucas, is safe. As Lucas struggles to find his place in this unsettling landscape, his extended family and close-knit ethnic community circle around him.

Mothering Mother: A Daughter's Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir by Carol D. O'Dell

Compelling and heartrending, this personal memoir chronicles the author's decision not to put her mother, who has Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, in "one of those homes" and relays the far-reaching consequences this choice has on her entire family. Detailing the challenges of reversing roles and learning to mother one's own mother, this refreshing and entertaining autobiography will help those struggling with their own decisions on elder care in the home. It touches on the importance of relationships— such as how they impact our souls and beliefs about ourselves and the quality of life— and explores the larger questions of faith, hope, and ultimately death.

The Women Who Raised Me by Victoria Rowell

In this deeply moving and heartfelt memoir, Rowell shares her astonishing story of growing up in the foster care system and pays tribute to her personal champions--the remarkable women who loved, nurtured, taught, and challenged the young girl to become the person she is today.

All quick, 'good enough' reads...I can't get anything to really stand out to me right now, but that just may be me.

snozzberry

06-25-2007, 05:52 AM

#21 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
It took me almost 3 weeks to get through because of a big work project and family visiting, but once I got to the last task, I finished it in 2 days!

Bufomander

06-25-2007, 07:20 AM

#21 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

#95 see above :loveeyes:

#96 The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber

a mystery/thriller-ish type thing.... involving a intellectual property lawyer and a possible lost/found manuscript of shakespeare. good for fluff.

becoming

06-25-2007, 08:26 AM

I'm just joining this thread, with a goal of reading 30 books by the end of the year. (Trying not to put too much pressure on myself with a new baby soon to be here!)

Just finished #1 - "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" a couple weeks ago. (Not the only book I've read in 2007, but I'm starting my 30 with this one.) The writing was beautiful in places (especially the beginning), but the book really lost me by the end. Overall, I was disappointed.

Going to the library tonight!

Keeta

06-25-2007, 09:25 AM

Congrats, snozzberry!!!! :jumpers:

I'm behind this month - but we've been moving (:dizzy:) so that's my excuse!

27. Dead Girls' Dance - Rachel Caine Supernatural/YA-ish. The second installment in the Morganville Vampires series. I really enjoyed this! You know how sequels can be sketchy...but this one did not disappoint. Good characters (including a strong, conflicted female lead) and good suspense and action. Can't wait for the next installment.

28. Thunderbird Falls - C.E. Murphy God this book was a struggle to get through for me. This is the second in a series as well (Urban Shaman was the first) and although I liked the first one, I found this one to be slow and predictable. And frustrating! OMG, it's fine when main characters have issues to work through or whatever, but I seriously just wanted to throttle this one and scream "Just get over it! Accept it and move on!!!!" Anyway. I have the third in the series, and I'm kind of bummed because I know I'll read it but I'm kind of dreading it at the same time. Dang curiousity...

29. Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience - Sharon Salzberg I love love LOVE this book. And I'm usually the type of person who runs screaming from the word "faith" because it's usually shorthand for smallmindedness, in my experience. But Salzberg is approaching this from a Buddhist perspective, and sort of reclaimed and reworked the concept for me. Extremely inspiring, eloquently written, just a juicy book. I'm so glad I own this, I know that this will be one that I reread every year or so.

-------------------------
1. The Diamond Age - Neal Stephenson 2. Light My Fire - Katie MacAlister 3. Camouflage - Joe Halderman 4. Magic or Madness - Justine Larbelestier 5. Magic Lessons - Justine Larbelestier 6. Midnighters #1: The Blue Hour - Scott Westerfeld 7. Midnighters #2: Touching Darkness - Scott Westerfeld 8. Blood Bound - Patricia Briggs 9. Midnighters #3: Blue Noon - Scott Westerfeld 10. Ecotopia Emerging - Ernest Callenbach 11. Homeschooling Our Children, Unschooling Ourselves - Alison McKee 12. The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. LeGuin 13. Over Sea, Under Stone - Susan Cooper 14. The Dark is Rising - Susan Cooper 15. For a Few Demons More - Kim Harrison 16. Deep Economy - Bill McKibben 17. Stop Global Warming: The Solution is You! - Laurie David 18. Greenwitch - Susan Cooper 19. The Grey King - Susan Cooper 20. Orphans of Chaos - John C. Wright 21. Magic's Child - Justine Larbalestier 22. All Together Dead - Charlaine Harris 23. Silver on the Tree - Susan Cooper 24. Charmed and Read - Candace Havens 25. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove - Christopher Moore 26. Glass Houses - Rachel Caine 27. The Dead Girls'Dance - Rachel Caine 28. Thunderbird Falls - C.E. Murphy 29. Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience - Sharon Salzberg

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-25-2007, 11:31 AM

#96 The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber

a mystery/thriller-ish type thing.... involving a intellectual property lawyer and a possible lost/found manuscript of shakespeare. good for fluff.

I'll have to look this one up. I just finished a Topics in Shakespeare class where were studied the comedies (hence my recent postings in the Challenge Threads) and now I need some "summer reading" books.

cathe

06-25-2007, 07:44 PM

"The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

This was recommended by Snozzberry. Great way to learn lots about Greek mytholgy in a fun YA fantasy read.

"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver

Interesting and inspiring book about Kingsolvers year eating locally. I've been really moving in the locavore direction lately and this is an added push.

***Heather***

06-26-2007, 11:02 AM

#39 When Calls the Heart

#40 When Comes the Spring

#41 When Breaks the Dawn

#42 When Hope Springs New

The Canadian West Series
by Janette Oke

Fiction. Good. Short and sweet. I've owned #3 forever so I was happy to find the rest of the series at my library. The 4 books follow a woman who travels from Toronto to Calgary to teach kids. Then marries a Mountie and is stationed up north with him. Set during 1910-1920 (approx).

#1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, #2 Sacred Contracts, #3 Yummy Yarns, #4 The Face (Dean Koontz), #5 A Quaker Book of Wisdom, #6 Women of the Silk, #7 A Piece of Heaven (Barbara Samuel), #8 The 10th Insight (James Redfield), #9 Just listen (Sarah Dessen), #10 Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs (Clarke Snell & Tim Callahan)#11 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix #12 Living Dangerously (Katie Fforde), #13 The Whole Parenting Guide: Strategies, Resources and Inspiring Stories for Holistic Parenting and Family Living (Alan Reder, Phil Catalfo, Stephanie Renfrow Hamilton), #14 An Inconenient Truth (Al Gore), #15 Urgent Message From Mother: Gather the women; save the world (Jean Shinoda Bolen), #16 The Brief History of the Dead (Kevin Brockmeier) #17 Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince #18 Second Thyme Around (Katie Fforde) #19 The Red Tent (Anita Diamont) #20 When the Heart Cries (Cindy Woodsmall), #21 The Brethren (Beverly Lewis), #22 Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt (Anne Rice), #23 The Tender Years (Janette Oke), #24 A Searching Heart (Janette Oke) #25 Plain Truth (Jodi Picoult) #26 Eragon (C. Paolini) #27 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams), #28 The Celestine Prophecies & #29 The 10th Insight (James Redfield), #30 The Honk and Holler Opening Soon (Billie Letts) #31 The Mermaid Chair (Sue Monk Kidd) #32 The Gunslinger The Dark Tower (Stephen King) # 33 A Certain Age (Tama Janowitz) #34 Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Robert T. Kiyosaki) #35 The COMPLETE Tightwad Gazette (Amy Dacyczyn) #36 Something's Wrong with Your Scale! (Van Whitfield) #37 Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice) #38 Rose Madder (Stephen King) #39 When Calls the Heart #40 When Comes the Spring #41 When Breaks the Dawn #42 When Hope Springs New (Canadian West series by Janette Oke)

kofduke

06-26-2007, 11:04 AM

#27 The Song Reader, Lisa Tucker

Two sisters...put together a cheery and eccentric life in their small midwestern hometown. Mary Beth--beautiful, empathetic and smart--practices an art she calls song reading. Clients come to her and tell her the songs that are stuck in their head, and she decodes the song to help them with their problems. But Mary Beth's gift leads her to a secret truth about a prominent neighbor, and the fragile structure of the girls' orphaned life comes tumbling down.

I found this to be a quick light read -- but the family relationships are complex, and it started me considering the differences between professional helping (I'm a counselor) and community helping...

#1 - Tiger in the Well, #2 - Laptop Lunch User's Guide, #3 An Inconvenient Truth, #4 Lucifer's Shadow, #5 A Woman's Eye, #6 - A Cold Day for Murder, #7 The Visitant, #8 - Mothering the New Mother, #9- Pharos, #10 - Neverwhere, #11 - How does your Engine Run?, #12 - The Memory Keeper's Daughter, #13 - Nursery Crimes, #14 - Coraline, #15 - Playful Parenting, #16 - Vanishing Acts, #17 - Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth, #18 - Super Suppers, #19 - See Jane Hit, #20 - A Cold Heart, #21 Peter and the Starcatchers, #22 The Summoning God, #23 - Bone Walker, #24 - The Famished Road, #25 - From Asparagus to Zucchini, #26 - Shadow Divers, #27 - The Song Reader

Fiestabeth

06-26-2007, 12:00 PM

The Great Gatsby

Very enjoyable; quick read. Glad to say I've finally read it, as it is a classic and all. :o

nancy926

06-26-2007, 01:16 PM

I haven't been reading at ALL lately....I'm trying to get through all 6 HP books bfore 7/21, but I'm stuck on Book 1...Harry hasn't even made it to Hogwarts yet. I think I'm in denial that the series will be over very soon and that's making it impossible for me to concentrate! Or something.

BTW I loved "Shadow Divers" - can't remember who posted that.

As for the Chris Bohjalian criticism...to each her own, I guess. Sure, Midwives was controversial but he tends to write about "alternative" topics (he also has a book on homeopathy and one on dowsers), possibly because he's a Vermonter. I liked Midwives, though I admit I read it AFTER I gave birth. :)

Hollysmom

06-26-2007, 03:42 PM

#12) Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last - By Susan Juby

Third book in the Alice series. These are for young teenagers, but I find them a nice fun read.

#13) Sis Boom Bah - By Jane Heller

Bought this at a library book sale. Silly but fun.

#14) Miserly Moms - Jonni McCoy

Yet another book on how to save money. Didn't really offer much in the way of tips that I haven't seen before. Must mean I have read way too many of this type of book....doesn't really seem to be helping :)

fremontmama

06-27-2007, 09:58 AM

#29 Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier

Eh, pretty good, but not FABULous. I burned through it pretty quick, but am not running around recommending it to everyone. Likable characters, story line not so interesting. Basically it's set in late 1700s London, a country family moves to London after losing one of their sons to an accident at home. They work for the circus and are neighbors to William Blake and his wife Kate. In the background, the French Revolution is starting. The remaining children of the country family become intertwined in London life and get to know the Blakes.

cathe

06-28-2007, 10:21 AM

"Waiting: THe True Confessions of a Waitress" by Debra Ginsberg

A memoir about a 20 year waitress. Anyone that's waitressed will relate to this.

JanB

06-28-2007, 10:27 AM

slowtime

06-28-2007, 12:00 PM

I've been doing some re-reading lately. I had a couple of hard weeks at work, and re-reading old (or new) favorites always makes me feel better.

Cyteen, by C.J. Cherryh
An old, old favorite. It's science fiction, and was originally published as a trilogy. I read it for the first time when I was maybe twelve, and have read it probably twice a year since then. (I'll be twenty-seven this summer.) It's a complete world, the characters are complicated and compelling, and it's long! I read so quickly - a good, long book is always satisfying.

Lisey's Story, by Stephen King
A new favorite. I got it in November and have read it three times already. I don't love everything Stephen King has ever written, but I love this book. His female characters are always very real to me. Lisey's Story is sad and funny and ultimately very touching.

I'm seeing a lot of good buzz on Shadow Divers. I'll have to look that up.

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-28-2007, 12:48 PM

The Pentagon: a History. The untold story of the wartime race to build the Pentagon -- and to restore it sixty years later. by Steve Vogel.

This book was really fun to read, surprisingly enough considering the subject matter. The author did an excellent job of telling the stories of the people involved, rather than just a dry retelling of facts and figures. Good nonfiction read for anyone, but particularly people who, like me, are interested in large engineering works. :)

I heard about this book on The Daily Show. Jon Stewart interviewed Vogel. I think the thing that stood out the most to me about the interview was the fact that construction on the Pentagon started on September 11, 1941. What a coincidence!

Lisey's Story, by Stephen King
A new favorite. I got it in November and have read it three times already. I don't love everything Stephen King has ever written, but I love this book. His female characters are always very real to me. Lisey's Story is sad and funny and ultimately very touching.

Was a very good book, wasn't it? I too liked it, thought Lisey was a very "real" character. I could relate in a different way ... my wife has three sisters and they all (DW included) have differing degrees of mental handicaps (for lack of a better phrase) whether it be clinical depression, OCD, bipolar disorder or a severe Type-A personality ... I saw DW and my SILs reflected in Lisey and her sisters. Plus, I'm a burgeoning fiction writer.

JanB

06-28-2007, 01:04 PM

I heard about this book on The Daily Show. Jon Stewart interviewed Vogel. I think the thing that stood out the most to me about the interview was the fact that construction on the Pentagon started on September 11, 1941. What a coincidence!

Yes, definitely. When I was reading the book and saw that date (he doesn't make a big deal out of the coincidence in the book; he simply mentions the date that construction started), I just thought about how at that time, Sept. 11 was just another day in September. Sigh.

Thanks for the tip about the Daily Show, by the way. I was able to find the video clip on the Comedy Central website and watch it. :)

muttix2

06-28-2007, 10:20 PM

#5 If Your Girl Only Knew by Dwayne S. Joseph I liked this because it came from all sides of an affair. You saw it from the husband, the wife, the girlfriend and the boyfriend's side. Usually books about cheating are so biased that I don't like them but this way you saw how everyone was feeling and it was hard to actually HATE a character since you were seeing them develop into the situation. Wouldn't buy it or even read it again though.

#6 Skinny Women Are Evil by Mo'Nique and Sherri A. McGee Funny, fast read. But I've seen a lot of her performances so some of the stuff was kind of redundant since I've heard it already a few times. Still, it was funny :)

I couldn't find the next book in the series I'm reading (Xanth, Piers Anthony) at the bookstore and had to wait for it to arrive at the library. Filled the time with these two books that have been waiting for me to read them for ages. :)

Bufomander

06-29-2007, 07:21 AM

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-29-2007, 07:25 AM

#97 Writing in an Age of Silence by Sara Paretsky

Five essays by the author of the V I Warshawski mysteries. Very interesting. Don't read it if you don't want to hear the Patriot Act criticized....:duck:

Sounds interesting. As a newly inducted liberal (I have my shiny new badge and glossy laminated card and took the oath and everything! :D) ... I'll have to look this one up.

Bufomander

06-29-2007, 04:07 PM

#98 The Best Short Stories of Edith Wharton

enjoyed them!

serenetabbie

06-30-2007, 06:57 AM

BFP? Big Fat positive? Congratulations Kelly!

This month I read;

23- Eat, Pray, Love. Reviewed enough around here I think. I liked it, but could not really relate. I feel like anyone with enough time and money could go off and find themselves, and that "anyone" certainly is not me :lol

24- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I really liked it. I have a friend who said the wording annoyed her (in particular when Rachel "talked"), but it did not annoy me.

25- Downsized but not Defeated by Hope Stanley Quinn. Eh. I have read better books on frugality.

26- The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue. Excellent. Thanks for the suggestion :)

27- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. I really enjoyed this too.

so... 27/48. Doing ok so far, half the year and more than half way there :). Off to put more books on the reservation que for next month!

Mamax3

06-30-2007, 02:10 PM

I am almost finished Expecting Adam by Martha Beck. It is very sweet and touching. Hopefully I will finish it today if the kids cooperate.

cathe

06-30-2007, 04:17 PM

"The One Where The Kid Nearly Jumps to His Death and Lands in California" by Mary Hershey

A YA book about a teenage boy with a prosthetic leg from a ski accident. He has to spend the summer with his Dad who he blames for abandoning him and his mother. Very good.

NewCrunchyDaddy

06-30-2007, 09:19 PM

#25: The Gulf War Did Not Take Place
by Jean Baudrillard
translated by Paul Patton

My review of The Gulf War Did Not Take Place can be found here (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/gulf-war-did-not-take-place.html).

#1 Beowulf: A New Verse Translation (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/beowulf-new-verse-translation-norton.html), #2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-chamber-of-secrets.html), #3 Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins: Authoritative Texts, Textual Introduction and Tables of Variant Criticism (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/puddnhead-wilson-and-those.html), #4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-prisoner-of-azkaban.html), #5 The Summoning of Everyman (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/summoning-of-everyman-norton-anthology.html), #6 The Marrow of Tradition (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/marrow-of-tradition.html), #7 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/harry-potter-and-goblet-of-fire-audio.html), #8 Billy Budd and Other Tales (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/billy-budd-and-other-tales.html), #9 White Noise (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/white-noise.html), #10 On the Road (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-road.html), #11 I'm an English Major – Now What?: How English Majors Can Find Happiness, Success, and a Real Job (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/im-english-major-now-what-how-english.html), #12 The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/tragical-history-of-doctor-faustus.html), #13 The Ox-Bow Incident (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/ox-bow-incident.html), #14 Middle Passage (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/middle-passage.html), #15 King Lear (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/king-lear-bantam-anthology.html), #16 Native Son (The Restored Text Established by the Library of America) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/native-son-restored-text-established-by.html), #17 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/harry-potter-and-order-of-phoenix-audio.html), #18 To Kill a Mockingbird (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/to-kill-mockingbird.html), #19 The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/postmodern-condition-report-on.html), #20 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/harry-potter-and-half-blood-prince.html), #21 The Taming of the Shrew (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/taming-of-shrew-bantam-anthology.html), #22 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/midsummer-nights-dream-bantam-anthology.html), #23 The Merchant of Venice (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/merchant-of-venice-bantam-anthology.html), #24 Much Ado About Nothing (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/much-ado-about-nothing.html), #25 The Gulf War Did Not Take Place (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/gulf-war-did-not-take-place.html)

blizzard_babe

06-30-2007, 09:55 PM

This month, I read "The Lucifer Effect" (an MDC book challenge recommendation :D). Good stuff, maynard. Scary, frightening, terrible... but good. It's so strange to think about all the horrible things we can do to each other given the right (wrong) social/hierarchical contexts. I found his "trial of Bush" to be a little unnecessary (although I agree that the administration holds responsibility), but a somewhat necessary modern application of his decades-old research. Overall... highly recommended. Everyone should read it, if only to better understand what it means (the good and the bad) to be human.

I also read TCOYF, but that wasn't a recreational read. I actually just finished it an hour ago, keeping it a "June" read by a mere two hours. :D

NewCrunchyDaddy

07-01-2007, 12:05 AM

#26: As You Like It
by William Shakespeare
edited by David Bevington

My review of As You Like It can be found here (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/as-you-like-it.html).

#1 Beowulf: A New Verse Translation (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/beowulf-new-verse-translation-norton.html), #2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-chamber-of-secrets.html), #3 Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins: Authoritative Texts, Textual Introduction and Tables of Variant Criticism (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/puddnhead-wilson-and-those.html), #4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-prisoner-of-azkaban.html), #5 The Summoning of Everyman (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/summoning-of-everyman-norton-anthology.html), #6 The Marrow of Tradition (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/marrow-of-tradition.html), #7 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/harry-potter-and-goblet-of-fire-audio.html), #8 Billy Budd and Other Tales (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/billy-budd-and-other-tales.html), #9 White Noise (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/white-noise.html), #10 On the Road (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-road.html), #11 I'm an English Major – Now What?: How English Majors Can Find Happiness, Success, and a Real Job (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/im-english-major-now-what-how-english.html), #12 The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/tragical-history-of-doctor-faustus.html), #13 The Ox-Bow Incident (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/ox-bow-incident.html), #14 Middle Passage (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/middle-passage.html), #15 King Lear (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/king-lear-bantam-anthology.html), #16 Native Son (The Restored Text Established by the Library of America) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/native-son-restored-text-established-by.html), #17 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/harry-potter-and-order-of-phoenix-audio.html), #18 To Kill a Mockingbird (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/to-kill-mockingbird.html), #19 The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/postmodern-condition-report-on.html), #20 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/harry-potter-and-half-blood-prince.html), #21 The Taming of the Shrew (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/taming-of-shrew-bantam-anthology.html), #22 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/midsummer-nights-dream-bantam-anthology.html), #23 The Merchant of Venice (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/merchant-of-venice-bantam-anthology.html), #24 Much Ado About Nothing (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/much-ado-about-nothing.html), #25 The Gulf War Did Not Take Place (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/gulf-war-did-not-take-place.html), #26 As You Like It (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/as-you-like-it.html)

NewCrunchyDaddy

07-01-2007, 01:09 AM

#27: The Tempest (Bantam Anthology)
by William Shakespeare
edited by David Bevington

My review of The Tempest (Bantam Anthology) can be found here (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/tempest-bantam-anthlogy.html).

#1 Beowulf: A New Verse Translation (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/beowulf-new-verse-translation-norton.html), #2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-chamber-of-secrets.html), #3 Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins: Authoritative Texts, Textual Introduction and Tables of Variant Criticism (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/puddnhead-wilson-and-those.html), #4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/harry-potter-and-prisoner-of-azkaban.html), #5 The Summoning of Everyman (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/summoning-of-everyman-norton-anthology.html), #6 The Marrow of Tradition (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/marrow-of-tradition.html), #7 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/harry-potter-and-goblet-of-fire-audio.html), #8 Billy Budd and Other Tales (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/billy-budd-and-other-tales.html), #9 White Noise (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/white-noise.html), #10 On the Road (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-road.html), #11 I'm an English Major – Now What?: How English Majors Can Find Happiness, Success, and a Real Job (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/im-english-major-now-what-how-english.html), #12 The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/tragical-history-of-doctor-faustus.html), #13 The Ox-Bow Incident (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/ox-bow-incident.html), #14 Middle Passage (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/middle-passage.html), #15 King Lear (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/king-lear-bantam-anthology.html), #16 Native Son (The Restored Text Established by the Library of America) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/native-son-restored-text-established-by.html), #17 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/harry-potter-and-order-of-phoenix-audio.html), #18 To Kill a Mockingbird (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/to-kill-mockingbird.html), #19 The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/postmodern-condition-report-on.html), #20 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Audio) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/harry-potter-and-half-blood-prince.html), #21 The Taming of the Shrew (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/taming-of-shrew-bantam-anthology.html), #22 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/midsummer-nights-dream-bantam-anthology.html), #23 The Merchant of Venice (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/merchant-of-venice-bantam-anthology.html), #24 Much Ado About Nothing (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/much-ado-about-nothing.html), #25 The Gulf War Did Not Take Place (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/gulf-war-did-not-take-place.html), #26 As You Like It (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/as-you-like-it.html), #27 The Tempest (Bantam Anthology) (http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/tempest-bantam-anthlogy.html)