[NewCrunchyDaddy]

Happy Mayday! Happy Beltane! Or just Happy First of May! Hard to believe how fast the year is going by.<br><br>
So, just by way of clarification (for comers both new and old), new and improved guidelines for the Book Challenge Thread are as follows:<br><br><b>1) Post the books you read ... or not<br>
2) Post a recommendation ... or not<br>
3) Number your book ... or not<br>
4) Make a goal ... or not<br>
5) <i><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Have fun with books</span></i> (This one, unfortunately, is <span style="text-decoration:underline;">MANDATORY</span>) <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"></b><br><br><br>
So, with that, <i>avante</i>, <i>allons-y</i> and a happy reading May to everyone!<br><br><span style="font-size:xx-small;">2009's Thread can be found <a href="http://mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=1167868" target="_blank">HERE</a><br>
January's Thread can be found <a href="http://mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=1178301" target="_blank">HERE</a><br>
February's Thread can be found <a href="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=1190734" target="_blank">HERE</a><br>
March's Thread can be found <a href="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=1200558" target="_blank">HERE</a><br>
April's Thread can be found <a href="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=1210878" target="_blank">HERE</a></span>

 

[*bejeweled*]

Hi there <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wave.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wave"> I'm a newbie here.<br><br>
I recently read <b>Jubilee</b> by Margaret Walker. This book will stay with me forever. It was incredible.<br><br>
I just finished reading <b>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</b> by Betty Smith. I looooved it.

 

[NewCrunchyDaddy]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>*bejeweled*</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15361936"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Hi there <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wave.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wave"> I'm a newbie here.</div>
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Welcome!

 

[cathe]

Welceom Bejeweled and Happy May Day everybody.

 

[kaliki_kila]

<b>17. The Road by Cormac McCarthy</b><br><br>
There are some scenes that stay in my mind - the boy's first taste of a Coke and that scene with the baby. I think if you can read Stephen King then this book won't be a problem. I had avoided it for a long time but now I'm glad I read it.<br><br><b>18. Island of Childhood by Elinor Fitch Griffin</b><br><br>
I read this because I help college students in their classes and this was the textbook for one of the students. If you are a preschool teacher or just curious about the psychology and dynamics of a preschool classroom, this was interesting and had all kinds of real-life examples. It had a different approach towards classrooms, sort of viewing them as a place of psychotherapy. A lot of examples of helping children work through their anxieties through play as in Playful Parenting. Another similar textbook I like is Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers by Mena/Eyer, which looks at infant and toddler classrooms that are set up completely outdoors where the babies even nap outside. There are very few parenting books that have anything interesting and new to say, but you can pick up textbooks like this and be exposed to some pretty fascinating ideas.<br><br><b>19. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte</b><br><br>
re-reading one of my favorites <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love"><br><br><b>20. Walden by Henry David Thoreau</b><br><br>
Thoreau decides to build himself a little cabin by Walden Pond and live off the land. I enjoyed all of his observations about nature and about the interesting people around him.<br><br><b>21. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy</b><br><br>
I didn't like this. Cowboys traveling through the dusty landscape drinking black coffee and smoking cigarettes and ranching just make me feel icky. There were lengthy conversations in Spanish that I didn't understand.<br><br><b>22. The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle</b><br><br>
I adored this book. I could totally see myself reading it to my future son someday... All the stories about the knights were interesting and I liked the flow of the words. There were preachy little tidbits at the end of the chapters - stuff like, "So if you would become like to King Arthur, then you shall take all your triumphs as he took this victory, for you will not be turned aside from your final purposes by the great applause that many men may give you, but you will first finish your work..." There are so many Arthurian books out there and I don't know which ones are best, but I can recommend this one.<br><br><b>23. Atonement by Ian McEwan</b><br><br>
I have enjoyed all of McEwan's books and hadn't read this one until now. I didn't like it at all. Part one: long description of someone's migraine Part two: long description of someone trekking across France and then after all that the end was a disappointment.

 

[BookGoddess]

#10 <b>Kinky Gazpacho</b> by Lori Tharps<br><br>
I loved this book! It's a memoir written by a black American woman who grew up in the midwest surrounded by people who didn't look like her. Even as a child, she felt that she was meant to go to Spain for her destiny was there. During her junior year of college, Tharps spends a year studying in Spain and her life changes forever in wonderful and some not so wonderful ways. It's about her growth, her love affair with Spain, and coming to terms with who she is. It's a memoir and a very interesting one at that. She glosses over some things like her seizure disorder, the birth of her second child, her religious faith, etc. but I guess that's to keep the book more focused on its theme. The theme of the book is captured in the title. The title of the book comes from the combination of her black heritage and her new Spanish life. Really worth reading if you can get your hands on it.

 

[konamama]

back for more

 

[Bufomander]

Better check in for the new month!<br><br>
I'm a little less than halfway through:<br><br>
#84 The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey<br><br>
Others here read this?

 

[triscuitsmom]

A new month! And it's Sunday so it's time for another update from me with this weeks books <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br><span style="font-size:xx-small;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Already Read This Year</span><br><span style="color:#FF0000;">1. Kids with Celiac Disease: A Family Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy, Gluten-free Children by Danna Korn<br>
2. The Simple Guide to Having a Baby: What You Need to Know by Janet Whalley, Penny Simkin, Ann Keppler<br>
3. A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen<br>
4. The One Minute Teacher by Spencer Johnson<br>
5. Damaged Angels by Bonnie Buxton<br>
6. Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck<br>
7. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink<br>
8. Unclutter Your Life by Katherine Gibson<br>
9. Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin Rooney Doland<br>
10. Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus by John Gray<br>
11. Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah Buckley</span></span><br><br><b>12. Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn</b><br><br>
*This is my second time reading this book. I love his style of writing and I refer back to this book as one of my tried and trues for parenting whenever I feel like I need it again. His main focus is that it doesn't matter how we perceive what we do/say to our children, what matters is how they perceive it, and working to make that as unconditional as possible.<br><br><b>13. Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey</b><br><br>
*A short, easy read about living with and loving your curly hair. I don't have curly hair, but my oldest son does and it was recommended on here as a good book for parents of curly haired children to read. I learned some things I didn't know about how to care for curly hair and I'm hoping that we will be able to implement her ideas and reduce the amount of conflict we've been having over his hair care. I won't likely read it again, but I would recommend it for those with or with children with curly hair.<br><br><b>14. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith</b><br><br>
*I read this book for the first time and I can see why so many recommend it. It is different from most of the books that I read, but I found myself able to get right into the world <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> As much as I enjoyed it, and while I would recommend it, I probably won't read it again unless I read it with one of my children when they are older.<br><br><b>15. Concious Loving by Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks</b><br><br>
*This is the first of two books by this couple that I have signed out from the library to read. It was recommended to DP and I by a therapist friend of ours. The second (much smaller) part of the book is actually exercises to work through with your partner or by yourself to help heal relationships. It was very different from other relationship books I've read, a lot more of feeling your feelings as deeply as you can, and not hiding from them or hiding them from your partner. I enjoyed it.<br><br><b>16. Your Money or Your Life by Joseph R. Dominguez and Vicki Robin</b><br><br>
*I read this book for the second time. We are Dave Ramsey followers, but still I love the principles in this book as well. I love the idea that time is valuable, and is life energy, and so we should be conscious about what we are spending it on.<br><br><b>17. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Circumcision by Paul Fleiss</b><br><br>
*This was a school read for me and it is a must read I would say for anyone considering circumcision for their child. Even for those who aren't I think it has a lot of valuable information about the function of the foreskin and the the natural variations in intact males that anyone with an intact partner or child could benefit from. I am very glad I read it and in fact am getting DP to read it as well, minus the parts on actual circumcision as our boys are intact and I don't feel that most people who already have made up their minds to keep their children intact will need the level of knowledge that is there about the process of circumcision. It is written by a doctor who used to preform circumcisions and now is an intactivist.<br><br><b>18. View from the Bedpan by Beverley June Richmond</b><br><br>
*This is a book about healing from a traumatic, life altering injury. The woman who wrote this book was hit by a van while crossing the street, thrown in the air, and then run over by the van... and she lived through the accident and the resulting multiple fractures, including skull, and internal injuries including a brain injury. She lived in the same city as me and worked at the local newspaper. Her writing style is now a little repetitive, I'm sure because of the brain injury, but it's an amazing story of triumph and she has great ideas for those who are healing from similar accidents.<br><br><b>19. House Works by Cynthia Townley Ewer</b><br><br>
*This is a well laid out book on tackling the organization of your home. She covers everything from how to clean to how to organize and how to effectively store things. I follow the FLYLady emails and I found this was incredibly similar, right down to using the same terminology in a lot of places, but as far as I know there are no official ties between them.<br><br><b>20. Concious Living by Gay Hendricks</b><br><br>
*This book is the follow up to Concious Loving which I also read this week. Unlike the first book this one can be read and implemented completely without your partner's participation. It would be ideal for someone without a partner, although I also think I gained a lot from this book as well even though I am partnered. I am glad that my friend recommended them to me to read.

 

[NewCrunchyDaddy]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Bufomander</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15364845"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I'm a little less than halfway through:<br><br>
#84 The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey<br><br>
Others here read this?</div>
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I haven't ... it's on my list though ... I even had it checked out from the library at one point a couple of months ago, but never got around to reading it.

 

[crunchy_mama]

joining for the first time ever <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> Currently finishing Perelandra by Lewis- there is a third in the series, but not sure if I want to read it, depends on the rest of the book. I will have to work on my lists- off the top of my head books for this month:<br><br>
Fire<br>
Wizard of Earthsea<br>
Hero and the Crown<br>
Howl's Moving Castle<br>
Birthmarked<br>
the Uglies Series<br>
the Messenger and Gathering Blue<br>
Maze Runner<br><br>
non fic:<br>
Keeping a Nature Journal<br>
Primal Blueprint<br><br>
I have lots of good recommendations that I am sorting through but we have a limited supply of books at the library- so I have to see what I can get ILL as well.

 

[*bejeweled*]

Thank you. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>NewCrunchyDaddy</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15362273"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Welcome!</div>
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[NewCrunchyDaddy]

<b>#17 <i>The Iron Man: A Story in Five Nights</i></b><br>
by Ted Hughes<br>
illustrated by Andrew Davidson<br><br>
My review can be found <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/iron-man-story-in-five-nights.html" target="_blank">HERE</a><br><br><i>(This is the book that Brad Bird' film</i> The Iron Giant <i>is based on ... and that is Ted Hughes as in Sylvia Plath's husband ... so, interesting to say the least ...)</i><br><br><br><span style="font-size:xx-small;">#1 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/tales-from-outer-suburbia.html" target="_blank"><i>Tales from Outer Suburbia</i></a>, #2 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/men-who-stare-at-goats.html" target="_blank"><i>The Men Who Stare at Goats</i></a>, #3 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/under-dome-audio.html" target="_blank"><i>Under the Dome</i> (Audio)</a>, #4 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/benito-cereno.html" target="_blank"><i>Benito Cereno</i></a>, #5 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/doctor-who-rising-night-exclusive-audio.html" target="_blank"><i>Doctor Who: The Rising Night, An Exclusive Audio Adventure</i> (Audio)</a>, #6 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/ur-audio.html" target="_blank"><i>UR</i> (Audio)</a>, #7 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/pride-and-prejudice-and-zombies-dawn-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls</i></a>, #8 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/shutter-island-audio.html" target="_blank"><i>Shutter Island</i> (Audio)</a>, #9 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/watchmen.html" target="_blank"><i>Watchmen</i></a>, #10 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/darwin-awards-ii-unnatural-selection.html" target="_blank"><i>The Darwin Awards II: Unnatural Selection</i> (Audio)</a>, #11 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter.html" target="_blank"><i>Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter</i></a>, #12 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/still-life-adventures-in-taxidermy.html" target="_blank"><i>Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy</i></a>, #13 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/lovecraft-tales.html" target="_blank"><i>Lovecraft: Tales</i></a>, #14 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/hellboy-oddest-jobs.html" target="_blank"><i>Hellboy: Oddest Jobs</i></a>, #15 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/danse-macabre-audio.html" target="_blank"><i>Danse Macabre</i> (Audio)</a>, #16 <a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/doctor-who-ghosts-of-india-audio.html" target="_blank"><i>Doctor Who: Ghosts of India</i> (Audio)</a> #17 <i><a href="http://bryansbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/iron-man-story-in-five-nights.html" target="_blank">The Iron Man: A Story in Five Nights</a></i></span>

 

[fremontmama]

Welcome Bejeweled and Crunchy Mama! Fun to see more new faces! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"><br><br>
#28 Didn't I Feed You Yesterday: A Mother's Guide to Sanity in Stilettos by Laura Bennett<br><br>
Very fun, quick, witty read by Laura of Project Runway fame. She has 6 kids and lives in Manhattan in a 2 bedroom loft with her fellow architect husband. She has a fantastically casual parenting style. Totally worth reading for the laughs alone. Finished it in a weekend.<br><br>
#29 Blue Bird: Women and The New Psychology of Happiness by Ariel Gore<br><br>
I LOVE Ariel Gore. And she does not disappoint in her new book. She analyzes how find happiness, how psychology has addressed happiness, etc, all with a feminist bent, since that's her modus operandi. I really love the book cover too. I'm a sucker for a good book cover. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[NewCrunchyDaddy]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>fremontmama</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15367623"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Welcome Bejeweled and Crunchy Mama! Fun to see more new faces! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"></div>
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Hear! Hear!

 

[kaliki_kila]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>fremontmama</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15367623"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">#28 Didn't I Feed You Yesterday: A Mother's Guide to Sanity in Stilettos by Laura Bennett<br><br>
Very fun, quick, witty read by Laura of Project Runway fame. She has 6 kids and lives in Manhattan in a 2 bedroom loft with her fellow architect husband. She has a fantastically casual parenting style. Totally worth reading for the laughs alone. Finished it in a weekend.</div>
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added to my holds list!

 

[konamama]

15. The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich<br>
- about the founding and fast rise of Facebook, written by the author of Bringing Down the House. I enjoyed it, easy to read, fast paced, entertaining.

 

[listipton]

I'll join!<br>
For May so far:<br><i>Feast of Souls</i> by C.S. Friedman<br><i>Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter</i> by Seth Grahame-Smith (I REALLY enjoyed this one btw. I was completely expecting it to be awful and was pleasantly surprised!)<br><i>One for the Money</i> by Janet Evanovich (audio)- first in the Stephanie Plum series, apparently it is going to be made into a movie.<br><br>
Currently reading:<br><i>Two for the Dough</i> by Janet Evanovich<br><i>Wings of Wrath</i> by C.S. Friedman (book 2 in the series)<br><i>House Rules</i> by Jodi Picoult<br><br>
Happy Reading everyone! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love">

 

[cathe]

<b>The Bucolic Plague</b> by Josh Kilmer-Purcell<br><br>
This is a memoir of the author, Josh (a former drag queen turned ad exec) and his partner Brent (health expert for Martha Stewart) who buy a old mansion in the country and try to make it in pay for itself by raising goats and selling goat's milk soap. This was both funny and sad, but always interesting. An enjoyable read.

 

[NewCrunchyDaddy]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>listipton</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15371124"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I'll join!</div>
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Welcome!<br><br><br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>listipton</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15371124"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;"><i>Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter</i> by Seth Grahame-Smith (I REALLY enjoyed this one btw. I was completely expecting it to be awful and was pleasantly surprised!)</div>
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Isn't that one great? I loved it too!