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lapazfarm
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Thought I'd start a new list for the new year! I am doing the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge, and though I wont be posting or linking to the legit blog challenge here, I am challenging myself and keeping track.
That being said--I am actually ahead of the game this year. Five books and only 2 weeks into the new year! Yay me! 
First, the three winners:
Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline: I could not put this book down! Really, really engaging story about a future where virtual reality is the star, and an eccentric billionaire gamer leaves his fortune to whomever can find it hidden within his ultimate game. Full of nifty 80's trivia. Highly recommend. Adults only.
Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznik. Another take on the fascinating combination of words and pictures that made Hugo Cabret such a hit. Great story. Recommend for ages 10 or so and up to adult.
Biography of a Grizzly by Earnest Thompson Seton.
Older book, free in public domain. I read this along with ds and we both liked it. Fun, easy read for those like my son who are interested in the outdoors and wildlife.Seemed fairly realistic. Sympathetic to the grizzly and nature in general without being overly sentimental or romanticizing.
Some that were only so-so:
Simon's Choice by Charlotte Castle. This was a kindle freebie so I figured I'd have nothing to lose. Well, at least it was an engaging story. About the death of a child from Leukemia and her parent's questionable coping skills. Much better than the next:
Chasing Rainbows, by Kathleen Long. Another Kindle Freebie. This one wasn't really worth the time. An easy read, but not very engaging. Found myself just wanting to get through it. Not very likeable main character wallowing in grief and self-pity after the loss of her father (and previous loss of infant child) and separation from husband. I felt sorry for her, but really wasn't interested in following her grief journey because I just didn't care about her as a character.
Hope to hear what everyone else is reading!
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us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
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MaryM
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Thanks for starting it for the new year, Theresa. Making it a sticky topic so it is easy to find all year!
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Karen T
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Thanks for starting the new thread. I did a 52 in 52 challenge last year also, on Ravelry, and ended up reading 111! So this year I'm aiming for 150! Whew! I do read fast, and I count books I read aloud to dd for school, if they are long chapter books.
I've read 7 so far in Jan but the best have been Making the Corps by Thomas Ricks (b/c my son is currently in boot camp) and I just finished Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series (the first is Prodigal Son and there are 5 in all (I read some of them in Dec). The first two are not his best writing IMO but he had a co-author on them; it gets much better by book 3 and finished well. They are somewhat typical of his style, with some pretty wild criminal stuff but his Catholicism also comes through, with several examples of redemption and the story overall is very anti-eugenics attitude, if that makes any sense. I've been reading a lot of his stuff last year and found many of them to have interesting themes like that, very pro-life for the disabled and marginalized in society. I don't know if his much older books are like that; I suspect not.
One other book I liked The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. I've been doing Atkins the last 4 months and am already very similar to paleo except I'm not ready to give up dairy entirely yet! But it was interesting to read, especially along with all the other books on food I've been reading (The Sugar Solution, Wheat Belly, Why We Get Fat, etc) I definitely feel much better avoiding grains, and can immediately tell a difference if I eat wheat again.
Karen
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Booksnbabes
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Began the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan--and am hooked! Books 1 and 2 down so far. Though intially prereading for a child, I am now very much anticipating the e-mail letting me know it is my turn to check the next one out from the library!  Might have to buy these.
Began Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles series, Book 1 down. They are ok. I have an Egyptology nut in the house, and am prereading them.
Through the Postern Gate by Florence Barclay. It was supposed to be The Rosary, but apparently it was given the wrong title (it was a freebie). I think I'll be on a Barclay kick for a little while. Though a bit predictable, I like them for my light reading.
Crooked House by Agatha Christie. I always enjoy her books, this was no exception.
Most of my reading is being done on the Nook these days--I can get a new book quickly without leaving the house! All of the above were ebooks from the library or freebies from Gutenburg Project or Barnes and Noble.
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joann10
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I have finished The Hunger Games Trilogy. I would have never picked these up, but my dd-16 wanted me to read them. Once I started, I was hooked...
Very thought provoking and it was great to be able to discuss them with the kids.
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Betsy
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Booksnbabes wrote:
Began the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan--and am hooked! Books 1 and 2 down so far. Though intially prereading for a child, I am now very much anticipating the e-mail letting me know it is my turn to check the next one out from the library! Might have to buy these.
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My dh has read the entire series to the boys. I was totally not interested when he started the series, but before they finished the last book I was listening right along. What a great series!
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Nique
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joann10 wrote:
I have finished The Hunger Games Trilogy. I would have never picked these up, but my dd-16 wanted me to read them. Once I started, I was hooked...
Very thought provoking and it was great to be able to discuss them with the kids. |
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I agree!
First two books are page turners you will have a hard time putting down (just ask me! Up till 4am one night!)
Still to read the third book (Mockingjay).
Good time to catch up on some sleep until the library gives me a call that it's in
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KackyK
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I'm trying tondo the 52 in 52 weeks...inspired by Theresa! 
So far I have three, guess I'm on track. Finished Wolf Rider by Avi for the high school boys book club. I had read it before. It is good, different, has lots of stuff to talk about (book club is next week  )
Read Chasing Vermeer for other club, which met already. Boys thought it was a bit too contrived, but overall liked it. I haven't read the others in the series, but the boys who had read them said they were better than Vermeer.
And for me, Practice in the Presence of God by Br. Lawrence. Awesome! I'm going to have my bigs kids read it and then I'll be keeping it handy to reread and to glance over.
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aforb001
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I read The Keys of the Kingdom by A. J. Cronin which was fantastic! Then I had to watch the Gregory Peck movie which was very good.
I am almost done with The Citadel by Cronin which is pretty good but not as inspiring as Keys.
I highly recommend The Rosary by Florence Barclay.
Adele who needs to read more and browse less!
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JuliaT
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For the fourth year in a year, I am doing the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge as well. Last year I read too many fluff contemporary books so this year I am hoping to correct that.
So far, I have read "Sisters in the Wilderness" by Charlotte Gray (a bio of Catharine Parr Trail and Susannah Moodie, Canadian pioneers--very good book,) "On Chesil Beach" by Ian McEwan (well-written but a story of futility plus it was extremely graphic) and "The 39 Steps" by John Buchan.
I am now in the midst of "Watership Down" by Richard Adams and "The English Teacher" by Lily King.
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Nique
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Nique wrote:
joann10 wrote:
I have finished The Hunger Games Trilogy. I would have never picked these up, but my dd-16 wanted me to read them. Once I started, I was hooked...
Very thought provoking and it was great to be able to discuss them with the kids. |
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I agree!
First two books are page turners you will have a hard time putting down (just ask me! Up till 4am one night!)
Still to read the third book (Mockingjay).
Good time to catch up on some sleep until the library gives me a call that it's in |
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It is 5:06 am...and I've just finished "Mockingjay".
Goodnight ~ or rather, good morning
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I had always thought that once you grew up you could do anything you wanted - stay up all night or eat ice cream straight out of the container. ~Bill Bryson
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Booksnbabes
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The Rosary by Florence Barclay. Really enjoyed this one, though it dragged a bit at times. Loved the descriptions of true womanly beauty! 
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. I think I liked this better than his Kane Chronicles (though I like the brother/sister dynamic in those better than the rebel teen dynamic in the Percy Jackson series), but my dd prefers the Kane Chronicles; I think because I can better keep track of the Greek myth characters and she can better keep track of the Egyptian!
The Icebound Land, book 3 of the Ranger's Apprentice series. Waiting on the 4th! 
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Karen T
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This morning I just finished Stephen King's 11/22/63. I normally avoid SK like the plague, ever since being scared senseless in high school by Carrie, Salem's Lot, etc.  But I'd heard this was different and I'm so glad I read it. The main character can be pretty crude and there is an extramarital affair but the real plot, about time travel and preventing Oswald from assassinating Kennedy, was very good.
Karen
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JuliaT
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Karen T wrote:
This morning I just finished Stephen King's 11/22/63. I normally avoid SK like the plague, ever since being scared senseless in high school by Carrie, Salem's Lot, etc. But I'd heard this was different and I'm so glad I read it.
Karen |
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I, too, stay far away from SK but I have heard many good reviews about this book that it is on my TBR list.
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Julia
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Mimip
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Finally coming to join up and post all the books I've read this year so far. I've been really sick so I have been in bed ALOT!
Ready Player One VERY GOOD! My husband and I loved it and we discussed it at length. Maybe our ages and the 80's references and maybe the virtual world. Wonderful and yea Adults only please
Hunger Games Trilogy Excellent as well. we waited over 6 months to get the library copy and it was worth the wait. We got the Kindle editions for the next two books because we could not wait. I don't want to ruin it for anyone but I liked to first book the best. Great discussion book for those teenagers.
I do want to put in a word on warning though. I am a very sensitive reader when it comes to fictional strife. I have some descriptions of these books stuck in my head. If you have a very sensitive reader (you know who you are) don't let them read this book until they get older.
The Magicians okay, the book went back to the library. Okay book for me. My husband liked it but the end was kind of off. This is a story about young kids and their magical gifts. Think Harry Potter pumped up by about 100. I would not recommend it. Its most definitely for adults.
I'm half way through Before the Frost by Mankell Really good so far and as an added bonus is an audiobook from the library so I can knit and listen.
Ladies, I need recommendations for great audiobooks that would be in my library or in public domain. I already read all of Gene Stratton Porter's book (LOVE THEM!!!!) but I need more audio and I need them to be free:)
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Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12
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Christine
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So far, I have read/am reading:
Your Labor of Love: I would have liked to have this book when I was expecting my first and second children. However, even though this is my tenth pregnancy, I still found some gems of wisdom in it.
The Quiet Light: I am finding this book hard to put down. Louis de Wohl writes about St. Thomas Aquinas, his family, and other historical figures with great adeptness.
Transformation in Christ: I have been trying to finish this book for a couple of years. It is good, but for some reason it is taking me a long time to read it.
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lapazfarm
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Dust, by Arthur Slade.
Now this was a good read! It's the dust bowl and a mysterious stranger arrives, mesmerizing the townsfolk and promising rain. And children begin to disappear. Only 11 year old Robert, on the cusp between a child and a man, seems to be able to resist the stranger's spell.
I give it 4 stars. Recommend for middle school and up.
Right now it is only $1.49 for Kindle.
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Karen T
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Mimip wrote:
Ladies, I need recommendations for great audiobooks that would be in my library or in public domain. I already read all of Gene Stratton Porter's book (LOVE THEM!!!!) but I need more audio and I need them to be free:) |
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Many of Charles Dickens' novels are at librivox. Actually,probably all of them are by now, but I wanted to plug a particular narrator there - Mil Nicholson. I'm currently listening to The Old Curiosity Shop. I first downloaded a different narrator and it sounded like a French man with a slight accent, not bad but just not getting all the inflections right. Then I found Mil Nicholson and she is wonderful, doing different voices for all the characters.
Also, I just started listening to the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agencybooks on audio. I've only heard the first one so far but have the next 2 here on CD ready to rip to my mp3 player. I had first tried reading this in print but it didn't grab me, but the narrator for these is also wonderful. Your library probably has them either on CD or Overdrive.
Karen
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joann10
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I just finished The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge.
It was a wonderful read. I found it to be a soul searching book. It is a very gentle book, making me long to live in the English countyside in the village of Appleshaw with characters with whom I would love to be friends. It deals with redemtive suffering, forgiveness and friendship.
I loved how the past plays such an important part in all the characters's current lives, including the monks from the distant past who seem to come alive in the main characters lives.
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Nique
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In Name Only by Catholic (and Canadian) author Ellen Gable was wonderfully written.
It is about a young woman Caroline, who marries the faithful, mature and serious brother. Shortly afterwards, her husband is dying, and tells his obedient wife and wild brother-in-law to marry "in name only" for the best interest in raising the married couples child.
Interesting how Gods plans are not always our own.
It's all a matter of trust .. in Him!
p.s. Thank you Erin (from Australia) for recommending this book!
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I had always thought that once you grew up you could do anything you wanted - stay up all night or eat ice cream straight out of the container. ~Bill Bryson
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4Real Forums : Book Club
Topic: 2012 Booklist
