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Booksnbabes
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| Posted: Jan 07 2015 at 5:41pm | IP Logged
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I hope it's ok that I start this! I hope to do more "me" reading this year. Last year was mainly pre-reading for the kiddos.
I finished the Heroes of Olympus series with Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. I read this to keep up with my dd. It did a good job of wrapping it all up. She is looking forward to his new series.
I listened to Something Fresh by P.G. Wodehouse. This was a wonderful, light-hearted, cozy book. I laughed out loud at portions, and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you enjoy Wodehouse and haven't tried this one, I recommend it.
Both Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard and Private by James Patterson were not my cup of tea. I tried them both based on recommendations when I asked others for "something different" than my usual fare. They were indeed that.  I gave them a shot as mysteries are my favorite genre, but there was too much other stuff to really enjoy the mystery. I will not be reading any more of either series.
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Jan 08 2015 at 5:19pm | IP Logged
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Books- thanks for you recommendation of "Something Fresh".
Laugh out loud is always a stellar recommendation, IMO.
I am putting it on my list 
I just finished Exit Berlin, a true story from WWII.
This is a fascinating collection of letters written to and from Luzie Hatch in the late 30's and early 40's. With the help of her American cousin Arnold, Luzie is able to escape Germany in 1938. She and Arnold then face the mammoth task of rescuing other family members, and even of deciding who can feasibly be saved and who can't... can you imagine?
The more I read, the more I had to keep reading to see how it all ended.
I don't want to give away any spoilers.... but if you liked "The Guernsey LIterary and Potato Peel Society" book, chances are you will enjoy reading this one as well.
The catch here is that this book is a true story. I think it would be an excellent living history book for high school or later middle school.
The letters speak for themselves- hopeful, sad, persistent, happy, confused, poignant. There is no foul language anywhere in the book; it is extremely well done. Lindsay- your son might enjoy this one, though parts are very sad (family separation, living conditions in the camp at Gurs, etc).
Oh- and you really have discount the very dark and slightly blurry cover picture on the book. I can't help but think there must have been better choices for that!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Jan 08 2015 at 6:25pm | IP Logged
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Thanks, Melinda. That sounds like a good one. Adding it to my wishlist.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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St. Ann
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| Posted: Jan 09 2015 at 1:35am | IP Logged
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Happy Times in Norway by Sigrid Undset is my present read. It is a lovely little book set in the mid 20th c Norway, but with many reflections on the history and traditions of the land. There is no violence, foul language or glorified immorality. It is the perfect late evening book to end the day with a little smile.
For ages 12 upwards, especially for teens who have norwegian ancestors.
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Stephanie
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St. Ann
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| Posted: Jan 09 2015 at 1:39am | IP Logged
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Before Christmas I finished reading "In this House of Brede" for the second time. The first time I read it was 5 years ago. I have to say that I got so much more out of it this time around. I think I will have to read it again in another 5 years.
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Stephanie
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Erin
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| Posted: Jan 12 2015 at 1:39pm | IP Logged
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Just discovered Katherine Valentine's books, read my first one A Miracle at St Cecelia's and loved it  So gentle, so Catholic. Fiction story about a Parish, the people in the Parish, their priests and God's miracles big and little. Planning on buying more.
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Erin
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Booksnbabes
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| Posted: Jan 12 2015 at 3:31pm | IP Logged
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I just finished The Brotherband Chronicles: Book 1, The Outcasts by John Flanagan. This is a spin-off of his Ranger's Apprentice series. It follows a group of Skandian youth, and I like it just as well as the Ranger books, which I did not expect! This series is being read by girls and boys ages 8-13 and has been enjoyed by all. So far there are five books in the series. I am eager to read the next!
I've been wanting to try the Valentine books, but our library doesn't have them. They come so highly recommended...on my amazon wishlist they go!
Thanks for the recommendations, Stephanie and Melinda!
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Jan 12 2015 at 4:00pm | IP Logged
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Oh those are great books.. we got 4 and 5 for Christmas
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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knowloveserve
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I'm reading "Little Women" for what I realized is the FIRST TIME!
And then some non-fiction titles on willpower and habit breaking. 
On my non-fiction list next is "Outliers"
And my fiction next, I'm finally going to tackle "The Red Horse"!
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St. Ann
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St. Ann wrote:
Happy Times in Norway by Sigrid Undset is my present read. It is a lovely little book set in the mid 20th c Norway, but with many reflections on the history and traditions of the land. There is no violence, foul language or glorified immorality. It is the perfect late evening book to end the day with a little smile.
For ages 12 upwards, especially for teens who have norwegian ancestors. |
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I only realized at the end of the book that this story is autobiographical! It is about Sigrid Undset's own children and experience. It is set in the 1930's as far as I can tell. Her 2nd child, a daughter, had downs syndrome. Reading the post script you see just how broken Sigrid Undset was by the 2nd World War. I might not let my very sensitive child read the post script just to save her from the emotional pain so evident from the author. Or maybe I would just save it for another day in the morning hours when we could talk about it. I read the p.s. right after finishing the book and I cried, although there is not a sad moment at all in the novel itself.
I just thought I should let you know.
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Stephanie
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St. Ann
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| Posted: Jan 13 2015 at 1:30am | IP Logged
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Now I am reading "The Girl of the Limberlost" on my Kindle, which I started last night. It caught me immediately and I stayed up too late because of it!
I am postponing, In this House of Brede" for the time being...
Last year for Christmas I got a Kindle and have access to so many more books than before and many for free. I prefer a real book in the hand but there are definite advantages to having both possibilities.
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Stephanie
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JodieLyn
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Reading hmmm, I've been reading lots lately.. but mostly fluff
Books 4 and 5 of the Brotherband series mentioned above.
The Snowflake Triplet books by Alexandra Lanc.. there's a couple of books and a couple of short stories.. they're sorta a light romance type of thing but they're fantasy in that the main characters are your "immortals" like Santa Claus and Jack Frost and the Snow Queen and the North Wind and such. 
I'm about half through one of the Janette Oke books..
I've reread the first 4 Harry Potter books and I'm in the 5th book.
I'm reading A Christmas Carol outloud. Need to read Cricket on the Hearth with my older kids.. we'll be starting American Authors here in just over a week.
I'm considering reading my husband's new book Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm Of 1894 by Daniel James Brown
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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stefoodie
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Loved loved loved In This House of Brede. Also her Five For Sorrow, Ten For Joy which I loved even more.
I've been doing a lot of reading lately, making up for all the years I couldn't/didn't.
Some recent reads:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Bonhoeffer
A Tale of Two Cities (finally!!)
War and Peace (ack!)
Right now reading The Reed of God (needed some peaceful, gentle reading after all those depressing books!!) and finally got started on the Navarre Chronicles-Maccabees. (sp.? I can never remember which letters to double)
Also reading some Enid Blyton to the 6-year-old.
For cookbooks, I am *still* loving The Jerusalem Cookbook.
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stef
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guitarnan
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I am reading The Collapse, which is about the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. We were still living in Italy then, so we watched it on TV as it was all happening. This book documents the events leading up to that day as well as what happened then. I'm completely fascinated.
My two other Christmas books were The Greatest Warrior, a bio of William Marshal, which I really enjoyed, and A Storm of Witchcraft, which is about the Salem witch trials. This book was very interesting, but it is about a topic that's hard to love.
Thanks for the Exit Berlin recommendation, Melinda! I think it will be a very interesting read.
I hope to read Pioneer Girl next. I've read just about everything ever written by and about Laura Ingalls Wilder, and I am really looking forward to reading this newly-published book.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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SeaStar
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I just finished "Chicken Every Sunday" by Rosemary Taylor. What a hoot!
So much fun... makes me want to take in boarders
My kids would love this as a read aloud- though I would have to edit certain parts, not because they are necessarily bad, but because they do touch on grown up subjects. The book starts out with one boarder sneaking into another's room. It all turns out to be just fine and respectable in the end, but it would have my kids asking all kinds of questions.
Still, I enjoyed it immensely.
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ekbell
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I'm currently reading The Kingdom of Rarities which is free kindle offer today (Jan. 15). I'm only 20% of the way through but so far it's a fascinating look at 'naturally' rare species (with lots of stories of life in a naturalist's camp)
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Jan 28 2015 at 10:52am | IP Logged
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A Higher Call
Just finished it last night. I am so very sad that I did not know about this story sooner- I might have been able to catch the two main characters at an air show or speaking somewhere.... that would have been way cool 
Anyway- true and amazing story from WWll about the honor of the air force pilots on both sides. The book takes you behind the scenes of the Lutwaffe- really very fascinating. I learned so much!
I did not know, for instance, that when a German pilot shot down an Allied plane in Germany, the pilot would, if possible, race to the crash site after landing to rescue survivors and make sure the SS did not get them.
There was a code of honor on both sides.
I saw this one at the library and picked it up not knowing anything about it... so glad I did!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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myheaven1967
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I am currently reading The Mystical City of God
A friend HIGHLY recommended it to me.
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Booksnbabes
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I read The County Fair by Katherine Valentine and really enjoyed it. It is the only Valentine book in the whole library though. 
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SeaStar
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Make the Bread, Buy the Butter
My SIL recommended this one- loved it!
Story: woman loses job and suddenly has a lot of time to try all the many recipes she has thought about over the years. She keeps a record of how each one turns out... you get a recipe and some pretty hilarious commentary as well as advice on what to buy and what to make.
This one had me laughing out loud in places as well as shaking my head in wonder at this lady's adventurous spirit. Definitely going to give this one as a gift to my sister who loves to cook.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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4Real Forums : Book Club
Topic: Book List 2015
