weejane's challenge 2011

Well, I'm not sure if I will be able to do this challenge, but it is worth a shot.

The first book I have finished is:
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay (1/16/2011)

This is my all-time favorite book that I just finished re-reading. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

List of Books Read:

January:
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
The Kane Chronicles: Book 1: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
First Family: Abigail and John by Joseph J. Ellis
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Invisible Ink: Spycraft of the American Revolution, by John A. Nagy

February:
Run with the Horsemen by Ferrol Sams
Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories by Ian Fleming
Watersmeet by Ellen Jensen Abbott
Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King

March:
Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely
Heat by Bill Buford

April:
Hoot by Carl Hiassen
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

Welcome to the group!

Welcome!

Well, I haven't gotten super far yet, but I'm working on it. I'm currently read The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan and thoroughly enjoying it. I just wish I could get a longer chunk of reading time than right before bed!

Oh, I love The Red Pyramid! I am so looking forward to when The Throne of Fire comes out!

I have read the entire Percy Jackson series and The Lost Hero but was wary of The Red Pyramid because I don't know as much about the Egyptian gods. But I am really enjoying it! I must admit I started it because after finished The Lost Hero I needed to get my hands on another Rick Riordan book. So yes, I'm really looking forward to The Throne of Fire (I think the first chapter is available on-line, you can check his blog) and especially The Son of Neptune!

I shamelessly borrowed The Red Pyramid from a student! It's the second time I've done that but I couldn't wait for us to buy it. Everybody seems to love it. I'm about 50 pages in and totally hooked.

Okay, I finished The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan for my second book. Here is my review of it:

I started reading this book to get a Rick Riordan fix after reading The Lost Hero. It was a very good book but I did not enjoy it as much as either The Percy Jackson series or The Lost Hero because I just enjoy Greek and Roman more than Egyptian mythology. It was a very engaging book though. I also enjoyed the way the story was told; while the different narrators was interesting, what I enjoyed more was how it was supposedly transcribed from a tape recording that the narrators sent out. ( 4 stars)

The main reason I gave it four stars was because I just enjoy Greek and Roman more.

I also realized that if counted all the storybooks I read to my 18 month old son, I would probably at least have 20 books right now. Some how counting 10 page board-books feels like cheating . . .

Now on to First Family: John and Abigail by Joe Ellis (perhaps my favorite historian of all-time). I'm really excited this book because I know how fascinated Ellis has been with the relationship of John and Abigail Adams. I am sure that this book is written in his same elegant prose.

I enjoy Joseph Ellis' books too. I have not read the one you mentioned though, so I will have to see if my local library has that one.

It came out in October. I bought it at half-price at my local Borders. It's so well written. I'm probably about 75 pages from the end. It it just fascinating to read about Abigail and John's relationship.

Hi. I just found your thread and will be sure to follow you on a regular basis to see what books you are reading. I'm anxious to hear your comments regarding First Family: John and Abigail.

#10: I checked and my local library does have it. Hopefully I can get to it soon!

#11 - Hi back to you! I am sooooo close to being done with the book. I just couldn't quite keep my eyes open last night. (I guess that's what happens when there are two straight snow days preventing my kidd-o from going to day care, and he's been stuck at home since last week with a nasty cold).

# 12 - I hope you can get it soon too! It is a very quick read.

Okay, it is has been a long week in my house. The kidd-o was supposed to have surgery, but that was postponed because he caught a nasty cold. Due to the nasty cold, he could not go to day care. Now don't get me wrong, I love being a stay-at-home mom, but I still need some time to myself. Then, yesterday, when he could go to day care, the day care was closed, along with the rest of the school's campus because of the snowstorm. Needless to say, I am a bit tapped out. But I will forge ahead and finished my book! (And I need to figure out what to read next. . .)

Clearly, my thread must not be that interesting, but whatever, I am enjoying this outlet on my reading.

I finished First Family: John and Abigail last night and will post a review shortly. It was easily 4 1/2 stars. The reason for not giving the book 5 stars is perhaps minute. I did not appreciate when Joe implied that Abigail was to blame for John signing the Alien and Sedition Acts. A professor at a women's college should know better! At some level, John must have agreed with Abigail on them otherwise he would not have signed them. Throughout the book, Joe continually describes John as a man always willing to take his own course, politically, even if Abigail did not necessarily agree.

Another interesting thread of the book is the way Alexander Hamilton ("A. Ham.") is portrayed. I have never been a big fan of A. Ham., but this book makes him seem an egomaniacal power-monger. Joe usually does not offer such opinions without being founding in some reason, so I am fully prepared to believe his assessment. Joe reference Ron Chernow's biography of A. Ham. (Alexander Hamilton), which I will not put on my tbr list.

When the end of the book finally came, I found myself tearing up as read how beautifully Joe wrote about both Abigail and John's death. The writing of the book was amazing; it was beautiful and fluid. Easily one of the best books on early American history I have read. I highly recommend it.

#15: Oh yeah, I have definitely got to get to First Family soon. Thanks for the additional insights on the book.

#16 - Stasia, thanks for stopping by! I am amazed at how diligent you are with your reading and keeping up with all these posts!

I finished Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (book 4 of the year). I re-read, although the last time I read the book was probably close to twenty years ago. Scary how time flies. I'm not quite sure what I want to read next. I have a book on spies in the American Revolution that I've been wanting to read for a while, so maybe I will start that. Although, I fear that I may need a bit more of a decent interval after reading the wonderfulness that is Joe Ellis' writing.

#17: I am trying to remember if I have already read Maniac Magee or not. I know my public library has it, so I will have to check it out just to refresh my memory!

Book #5 Done. Invisible Ink: Spycraft of the American Revolution by John A. Nagy. I will post a review on the book's main page shortly, in the meantime, do not waste time reading this book.

The topic sounds absolutely fascinating, especially to an early American history geek such as myself. Unfortunately, the writing is terrible and the overall structure of the book makes very little sense. The author clearly knows the subject extraordinarily well and has the research to back it up, but the writing just does not stand up. The other reviewer of the book stated that it sounds like a rough first draft of a manuscript, I would agree whole-heartedly with that assessment.

Ugh, now I need a book to read. . .

Delurking to say that, well, I'm lurking here on your thread. You're not posting into the void!
Sorry to hear about the sick kidd-o and the tapped-out-edness. I've been there with my toddler, and it looks like I'll be visiting Tired Town again, since my husband is potentially grounded in DC and we're facing a big ice storm here. House-bound alone with my 2-year-old = recipe for Tired Mom!

#20: I hope your hubby gets home safely (and soon)! We're facing an ice/snow storm too! And also looking at the possibility of the kidd-o's day care being closed. Him and I have spent way too much time in the close confines of our apartment this past week. I totally understand about being a tired mom! Good luck tomorrow! If your kidd-o naps, hopefully can get some rest too!

I loved Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli Have you read Wringer? If not, I recommend this book.

I hope your little guy feels better soon. Thanks for your comments regarding First Family: John and Abigail. It is now on my to be read pile.

Welcome again to the 75 challenge group. I look forward to following your thread regularly.

15: I have never been a big fan of A. Ham., but this book makes him seem an egomaniacal power-monger. Joe usually does not offer such opinions without being founding in some reason, so I am fully prepared to believe his assessment.

Thanks, I needed a laugh.

If you're unwilling to trudge through Chernow's doorstopper, try Alexander Hamilton, American instead.

I hope you kiddo is feeling better, and that the surgery goes well. We're having a snow day here, too (Denver). Looking forward to it!

I need to get to Maniac Magee -- I know I have a copy here somewhere.

#22: I have not read Wringer - is it also by Spinelli? I will definitely check it out and add it to my list! I started Run with the Horsemen by Ferrol Sams last night. Although, I will also need to re-read Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King soon because I'll be teaching a two-week section on architecture in a few weeks! eeekkkk!

#23: Glad I could make you laugh! I'll look into the other biography on A. Ham. (And yes, I am such an early American history geek that I have nicknames for most of the founding fathers.)

#24: Thanks! He is feeling better. Surgery is not for another week, so we're just trying to keep him happy until then. I'm glad we're not having a snow day, just a lot of gross-icky-ice.

25: Hamilton had plenty of issues (he was indiscreet and hypersensitive to anything that could be perceived as an insult) but I'd be hesitant to call him an ego-maniacal power monger: he never seemed interested in running for president; he turned down the opportunity to run for Senate; he declined the position of Supreme Court justice; he blew up the Federalist party because he and Adams could never compromise, which could and did only hurt him.

#26 - I guess reasonable minds will differ. As I stated earlier, I am not a big fan of A. Ham. so perhaps I am predisposed to dislike him. Mind you, I think his economics certainly were key in helping get America onto the world stage and jump start the infant economy. I just don't like him as a person. While Ellis did not exactly call him an ego-maniacal power-monger, he does imply that Hamilton was all about power and influence. A. Ham. only turned out the opportunity to run for Senate or lobby for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court because the position he was heavily lobbying for at the time was the first treasury secretary (which Washington gave him). Of course he was not interested in running for president because, under the Constitution, he would have been ineligible.

Of course he was not interested in running for president because, under the Constitution, he would have been ineligible.

He was eligible.

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Granted, his enemies made it clear his status as a West Indian (on top of his illegitimacy) would have made running for president difficult, but nothing was stopping him.

Touche! I was wondering if you would bring out that clause! So many forget. By the way, you are so argumentative, have I done something to offend?

Am I being argumentative? I thought I was having a discussion with someone else who has studied similar topics as I. But if argumentative I be, so be it. Enjoy the rest of your challenge.

My apologies then. Tone is often hard to discern over the internet. What are you currently reading?

For those still interested - I'm making my way through Run with the Horsemen its an okay book at this point. Nothing has really tipped the scale yet to make it a great book. Hopefully, I will get some good reading time in this weekend.

I hope your book improves for you, Jane. I also hope the little guy's surgery goes well!

Thanks Stasia! His surgery is next Wednesday and it will be a relief to have it done!

I bet it will!

*raises hand*

I'm still interested! :)

Sending positive healthy thoughts kiddo-way!

Just finished Run with the Horsemen. I'm glad that I can move on to a different book. I always feel guilty whenever I don't like a book and am extraordinarily reluctant to put down a book if I don't like it.

I gave the book 3 Stars and here is a copy of my review:
This book was okay - not great, not terrible. It took me a while to figure out the chronology of the book because at the beginning it just seems that the author is rambling and telling stories. Even after I did figure out the chronology, I did not find the book that interesting. There was no real plot that grabbed me (other than the main character growing up). I also could not get invested in any of the characters, including the main character. I've read other coming-of-age stories (i.e. The Power of One) that are just so much better.

Next up, something that I hope will be a little more fun! Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories by Ian Fleming. A couple years ago, I read both Casino Royale and Live and Let Die which were quite fun.

Thank you all for the good thoughts about the kidd-o.

#37: Sounds like I can skip Run with the Horsemen.

I hope you enjoy your next read more, Brit!

I saw the movie Casino Royale with Daniel Craig as James Bond. I thought he did a fantastic job in the role.

The movie was really good and kept fairly close to the book. It was really cool how they modernized everything, including the poker game!

I'm almost done with Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories. I didn't get as much reading as I had hoping in the waiting room today. I kept looking at the monitor to see when the kidd-o would be done!

I'm glad everything went well today! I hope you and your wee little one can rest tonight now that the surgery is over.

What Linda said, Brit!

(Finally!) Finished Quantum of Solace. It was a good fun read. The short stories were neat because I felt that they allowed a little more of a glimpse into Bond that I did not necessarily get from the longer two novels I have previously read. Although the book took way longer than it should have to read, it was really a lot of fun and not too serious.

I guess I shouldn't be too worried with how long it took me to read the book because this was a pretty busy week.

Anyway, I need to begin reading Brunelleschi's Dome for the upcoming two week unit on Cathedral Architecture that I will be teaching. I would like to have something on the back-burner though and I cannot decide what. I have a book on Frances Perkins that I would like to begin and I have also been thinking about re-reading The Brothers K. Hmmm. . .

I own The Brothers K but have yet to read it. I need to rectify that!

Stasia, The Brothers K is one of my all-time favorite books. You certainly need to rectify that! It is one of the only books where I found myself laughing out loud and then crying several pages later.

Oh yes, I totally forgot that I told myself I was going to read Watersmeet by Ellen Abbott next. Although, I still need to start Brunelleschi's Dome. I hope I will like Watersmeet since it is written by an English teacher at the boarding school we live at.

#46: Now all I have to do is locate my copy!

Still have yet to start Brunelleschi's Dome, but am about half-way through Watersmeet which is interesting. Not my all-time favorite YA fantasy, but it is holding my interest.

#49: I will be interested in seeing what you think of Watersmeet when you are done with it.

I am still working my way (slowly) through Watersmeet. This is really a testament to my lack of personal time more than anything else.

On top of Will's recovery from surgery (which caused for a rough weekend), he now also has a nasty ear infection. Ugh. But now he's on anti-biotics and all should be well soon.

I hope so!

Success! WillWill slept through the night for the first time in a week! How amazing a solid night's sleep is - for everybody! He was so happy this morning! Hopefully, I can pick up the house, get to the gym and read!

I know on another thread (I just don't remember which) there was a discussion about Borders and bankruptcy. Well, it has happened:

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/borders-files-for-bankruptcy/?hp

Borders filed for bankruptcy this morning.

#53: Congrats on getting Will to sleep through the night. I hope your luck holds out for today too!

WillWill is doing much better thanks to the anti-biotics.

Last night I (finally) finished Watersmeet! Why is it that I get so close to the end of a book and then a million little crop up that prevent me from just sitting down and finishing!? It is very frustrating.

Anyway, here is a copy of the review I posted on the books main page. I am excited because the second was just recently turned in after revisions, so hopefully we will see it soon!

The book itself is a fairly quick read. I found the beginning to be a bit slow, but found that it eventually picked up. The descriptions of the world are good and I loved that each character had their own flaws and set of issues. It made the story so much more believable for me. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, especially the second half. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in young adult fantasy. (Four stars).

#56: I already checked to see if my local library had Watersmeet but unfortunately it does not.

Glad to hear that the antibiotics are finally kicking in for Will!

Stasia - The book is everywhere around the school (I think's required reading for juniors). I'd be happy to see if I could find an extra copy and send it on to you!

#58: That would be great, Brit, but do not trouble yourself too much on my account. It is not as if I have nothing else to read :)

Edited because I am an idiot

So sorry to hear your little guy wasn't feeling well but hurray for sleeping through the night! It's amazing how nice a full night's rest sets you up for the next day. :) I am hoping that we are out of the woods in terms for teething for now!

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!!

#60: Hope you (or I guess more aptly your little one) is done teething for a while too!

For those interested in the last week-and-a-half long saga on WillWill, there was another trip to the pediatrician's today necessitated by an odd rash across his torso and back. Diagnosis: allergic reaction to amoxicillin. I'm not that surprised because I'm allergic to amoxicillin, but it was just the icing on the cake for the last ten days. Now on to they baby z-pack!

I'm sorry your little guy is having such a rough time of it. I hope all will be well very soon.

#61: I completely understand about the Amoxicillin woes. I have been through that with my oldest. I hope Will is now on his way to recovery!

Thanks for all the well wishes! It was a rough night last night but we finally got some benadryl and he's taking a much needed nap. The Mommies are just not used to being up all night, he's been sleeping through the night practically since he was born.

Poor little one, and poor you! That's hard on everyone. Hope he gets to feeling better, and that you all can get some rest.

What Anne said, Brit!

Good Morning Friends! My Great-Gram had a saying that you needed the bad days to enjoy the good ones and I think she was right! I don't think I would have enjoyed my blissful night's sleep as much if I hadn't had such a long Friday night of being up with WillWill.

And to make things even better, last night I finished working on my multimedia presentation on the difference between Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals AND managed to make some serious headway in Brunelleschi's Dome. Yay!

Congrats on finishing up the presentation! And reading too? Sounds like cause for celebration.

Great attitude during a difficult time! :) What I've learned is kiddies are so unpredictable! The only constant thing is change! Just when I think I've figured it out, my little changes it up on me and we are back to square one, but the cuddles and smiles make it well worth it. :)

#68: Thanks Stasia! I wish I had time to celebrate! I will be doing much substitute teaching over the next couple of weeks so I'll be pretty busy.

#69: I totally agree with you!

My goal for today: READ!

I hope you accomplish your goal, Brit!

Thanks Stasia! I realized that I should probably clarify my goal. I want to read my book and make some serious headway. Will is really into his new Eric Carle book Baby Bear, Baby Bear so I'm really racking the pages reading (and re-reading) that book.

Hope you are getting lots of reading done today!!

Reading attempts failed. :( I'm hoping to do a little reading tonight before I go hang out with some neighbors and play geeky board games.

Thumbs up to geeky board games. :) We are hosting our very own geeky board game night this Friday. Hope you do get some reading tonight.

Thanks Valerie! I got a minimal amount of reading done, but hopefully I can have some serious time today because the kidd-o is with my mother-in-law.

We played a really long of Alhambra last night. It was my first time playing that game and it was really fun.

Okay, so I really really want to finish Brunelleschi's Dome, but I'm only like 2/3 of the way through it. I remember it being such a quicker read and much more engaging than it is this time. Perhaps it is because my students are asking such good questions that I feel as though King really glosses over some points. Anyway, I'm headed to the gym and will bring the book. . .maybe I will even read a few pages if I get on the bike instead of the rower.

2 enthusiastic thumbs up for being motivated and working out and extra points if you were able to read at the same time! I think I've hopped on my exercise bike once since giving birth...haha

LOL! Yeah, it took a lot for me to get back in the gym because by the end of my pregnancy I looked (and felt) like a beached whale. It helps that I coach softball and I genuinely enjoy working out. I wasn't able to get on the bike today, just rowed 1K.

Stopping by to say hello (I'm woefully behind on threads) - glad to hear that Will seems to be on the mend!

Hey Amber! Thanks for stopping by! Yeah, I thought was on the mend too. . . then the fever struck back yesterday. Turns out he still has an ear infection. :( Now on to 3rd anti-biotic in 2 1/2 weeks. Yay parenthood!

Finished Brunelleschi's Dome during the read-a-thon this afternoon. I remember liking it much more than I did this time. Hmmm. . . . Anyway, I will post a review of it shortly. I will give it 3 1/2 stars. It was very interesting, but the authors tangents became tedious and seemed to veer way off topic. The general story was pretty cool though and I'm a sucker for history that's at least half-way written decently.

I've now moved onto to Clemente by David Maraniss. I think I would have picked up a different if (1) my wife hadn't just left with my Kindle for Washington, D.C., and (2) I could have teleported myself to the library to pick-up another book I've been wanted to read for a while. But, I am excited to read this book and I chose it over a biography of Frances Perkins because baseball starts soon. I hope this book gets me even more in the mood for the season!

Oh no! Sending more healthy thoughts Will-way. I hope this clears up for you all soon!

Found your thread! Thanks for saying hello on mine. I hope your little one is healthy soon!

*sympathy* on the post-pregnancy weight/exercise issue. I had no luck moving about 15 pounds of my first pregnancy weight until after I had the second. Managing gestational diabetes for the second helped me get portions under control but I do not get out exercising enough (I am not a gym person but the kids would benefit from walking or biking around the neighborhood)

Hi! Just stopping by to say that I found and starred you!

I see that your little boy had a reaction to amoxicillin. Poor guy! The same thing happened to me when I was prescribed it--rash all over. Of course, I was 19 years old at the time, so it was probably easier for me not to scratch than it was for him. The most horrible part was having it happen in the summertime and I could not shave my legs. Horrors!

Sandy K

Hey, I see by your profile that you are interested in the American Revolution. Have you ever seen the musical 1776? One of my FAVES! Both the movie and the stage versions. When I was a kid, I tape recorded all of the songs off of a showing of the film on tv and then made myself a little songbook. I played ALL the parts, and my favorite one to sing was John Adams, even though I am a girl. His really is the best role in the show. I need to watch the miniseries with Paul Giamatti.

Sandy K

#85 - He is *finally* feeling better (I'm crossing my fingers). Although I think he is getting in his 2 year old molars. He's always been early getting teeth. I am a huge gym person! In law school, I was big gym rat.

#86 & 87 - Yeah, I wasn't so surprised with the reaction to amoxicillin because I'm allergic, but my wife was really surprised. I have never seen the musical 1776, but you are not the first to suggest it. I'll have to put it on my netflix queue.

In other news, I'm making pretty good headway on Clemente considering it's just me and WillWill this week and I'm subbing for 2 additional classes and softball started. Wow. I'm tired just typing that. I'm hoping that with Spring Break next week, I can get in some serious reading time!

You know I keep thinking MAYBE if I had my own personal gym at home, then I would be more motivated to keep on top of the whole working out thing.....but really who am I kidding, lets just call a spade a spade - in the end it would just sit there and be one extra thing I would have to clean and dust!

Hope WillWill is feeling better! We just brought our son in for his 6 month shots. I am hoping that this doesn't disrupt his sleeping too much. :/

Valerie - I hope your little boy slept well! Will is getting there. I think since the dreaded month of February is over, things will start looking up. February has always been my least favorite month and this past February just re-confirmed my sentiments.

#90> well, February IS the longest month, in spite of the fact that it only has 28 or 29 days.

#91 - Have you heard of the Dar Williams' song "February"? It's great. There's a line about how February is so long it lasted until March.

Before you know it...SUMMER...will be here! I say this to cheer myself up since we will be freezing our buns off this weekend again. :/

#92> yes. I love Dar Williams.

#93 - Summer! It sounds so elusive right now, but I know it will be here soon. Okay, I hope it will be here soon.

Of course, when summer does it come I will (in theory) have so much time to read! Yay! No running around to sub for different classes and prepare lessons!

Well, hopefully I will be able to make some serious headway with Clemente due to the Mega read-a-thon happening this weekend, coupled with the fact that I now have strep throat. Ugh. But yay for forced time to mellow out with a good book.

Have fun with the Read-a-Thon! I remember I really enjoyed my time alone snuggled with my books for an afternoon with no interruptions. It was absolute heaven. :)

I have been enjoying the read-a-thon! I finished Clemente last night.

I would give it 4 stars which seems a little generous, but 3 1/2 seems a little strict. Overall it is good book, but the author's transitions are very choppy and I felt these detracted from the book. While the book had an overall chronological arc, there were several places where the author would go off on a tangent and lose the chronological timing which made those parts difficult to follow. Additionally, the pages devoted to these tangents seemed a bit excessive. Also, while I understand that the racial inequalities of the time were very important to Clemente and the social history in general, I thought the author was repetitive when he brought them up. Sometimes I felt like whole passages were just copy and pasted from earlier parts in the book with only minor tweaks. Finally, I did not think he tied up a couple loose ends very well.

I guess the reason for the 4 stars rather than 3 1/2 is really because Clemente was truly an amazing baseball player and a great subject which made up for some of the author's shortcomings.

I have already started Pride and Prejudice and am thoroughly enjoying it already!

Hope you got a lot of reading during the Mega-Thon! :)

#100 - I did get a lot of reading done during the mega-read-a-thon! Thanks!

The bad news is that over half-way through Pride and Prejudice and am struggling to keep reading. I am really enjoying the story, but I've just been really sick. I got tested for mono and am waiting for the results. Not sure what else it could be at this point. I'm just so uncomfortable and tired!

#100 - I did get a lot of reading done during the mega-read-a-thon! Thanks!

The bad news is that over half-way through Pride and Prejudice and am struggling to keep reading. I am really enjoying the story, but I've just been really sick. I got tested for mono and am waiting for the results. Not sure what else it could be at this point. I'm just so uncomfortable and tired!

Oh no! Mono! Here's hoping you feel better very soon!!

Yup, mono. I'm just at the point where I'm bored. I don't have energy for anything. I sat in the car yesterday while Whitney ran errands, came home and slept for 3 1/2 hours. I guess I'll keep reading. Maybe play another gave of Civilization on my xbox. Oh yeah, and sleep.

Brit, I hope you feel better soon! My hubby and I BOTH had the flu at the same time a few weeks ago. We spent a lot of time playing games on the computer, reading and watching movies. Just no energy to do anything that wasn't from a seated or prone position. It was actually tiring to hold up a book at one point.

Is this your first read of Pride and Prejudice? Have you seen any of the film versions?

Sandy K

Thanks Sandy! I'm pretty tired. Just got up from 5 hour nap and I don't nap. I get tired of holding books too, which is one perk of the kindle. I just prop it up and worry about pushing the "new page" button!

This is my first read of Pride and Prejudice and I really like it. It's really funny! Which is not something I expected. In college, someone I was dating really liked the PBS version and I may have watched snippets of that. But I don't remember much.

5 hour nap??? That sounds so lovely! :) Hope you are feeling all refreshed after getting some much needed rest.

I remember on my first read of P&P I was surprised at how funny it was, too. When I graduated from high school, I went on a little quest to try to read as many classics as I could. So, I really had no idea what I was getting into. I think I just started with Austen because her name was at the beginning of the alphabet. I quickly became a fan.

Sandy K

Sorry that you are feeling poorly and hope that you improve soon. I have still not cracked open Sense & Sensibility. I really should. Perhaps after what I am reading now.

#107 - 5 hour naps sounds lovely until you realize that after you've been up for an hour, you just want to go lie down again. It's okay though. I'm getting some reading done.

#108 - Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't read Austen in high school!

#109 - Thanks for the kind thoughts. I'm going to put Sense and Sensibility on my TBR list. I'd love to hear what you think of it if you read it before me!

In other news, please prays for all those effected by the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami.

Good grief, mono? My daughter lost an entire semester of school.. her second semester of college .. with mono. She managed to catch up before long, but still..
TERRIBLE
I hope that you are feeling better soon..
Thanks for making the eeffort to visit my thread, despite me being
such a bad visitor to so many recently ..

:( poor Japan :(

#111 - Kath, thanks for visiting. Yeah, I'm pretty much just tired. Now I'm tired of being tired. Oh well. My spouse has been super-supportive and wonderful. I'm thinking that I've probably had it for almost a week and a half, so I'm hoping I can really start having more energy soon.

My family continues to hold those in Japan in the Light. In good news, the tsunami did not really effect either my Mom (currently in Hawai'i) or my Dad (on a boat in an undisclosed Mexican location).

Oh yeah, an I'm super-close to finishing Pride and Prejudice. In fact, I'm worried that I'll finish it tonight. I'm only worried because we just finished watching The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and it will take me quite awhile to fall asleep after some of the imagery in that film.

I finished Pride and Prejudice last night. I really enjoyed it. It was interesting because there were many thoughts on the Austenathon thread about how this story is such a part of our culture. I thought that I was interesting because I honestly did not know the story and I enjoyed having it played out without knowing the ending. I mean, I figured out pretty early on that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were going to have to end up together. (At least I could not imagine Austen leaving them apart.)

The story actually reminded quite a bit of The Taming of the Shrew. Overall, I thought it was an excellent book and would certainly recommend it. I would also make sure that people were not daunted by the fact that it was written in the 19th Century. Not all 19th century literature is created equal!

Of course, now I just don't have a book lined up. I mean, I could purchase one for my Kindle, or just wait and go to the libs tomorrow. I think I'll do the latter. I have a new level to play on a video game and I'm supposed to be napping anyway.

Awesome that you finished P&P and enjoyed it. :) I remember when the movie came out with Keria Knightley, my sister in law went bonkers and was gushing about how great the movie was..haha (I think it was all for Mr. Darcy) I think personally for me, I enjoyed S&S more? But I read them awhile ago, the stories are foggy in my brain.
Can't wait to see what you read next!

#115 - hhhmmmm. . . . Keira Knightley is always nice on the eyes! I'll have to put that version of P&P on the netflix Q. Yes, I've heard many people say they liked S&S more. It's already on my tbr list!

Well, after a day of hemming-and-hawing about what to read next, (and a side-track to download a new level on Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood), I picked up The Unlikely Disciple. It's about this pretty liberal student from Brown who goes undercover for a semester at Liberty University. Whitney read it when it first came out a couple years ago and I just never got around to it. Since she really liked it, we have it on our shelves and I'm still curious about it, I've decided to give it a whirl. On an interesting note, the author is very young and graduated from the boarding school where we live/work in 2005.

P.S. For those interested in the new Jodi Picoult book, Whitney just downloaded it for the Kindle so I can let anyone interested know how she liked it. Depending on how much she liked it, I may read it next.

Which Jodi Picoult book is it?

Jodi Picoult usually holds my interest.. I have read several of her books..
Delinsky, too.. her books are always better than I expect them to be. They
always look and sound like icky romances.. but they are always much better than the cheesy romance novels.. I like both of them well enough.

The Jodi Picoult book is Sing You Home. Apparently it starts out very sad.

In other news, after a trip to the libs this morning, I've put The Unlikely Disciple down. It's not that I wasn't enjoying it, but we own it and I'm under a time limit for the books from the libs. I borrowed How I Became A Famous Novelist and Heat. I started the first book while waiting for (another) of Will's prescriptions to be filled and I started laughing almost immediately. It's just a satire of the book industry and I already really enjoy it. I just hope it doesn't peeter out.

Heat is about a journalist who attempts to be a line cook in Mario Batali's restaurant, Babbo, in New York.

Oooooh..a Picoult book that I don't have. :) Hope you enjoy it!

Valerie - I'm not a Picoult fan - that's my better-half. I'll let you know how she likes it though!

Haha...okay you are going to have to clarify something for me. Are you Brit? or is that your better half? Is it just you who posts on LT or does your better-half as well? Because I keep responding to Brit and wouldn't want to be rude if its not you (hopefully that makes sense..haha) and just so I know in my head who I am responding to and don't get the two of you mixed up! :)

I saw the new Picoult book when we were at a bookstore on Friday. I usually enjoy her but I also tend to wait until the there is no longer a queue for her book at the library (else I must commit to reading it the week it comes in). I think there are still half a dozen books on her backlist that I have yet to read though...perhaps I will request one of those toward the end of Mystery March.

#122 - Valerie, I'm Brit and I only post to LT. I'm gay and married to my wife, Whitney, and we our one boy, WillWill.

I have never read a Picoult book (as I hide behind the nearest bookshelf). I know I'm making an assumption here, but they always just seem so emotional and sad. Whit says that this one has gotten much happier since the sad beginning. Maybe, I will read this one since it's already on the kindle and all. . .

Thanks for the clarification Brit! (I can confidently call you that now..hehe)
Anyways, I don't think I would describe Picoult as sappy in most cases. I think her stories are always so captivating because she writes about controversial subjects (ie designer babies, sexual abuse etc.), but I am beginning to find a common pattern with her in that you always expect some sort of twist at the end. But regardless, her stories and her characters that I've read so far always hook me in.
Will be interested to see what you think if you give her a shot. :)

Brit
Yikes, mono is a very tiring illness. I remember a wicked sore throat that lasted a long, long time.

Please take good care of yourself. Is Will all better now? You poor thing, you've had a few rough months!

I send all good wishes your way.

Her books always have a lot of sadness and angst.. I agree..
The stories usually resolve pretty well though.. and her characters
are well done, imo..

#125 - Glad I could clear things up!

#126 - Hello Linda! Yes, I have been very tired lately, actually that's a bit of an understatement. But today is the first day in the last 2 weeks that I did not nap so I guess that's progress. Thanks for asking about Will. He actually is still fighting an ear infection, but has been much happier! And that makes quite the difference!

#127 - I will keep that in mind if I try to read the Picoult book, Kath!

>128 weejane:, he's still fighting an ear infection? Poor little one. What a tough time you've had at your house. Glad things are starting to get better.

#129 - Anne, yes, *still* fighting an ear infection. He has been pretty happy though and is taking his medicine without fuss. The pediatrician said a referral for an ear, nose and throat doc may be coming down the road. But we're not worried. When we were at the children's hospital for his surgery in Feb., that ear, nose and throat doc was in and out of the OR. So if he does need tubes it will be like a drive-thru service compared to earlier! :)

Brit so sorry to hear that WillWill is still under the weather. It's always so tough when the little ones don't feel well and there's nothing we can do except wait it out and give extra cuddles in the meantime. Hopefully you are able to get some rest in between caring for him. And of course hoping that you are able to squeeze in time for reading and such. :)

I just finished book number whatever (okay, I admit, I'm really just too lazy to go up and count).

How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely was certainly an entertaining book. I'm planning on giving it 4* when I post my review shortly. It is the story of an egotistical twenty-something college grad who decides to show his college ex-girlfriend up at her own wedding by writing the next greatest best-seller. He comes up with "rules" for writing a best-seller and sets forth on his challenge. The beginning was extremely hysterical and almost got me kicked out of bed for laughing too much. While the hilarity does peeter out a little in the middle, it picks back up as the book comes full circle at the end. It was a quick read and I would certainly recommend it, though, as a satire on the literary community, it certainly isn't for everybody.

Now, I think I'm going to start reading Heat.

For those interested, my wife finished the Picoult book and really enjoyed it. I may just end up reading it after all!

It is such a gorgeous day that I think we'll out be headed outside shortly for some more family fun. Perhaps Will can wander while I begin the new book! We have had quite the time outside already today as we were at Longwood Gardens this morning and Will played in all the fun fountains in the children's garden.

I've always heard good things about Jodi Picoult, but for some reason, I've never been compelled to read one. If you decide to read it, I'll look for your comments -- wouldn't want to miss anything!

eta -- sounds like spring and health have arrived at your house? Glad Will was feeling well enough to play in fountains. How fun!

#133 - Will is practically always well enough to play in the fountains! He is the happiest sick kid ever!

I have started reading Heat by Bill Buford. I'm still in the "I hope I'll like this book" phase, but I think I will! The reading will probably start slowing down since Spring Break is winding down in our house. With the beginning of the last term of school, I'm hoping that I get some good feedback on the jobs I sent my resume in for. I'm just not sure I like the idea of returning to be a full-time attorney.

Well, the reading for this book (Heat) is going a bit slower, probably because it was a phenomenal weekend and much time was spent outside and, even though it was raining today, Spring Break is over and life must return to normal. (Whatever that means!) I am about 60 pages into the book and enjoying it. But the author tends to skip from past to present with each chapter but without good transition or warning. Even a subtle chapter title would be nice. Oh well. I guess it will just keep me on my toes.

Ugh! I keep trying to get a picture of WillWill up here but I just can't seem to figure it out. Oh well.

In random news, there's a book review in today's NY Times about a new book on G. Dub. (George Washington, I'm just a geek). It was torn apart in the review and I found it quite entertaining, in a sick sort of way. Perhaps I also enjoyed it because it held up my old professor, Joe Ellis' book. Anyway, here's the link if anyone is interested: G Dub book review

Hope you can get a photo -- I'd love to see him.

Interesting review. I think sometimes there's not as much a story there as an author might wish, or not enough to set it apart from another's.

#137 - I agree with your statement about "sometimes there's not as much a story there as an author might wish." In reflecting back on that author's premise, it would make for an interesting story if Washington was more of a controversial figure. The reviewer mentioned a similiar style book that was put out on Shakespeare, and that makes sense. There is much controversy over whether Shakespeare even really existed and the meanings behind some of his works. With G. Dub. there just is not the same type of controversy, so there are some myths about a cherry tree eh who cares? Those are just my thoughts.

Argh - another failed attempt through the junk drawer. I'm uploading them to kodak and hopefully can get a good address.

brit...consider putting photos on photobucket..
it will then give you many ways to post them, edit them and all sorts of things..

You upload it to photobucket.. then click on it.. it gives you the html needed :)

Thanks Kath. If uploading them to kodak doesn't work I may try that.

HA HA SUCCESS!


The punk after painting at the Delaware Children's Museum last week.

Such a cutie!

oh my......he is such a cutie Brit! I love that curly hair. :)

what a doll! :)

And not too big of a mess! What talent!

Oh, the picture was definitely worth the wait - what a cutie-patootie!! Love love love the curly hair and the beautiful eyes!

Oh my, what a darling boy!

Thank you all for the kind words about my WillWill! We really enjoy the curly hair too. He is such a social kid too! We'll walk up and down the main hall and he'll say "hi" to everybody. He's like the little mayor of Westtown (which is hilarious because I'm not that social, he must get that from Whitney. . .) I'm glad you enjoyed the picture! I'm also glad that I learned the new skill of posting a picture to my thread!

Well, I've started a second book. This is something that I do not normally do, but I was on duty last night and didn't bring my book (bad Brit!). So picked up one from the dorm shelf, Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. It is a Newbery Honour book so I figured enough people must have enjoyed it. In college, I tried reading a Hiaasen book, but I thought it was a bit odd. Maybe I'll enjoy his YA book better. We'll see!

I didn't used to read multiple books at a time either, other than having a book of shorts for nights when I didn't feel like I was going to be awake long enough to complete a chapter or two. Hoot was enough of a success that they made a movie, I think...it's on my TBR list for the year so I look forward for your reaction.

Hmm. . .I didn't realize they made Hoot into a movie. It will probably get shoved to the back burner anyway because Heat is due back at the library at the beginning of April and I'm only half-way through. :(

I rarely read more than one at a time.. but on occasion I do..
and I have done it for the same reason :)... never read or saw Hoot

I always have at least 3 books going at once. One upstairs in my house, one downstairs -(just because I am lazy),and one audio that I listen to when I exercise and on long car rides.

I read Hoot with my son a few years back and although not my favorite Newbery book he enjoyed it at the time.

#154 - I am always amazed at people who can read more than one book at a time. I do it so infrequently and ever time I do I am quickely reminded why I don't!

Although, I would like to try to some audio books. I'm wondering if I could find some good ones to listen to while I row on the rowing machine. It's hard to stay focused and I think if I had something to focus on, other than rowing, it might help. The music only helps so much.

I would think that listening to a book might be preferable to music since there is no rhythm to conflict with. Before my knee gave me trouble I used to walk while listening to a book. I found that I would even extend my walk so that I could find out what would happen next. One of the most memorable books I listened to was The Devil Wears Prada.

I love to listen to books when exercising. The thing that makes or breaks an audio books is the narrator. Some of the best books I have listened to are The Help, Water for Elephants, and The Hunger Games. I just wished the weather in the Northeast would get warmer so I can walk on the track instead of inside on a treadmill. Last I checked our local track still has snow on it, but a couple of warm days and it should all melt.

Prior to kids I rarely had more than one book going...but I read quickly and had plenty of time. It was not unusual for me to read 3 or 4 books over a weekend (more if some were short). These days it can take me a week to get through a book.

I like audiobooks and we've listened to a number of them in the car during road trips but I sometimes get tired of stuff aimed at the 6-9 set and she wouldn't listen to Naomi Novik so it's not always easy finding stuff we'll both listen to. I should just try more stuff and be willing to try something else if she objects.

I've listened to audiobooks before, well really just the Harry Potter series. I like listening to those while driving. I guess I will just have to take my iPod (rather than the shuffle) with me to the gym the next time I go. Thanks for the support! Hopefully focusing on a book rather than music will help me lengthen the distance of my rows. . . But I'm going to be back to square one because it will be my first workout since the mono diagnosis.

I too am only capable of reading one book at a time or else I get WAY confused. :)

I just started listening to my first audiobook and I must say it's a totally different experience hearing someone else voice something that I've only heard in my head. I am thinking of picking up the Harry Potter ones. Is it read by only one person for all the characters?

I find that the time goes by much more quickly when I listen to an audio book than when I listen to music and exercise (I *hate* exercising. *Hate* it.), so yeah, definitely give it a go. And I won't begin to describe my multiple-book-reading insanity, both because, a) it's, well, nuts, and, b)I have no idea how I manage it, since in all other aspects of life I have a terrible memory, but somehow I'm able to keep track of 8-9 books at a time. Go figure.

Valerie: Butting in here to say that Tomm and I own and repeatedly listen to the Harry Potter audio books read by Stephen Fry and they are absolutely wonderful - he's fantastic at 'doing' all the different voices (you forget that it's just one person), and, well, it's Stephen Fry, fercryingoutloud. He's amazing.

Valerie - The Harry Potter audiobooks are freakin' awesome! Whitney and I were just talking about them today because I think that's what I'm going to try to listen to the next time I row.

Amber - I actually love working out. But since I've started rowing, I cannot go for either a long time or a long distance because I find I get too bored. At least when I'm on the bike I can read. My goal is to do a 4k on the rowing machine, so I need to find some way to help me battle the boredom. I'm hoping audiobooks are the way!

As I post this, I am sitting at Barnes & Noble with my sweetie enjoying some nice time together. (A babysitter is at home with the punk.) Whenever I go into a bookstore I always think "so many books, so little time!"

Anyway, I have finished Heat by Bill Buford. I have no idea how many stars to give it, but I'm thinking 3. The first chapter or two were really interesting. Then, after about 60 pages into it, the author's style begin to annoy the heck out of me. While I was enjoying the premise of the book, the author's inability to neatly transition between chapters drove me nuts. But I came up with a solution which at least lessened the annoyance: I just took each chapter as its own story, a little puzzle piece that may eventually fit into a picture. By the time I was half-way through the book, that tactic had dramatically increased my enjoyment of the book.

My absolute favorite chapter was Chapter 16. It was extremely well-written and told a great tale of pasta making by hand. It made me want to dust off my pasta machine (blasphemy according to the book) and cook up a batch of homemade pasta (at least my recipe is authentic!). While the book continued to be quite enjoyable for several chapters after Chapter 16, it petered out at the end and I felt myself not quite satiated by the time I finished the book.

Now I will be devoting my full attention to Hoot.

Just counted the books I read last year - 31. I knew reading 75 books this year was going to be a stretch, but jeez I'm going to have to way more than double what I read last year! I'm trying not to get discouraged after this counting.

It's been a slow reading week. Just trying to find the time. I am about half-way through Hoot. It's enjoyable but nothing great.

#160> The Harry Potter books are all read by one person. The American versions are read by Jim Dale (who is excellent) and the British versions are read by Stephen Fry. I would love to hear those.

Hey, Brit. Just checking back in after a too-long absence. Hope all is well there!

#166 - Hmm. . .I should figure out which one I have. I think I have the British version which is very good.

Hey Stasia!! It's good to hear from you!!

Now I don't know which version of the Harry Potter audiobook to purchase? Has anyone listened to both and can compare which one they liked better?

I finished Hoot by Carl Hiassen a few minutes ago. It was a cute book with a good premise. Overall, I liked it and would recommend it. I'll probably give it 3.5 stars. I'm not going to write a longer review because there really isn't much to say about it, except I thought the epilogue was too long.

I'm going to library with the kidd-o tomorrow to drop off some books. I plan on picking up H.M.S. Surprise for a group read and I placed a hold on The Imperfectionists which is for book club. How daring - I may attempt to read two book at once!? Eeeekkkk!

Please don't fret about number of books to read. Truly, the members of the group do not focus on numbers. We are simply delighted to have you with us.

Over time, since the initial beginning in 2008, the social networking, outreach and kindness of this group is truly amazing!

I hope you enjoy The Imperfectionists, Brit.

I am with Linda - do not give a thought about the number of books you read. Just enjoy your time here!

#170 Valerie: I've listened to both, and both are good. If you can get your hands on it, though, I'd recommend the Fry versions over the American ones, but I'm pretty biased in Fry's favor - I kinda love him.

Blah. I have yet to start either my books. In all fairness, I really only have one in my possession currently. But still. I'm daunted by it. It's the H.M.S. Surprise and should really just get over it. At least I will be able to pick-up The Imperfectionists at the libs tomorrow.

Part of the problem is that I got a new video game - yes, I am also a gamer geek. It's Lego SW III: The Clone Wars. I thought it would be cool because how can you go wrong with SW, right. (Yes, I am *also* a Star Wars geek.) Oh how wrong I was. This game is just not that great. . .

The other part of the problem is that I'm trying to make my way through the baseball preview Sports Illustrated. At least is that good reading! (But doesn't really count towards my goal).

Ugh. Here's hoping that I can get over this hump and just pick up a book!

Book funks are never fun. At least you have other diversions you enjoy!

Stopping by to say hello and then I noted your lovely photo of your very special little Will. What an incredible child.

Sorry to hear about the book funk, Brit. Cut yourself some slack and go play the game, read the magazine, etc. The books will be waiting for you when you get back to them.

Anne, Linda and Stasia - Thanks for the support! I'm sure I'll shake it soon.

Linda, thanks for the comment about Will! He's such a great kid and so much fun!

No rush to get reading.. just do what feels right.. and sooner or later a book will feel right. Meantime.. relax, have some fun and if you see any sun, run out and stand under it for a bit!

Hey Kath - I've been getting some good sun. Monday was gorgeous here and I'm outside practically every afternoon with the softball team (I'm the assistant coach). It's so nice to get some fresh Spring air!

Well, I've made significant headway in the video game. The pages continue to turn on the baseball preview edition of Sports Illustrated. The fam and I are headed to a resort/water-park this weekend so that should be nice and double-nice to get off campus! I also hope to (finally) start at least one, if not both of the following: H.M.S. Surprise and The Imperfectionists.

I will not be taking the computer and hoping that a couple days "unplugged" will kick my butt into gear. See you all on the flip-side! Have a good weekend!

I hope the trip does you a world of good, Brit!

Thanks Stasia! The trip was amazing!!! My kid was fearless and went down so many waterslides! The best was the big family one where we all got into a giant raft, he laughed and smiled the whole time; when we finished he quickly said "More?"

Good news is that I started The Imperfectionists. I didn't have quite as much time to read as I had hoped, but it was soooooo much fun! We are totally heading back!

I'm glad Will had a wonderful time. Given the fact that he had surgery a few months ago, he is doing really well eh?

Yeah he is. It was relatively minor surgery (he was, among other things, circumcised - we weren't thrilled about it and it was really hard to have him put under), but he seems to have recovered just fine! Quite resilient as our dear friend would say!

I am glad that the trip was a successful one! Sounds like your batteries got recharged :)

It sounds like a great time was had by all ! :)

Good Morning LT Friends!

Well, I'm truly enjoying The Imperfectionists. I am about a third of the way through the book and wish I could find more time to read during the day rather than right before bed. I find myself trying very hard to stay awake because I just want to keep reading.

In other news, I have an interview today at the school where we live. I'm hoping to get this history teaching position. I really would like the job, but I'm trying not to get too excited - just in case.

Good luck with your interview. I'm sending positive energy your way!

Please keep us posted.

Good luck with the interview.

Good luck with the interview! I'll be thinking good thoughts for you.

I'm looking forward to your thoughts on The Imperfectionists.

Good luck with your interview!

crossing all crossables for you to get the job!
Squishing my eyes closed too, in case that helps..

Thank you friends for all the wonderful and positive thoughts. I think it went really well. In fact, the Assistant Head of School said so as well - I hope that's a good sign. The tough part of the process is that even though I am seen as an internal candidate, there is an external candidate whose husband is applying for a college counseling position. And I'm worried that they could try to woo the husband by saying his wife can have this job. . . . I hope it doesn't work out that way. I should know in a couple weeks.

In other news, I have to coach an away game on my wife's birthday tomorrow. :( I'm bummed because I have a killer menu planned and now I may have to reschedule.

Fingers crossed that you hear good news about the job, Brit!

blast! Timing is everything. Hope the dinner goes well, whenever it might be~

ditto what Kath said

I am up waaaaaay too late for my own good. I'm heading to bed now. Hopefully, I'll get some reading done before I fall asleep. I've decided that I'm just not that dedicated to reading H.M.S. Surprise (even though I have yet to start it). One day I would like to read that series, but I'm just not feeling it right now.

On the other hand, I am really enjoying The Imperfectionists. Too bad I'm currently obsessively trying to get 100% on an annoying game that I just can't seem to stop playing. . .

For those interested in my team's softball games from yesterday and Thursday - the word blow-out seems too mild. We only have one pitcher and she was out both games. Ugh. It's tough when you don't have anyone who really hasn't pitched before. (We lost).

New thread is here.