Porch_Reader's Fall Semester

As a college professor, I live my life in semesters. Since the fall semester is underway, I decided it was time for a new thread. My previous threads are here:

First Thread
Second Thread

I had a good summer of reading, and I'm hoping to find time for more good books this fall. Hope you'll join me!

Here's what I've read so far this year:

January:
Home by Marilynne Robinson
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Unfinished Desires by Gail Godwin
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers by Yiyun Li
The Emperor's Code by Gordan Korman

February:
Al Capone Does my Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Tonight on the Titanic by Mary Pope Osborne
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
Pokemon Battle Frontier: Team Rocket Truce by Tracey West
The Book That Ate My Brother by Michael Dahl
The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller
Something Missing by Matthew Dicks
The Shack by William Paul Young
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

March:
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
Deoxys in Danger by Tracey West
The Girls by Lori Lansens
Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park
Magyk by Angie Sage
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia by Mary Helen Stefaniak
Paper Towns by John Green
Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder by Barbara Park
Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

April:
Witches on the Road Tonight by Sheri Holman
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip by Matthew Algeo
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown
Mothers and Sons by Colm Toibin
The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

May:
Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
An Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
The 39 Clues: Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst
The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French
The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
In Praise of Reading and Fiction by Mario Vargas Llosa

June:
The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Almost Friends by Philip Gulley
Christianity and World Religions: Wrestling with Questions People Ask by Adam Hamilton
Crabwalk by Gunter Grass
Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz
Stuart Little by E. B. White
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Pontoon by Garrison Keillor
Big Nate Out Loud by Lincoln Peirce
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
The Floor of the Sky by Pamela Carter Joern
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
What the Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain
Henrietta's War by Joyce Dennys

July:
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson
The Power of Less by Leo Babauta
Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Eric Wight
Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley
Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay
The 39 Clues: Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, Jude Watson
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
The Short History of a Prince by Jane Hamilton
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
The Birthday Ball by Lois Lowry
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer
America America by Ethan Canin

August:
Bossypants by Tina Fey
The Big Moo by Seth Godin
The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett
Wolf Stalker by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson
Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time by David L. Ulin
Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Readingby Nina Sankovitch
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney by Lee Cockerell
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
A Line in the Sand: The Alamo in Blood and Memory by Randy Roberts & James S. Olson

Book #92 - Case Histories - Kate Atkinson - Finished August 23, 2011

Category: mystery, series
Pages: 373

After hearing so many of you sing the praises of Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie mysteries, I decided to see for myself what all of the fuss was about. I really enjoyed this first book in the series. The plot was complex. Atkinson starts by introducing three separate open murder cases. Then when the relatives of two of the victims approach PI Jackson Brodie in hopes of finally gaining some closure, we begin to see how the cases are related. Atkinson handles the complex plot like a master, while at the same time introducing us to Brodie, a multi-dimensional character with a great deal of charm. I'll definitely be looking for the next book in this series.

got you starred.

Checking in, Amy!

That one got me hooked as well.

Hi Roni, Stasia, and Mac! Good to see you!

Book #93 – Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader – Anne Fadiman – Finished August 28, 2011

Category: books about books

Pages: 162

This is another of those books that I’ve seen mentioned in your threads so many times that it was carved into my mental TBR list. When I’ve seen so many glowing reviews of a book, there is the risk that it won’t live up to all the hype. Not so with this book – in fact, I loved it even more than I thought I would.

Fadiman is an unapologetic lover of books. Her passion is reflected in each of these essays. She shares memories from her childhood, growing up in a family of voracious readers and proofreaders. She divulges the difficulties that she and her husband faced when marrying their libraries and the joy that she felt in being taken to a used bookstore for her birthday. (She left with 19 pounds of books.) From Fadiman’s perspective, books are things to be used (for reading or building castles) and loved, even if that love leaves books with signs of wear (or tooth marks). Fadiman’s essays made me reflect on my own memories of books and made me want to reorganize my shelves just so that I can spend some time with old friends. If you haven’t read this book yet, you are in for a treat!

Hi! I hope I'm here in time to claim a seat in the front row for the fall semester. :)

Adding Ex Libris to the pile.

#11: I love, love, love Ex Libris. Fadiman has yet to have written or edited a book that I have not enjoyed, but Ex Libris is my favorite.

#6...I just finished Case Histories last week, and the next one One Good Turn I love the character of Jackson Brodie, but in both of these, it really took me a bit to be able to grasp all the different threads. That is probably my least favorite style of fiction, but I enjoyed these two enough that I have gotten the audios for #3 When will there be good news and #4 Started early, took my dog. I also have #4 on the Nook. I'm planning to read/listen to these on an upcoming trip to San Francisco in a couple weeks.

Also...The Fadiman book is probably one of my top ten of books about books....Great reading Amy.

#12 - Jenn - There's always plenty of room in the front row! Glad you are here. You should definitely read Ex Libris. I think you'll like it!

#13 - Stasia - I remembered that you were a fan of Ex Libris. I got another of Fadiman's books at the same time - Rereadings. It looks quite good too.

#14 - Hi Tina! I agree! Jackson Brodie is a great character, but the plot of Case Histories was pretty complex! I read it in just a few sittings, which helped. I'll have to remember to save the others for times when I can read them without a lot of breaks. Enjoy your trip to San Francisco!

Book #94 - Ready Player One - Ernest Cline - Finished August 30, 2011

Category: new fiction
Pages: 384

I loved this book. It is in strong contention for the label of "most fun" book that I've read this year. I heard about it on the Books on the Nightstand podcast, and I"m so glad I gave it a try.

The book is set several years in the future. Wade Watts is a high school student who spends most of his time in the virtual world known as the OASIS. Because earth has become a pretty desolate place, Wade is not alone in using the OASIS as an escape. The virtual reality world has become even more popular since its inventor, James Halliday, posthumously announced that whoever finds three keys and a hidden egg in the OASIS will inherit his fortune. Because Halliday was obsessed with 1980's trivia, Gunters (as the egg hunters are known) have to bone up on movies, TV shows, songs, and video games from the era to have any chance of solving the riddles.

Cline keeps the pace of the story moving, while weaving in lots of 1980's pop culture references. Although the story is a little predictable - with clear good guys and bad guys - it is also incredibly clever. Cline describes the OASIS in vivid detail and throws up plenty of obstacles in Wade's way. I was sad to turn the final page of this engaging story - an excellent debut novel!

>16 porch_reader:: Hi Amy, I'm glad you are having some fun reads. I need to do more of that. And I'll echo the love for Ex Libris. Ann Fadiman is a wonderful spokeswoman for the joys of reading. I may have just hit on my thread title for 2012. Donna's Joy of Reading has a nice ring to it!

#17 - Hi Donna! I think that Donna's Joy of Reading is a great thread title. Somehow, I always seem to have more joy for reading than for cooking!

Book #95 - Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer - John Grisham - Finished August 31, 2011

Category: read-aloud
Pages: 263

My fifth-grader and I read this book aloud. Theodore Boone is a middle school student whose parents are both lawyers. When a murder trial happens in their small town, Theo is enthralled. But he finds himself in over his head when he learns a secret that might change the trial's outcome.

My son really enjoyed this book, but I was a little disappointed. Theo is enthusiastic about the law, and Grisham integrates lots of legal details into the book. But the mystery itself isn't much of a mystery. I would have liked a little more suspense. But overall, it wasn't a bad read. We'll probably try the next one in the series at some point.

I'm sad to see summer ending. June, July, and August were great reading months for me.

August Summary

Books Read = 14
Fiction = 6
Non-fiction = 7
Read-aloud = 1

Off-the-shelf = 6
Group reads = 0

Best Fiction of the Month: Ready Player One
Other Great Fiction: When You Reach Me, Case Histories
Best Nonfiction of the Month: Ex Libris
Other Great Nonfiction: Bossypants, Tolstoy and the Purple Chair

#16: I have that one in the BlackHole already. Glad to see you enjoyed it so much, Amy!

Just catching up with you...

Hi Stasia and Angela! Good to see you!

Book #96 - A Rulebook for Arguments - Anthony Weston - Finished September 6, 2011

Category: work
Pages: 88

This slim volume provides rules for effectively supporting arguments, orally or in writing. I find that the undergraduate students who take my class vary widely in their ability to effectively support arguments, and improving their critical thinking skills is one of my goals each semester. This book summmarizes a number of the common mistakes that I see students making and provides examples of how to use sources and logic to support arguments. I'll definitely be incorporating some of the key points in this book in my class.

Book #97 - Imperfect Birds - Anne Lamott - Finished September 8, 2011

Category: audio
Pages: 336

I wasn't sure what to think of this book initially. The challenges faced by Elizabeth Ferguson are so much different than those I face myself. Elizabeth is a recovering alcoholic who lost her first husband and is struggling to raise her teenage daughter Rosie, a drug user herself, with the help of her new husband James. I cringed each time Elizabeth let Rosie talk her way out of consequences for irresponsible behaviors, and this happened a lot. But it was just as I was feeling weary from these repeated episodes that I realized that Lamott had made me feel a little of what Elizabeth must be feeling. I found myself thinking about these characters throughout the day, and trying to figure out how I would handle such situations when my kids become teenagers. This is not a book that I can describe as enjoyable, but I found it well-written and insightful.

Hi there. Oddly enough, A Rulebook for Arguments sounds quite interesting. It would be useful to have around anyway as I have an advanced reader/writer in my household.

I have never had much success with Lamott's books. I'm not sure why. I think you describe how I feel when I read her - "not sure what to think" and "not enjoying myself."

Just lurking through to say hi!

#26 - Jenn - I think that A Rulebook for Arguments would be a great reference to have around. From reading enough mediocre undergraduate papers, I've come to believe that just a few well-chosen strategies can greatly improve the quality of an argument.

Imperfect Birds was my first fiction by Anne Lamott. I loved her Bird by Bird book on writing, but I can see how her fiction writing wouldn't be suited for everyone.

#27 - Hi Roni! Thanks for saying hi. It's always nice to know that there are a few lurkers out there.

Book #98 - The Finkler Question - Howard Jacobson - Finished September 11, 2011

Category: Booker Prize (2010)
Pages: 307

Three men - Julian Treslove, Sam Finkler, and Libor Sevcik. Many conversations - about love, religion, success. Relatively little plot, but somehow that didn't matter much to me. Jacobson's writing - by turns, funny, irreverent, insightful, and shocking - drew me in and kept me riveted. At the beginning of the book, Libor and Finkler are recently widowed, and are having dinner with Treslove, the only Gentile among the three. But when Treslove is mugged on his way home from dinner, he comes to believe that the mugger may have thought he was Jewish. Thus begins an extended look at attitudes toward Judaism.

Julian refers to all Jews as Finklers, with Sam as his exemplar. But Sam is a member of the ASHamed Jews, who do not support Zionism. Libor does not share Sam's views. In the interplay between the three, we get an unflinching debate about Judaism. As a lifelong Christian who considers herself tolerant of and open to different religious views, there were parts of this book that were a bit shocking to me. Politically correct, it is not. For example, at one point in a conversation between Julian and his Jewish lover Hephzibah about whether Jews recognize other Jews, Julian says, "Is it like being gay? Is there a Jewdar that enables you to pick one another out?" I don't know people who have conversations like this. Yet, in the end, I had to appreciate the way in which Jacobson represented multiple viewpoints without backing down. Perhaps it was the extreme nature of the book that brought it the recognition it received.

Hello Amy - just crusing around having a nosey! Some great reading and great reviews....I was very ambivalent about The Finkler Question just did not like the main character much at all....which isn't always inportant, but I was very 'eh' about it all...

Hi Prue! Glad to see you! It seems like a lot of people had mixed feelings about The Finkler Question. I thought that the writing was quite good, but I agree about the main character not being terribly likeable. It's definitely not my favorite Booker winner.

Book #99 - The One Thing You Need to Know:. . . About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success - Marcus Buckingham - Finished September 19, 2011

Category: work
Pages: 304

I like complexity. That's the reason (one of the reasons) that I'll likely never write a best-selling management book. Buckingham, on the other hand, is a master at simplifying things and providing concise advice about managing, leading, and succeeding. I can see the benefits to his focused approach. I finished this book with a clear understanding of Buckingham's keys to great management (capitalize on employees' strengths), leadership (provide focus and clarity about the future), and individual success (play to your own strengths and avoid your weaknesses). And it's not that I disagree with any of these basic pieces of advice. However, as you'll see if you've read any of his other management books, Buckingham repeats a number of familiar themes in this book. Further, he sometimes ignores the other side of basic arguments. For example, he adamantly states that great leaders are born, not made. My reading of the research literature on leadership suggests that there is evidence to support both sides of that argument; however, Buckingham provides only examples that support his side. Some of these examples were quite interesting and may prove useful to those attempting to improve their management, leadership, and individual performance. But, in the end, I felt that Buckingham erred on the side of oversimplifying a complex topic.

Book #100 - Swamplandia! - Karen Russell - Finished September 20, 2011

Category: fiction
Pages: 320

When I first read about this book, the topic intrigued me. Ava Bigtree is a teenaged alligator wrestler at her family’s theme park, Swamplandia! However, I read a few lukewarm reviews and decided to wait to read the book until I could get it at the library. I’m glad that I did. This book was just OK for me. I did enjoy Russell’s writing. She paints a vivid picture of the Florida swamps and of life at Swamplandia. Ava and her siblings, Kiwi and Ossie, are interesting and unique characters. But the book didn’t move them forward much. The plot is a little slow and doesn’t provide the characters with much room for development. I think that I’d like to try Russell’s short story collection, St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves. Short stories might be a better vehicle for her strengths in writing and character development.

Book #101 - Soulless - Gail Carriger - Finished September 21, 2011

Category: fantasy, series
Pages: 384

This was the Kindle Deal of the Day a few weeks ago, and I had recalled reading some good reviews of it on your threads, so I snapped it up. Although I don't read a lot of Victorian romances, or werewolf/vampire novels, or alternative histories, Soulless, which combines all of those and a little more, was a very satisfying read. Carriger has created a gutsy likeable heroine in Alexia Tarabotti, a preternatural with the ability to neutralize vampires and werewolves, who live openly in Victorian London. When vampires and werewolves begin disappearing, Alexia must work with Lord Maccon, an alpha werewolf, to solve the crime.

The characters in this story are a hoot. Alexia and Lord Maccon have a spark-filled romance. The mystery of the disappearing vampires and werewolves keeps the story moving forward at a rollicking pace. And the details that Carriger includes make her alternative history seem entirely believable. I needed a good, fun read this week, and Soulless definitely filled the bill.

The rest are pretty good too!:)

#33 Oh no! I have Swamplandia on the shelves of shame - purchased when there was a bit of buzz and everyone seemed to be reading it! Unlike you, I read some very favourable reviews...Back of the shelf it now goes!

#35 - That's good to hear, Jim! I'll definitely be reading more of the Alexia Tarabotti series.

#36 - Well, Prue, you might like Swamplandia! better than I did. I did really like the writing. "The shelves of shame" cracked me up. I definitely have a few of those!

Book #102 - The Halloween Party from the Black Lagoon - Mike Thaler - Finished September 23, 2011

Category: read-aloud
Pages: 64

My older son and my husband went camping with the Boy Scouts last night, so my second-grade son and I snuggled up with this book from one of his favorite series. The Black Lagoon books are great for beginning chapter book readers, and it is never too early to start thinking about Halloween!

Book #103 - Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples - Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger

Category: non-fiction
Pages: 296

My pastor recommended this book to our church leadership team, and while it is not a book that I would have picked up for myself, I am glad that I read it. Rainer and Geiger's main point is that churches need to have a simple process for bringing people into the church and for moving them through a discipleship process. People should also be growing in their relationship with each other and with Jesus Christ, and churches need to organize their programs along a process that facilitates that growth. The authors use lots of examples to illustrate the problems that arise when churches are too complex (too many programs, too much busyness, too much confusion) and to illustrate the upsides of a simple process. My one complaint with this book is that the authors talk down to their readers when explaining their analysis of their survey data, which isn't much more than bar charts. But I was able to overlook that and appreciate the basic message.

Book #104 - Hoot - Carl Hiaasen - Finished September 27, 2011

Category: Audio
Pages: 292

Roy Eberhardt is the new kid in Coconut Grove, Florida. Coconut Grove also happens to be the next home of a Mother Paula's Pancake House. But when Roy finds out that there is something shady going on at the Mother Paula's building site, he makes friends as he attempts to unravel the mystery.

Roy is an incredibly likeable and resourceful kid. The action in this book is fast-paced, and the dialogue packs some dry humor. Most of the adults are a bit one-dimensional, but I expect that this book is well-suited for its target audience (9-12 year olds). I'm going to recommend this one to my fifth-grader. (By the way, the audio version, read by Chad Lowe, was quite good.)

Book #105 - The Art of Fielding - Chad Harbach - Finished September 28, 2011

Category: fiction
Pages: 512

I absolutely loved this debut novel set at Westish College, a small liberal arts school in Wisconsin. Harbach seamlessly interweaves the stories of several main characters. Henry Skrimshander is the errorless shortstop who eats, sleeps, and breathes baseball. Mike Schwartz is a year older than Henry and pushes him ruthlessly. Owen Dunne is Henry's roommate and an improbable teammate who clips a booklight to his cap so that he can read on the bench. Guert Affenlight is the Westish president, who has just welcomed his daughter Pella back into his life. Across the span of a baseballl season, these characters deal with challenges both on and off the field, challenges that will ultimately alter the relationships among them.

It's hard to describe the plot of this book without giving too much away, but it's not the plot of this book that makes it one of the best that I've read this year. The story of Henry and the others is well-told, but it is the way that Harbach uses these specific events to explore bigger issues - issues of perfection and error, issues of identity and relationship, issues of love in its many forms - that really blew me away. Harbach writes in a straightforward and honest voice (a bit reminiscent of Richard Russo, perhaps?), a voice that I hope we hear more from.

Book #106 - Pride of Baghdad - Brian K. Vaughan - Art by Niko Henrichon = Finished September 29, 2011

Category: graphic novel

This is the first graphic novel that I've read. After hearing a number of graphic novel recommendations on the podcast, Books on the Nightstand, I checked this one out at the library. It is based on the true story of four lions that escaped from a zoo during the bombing of Baghdad. The story is told from the viewpoint of the lions, and it is fascinating to imagine war from their perspective. However, it is the art that really made this story impactful. The images are beautiful and at times difficult to see, but they add much to the telling of this story. Amazing!

I had to read a whole thread before I got to your current one. But I shouldn't say "had to" as I enjoyed every minute of it. :-)

Hi Bonnie! I'm so glad that you dropped by. . . I'll come over and see what you've been reading as soon as I post my September wrap-up.

September Summary

Oh, September. . . with your back-to-school craziness. I miss summer, when I'm able to find a few extra reading hours. But all in all, it wasn't a bad reading month.

Books Read = 11
Fiction = 7
Non-fiction = 3
Read-aloud = 1

Off-the-shelf = 5
Group reads = 0

Best Fiction of the Month: The Art of Fielding
Other Great Fiction: Soulless, Pride of Baghdad (graphic novel)
Best Nonfiction of the Month: A Rulebook for Arguments

Wow I lost you for awhile Amy. You're starred now though.

You did well with your BOTS reads at 5--I only had 1 in September. :-(

#46 - Hi Bonnie! I'm glad you found me. Thanks for the star!

#47 - Thanks, Roni! I've been trying really hard to read some of my books, but I work very near the public library, so I'm often tempted by something from their shelves!

Book #107 - The Paris Wife - Paula McLain - Finished October 4, 2011

Category: fiction
Pages: 320

I really enjoyed this book, which is written from the perspective of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley. From the time that she met Hem in Chicago through their years together in Paris, Hadley lived an interesting life. This book gives us a glimpse of the excitement of Jazz Age Paris, where the Hemingways socialized with Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and others. We learn about Hemingway's creative process and travel with the Hemingways to Pamplona, where the seed for The Sun Also Rises was sewn. But mostly we learn about the ups and downs of being in a relationship with Hem. Because the book stays very close to the historical record, I knew the outcome of the book before beginningm so McLain's foreshadowing was a bit superfluous. The infrequent changes to Ernest's perspective (3 or 4 times throughout the book) broke the flow of the story a bit. But despite these small issues, I enjoyed reading The Paris Wife. Perhaps just because of the subject matter (a look at a famous man through the eyes of his wife), it reminded me a bit of Loving Frank.

Book #108 - Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! - Fannie Flagg - Finished October 11, 2011

Category: group read
Pages: 467

I read this book with the Missouri Readers group. I enjoy Fannie Flagg's books. They have lots of humor, and I'm often pulled along by the story. They definitely fall in the category of comfort reads for me. This one was no exception. Dena Nordstrom has made it big as a TV star, but she's got roots in the small town of Elmwood Springs, Missouri. At first, it seems that she has little in common with her relatives there, Norma and Macky Warren. She's more concerned about advancing her career and concealing some secrets from her past. But as Dena's life changes, so do her priorities. Although these changes were somewhat predictable, I enjoyed the journey.

However, there are a few things that kept me from rating this book more highly. The ending was wrapped up a little too neatly and in a way that didn't seem all that believable to me. A big secret was revealed from out of the blue (at least, I didn't see it coming). And the book felt a little long to me. At several points, I thought we had reached Dena's turning point, but she just continued obliviously down the same path.

But there were several characters that I loved - including Dena's southern sorority sister Snookie. Having grown up in small town Missouri myself, I thought that Flagg captured some of the quirks of small town life beautifully. Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! wasn't a perfect read, but I enjoyed it.

Book #109 - The Eleventh Man - Ivan Doig - Finished October 13, 2011

Category: Audio
Pages: 416

Ben Reinking was a college football star at a small Montana college. He and all of his teammates enlist in the military after graduation and are spread across the many battle fronts of World War II. Ben is assigned to the Threshold Press War Project (TPWP) and files stories about his teammates as they trade their football uniforms for military uniforms. As Ben moves from one assignment to the next, the book unfolds in short vignettes. Although this prevents an in depth development of any of their characters, Ben is strong enough to provide an underlying thread throughout the book. He provides an interesting perspective on the war as he grows increasingly distraught about the war itself and the TPWP's coverage of it. Doig also writes beautifully, turning phrases that caught my ear while I listened to this book and that made me wish that I was reading it so that I could go back and savor the words. While this book wasn't quite as good as The Whistling Season, which I read last year, it definitely made me want to read more of Doig's work.

The Booker Prize winner will be announced next week (October 18), and although I haven't read any of the books on the short list, I usually get around to reading the winner, at least. Tonight, I ran across a summary of the 44 past winners in 25 words each on the Barnes & Noble website. The summaries are pretty intriguing and made me put a few more past winners on my TBR list.

Book #110 - The Cookbook Collector - Allegra Goodman - Finished October 16, 2011

Category: fiction
Pages: 394

This book begins in the final months of the twentieth century. Technology companies are growing like crazy, and those on the ground floor are becoming millionaires - at least on paper - as the companies go public. Emily Bach, the CEO of Veritech, celebrates her IPO (initial public offering) in California, while her boyfriend Jonathan prepares for his in Cambridge, MA. But not everyone is wrapped up in the business boom. Emily's sister Jessamine is a graduate student in philosophy, dates an activist, and works for a rare book collector. As these disparate threads weave together, I found myself mildly interested in how each character would face challenges to their identities, but I wasn't captivated. I wasn't really engaged in the story until about 100 pages from the end - until the story shifted from gains and losses on paper to gains and losses that were much more real. It was in this final quarter of the book that the characters were pushed from their comfort zones and their decisions became much more interesting.

Reading Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! and then The Cookbook Collector provided an interesting contrast. Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! was engaging for about the first three-quarters of the book, and then finished with a disappointing ending. The Cookbook Collector was just OK for the first three-quarters and then gained focus and ended strong. In some ways, I think that I'm more forgiving of a slow start followed by a strong ending. A bad ending seems to wipe out my memories of anything good that came before it. What do you think?

>52 porch_reader:: Thank you, thank you for that website, Amy. So far I've read 12 books from the list. It looks like I have lots of good reading ahead of me. I like having the short summaries together. Did I say "thank you" yet? ;-)

I was on a Booker jag when the longlist was announced, but none of the ones I was able to read seemed like winners to me. Alas, my favorite one, A Cupboard Full of Coats, didn't even make the shortlist. It will be interesting to see which book wins this year. I'd like to read the ones by Sebastian Barry and Julian Barnes regardless of whether or not they win.

>51 porch_reader:: I've been collecting Ivan Doig books. I need to get busy and read more of them!

#54 - You're welcome, Donna! I'm glad you liked the Booker summaries. A Cupboard Full of Coats looks like an interesting book. I'll have to try that one. I'm not terribly surprised that Julian Barnes won this year's Booker. It sounds like he was due. I haven't read anything by him, but several of his books sound quite good.

Book #111 - May Day - F. Scott Fitzgerald - Finished October 17, 2011

Category: novella
Pages: 112

Earlier this year, I stumbled on Melville Publishing's list of 12 great novellas. I'm always trying to read more classics and never find enough time, so this seemed like a good way to dip into a few authors.

This story is set during the May Day riots in 1919 New York City. As soldiers advance on a socialist newspaper office, Yale alumni enjoy a society soiree. As the characters weave in and out of these contrasting scenes, Fitzgerald provides a crystal clear portrait of time and place, and a sharp sense of class disparities. Fitzgerald is a master at creating a sense of tension in a few words. Consider this description of an interaction between Gordon and Phil, former Yale classmates:

"For an instant before they turned to go out their eyes met and in that instant each found something that made him lower his own glance quickly. For in that instant they quite suddenly and definitely hated each other."

In style and theme, this novella puts me in mind of The Great Gatsby. It's well worth a read.

Wow! Lots of good reads lately. *Wave*

#57 - Hi Jenn! Thanks for stopping by. *Wave back*

Book #112 - Hatchet - Gary Paulsen - Finished October 21, 2011

Category: juvenile
Pages: 186

My fifth-grade son recommended this book to me. I don't think I would have picked it up on my own. From the description on the back, it sounds like a typical "lost in the wilderness" story featuring 13-year-old Brian Robeson. But Paulsen makes Brian's experiences jump off the page. Brian is an extremely likeable character, and aside from a few moments of despair, he approaches the situation with a "can-do" attitude. I really enjoyed the book and can understand why my son did too.

My son tells me that there are sequels to the story with alternative endings. He has Brian's Winter, so I'm sure I'll be borrowing that one soon.

Hi Amy, don't you love it when your kids recommend a book to you? Your son has good taste. I'm glad to know about the sequels.

I read Hatchet a loooong time ago as a school volunteer for a "Chat & Chew" session. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Paulsen also wrote an excellent book about the Iditarod called Winterdance that I enjoyed.

The Art of Fielding sounds great; I added it to my wishlist. Hatchet brings back memories--it was very popular when I was in elementary school!

It warms my heart to hear about a 5th grader recommending books to his mom and she reading his recommendation! I hope he shared that with his school librarian.

#60 - Donna - I'll pass along your recommendation to my son. Winterdance sounds like a book that he would like! Or maybe I'll save it for a Christmas present.

#61 - Carly - I really enjoyed The Art of Fielding. It's an excellent debut novel, in my opinion. Thanks for stopping by!

#62 - Mamzel - I try to read everything my boys recommend to me - even Pokemon novels! My fifth-grader has pretty good taste. We have a great school librarian and a great public library children's librarian, so it seems like we're always uncovering gems! Of course, my younger son still tells the story of how he introduced his first grade teacher to a series that she didn't know about (Roscoe Riley), which she recommended to the school librarian. They got the whole set for the libraryies and lots of his friends are now reading them. I hope that they are always this excited about reading. I'll be very disappointed if reading ever becomes "uncool."

Book #113 - Bad Kitty Meets the Baby - Nick Bruel - Finished October 23, 2011

Category: read-aloud
Pages: 143

I read this aloud with my second grade son. (He actually read most of it to me!) It's been a while since we've read a book from start to finish. We try to read aloud most nights before bed, but he's had trouble landing on a book. We'll read a few chapters of one, and then next thing I know, he wants to switch to another. I have spells like that too, so we've just been going with the flow - until we started Bad Kitty Meets the Baby.

This book really held our attention. It's a beginning chapter book with lots of great illustrations. When Bad Kitty's family comes home with a new addition, Bad Kitty has to figure out "What the heck is that thing?" (which is actually the title of chapter 2). It takes most of the book, but in the end, Bad Kitty comes to appreciate the new baby. And together they are quite a hilarious pair. We laughed out loud, and then quickly ordered three more Bad Kitty books from the latest Scholastic Book Order.

I am a geek in a lot of ways, but I didn't score well on this list of 9 Essential Geek Books. I've only read The Fellowship of the Ring. But some of the others sound enticing.

Oh, dear God, I've read all of them. Yes, even the Dungeon Master's guide... :)

I have 6 of the 9, all of the fiction.

#65 I've only read 3! But the rest are books I would like to read with the exception D&D Dungeon Master's Guide.

>65 porch_reader:: I'm 8 for 9, but Tufte's "Visual Display of Quantitative Information" just went on my list. Thanks for the link!

I'm going to look for both Bad Kitty and Roscoe Riley in the school library on Monday for my own 2nd grader... Bad Kitty sounds really funny! Does he like Astrosaurs or Gargoylz? (Gargoylz is very English). Both those series have been hits with Fletcher.

Edited to add that I've just bought Bad Kitty Takes a Bath for 4 Euros from Book Depository...why wait till Monday?!

#66 - #69: I figured that there would be several LTers who had made good progress on this list, but 9 of 9 is pretty impressive, Jim! I've only started reading fantasy and science fiction in the last few years, so I've definitely added some of these to my TBR list (Ender's Game and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). The Visual Display of Quantitative Information intrigued me too.

#70 - Cushla - I hope that your 2nd grader likes Bad Kitty. We haven't tried Astrosaurs or Gargoylz, but your timing is perfect. We're making Christmas lists today while waiting for it to be time for Trick or Treating, and I love finding new books to add to the boys' lists.

Book #114 - The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan - Finished October 26, 2011

Category: read-aloud
Pages: 400

This is a re-read for me. I've read all five of the book in this series. But my son wanted to try them, so I read this first in the series aloud to him. I think that I enjoyed the book more the second time around. I already have a relationship with Percy and his friends, so I immediately cared about what happened to them. Reading aloud also slows me down, which is a plus for a fast-paced book like this one.

de-lurking to say hello!
#65 I always thought I was a geek but I didn't fare well on the 9 geek books. Just the Lord of the Rings. I'll have to try harder I guess ;)

Well, very, very strangely, I have read 5 out of the 9 geek books, and own a further 2. Who'd have thought it?

#73 - Hello, Chelle! Thanks for de-lurking! I'm in the same boat as you with regard to the Geek Books, but I've added several to my TBR. We can always aspire to geek-dom (geek-hood?), I suppose!

#74 - Janet - 5 out of 9 (with 2 more on the shelves) is quite impressive! I hope you are doing well!

October Summary

October was a busy month for me, without much time for reading. I'm hoping to find more reading time as it begins to feel more like winter. (There's a chance for snow flurries here in Iowa tonight!)

Books Read = 8
Fiction = 6
Non-fiction = 0
Read-aloud = 2

Off-the-shelf = 1
Group reads = 1

Best Fiction of the Month: The Paris Wife
Other Great Fiction: Hatchet

Book #115 - The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver - Finished November 1, 2011

Category: book club
Pages: 543

I'm a huge Barbara Kingsolver fan, and this book has been on my TBR shelf for several years (on loan from my mom, no less). I have picked it up a few times, but never gotten into it. When I mentioned that at my book club meeting a couple of months ago, several of the members wanted to read it too. So, we scheduled it for our November meeting.

Like Kingsolver's other books, this one is beautifully written. The story of the Price family's missionary work in the Belgian Congo is told through the voices of the four daughters. This shifting point of view provides a rich perspective on life in the Congo in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The sense of place is so precise that I wasn't surprised to learn that Kingsolver herself had spent time in Africa as a child. Each of the daughters approaches life in the Congo in her own way and reacts differently to the challenges that they face there. Each has a distinct relationship with their father Nathan, a Baptist minister with strict views about the way that life should be lived. And as the events play out, each is affected differently by their experiences in Africa.

This is a powerful book, but it is not my favorite Kingsolver novel. At times, the shifting points of view switched too often for me to sink into any one perspective. The story also continues long after some climactic events that felt as though they should have been the end of the story. As a result, the ending felt as if it went on a little long. But, in all, I am glad that I read this book, especially since it is such a central part of Kingsolver's work.

9 Geek books - I've read Ender's Game and The Lord of the Rings. I tried Hitchiker's Guide and I have to admit, I didn't get it. At all. All this time, I thought I was a geek. I guess I'm just a nerd.

#77 - One of my favorite books ever. I loved the different points of view, and I have to say, it went better the second time through. What's your favorite Kingsolver?

Jenn - Ender's Game is one of the Geek books that I put on my TBR list. It sounds like a good one. That would bring my total to 2!

As for my favorite Kingsolver, I loved The Lacuna and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, but my sentimental favorite is probably The Bean Trees. It was the first one I read, and I just love all of the characters.

Book #116 - Haiti After the Earthquake - Paul Farmer - Finished November 3, 2011

Category: Early Reviewer, audio
Pages: 456

I first learned about Dr. Paul Farmer's work in Haiti in Tracy Kidder's book Mountains Beyond Mountains. Farmer is one of the founders of Partners in Health, a charitable foundation that works to bring health care to poor regions, including Haiti. Taking advantage of Famer's 20+ years of experience in Haiti, Bill Clinton named Farmer as the United Nations Deputy Special Envoy to Haiti in 2009. When a massive earthquake hit Haiti on January 12, 2010, Farmer rushed to lend his medical and political support to the recovery efforts. This book, written a little over a year after the earthquake, provides Farmer's insights about the impact of the earthquake and the initial recovery efforts. He also describes how the history of Haiti and the country's economic status at the time of the earthquake amplified the effects of the natural disaster. Farmer also uses the book to stimulate discussion about how Haiti might use the earthquake as an opportunity to Build Back Better.

I very much enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about Haiti, its history, its challenges, and its strengths. I was also interested in Farmer's perspective on the roles of both governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the wake of a natural disaster. Parts of the book were heartbreaking, with vivid descriptions of the suffering that occurred as a direct result of the earthquake and the suffering that continued to reverberate throughout Haiti many months later. Other parts were more academic, providing insight into the challenges of development. Although the audio version of the book was quite well done, I might have preferred to have read some of the denser parts myself, so that I could refer back as needed.

In addition to Farmer's perspectives on Haiti, the book concludes with a number of chapters by others who were in Haiti at the time of the earthquake or who were impacted by it. One of my favorite of these chapters was written by Edwidge Danticat, a truly gifted author who used the poetry of her language to reach my heart as well as my head.

Book #117 - We the Animals - Justin Torres - Finished November 3, 2011

Category: fiction
Pages: 125

In this deceptively thin volume, Torres uses each word precisely to help us see through the eyes of three brothers being raised in a poor and unstable family. They are comrades who stick together and face the manic love and frequent abuse from their Puerto Rican father and white mother. It is as if Torres knows that a detailed narrative would be too much for most readers and that we will only peek inside these lives if we are certain that we will be allowed to turn quickly away. But, because of the power of the words, we keep coming back for more. This book was unsettling, but powerfully written. Torres is a gifted writer. You need only read the first chapter, a mere three pages, to see what I mean. "We Wanted More" begins like this:

"We wanted more. We knocked the butt ends of our forks against the table, tapped our spoons against our empty bowls; we were hungry. We wanted more volume, more riots. We turned up the knob on the TV until our ears ached with the shouts of agnry men. We wanted more music on the radio; we wanted beats; we wanted rock. We wanted muscles on our skinny arms. We had bird bones, hollow and light, and we wanted more density, more weight. We were six snatching hands, six stomping feet; we were brothers, boys, three little kings locked in a feud for more."

The pace builds, until with a gasp, the chapter ends like this:

"But there were times, quiet moments, when our mother was sleeping, when she hadn't slept in two days, and any noise, any stair creak, any shut door, any stifled laugh, any voice at all, might wake her, those still, crystal mornings, when we wanted to protect her, this confused goose of a woman, this stumbler, this gusher, with her backaches and headaches and her tired, tired ways, this uprooted Brooklyn creature, this tough talker, always with tears when she told us she loved us, her mixed-up love, her needy love, her warmth, those mornings when sunlight found the cracks in our blinds and laid itself down in crisp strips on our carpet, those quiet mornings when we'd fix ourselves oatmeal and sprawl onto our stomachs with crayons and paper, with glass marbles that we were careful not to rattle, when our mother was sleeping, when the air did not smell like sweat or breath or mold, when the air was still and light, those mornings when silence was our secret game and our gift and our sole accomplishment - we wanted less: less weight, less work, less noise, less father, less muscles and skin and hair. We wanted nothing, just this, just this."

Wow. Powerful review of We the Animals. I don't know if I want to read it, but the language is amazing.

I restrained myself for a few days but have to post that I was farily disappointed by Ender's Game after the build-up it got everywhere I read about it. The story was unique in idea but I felt like I'd been battered bythe time I got done because Card beats you over the head with the story idea instead of exploring it.

>80 porch_reader:: Hi Amy, Haiti After the Earthquake sounds like a good follow up to the Tracy Kidder book. I have a friend whose daughter goes to Haiti several times a year on mission projects. The needs there go on...and on.

Soooo, if I'm not a geek, then I guess I'm a nerd? Works for me, although I am trying to see the appeal of these speculative fiction books. ;-)

#82 - Jenn - I'm not sure that We the Animals is for everyone, although it is not relentlessly brutal like some books on this topic. And you are right - the writing is beautiful. I tried to describe the writing in my review, but I found it was just easier to share a few sentences.

#83 - Card beats you over the head with the story idea instead of exploring it.
That is very descriptive, Mac! Thanks for the head's up. Maybe I'll start my geek reading somewhere else.

#84 - Donna - I really admire the people who work in Haiti, even after the memory of the earthquake has faded. A group here at the University of Iowa showed a film not long ago about all of the violence against women that occurs in the temporary housing areas. It is so sad. I hope that as my kids get a little older, we'll be able to do some mission work there.

I'm not quite sure about the geek/nerd difference. I've always claimed both titles just on the basis of reading widely (although that doesn't seem so unusual here on LT!) and my endless fascination with math, but that list did seem much more focused on speculative fiction.

#83, 85 - Just my opinion, porch. I've talked to several others who liked the first and the series. So, take it for what it's worth.

Book #118 - Bad Kitty vs. Uncle Murray: The Uproar at the Front Door - Nick Bruel - Finished Nov. 4, 2011

Category: read-aloud
Pages: 157

Another Bad Kitty book read aloud with my second-grader. He loves these books. In this one, we noticed how much the illustrations add to the story. I think that the author illustrates these books too. Bad Kitty is always good for a laugh!

Since there is a group read of The Night Circus coming up, I thought that some of you might enjoy this video of Erin Morgenstern talking about writing the book. She describes how the book grew out of some writing that she did for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) a few years ago.

Video about The Night Circus

I really liked your review of We the Animals. It's probably not a book I would have picked up just from its "official" description, but you absolutely sold it to me.

#89 - Thanks, Janet! It is certainly a powerful book.

#119 - A Trick of the Light - Louise Penny - Finished November 9, 2011

Category: mystery, series
Pages: 339

I know that I'm preaching to the choir, but I still have to gush just a little. I absolutely love this series. I think that Louise Penny keeps getting better. This latest installment in the Chief Inspector Gamache series brings us back to Three Pines, which is accurately described by Ms. Penny as the village that "produced bodies and gourmet meals in equal proportion" (p. 237). Yes, believe it or not, another body has shown up in Three Pines. And of course, Gamache and his team artfully piece together secret after secret until the last piece falls into place. But, Penny does not forget about the history that these characters have. Storylines from previous books continue right alongside the main mystery, and at times, these overshadow the murder investigation simply because we know these characters so well by now that we care about the trajectories of their lives. Penny's mysteries are rich with emotions. The inner lives of her characters are on full display. And because of this, turning the last page felt like leaving old friends.

Book #120 - Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship - Gail Caldwell - Finished November 10, 2011

Category: audio
Pages: 224

This book has been on my radar screen for a while, and I've read some good reviews of it, but I was concerned that it would be too sad for me. A friend of mine died earlier this year. She was only 38 years old, and it was devastating. Even now, that's about as articulate as I can be about the experience. Caldwell's friend Caroline died too. She died before her time, after a short battle with cancer. This book is about that experience, but it is about much more than that. As the subtitle notes, it is a memoir of friendship, from the beginning tentative steps to the connections that transcend death. Parts are intensely sad - I wept huge tears on my drive home from work as I listened to the chapter about Caroline's death. But there is a hopeful undercurrent throughout the book. Caldwell uses words beautifully, capturing emotions in a way that is so precise that it is a gift to those who struggle to put our grief into words.

Amy - a beautiful tribute to your friend. I too found Caldwell's book much more hopeful and soothing than I expected it to be. It's a gem, and one I'm glad I have in my library in hard copy to lend to anyone who may need to read it in the future.

#91 - A Trick of the Light just came in to my library, just for me :) I can't wait to get over there and pick it up. Naturally, I had to get the audio, read by dear Ralph. So excited!

The Caldwell Memoir is one I have put on my list, but been afraid of, as I have also lost a very (young) dear friend to cancer and I'm not sure I'm quite ready to live through that again. I keep seeing wonderful reviews of it though.

Amy, I have Let's Take the Long Way Home checked out from the library for the TIOLI challenge about friendship. I too have lost a friend at too young an age. Although it has been almost five years now, it will be difficult to revive those memories.

I so agree with you on the Penny series. The mystery part is okay, but the characterizations make me feel as if I know these people.

Amy, Bad Kitty Takes A Bath arrived on Tuesday and we read it together that night - all 4 of us loved it! Thanks for the recommendation. I'm going to hunt the other ones down once we are back in New Zealand.

#93 - Tina - Yours was one of the reviews that pushed Let's Take the Long Way Home to the top of my TBR list. I love the idea of having a copy to loan to those who need it. Just knowing that someone else shares your experiences can be so comforting.

#94 - Jenn - I had been thinking about rereading the Three Pines series at some point, but there are always so many other books to read. Maybe I'll revisit the stories on audio. Thanks for the idea!

And I think you should trust your about when you are ready for Let's Take the Long Way Home. You'll know when the time is right.

#95 - Donna - I hope that Let's Take the Long Way Home touches you like it did me. I can't say that it is a book that I enjoyed, but I appreciated Caldwell's ability to put her difficult experience into words.

#96 - Cushla - I'm so glad that you and your family enjoyed Bad Kitty! We just had parent teacher conferences this past week, and Matt's teacher says that she loves to hear him giggling over Bad Kitty books during solo reading time. Also, I just placed an order from Book Depository for an Astrosaurs and a Gargoylz book. I can't wait to try out those books with my son (although I think I'll probably save them for Christmas presents).

Book #121 - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie - Finished November 16, 2011

Category: YA
Pages: 230

Sherman Alexie has been on my radar screen for a few years, thanks to the recommendations of Linda/Whisper and others. So, when I saw several people reading this for the TIOLI challenge, I gave it a try.

The part-time Indian of the title is Junior, a Spokane Indian who lives on a reservation, but decides to go to the all-white school in a neighboring town. Junior is no stranger to challenges. He was born with water on the brain, his family is poor, and he is no stranger to bullying. But he is smart, determined, and extremely likeable. Alexie doesn't sugar-coat Junior's life, but he does give him a break or two. In the end, this is an honest and uplifting coming-of-age story.

Book #122 - The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern - Finished November 18, 2011

Category: new fiction
Pages: 387

This amazing debut novel drew me in and would not let go. Morgenstern creates the Night Circus, painting vivid pictures of this unusual venue with her words. Against this backdrop, she tells the story of Marco and Celia, who are competing in a game with rules that become clear only as the story unfolds. Part love story, part fairy tale, The Night Circus is one of the most interesting and compelling books that I have read this year.

Book #123 - Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan - Finished November 21, 2011

Category: YA
Pages: 310

Paper Towns made me a John Green fan. Will Grayson, Will Grayson sealed the deal. In this book, Green and Leviathan tell the story of two Will Graysons - both are high school students who are attempting to survive high school by keeping their heads down. But one of them has a best friend named Tiny Cooper. Tiny is huge, flamboyant, and not afraid to show his gay pride. In fact, he's staging a musical called "Tiny Dancer: The Tiny Cooper Story." When Tiny and Will cross paths with the Other Will Grayson, things really get interesting, and the pages turn even faster until the highly satisfying ending.

Like Paper Towns, this book has an honesty and intensity that is rare. While the story goes in some outrageous directions, the characters are always believable. The story itself rockets along at a fast pace, but at the same time, Green and Leviathan create characters that are miles deep. This is definitely one of my top YA reads of the year.

Amy, Let's Take the Long Way Home certainly struck a chord with me.

I keep hearing such good things about The Night Circus. It's a little outside my reading comfort zone so I'm currently waiting for my copy from the library. It looks like it will probably be next year before my number comes up.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Great review of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Amy. I enjoyed Paper Towns after you recommended it so I'll be looking for this one too--it sounds like it's even better.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

#101 - Donna - I think that Let's Take the Long Way Home is a book that will stick with me. And I can understand waiting for a library copy of The Night Circus. It is different than my typical reading too, but I loved it! Happy Thanksgiving!

#102 - Pat - If you liked Paper Towns, I think that you'll love Will Grayson, Will Grayson. I'm so glad to "see" you and hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

And to all of you who stop by my thread from time to time, I am thankful for you! You make reading an even more enjoyable experience!!!

Book #124 - The Leftovers - Tom Perrotta - Finished November 23, 2011

Category: fiction
Pages:355

When a large number of people simply disappear at precisely the same time on the same day, those who are left behind have to draw their own conclusions about what happened. Perrotta explores the variety of responses to this event in his new novel, The Leftovers. I found the premise of the book fascinating, and Perrotta managed to keep the story interesting throughout. When a wife and mother of two joins a group called the Guilty Remnant, her husband tries to continue his "normal" life as mayor and father. His son begins to follow a man named Holy Wayne, who believes that his unborn child will save the world, and his daughter rebels in a more typical teenaged fashion. Their storyline weave with those of other survivors to create a complex picture of the coping mechanisms that are used to deal with the losses and uncertainty. While I enjoyed the story, I didn't connect deeply with any of the characters. Still this was a solid 4 star read for me.

#104, that looks like a very interesting book! Added to the wishlist :)

#105 - Happy to contribute to your wishlist, Chelle!

Book #125 - Shop Class as Soulcraft - Matthew Crawford - Finished December 2, 2011

Category: work, audio
Pages: 256

This book might have been a little complex for audio. Crawford is a philsopher/motorcycle mechanic. His basic premise is that work in which we make or fix things with our hands can be as fulfilling as knowledge work. He laments the fact that many schools no longer offer shop class and instead push kids toward college prep classes that will prepare them to do the "work of the mind." He provides rich descriptions of the complexity of repair work and the fulfillment that he finds in it. However, he is less convincing when he derates managerial skills like persuasion and responding with emotional intelligence. I would prefer that these two types of professions not be pitted against one another, but that the value of both be recognized as fulfilling for some.

Book #126 - The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein - Finished December 2, 2011

Category: book club
Pages: 336

This is a book that I have actively avoided. I've seen it on best seller lists and in book store, and I've heard people rave about it. But all I knew about it was that it is a book with a strong car racing them in which the narrator is a dog. It didn't sound like my cuppa tea.

But when it was selected for my December book club, I checked out a copy. I devoured the first one hundred pages, falling in love with Enzo, a dog with the wisdom of Solomon. (I mean how can you help but love a dog who notices that his owner's mother-in-law never calls Enzo by name and speculates that she is trying to depersonalize him, like they do in prisoner of war camps.) I had to slow down a little when things got emotionally difficult for Enzo and his family. I credit Stein for creating a family that I cared so much about that I could barely stand to read about bad things that happened to them. And in the end, I picked up speed again, hoping that everything would turn out OK. Most of you have probably read this book already, but if you haven't, I highly recommend it!

November Summary:

Books Read = 10
Fiction = 7
Non-fiction = 2
Read-aloud = 1

Off-the-shelf = 3
Group reads = 1

Best Fiction of the Month: The Night Circus, A Trick of the Light

Other Great Fiction: We the Animals, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, The Poisonwood Bible

It was a great fiction reading month for me! I'm hoping December goes the same way!

Book #127 - Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen - Susan Gregg Gilmore - Finished December 4, 2011

Category: off-the-shelf
Pages: 297

I first heard about Susan Gregg Gilmore on the Books on the Nightstand podcast, and her debut, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, fits snuggly into the Southern fiction genre. This book is narrated by Catherine Grace Cline, the daughter of a widowed Baptist preacher in the small time of Ringgold, Georgia. Catherine Grace dreams of escaping Ringgold, which has the typical small-town quirks, and moving to Atlanta. But sometimes the complexities of real life complicate our dreams, and Catherine Grace learns a lot about those complexities and what's truly important in this coming-of-age story.

There was one plot point that didn't quite ring true to me, and in the end, the strands of the story were tied up a little too neatly, but aside from that, I loved this story, its characters, and the way that Gilmore made Ringgold come to life.

I've been eyeing the Gilmore book at the library for some time. I think I will now check it out, thanks to your review. I like Southern fiction quite a bit. Which is weird, because I've always lived in Ohio...

Saddened to read above that many schools are getting rid of shop class. I agree, not everyone is cut out for college. Or even if they are, some of the skills learned in wood or metal shop can be useful in life. I took foods class (the cooking part of home ec) my senior year in high school and I loved that class. We learned about nutrition, as well as cooking. I credit it with my love of cooking today, which is most definitely a useful skill to have!

Hey, I think that you were the person that mentioned interest in what I thought of Maine in the read-a-thon this past weekend. I finished it and put my thoughts on my thread in this group.

Sandy K

Hi Sandy! I just visited you on your thread. Maine sounds like it is worth a read! I think you will like Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen. It's a quick read.

My husband took foods class too. He still makes the no-bake copies using a recipe off a mimeographed sheet his teacher gave them!

Whoa, mimeograph! That's a blast from the past. Smelling the fresh mimeographed copies when the teacher used to hand them out, whew! Strange things that kids today don't know about, ha!

Sandy K

It was the most coveted job in the 5th grade - running the mimeograph machine for the teacher. Purple ink, that smell. Oh my.

I know, right? I loved mimeograph sheets. I remember that near Christmas, when it was too close to break for us to concentrate much, our teachers would mimeograph a bunch of Christmas word games for us. The smell was the best part!

Book #128 - A Season of Gifts - Richard Peck - Finished December 7, 2011

Category: YA, audio
Pages: 208

Being the new kid in town is hard enough, but sixth-grader Bob Barnhardt also has the challenges of being a PK (preacher's kid) and living next door to Mrs. Dowdel, a straight-talking widow who is armed with a rifle and not afraid to stand up to anyone in her small town. If you loved Mrs. Dowdel in A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder, you won't want to miss this book. Although Mrs. Dowdel tells the Barnhardt's straight out that she "doesn't neighbor," she still finds ways to come to the rescue of Bob, his two sisters, and even his dad. This feel-good story, which ends with the celebration of Christmas, is a great choice for this time of year.

I live in a small town (just over 2,000 people) so our Friends of the Library book sale isn't huge, but the parking lot was full when I got there five minutes after starting time this morning. I found some good bargains, including:

Arthur and George by Julian Barnes
Inheritance: A Novel by Lan Samantha Chang
Zorro by Isabel Allende
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Singing Hands by Delia Ray
The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl

And several others that the kids have already run off with. I think that we came away with 12 books for about $7. And we got to support our local Public Library!

I just love Richard Peck's books. We have them shelved as YA, but I keep trying to get our youth librarian to give them up to the Adult collection. Good haul on from the book sale!

Tina - The Richard Peck books that I've read would be good for all ages, if you ask me. I love the Grandma Dowdel books!

Book #129 – Half Broke Horses – Jeannette Walls – Finished December 11, 2011

Category: off-the-shelf
Pages: 272

Jeannette Walls, author of the memoir The Glass Castle, once again turns to her past for inspiration. Half Broke Horses tells the story of her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, who grew up in the southwest in the early part of the twentieth century. Raised around horses, Lily was a bit of a half broke horse herself. She was headstrong and never backed down from a fight. There’s not a lot of change or growth in Lily across the chapters. From a single girl in Chicago to a mom, teacher, and ranch hand, she seems to find herself in trouble time and again. But her life story, told in short chapters, makes for interesting reading. Walls admits that she fills in a few missing details, so the book is classified as fiction, and Lily Casey Smith is certainly larger than life.

Good finds at the library sale! We love Cressida Cowell and Roald Dahl.

Good to hear, Jenn! We love Roald Dahl too, but this is our first Cressida Cowell book.

Book #130 - Christmas is Murder: A Rex Graves Mystery - C. S. Challinor - Finished December 14, 2011

Category: mystery, series, Kindle
Pages: 203

I get a Facebook update about the Kindle Deal of the Day every day. Usually the book is $0.99 or $1.99. I'm often tempted by these deals, and when Christmas is Murder came across, I downloaded it without thinking too hard. This is final exam week for me, and even though grading them is easier than taking them, it was the perfect time for me to read a good cozy mystery.

Here's the plot. Rex Graves, a Scottish Barrister, is heading to Swanmere Manor hotel for Christmas. But by the time he arrives, a murder has taken place. The guests and the staff are all suspects. As Graves tries to piece together the evidence, more murders follow. . . You know the drill. This is your typical cozy. But the plot is fast paced, and the suspects are an interesting lot. Rex Graves is a little flat, but he started to grow on me by the end of the book. And the pieces fell into place in a very satisfying way.

>117 porch_reader:: Oooh, a library sale two weeks before Christmas. I wonder if people were buying Christmas gifts? Looks like you picked up some great books, Amy.

I liked your comment about grading the exams being easier than taking them. ;-)
Enjoy your break between semesters.

I haven't read any of the Rex Graves mysteries...I've been trying to read some different mystery authors this year and I prefer the cozy type to the crime type of mystery. I'll have to look for that one, sounds good.

Sandy K

#124 - Donna - I'm pretty sure that people were buying Christmas gifts at the book sale. A couple of grandparents had Matt cornered over in the kids section asking which books would be good for their grandkids!

#125 - Sandy - I'm like you - I definitely prefer cozies to crime mysteries. I liked the Rex Graves book that I'll probably pick up another one at the library sometime. I like to start new series, but am horrible at keeping up with them. Except for the Three Pines series. I'm just waiting for Louise Penny to write faster!

Book #131 - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert M. Pirsig - Finished December 19, 2011

Category: non-fiction, classic
Pages: 540

The TIOLI challenge, "Read the oldest book on your TBR shelf," prompted me to pull this one off the shelf. I bought a paperback copy years ago, but never read it. I'm so glad I finally pulled it off the shelf. I was captivated by it. In fact, as I read the last page, I was tempted to turn right back to the first. That's partly because I'm sure that I didn't absorb all of the ideas in this multi-layered book. On its surface, it is the story of a father, Robert, and his son taking a cross-country motorcycle trip together. But during the trip, Robert reflects on the ideas about Quality and philosophy and values. These are ideas that were developed by Robert when he was working as a rhetoric professor, but he speaks of these ideas as if they were developed by another person, referred to as Phaedrus. As Robert lays out this philosophy, we gradually learn more about him and Phaedrus, and thus the book takes on another layer. In the end, the layers weave together into an entirely fascinating read.

Book #132 - I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 - Lauren Tarshis - Finished December 20, 2011

Category: fiction, juvenile
Pages: 101

My kids know that I seldom question the books that they choose from their Scholastic Book Orders. They are reasonable about the amount that we spend, and I let them make their own choices. However, my fifth grader got a raised eyebrow when he asked to order I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941. I like historical fiction, and so does he, but I wasn't sure that an engaging story about a disaster of this magnitude could be captured in a short chapter book. However, he read it as soon as it arrived and then put it on my TBR shelf in my bedroom. And so I picked it up . . . and had trouble putting it back down. The story is so engaging. Not only do you get the experience of being present at the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but the characters in the book are well-developed. They have backstories, and we both really cared what happened to them. It's not just the disaster that drives the story forward. My son learned a lot about Pearl Harbor, and the last 15 or so pages include more historical details and other resources. I will definitely be looking for Tarshis's other books, including I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 and I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005.

I'm putting the Pearl Harbour book onto a "keep for later" list for my kids. We get Scholastic Book Club over here in NZ, but I suspect with different books, but the library will probably get the Pearl Harbour one.

I remember the mimeograph too but nobody in our class got near the machine!

Cushla - We're setting the Pearl Harbor book aside for my second grader to read "later" too. I don't think he is quite ready for it yet.

I just wrapped an Astrosaurs book that I bought for my son for Christmas. I love to find books that they haven't heard about. Thanks for the rec!

I have lots of holiday preparations that I should be doing, but I'm having a little break and decided to make a Word Cloud from my 2011 threads. I can't figure out how to combine multiple threads into one Word Cloud, but I just have three threads, so I think I'll make a Word Cloud for each of them. I took common words (book, porch, reader, etc.) out. Here's the first one (January - May 2011):

Book #133 - Cahills vs. Vespers Book 1: The Medusa Plot - Gordon Korman - Finished December 21, 2011

Category: read-aloud, series
Pages: 222

In the 10-book series, The 39 Clues, five branches of the Cahill family competed to find the 39 Clues. Now, they face a new enemy. The Vespers have kidnapped 7 members of the Cahill family. To get them back, Amy and Dan Cahill must steal a famous painting. Like the first series, this book was fast-paced and held my fifth-grade son's attention as we read it aloud. The second book in the series is already out, so I have a feeling we'll be reading that one soon.

Here's my Word Cloud for my 2nd thread of 2011 (summer 2011):

I'm loving your word clouds - a great way to get a quick fix on what was important in your conversations.

Thanks, Janet! It does make me realize which words I use a lot (like really and love)!

Merry Christmas!

I have no idea how you did those word clouds, but they are pretty neat!

Book #134 - A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens - Finished December 23, 2011

Category: classic, Christmas
Pages: 110

Book #135 - A Child's Christmas in Wales - Dylan Thomas - Finished December 23, 2011

Category: classic, Christmas
Pages: 64

Book #136 - The Father Christmas Letters - J. R. R. Tolkien - Finished December 23, 2011

Category: Classic, Christmas
Pages: 111

Three quick reads for Christmas. A Christmas Carol was a re-read, but I always enjoy it - especially the last chapter when Scrooge sees the light. A Child's Christmas in Wales is a short story that uses every word to recreate Thomas's Christmas memories. But The Father Christmas Letters was my favorite. A collection of letters and drawings that Tolkien wrote for his children as they were growing up. In short letters, he shares details of Father Christmas's life at the North Pole, fighting Goblins and trying to keep his assistant, the North Polar Bear, in line. The drawings are amazing. This is a book that I'd like to own some day.

Our tradition is to open our family presents to one another on Christmas Eve and our Santa presents on Christmas morning. So Christmas Eve Eve is almost as exciting as Christmas Eve in my family. Here's hoping the kids sleep at least until 6:30 am.

#136 - Hi Roni! I love that tree. I hope that your holidays are filled with joy (and some time for reading).

The Word Clouds are pretty easy. At tagxedo.com, you can put in a URL, and it creates the Word Cloud for you. My kids taught me how to do them. They use them at school. There are other website that create them too.

Hi Amy, Merry Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas to you and your family!

I've read and enjoyed A Christmas Carol and A Child's Christmas in Wales but have never hear of The Father Christmas Letters. Thanks for the recommendations.

I will have to try those word clouds sometime.

Merry Christmas!!

#139 - Merry Christmas, Pat! I hope you have a wonderful holiday. The Father Christmas Letters is a beautiful book. I was able to get a copy at my library, but now I want my own copy. Maybe next Christmas!

#140 - Merry Christmas, Chelle! Have a wonderful holiday!

This morning was our family gift exchange. My second grade son gave me Shel Silverstein's new book Every Thing On It, and my fifth grade son gave me The Son of Neptune, the second book in The Heroes of Olympus series (which means I need to read the first book in the series). I love that they know which books I will like!

I also got a game called Booktastic! From the back of the box:

Booktastic! is a fun-for-the-whole-family game that combines traditional strategic and competitive play with the sharing of modern literary trivia.

I can't wait to try it.

Merry Christmas to all!

Book #137 - Your Presence is Requested at Suvanto - Maile Chapman - Finished December 24, 2011

Category: fiction
Pages: 263

Set in Finland in the 1920s, Your Presence is Requested at Suvanto takes us into life at a convalescent hospital. Sunny Taylor is an American nurse in charge of the patients on a floor where the illnesses are not as serious and where an underlying tension builds as the winter deepens. This book is all about atmosphere. I had a sense of unease throughout the entire book. Chapman spends much of the book creating tension. The plot doesn't really get rolling until the final third of the book. But the atmosphere was enough to pull me back into the book every night.

Book #138 - The Getaway Car: A Practical Memoir about Writing and Life - Ann Patchett - Finished December 26, 2011

Category: Kindle single
Pages: 45

This is the first Kindle single that I have read, and if it is any indication, I'll be looking for others. Ann Patchett's memoir tells us about how she writes. She is modest, not claiming that she has found the Secret to Success, but simply sharing what works for her. She believes that writing is hard work. She plots her books in her head without putting a word on paper. She doesn't believe in writing what you know, but loves to research new topics. I've read several of Ann Patchett's books, and I enjoyed reading about how they were created.

Book #139 - Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells (P.S. So Does May) - Barbara Park - Finished December 27, 2011

Category: read aloud
Pages: 118

My second grade son feels like he's a little old for the Junie B books. My fifth grade son feels like he's MUCH too old for the Junie B books. But they both laughed their heads off at this one. This is our favorite book in the Junie B series. We like Chapter 5 so much that we had to read it twice. Junie B, at her finest!

Book #140 - Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader - Linda A. Hill and Kent L. Lineback - Finished December 28, 2011

Category: work
Pages: 304

Hill's previous book, Becoming a Manager, focused on the challenges of a first managerial role. In this book, she and Kent Lineback provide guidance for managers who are looking to take their leadership capabilities to the next level. For those who have been in managerial roles for a few years, development often takes a back seat to day-to-day operational responsibilities. However, Hill and Lineback suggest that all managers can become more effective by managing themselves, their relationships, and their teams. Although the book is organized around these three imperatives, Hill and Lineback do not take a cookbook approach to leadership development. Instead they admit that leading is often difficult, requiring the balancing of seemingly opposite approaches. The advice that the provide helps managers navigate this balancing act.

This is one of the best management books that I've read this year. In addition to recognizing the challenges that managers face, Hill and Lineback also provide useful self-assessment tools throughout the book. An ongoing example helps to illustrate their points. Although readers of the management literature won't find much brand new in this book, it is organized in a way that should prove useful to practicing managers.

I think that will be the last book that I'll finish in 2011, and 140 is exactly the same number of books that I read last year, so it seems like a good time for a wrap-up.

Of the 140 books that I read, I read:
92 fiction (compared to 82 in 2010)
30 nonfiction (compared to 19 in 2010)
18 chapter books that I read aloud to my kids (compared to 39 in 2010; this number dropped partly because I'm reading longer books aloud)

I read 37,319 pages, compared to 37,108 in 2010.

25 of my books read were on audio.
60 were off-the-shelf (although I'm afraid that I added at least that many to my collection)

I didn't have a lot of specific reading goals, but I had a great reading year, as you'll see from my long list of favorites in the next post.

Top 5 Fiction:
Doc by Mary Doria Russell
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Once Upon a River by Bonnie Campbell
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Honorable Mention Fiction:
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
The Short History of a Prince by Jane Hamilton
A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

Also Very Good:
Something Missing by Matthew Dicks
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
We the Animals by Justin Torres

Top 5 Nonfiction:
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

Honorable Mention Nonfiction:
Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
The Lost Art of Reading by David L. Ulin
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman

Top 5 YA:
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green

Honorable Mention YA:
Paper Towns by John Green
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville

I've started my 2012 thread. Hope to see you there. Happy New Year!

Have you read I Thought It Was Just Me by Brene Brown? I liked it a lot more than The Gifts of Imperfection.