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1LibraryLover23
The List:
1. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (finished 1/9/13)
2. All Over But The Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg (finished 4/21/13)
3. The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier (finished 4/30/13)
4. One Shot by Lee Child (finished 4/27/13)
5. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (finished 5/23/13)
6. Hershey: Milton S. Hershey’s Extraordinary Life Of Wealth, Empire, And Utopian Dreams by Michael D’Antonio (finished 6/6/13)
7. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story Of Those Who Survived The Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan (finished 11/14/13)
8. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (finished 7/25/13)
9. Eighty Days: Nellie Bly And Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around The World by Matthew Goodman
10. Tess Of The D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
11. Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris (finished 2/11/13)
12. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris (finished 6/28/13)
13. On Writing by Stephen King (finished 1/30/13)
14. A Game Of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
15. Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (finished 1/22/13)
16. The Last Of The Bird People by John Hanson Mitchell (finished 3/20/13)
17. The Last Town On Earth by Thomas Mullen (finished 6/13/13)
18. Winterdance: The Fine Madness Of Running The Iditarod by Gary Paulsen (finished 3/18/13)
19. Winter Prey by John Sandford (finished 12/23/13)
20. The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (finished 6/20/13)
21. The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (finished 8/15/13)
22. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (finished 7/4/13)
23. Let The Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor
24. The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler (finished 5/30/13)
9. Eighty Days: Nellie Bly And Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around The World by Matthew Goodman
10. Tess Of The D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
14. A Game Of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
23. Let The Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor
2LibraryLover23
I’m taking a page out of dara85’s book and just doing one big list. If I can read 12 out of these 24 I’ll be happy. Good luck everyone with your challenges!
3artturnerjr
Good luck to you, LibraryLover. Glad to see King's On Writing is on your list - I thought it was excellent. (I have his From a Buick 8 on one of my 2013 lists, btw.) I really need to get to Red Dragon someday - I've had a copy of it forever.
4.Monkey.
I just read Red Dragon the other day, from the library though. Mostly because I've read Silence of the Lambs years ago, and have Hannibal Rising on my shelf right next to me and keep seeing it, lol, so I needed to read the 1st and 3rd ones before I can read 4! :P I love Harris' work. :) And also King's, From a Buick 8 was a fun one. :)
5Cecrow
Outlander I was meh about, it's a hit-and-miss thing that's hard to predict who'll like it. Hardy is darn depressing, but I haven't read him since before I found a new appreciation for the classics, I need to sample him again. Stephen King's supposedly written one of the best books on the craft of writing, I really ought to do more than sample it. Game of Thrones I'll just say - yes, yes, yes! The story of Henrietta Lacks definitely sounds interesting but hasn't fully grabbed my attention yet. You've chosen Sparks' best book in my wife's opinion (she's read them all).
6LibraryLover23
>3 artturnerjr:, 4, 5 Glad to see all the Stephen King praise! I'm reading his bibliography and it finally clicked that I should start putting his titles on this list too so I can kill two birds with one stone.
>4 .Monkey.: I have all of the Hannibal series staring me in the face as well! Thought it was time I added one of them to the list.
>5 Cecrow: I've had both Outlander and Game Of Thrones on my list for forever it seems, maybe this will be the year I finally get to them! The Hardy is on there because it's one of my friend's favorite books and she's always encouraged me to read it. And I once went through a period where I read a bunch of Sparks' stuff back-to-back and I'd like to try him again and see if he still holds up...
Thanks, everyone, for stopping by!
>4 .Monkey.: I have all of the Hannibal series staring me in the face as well! Thought it was time I added one of them to the list.
>5 Cecrow: I've had both Outlander and Game Of Thrones on my list for forever it seems, maybe this will be the year I finally get to them! The Hardy is on there because it's one of my friend's favorite books and she's always encouraged me to read it. And I once went through a period where I read a bunch of Sparks' stuff back-to-back and I'd like to try him again and see if he still holds up...
Thanks, everyone, for stopping by!
7artturnerjr
>6 LibraryLover23:
Although I would no longer say King is my very favorite writer, I still think his pacing and characterization skills are practically nonpareil among living authors of fiction.
Thanks, everyone, for stopping by!
That's what we're here for. Besides, I've kind of been slacking off in my group participation here, so I'm trying to make up for it. :)
Although I would no longer say King is my very favorite writer, I still think his pacing and characterization skills are practically nonpareil among living authors of fiction.
Thanks, everyone, for stopping by!
That's what we're here for. Besides, I've kind of been slacking off in my group participation here, so I'm trying to make up for it. :)
8billiejean
I have always wondered about Tess of the D'Urbervilles, so I look forward to seeing what you think of it.
Happy 2013!
Happy 2013!
9LibraryLover23
>7 artturnerjr: It's funny, I wouldn't say he's my very favorite writer either, but he certainly ranks up there and I definitely agree with you about his skills.
>8 billiejean: Thanks, BJ! I'm looking forward to it too.
1. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Enjoyable teen thriller where the main character thinks she sees ghosts and gets sent to a group home for troubled teens, only to realize that her powers are in fact real, and the other kids in the home have powers as well. I liked this one, it was fast-paced with an intriguing set-up, although it’s the first in a series and it ends on a pretty big cliffhanger. I don’t have the wherewithal to seek out the others right now, but as a stand-alone it worked just fine for me.
>8 billiejean: Thanks, BJ! I'm looking forward to it too.
1. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Enjoyable teen thriller where the main character thinks she sees ghosts and gets sent to a group home for troubled teens, only to realize that her powers are in fact real, and the other kids in the home have powers as well. I liked this one, it was fast-paced with an intriguing set-up, although it’s the first in a series and it ends on a pretty big cliffhanger. I don’t have the wherewithal to seek out the others right now, but as a stand-alone it worked just fine for me.
11LibraryLover23
>10 artturnerjr: Thanks!
2. Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
Eh, I'm of two minds about this book. The writing was very lyrical which was hit-or-miss for me at times, although I loved the elaborate food descriptions. And the accountant in me would dearly love to sit down with this woman and ask how she could possibly afford this vacation home in Tuscany and all the things that went with it. So while I liked some things about it, others just kind of annoyed me.
2. Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
Eh, I'm of two minds about this book. The writing was very lyrical which was hit-or-miss for me at times, although I loved the elaborate food descriptions. And the accountant in me would dearly love to sit down with this woman and ask how she could possibly afford this vacation home in Tuscany and all the things that went with it. So while I liked some things about it, others just kind of annoyed me.
12LibraryLover23
3. On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft by Stephen King
King's combination "how-to" book and memoir. As someone not concerned with writing fiction, the parts on grammar and writing styles weren't nearly as interesting to me as his reminisces on his early writing career and the van accident that almost killed him. Those parts were fascinating indeed. I hope he writes a full-scale autobiography someday.
King's combination "how-to" book and memoir. As someone not concerned with writing fiction, the parts on grammar and writing styles weren't nearly as interesting to me as his reminisces on his early writing career and the van accident that almost killed him. Those parts were fascinating indeed. I hope he writes a full-scale autobiography someday.
13artturnerjr
>12 LibraryLover23:
As someone not concerned with writing fiction, the parts on grammar and writing styles weren't nearly as interesting to me as his reminisces on his early writing career and the van accident that almost killed him. Those parts were fascinating indeed. I hope he writes a full-scale autobiography someday.
Agreed, although I recall a bon mot or two from the style section. A favorite that stays with me for some reason is his assessment of H.P. Lovecraft's dialogue writing: "Folks, people just don't talk like that." Even as an HPL fan, I found myself smiling and nodding my head at that one.
As someone not concerned with writing fiction, the parts on grammar and writing styles weren't nearly as interesting to me as his reminisces on his early writing career and the van accident that almost killed him. Those parts were fascinating indeed. I hope he writes a full-scale autobiography someday.
Agreed, although I recall a bon mot or two from the style section. A favorite that stays with me for some reason is his assessment of H.P. Lovecraft's dialogue writing: "Folks, people just don't talk like that." Even as an HPL fan, I found myself smiling and nodding my head at that one.
14Cecrow
>12 LibraryLover23:/13, I've gotta to read this book, I just gotta - wannabe author and all, and the constantly good things I hear about it. I mostly gave up on King in highschool, but this is building a reptuation for being a definitive work on the craft.
15artturnerjr
>14 Cecrow:
I've gotta to read this book, I just gotta
Yes, you do! (j/k)
Seriously, Cecrow, it's a really quick, short read (I knocked it off in a day or two, and you know how slow I read) - King takes what could be an extremely dry subject and makes it highly engaging. What I liked best about it, I think, is the tone: it's never like, "I, the Best-Selling Author in the Universe, will know show you How It Is Done!"; more along the lines of, "This is what works for me" - very conversational, like you're hanging out with him at a bar or a restaurant. I think you'd enjoy it. :)
I've gotta to read this book, I just gotta
Yes, you do! (j/k)
Seriously, Cecrow, it's a really quick, short read (I knocked it off in a day or two, and you know how slow I read) - King takes what could be an extremely dry subject and makes it highly engaging. What I liked best about it, I think, is the tone: it's never like, "I, the Best-Selling Author in the Universe, will know show you How It Is Done!"; more along the lines of, "This is what works for me" - very conversational, like you're hanging out with him at a bar or a restaurant. I think you'd enjoy it. :)
16LibraryLover23
>15 artturnerjr: Agreed. And it's funny, after I said that the style sections weren't that important to me I've found myself spotting the imperfections in my current reads and thinking, "oooh, there's an example of what SK was talking about!"
17LibraryLover23
4. Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris
Tenth Sookie Stackhouse book and it's starting to get a bit old. I can barely keep up with all of the vampire/fairy/werewolf politics and I don't like how Sookie can go from happy-go-lucky to a towering rage in the space of a sentence. And yet, I can still find some redeeming qualities. I like the Southern atmosphere and the interactions with some of the side characters. I'll still see this series through to the end (and the TV show remains a guilty pleasure) but these later books haven't been living up to the promise of the first few unfortunately.
Tenth Sookie Stackhouse book and it's starting to get a bit old. I can barely keep up with all of the vampire/fairy/werewolf politics and I don't like how Sookie can go from happy-go-lucky to a towering rage in the space of a sentence. And yet, I can still find some redeeming qualities. I like the Southern atmosphere and the interactions with some of the side characters. I'll still see this series through to the end (and the TV show remains a guilty pleasure) but these later books haven't been living up to the promise of the first few unfortunately.
19LibraryLover23
>18 artturnerjr: That it was. :)
20LibraryLover23
5. Winterdance: The Fine Madness Of Running The Iditarod by Gary Paulsen
I try to read certain books at certain times of the year, so when I overhead a news story recently that said the Iditarod was starting I thought, "Perfect time to read my Iditarod book!" And I flat-out loved it, in addition to learning about the race, Alaska and life with dogs, I laughed hysterically throughout. Paulsen dives into dog-sledding headfirst, knowing very little about what's involved, and in that respect he reminded me a lot of Bill Bryson in A Walk In The Woods. But Paulsen does a great job of bringing the experience of sledding to life, in vivid, eye-opening detail.
I try to read certain books at certain times of the year, so when I overhead a news story recently that said the Iditarod was starting I thought, "Perfect time to read my Iditarod book!" And I flat-out loved it, in addition to learning about the race, Alaska and life with dogs, I laughed hysterically throughout. Paulsen dives into dog-sledding headfirst, knowing very little about what's involved, and in that respect he reminded me a lot of Bill Bryson in A Walk In The Woods. But Paulsen does a great job of bringing the experience of sledding to life, in vivid, eye-opening detail.
21artturnerjr
>20 LibraryLover23:
Sounds cool. I recently found out one of my new favorite authors (Laird Barron) raced the Iditarod.
Sounds cool. I recently found out one of my new favorite authors (Laird Barron) raced the Iditarod.
22LibraryLover23
>21 artturnerjr: I knew nothing about the race going into it so it was nice to learn something new!
6. The Last Of The Bird People by John Hanson Mitchell
From the book's description I had a hard time figuring out if this book was true or not: it's about a group of mixed-race hunter-gatherers who lived undetected in the forests of New England for generations until they were discovered by a white man who eventually joins them and wants to learn their ways. It is fiction, however, and not a true story, but an interesting story nonetheless. It's told in the form of a deposition by one of the "Bird People;" he describes the journey they take with their new guide, Randall, who leads them south along the Appalachian Trail to Florida. It's a fast, short read, and although I found the Bird People a little strange at times with how they lived and acted, the story still managed to keep me engaged.
6. The Last Of The Bird People by John Hanson Mitchell
From the book's description I had a hard time figuring out if this book was true or not: it's about a group of mixed-race hunter-gatherers who lived undetected in the forests of New England for generations until they were discovered by a white man who eventually joins them and wants to learn their ways. It is fiction, however, and not a true story, but an interesting story nonetheless. It's told in the form of a deposition by one of the "Bird People;" he describes the journey they take with their new guide, Randall, who leads them south along the Appalachian Trail to Florida. It's a fast, short read, and although I found the Bird People a little strange at times with how they lived and acted, the story still managed to keep me engaged.
23LibraryLover23
7. All Over But The Shoutin' by Rick Bragg
Interesting and very readable memoir about the author's life, from his hardscrabble Southern childhood to his eventual role as a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter. It was surprisingly funny at times and I liked how he wrote most of it in his Southern vernacular.
Interesting and very readable memoir about the author's life, from his hardscrabble Southern childhood to his eventual role as a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter. It was surprisingly funny at times and I liked how he wrote most of it in his Southern vernacular.
24LibraryLover23
8. One Shot by Lee Child
My first Jack Reacher novel and definitely not my last. Reacher travels to a small town in Indiana to investigate a shooting that was committed by someone he knew in the army. While there, he finds out that what at first seems to be a straightforward case actually has another side to it. Since this is the first Reacher novel I've read I did have some questions (like how does he pay for things if he doesn't work?) but overall I thought it was an enjoyable, action-packed read.
My first Jack Reacher novel and definitely not my last. Reacher travels to a small town in Indiana to investigate a shooting that was committed by someone he knew in the army. While there, he finds out that what at first seems to be a straightforward case actually has another side to it. Since this is the first Reacher novel I've read I did have some questions (like how does he pay for things if he doesn't work?) but overall I thought it was an enjoyable, action-packed read.
25LibraryLover23
9. The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
Historical fiction that switches back and forth in perspective, from a wife and mother in 16th century France, to an American woman also living in France and trying to find out more about her ancestry. It started out strong but I never really warmed to the main character and the ending took a turn for the bizarre that I didn't really like. I love, love Chevalier's Girl With A Pearl Earring, maybe I should just stick to that.
Historical fiction that switches back and forth in perspective, from a wife and mother in 16th century France, to an American woman also living in France and trying to find out more about her ancestry. It started out strong but I never really warmed to the main character and the ending took a turn for the bizarre that I didn't really like. I love, love Chevalier's Girl With A Pearl Earring, maybe I should just stick to that.
27LibraryLover23
>26 artturnerjr: Thanks! It doesn't always work out that way though, believe me!
28LibraryLover23
10. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
I read one of Connelly's Harry Bosch books a year or so ago and I think I preferred it a little bit more over this one, but only because I like "cop" books better than "lawyer" books. But that's not to say this one wasn't good, on the contrary, I very much enjoyed this tale of a lawyer who has to defend a client even when he knows he's guilty. A good, solid read.
I read one of Connelly's Harry Bosch books a year or so ago and I think I preferred it a little bit more over this one, but only because I like "cop" books better than "lawyer" books. But that's not to say this one wasn't good, on the contrary, I very much enjoyed this tale of a lawyer who has to defend a client even when he knows he's guilty. A good, solid read.
30LibraryLover23
>29 artturnerjr: I actually haven't read that much of John Grisham so I can't really say...although I would think they're probably pretty comparable. I'm definitely more into police procedurals rather than courtroom dramas though, but I would still recommend this one, it kept me entertained.
31LibraryLover23
11. The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
Tyler is one of my favorite, favorite authors, she could probably write a phone book and I'd be enthralled. This one, similar to her many others, follows two mismatched characters over the course of their marriage, from their meeting during World War II through to old age, checking in with them during major points of their lives. A great read, as always.
Tyler is one of my favorite, favorite authors, she could probably write a phone book and I'd be enthralled. This one, similar to her many others, follows two mismatched characters over the course of their marriage, from their meeting during World War II through to old age, checking in with them during major points of their lives. A great read, as always.
32LibraryLover23
12. Hershey: Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life Of Wealth, Empire, And Utopian Dreams by Michael D'Antonio
Hershey is a local company and a local town, so I admit to having more than a passing interest in this subject matter. (I also had the Chocolate World theme song running through my head every time I picked up the book...although that's neither here nor there.)
I learned a lot about Hershey that I didn't know before, for instance: he had a sugar cane plantation in Cuba and he tried to replicate the Hershey, PA town there; he started making caramels first, and it was only after failed attempts in places like Philly and New York that his business took off back in his hometown; he booked passage on the Titanic but due to a business delay never got on board, and other fascinating tidbits. He's definitely a benevolent, grandfatherly-type figure around these parts, so it was interesting to get a more balanced look at the man and the company.
Made it to 12! I'll try to see how many more I can finish before the end of the year.
Hershey is a local company and a local town, so I admit to having more than a passing interest in this subject matter. (I also had the Chocolate World theme song running through my head every time I picked up the book...although that's neither here nor there.)
I learned a lot about Hershey that I didn't know before, for instance: he had a sugar cane plantation in Cuba and he tried to replicate the Hershey, PA town there; he started making caramels first, and it was only after failed attempts in places like Philly and New York that his business took off back in his hometown; he booked passage on the Titanic but due to a business delay never got on board, and other fascinating tidbits. He's definitely a benevolent, grandfatherly-type figure around these parts, so it was interesting to get a more balanced look at the man and the company.
Made it to 12! I'll try to see how many more I can finish before the end of the year.
33LibraryLover23
13. The Last Town On Earth by Thomas Mullen
A fascinating premise--during the great influenza of 1918 some towns quarantined themselves to try to avoid the flu; Mullen imagines what that would be like in the fictional town of Commonwealth, Washington. While it had some great twists and turns that I didn't see coming, I thought it was a little draggy in places which knocked it down a few notches in my esteem. Interesting in its portrayal of life during the epidemic, but not something that I enjoyed wholeheartedly.
A fascinating premise--during the great influenza of 1918 some towns quarantined themselves to try to avoid the flu; Mullen imagines what that would be like in the fictional town of Commonwealth, Washington. While it had some great twists and turns that I didn't see coming, I thought it was a little draggy in places which knocked it down a few notches in my esteem. Interesting in its portrayal of life during the epidemic, but not something that I enjoyed wholeheartedly.
34billiejean
Congrats on passing 12! You are doing great!
35artturnerjr
Congratulations! :)
36LibraryLover23
>34 billiejean:, 35 Thank you both! I'm having fun with it and trying to prioritize. :)
37LibraryLover23
14. The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
In honor of the big 1-5-0 anniversary I thought it was high time I got around to reading this fictionalized account of the Battle of Gettysburg. It won the Pulitzer for a reason, by telling the story of the battle from both points-of-view, you get a well-rounded portrait of the conflict. And how about that Chamberlain!
In honor of the big 1-5-0 anniversary I thought it was high time I got around to reading this fictionalized account of the Battle of Gettysburg. It won the Pulitzer for a reason, by telling the story of the battle from both points-of-view, you get a well-rounded portrait of the conflict. And how about that Chamberlain!
38LibraryLover23
15. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
The first book that features Hannibal Lecter, who is all the more creepy because he remains in the background behind the main bad guy, a psychopath named Frank Dolarhyde. Very violent and definitely creepy, I want to read the books before I watch any of the movies...if I can stomach them.
The first book that features Hannibal Lecter, who is all the more creepy because he remains in the background behind the main bad guy, a psychopath named Frank Dolarhyde. Very violent and definitely creepy, I want to read the books before I watch any of the movies...if I can stomach them.
39Cecrow
I read Silence of the Lambs and enjoyed it, even though it's not typically my genre. But the movies are definitely not on my to-do list - urgh!
40LibraryLover23
>39 Cecrow: Haha, yeah, it's one thing to read the books, which are unsettling enough, and it's quite another to see it played out on screen. I'll try to read all the books in the series first and make up my mind then. :)
16. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
I must confess that Sparks' stuff can be a tad too schmaltzy for me, although I do admit to reading a deskmate's entire collection of Sparks' books during one particularly slow period at work. I've been wanting to try them again to see how I feel about them nowadays, and I guess the result is that like the many movie adaptations that have been created from his stories, these books are light as air and while enjoyable enough, not something I want to revisit too often.
16. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
I must confess that Sparks' stuff can be a tad too schmaltzy for me, although I do admit to reading a deskmate's entire collection of Sparks' books during one particularly slow period at work. I've been wanting to try them again to see how I feel about them nowadays, and I guess the result is that like the many movie adaptations that have been created from his stories, these books are light as air and while enjoyable enough, not something I want to revisit too often.
41Cecrow
My wife adores Sparks, buys everything he writes in hardcover. I thought The Notebook was okay (my wife's favourite, so I sampled it), but then tried Nights in Rodanthe which she said was his 2nd best and it was less than okay, did nothing for me. And she admits his books have a "samey" feeling to them, so ... yep, no more of him for me.
42artturnerjr
>38 LibraryLover23:-40
The Silence of the Lambs is an excellent film - more than worth of the numerous accolades it has received. Haven't seen any of the other films in the series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Lecter_series#Films_and_television), as I too am waiting to read the books first; if they're not any good, it's not for lack of talent of the casts and crews. As I indicated earlier, I really need to get to Red Dragon soon - perhaps in 2014.
The Silence of the Lambs is an excellent film - more than worth of the numerous accolades it has received. Haven't seen any of the other films in the series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Lecter_series#Films_and_television), as I too am waiting to read the books first; if they're not any good, it's not for lack of talent of the casts and crews. As I indicated earlier, I really need to get to Red Dragon soon - perhaps in 2014.
43LibraryLover23
>41 Cecrow: He's hit or miss for me too, although I'm curious how I'll feel about his other books now that it's been a few years since I last read them.
>42 artturnerjr: I've seen bits and pieces of that one but like you I'd like to read the books first before watching that or any of the others. But again, it's going to be hard to watch some of those plot points played out on screen, reading about them was bad enough!
17. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
A romance/adventure story where a woman, Claire, who's vacationing with her husband in Scotland in 1945, gets transported back to the Scotland of 1743 and falls in with a clan of rowdy Highlanders. She ends up falling for one of them, Jamie, and much mayhem ensues. Overall I thought it was a fun, frothy read with a lot of action to keep the plot moving, I'm just not sure I liked it quite enough to read all the rest in the series. Maybe I'll keep an eye out at the library book sales and if I come across any, I'll make up my mind then.
>42 artturnerjr: I've seen bits and pieces of that one but like you I'd like to read the books first before watching that or any of the others. But again, it's going to be hard to watch some of those plot points played out on screen, reading about them was bad enough!
17. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
A romance/adventure story where a woman, Claire, who's vacationing with her husband in Scotland in 1945, gets transported back to the Scotland of 1743 and falls in with a clan of rowdy Highlanders. She ends up falling for one of them, Jamie, and much mayhem ensues. Overall I thought it was a fun, frothy read with a lot of action to keep the plot moving, I'm just not sure I liked it quite enough to read all the rest in the series. Maybe I'll keep an eye out at the library book sales and if I come across any, I'll make up my mind then.
44Cecrow
The Outlander series didn't hook me, that first book just read kind of flat. One of those series that makes me wonder how it became so popular, so I dropped it there. The woman with the smallpox scar remains kinda memorable, though.
45billiejean
#43> I read The Silence of the Lambs and then saw the movie, and I thought the book was much harder to read than the movie was to watch. I believe I had a few nightmares while reading that. I was, however, sleep-deprived as my children were quite young at that time.
46LibraryLover23
>44 Cecrow: Yeah, that twist was so great but it didn't go any further! Maybe it comes up in the later books but I thought it was so intriguing that she found someone else from the future but then what a bummer it was that she never saw her again...
>45 billiejean: Uh-oh, I'll have to be on guard then! And I'm sorry that it made you extra sleep-deprived. :)
>45 billiejean: Uh-oh, I'll have to be on guard then! And I'm sorry that it made you extra sleep-deprived. :)
47LibraryLover23
18. The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Very interesting look at the woman whose cells (taken without her knowledge or consent) became vastly important to science by being used to cure diseases and develop vaccines. But her family wasn't informed until years after her death and they never received profit or recognition. No easy solutions are offered but it was an informative, fascinating read.
Very interesting look at the woman whose cells (taken without her knowledge or consent) became vastly important to science by being used to cure diseases and develop vaccines. But her family wasn't informed until years after her death and they never received profit or recognition. No easy solutions are offered but it was an informative, fascinating read.
48Cecrow
As a postscript, I think the ruling just came out recently that naturally occurring DNA can't be patented. That's good news for research! At the same time, it puts 'case closed' to any means for the Lacks to collect on her cells.
49LibraryLover23
>48 Cecrow: I just saw a news story about her family as I was reading the book, although I can't quite remember now exactly what it was about, probably related to DNA as you said. There was a lot of interesting supplemental material at the back of the book that talked about which laws are in place to protect patients, but how a lot of them are rather more like "guidelines." It raised a lot of interesting questions that's for sure!
50Nickelini
You've done well! Good job.
. Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
Eh, I'm of two minds about this book. The writing was very lyrical which was hit-or-miss for me at times, although I loved the elaborate food descriptions. And the accountant in me would dearly love to sit down with this woman and ask how she could possibly afford this vacation home in Tuscany and all the things that went with it. So while I liked some things about it, others just kind of annoyed me.
Ah, you've stumbled upon one of my pet peeves! My husband's family is from Tuscany, and we have family and friends there, and between their experiences and my travel experiences there, I can tell you without a shadow of doubt that her book is impossible. The amount of red tape to do anything in Italy is insane, and what she says happened could not have happened that way. Fun book, but I've tagged my copy "fantasy." I just feel bad for people who read these books and then try and recreate the experience and end up frustrated and broke and not having any of her experiences. Okay, stepping off my soap box now--sorry, that book hits a nerve with me!
Again, well done on the challenge!
. Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
Eh, I'm of two minds about this book. The writing was very lyrical which was hit-or-miss for me at times, although I loved the elaborate food descriptions. And the accountant in me would dearly love to sit down with this woman and ask how she could possibly afford this vacation home in Tuscany and all the things that went with it. So while I liked some things about it, others just kind of annoyed me.
Ah, you've stumbled upon one of my pet peeves! My husband's family is from Tuscany, and we have family and friends there, and between their experiences and my travel experiences there, I can tell you without a shadow of doubt that her book is impossible. The amount of red tape to do anything in Italy is insane, and what she says happened could not have happened that way. Fun book, but I've tagged my copy "fantasy." I just feel bad for people who read these books and then try and recreate the experience and end up frustrated and broke and not having any of her experiences. Okay, stepping off my soap box now--sorry, that book hits a nerve with me!
Again, well done on the challenge!
51LibraryLover23
>50 Nickelini: Thank you! Yeah, I totally agree about Under The Tuscan Sun, as an escapist read it works, as non-fiction, not so much. I actually have the sequel/companion book which I'm not sure if I'll get around to reading, although I did get some excellent recipes from the first book, so if nothing else it works in that respect too!
52LibraryLover23
19. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story Of Those Who Survived The Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
Excellent nonfiction about the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. Egan talks about the factors that caused it and how even today there are still parts of the land that have yet to recover. He also follows the lives of several people who lived through it, including one man who kept a diary of his bleak day-to-day existence. As a fan of books like The Grapes Of Wrath, I found this to be a particularly fascinating read.
Excellent nonfiction about the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. Egan talks about the factors that caused it and how even today there are still parts of the land that have yet to recover. He also follows the lives of several people who lived through it, including one man who kept a diary of his bleak day-to-day existence. As a fan of books like The Grapes Of Wrath, I found this to be a particularly fascinating read.
53artturnerjr
You're doing great on your lists, LL. I'm humbled!
55LibraryLover23
Lol, is the prize more books to read? I was actually very gung-ho at the beginning of the year but it's greatly tapered off. Someday (someday!) I'm going to try to get through all 24 but I don't think this is the year.
56LibraryLover23
20. Winter Prey by John Sandford
Excellent but very disturbing mystery about a child pornography ring in a small Wisconsin town. This is one of the early books in the Lucas Davenport series, and the setting of a town stuck in the deep freeze of winter added extra atmosphere to an already edge-of-your-seat thriller.
Excellent but very disturbing mystery about a child pornography ring in a small Wisconsin town. This is one of the early books in the Lucas Davenport series, and the setting of a town stuck in the deep freeze of winter added extra atmosphere to an already edge-of-your-seat thriller.
57LibraryLover23
With only three days left in the year I doubt that I'll get to any of my other challenge books, although I'm very happy with the 20 I did manage to read. Now, time to make a new list!
59LibraryLover23
Lol, thanks! I'm sure with all the new members this year my tally will be beat in no time. :)
60Merryann
>52 LibraryLover23:. Ooh! I got this book from Santa Thing this year and was already excited about it. Even more so now!
You did a wonderful bunch of reading this year. Congratulations and Happy New Year!
You did a wonderful bunch of reading this year. Congratulations and Happy New Year!
