Porch_Reader (Amy) Reads in 2013 - Part 4
This is a continuation of the topic Porch_Reader (Amy) Reads in 2013 - Part 3.
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1porch_reader
"Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." ~Mary Oliver
With just a few short weeks left in 2013, I found myself in need of a new thread. So I'll report my December reading here, and I'll also attempt the difficult task of determining the best books I read in 2013.
Here is a long list of favorites so far (in no particular order):
Fiction:
The Garden of Evening Mists
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
The Lowland
The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion
The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
Driftless
Chocolat
The Funeral Dress
How the Light Gets In
Joyland
The Silver Lining Playbook
Bel Canto
The Handmaid’s Tale
Middlesex
Good Kings Bad Kings
We Live in Water
This is How You Lose Her
Transatlantic
A Song of Achilles
The Things They Carried
Arcadia
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
Building Stories
Jewelweed
NF:
More Books Less Talking
Barefoot Church
84, Charing Cross Road
The End of Your Life Book Club
Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
The Writing Life
On Writing
YA:
Boy 21
Eleanor & Park
The Book Thief
An Abundance of Katherines
The Mark of Athena
Among the Hidden
With just a few short weeks left in 2013, I found myself in need of a new thread. So I'll report my December reading here, and I'll also attempt the difficult task of determining the best books I read in 2013.
Here is a long list of favorites so far (in no particular order):
Fiction:
The Garden of Evening Mists
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
The Lowland
The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion
The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
Driftless
Chocolat
The Funeral Dress
How the Light Gets In
Joyland
The Silver Lining Playbook
Bel Canto
The Handmaid’s Tale
Middlesex
Good Kings Bad Kings
We Live in Water
This is How You Lose Her
Transatlantic
A Song of Achilles
The Things They Carried
Arcadia
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
Building Stories
Jewelweed
NF:
More Books Less Talking
Barefoot Church
84, Charing Cross Road
The End of Your Life Book Club
Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
The Writing Life
On Writing
YA:
Boy 21
Eleanor & Park
The Book Thief
An Abundance of Katherines
The Mark of Athena
Among the Hidden
2porch_reader
Book #98: Divergent - Veronica Roth - Finished December 2, 2013
Category: YA, series
Pages: 487
Rating: 4.5
Roth just published the third and final book in this series, and there was quite a bit of buzz about it, so I decided to give the series a try. In the first book of the series, we meet Beatrice, a 16-year-old girl who lives in a dystopian world whose citizens are divided into five factions based on what they think went wrong with the world. The faction Beatrice was born into, Abnegation, practices selflessness. But when it comes time for Beatrice to choose a faction, she rejects her upbringing and joins Dauntless, a faction that embraces courage. However, Beatrice begins to have her doubts about Dauntless too, and about the whole framework of her society.
This book is a fast-paced, entertaining YA read. Even though I picked this up at a busy time of year, I had no trouble reading chunks of it every night. Beatrice is brave, but flawed, as are the other characters in the book. Watching them sort out the best way forward in a flawed system was very entertaining. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
Category: YA, series
Pages: 487
Rating: 4.5
Roth just published the third and final book in this series, and there was quite a bit of buzz about it, so I decided to give the series a try. In the first book of the series, we meet Beatrice, a 16-year-old girl who lives in a dystopian world whose citizens are divided into five factions based on what they think went wrong with the world. The faction Beatrice was born into, Abnegation, practices selflessness. But when it comes time for Beatrice to choose a faction, she rejects her upbringing and joins Dauntless, a faction that embraces courage. However, Beatrice begins to have her doubts about Dauntless too, and about the whole framework of her society.
This book is a fast-paced, entertaining YA read. Even though I picked this up at a busy time of year, I had no trouble reading chunks of it every night. Beatrice is brave, but flawed, as are the other characters in the book. Watching them sort out the best way forward in a flawed system was very entertaining. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
3BLBera
Hi Amy - Happy new thread. Your favorites match some of mine. Nice review of Divergent. I might pick it up one of these days.
5phebj
Hi Amy! So happy to see a short new thread I can easily catch up on. ;-) I love your reviews so I will go back and catch up on your last thread at some point. Hope you're doing well.
8Donna828
Amy, your long list of favorites is a good "problem" to have. I too have had a blessed year of reading. I will have a tough time narrowing it down to just ten favorites. That has been my tradition forever so I'm sticking to it…although I may have a few runners-up this year!
10porch_reader
Hi Beth, Julia, Pat, Micky, Roni, Donna, and Leah! One of the things I like about starting a new thread is having a bunch of visitors. Thanks for stopping by!
11porch_reader
Book #99: Plainsong - Kent Haruf - Finished December 8, 2013
Category: fiction, series
Pages: 301
Rating: 4.7
This book illustrates what I love about LT. I had never heard of this book or its author, but I read about it, and its two sequels, Eventide and Benediction, on several of your threads. I'm not sure that the first review caught my attention, but after reading a string of positive comments, the book stuck in my head. And when I was at a bookstore recent, I picked it up.
Plainsong tells the story of life in the small town of Holt, Colorado. I grew up in a small town and live in one currently. I'm fascinated by small town life, but I'm also very critical of books that don't get it quite right. Haruf gets it right. He tells the story from multiple perspectives, a high school teacher, his two sons, two bachelor farmers, and a pregnant high school students, to name a few. The storylines interweave and create a tapestry of small town life. The characters don't always make good decisions. They are not always likeable. But they are real. And there is the spark of hope and goodness that underlies even challenging situations. My favorite chapter was the one in which the two bachelor farmers take the pregnant high school student (who they've taken in) shopping for a crib. I was grinning through the whole thing.
This is a special book, told by someone who knows small towns and their residents, who understands their problems, but who sees the good deep inside. Thanks to all of you whose reviews put this book front and center on my TBR list.
Category: fiction, series
Pages: 301
Rating: 4.7
This book illustrates what I love about LT. I had never heard of this book or its author, but I read about it, and its two sequels, Eventide and Benediction, on several of your threads. I'm not sure that the first review caught my attention, but after reading a string of positive comments, the book stuck in my head. And when I was at a bookstore recent, I picked it up.
Plainsong tells the story of life in the small town of Holt, Colorado. I grew up in a small town and live in one currently. I'm fascinated by small town life, but I'm also very critical of books that don't get it quite right. Haruf gets it right. He tells the story from multiple perspectives, a high school teacher, his two sons, two bachelor farmers, and a pregnant high school students, to name a few. The storylines interweave and create a tapestry of small town life. The characters don't always make good decisions. They are not always likeable. But they are real. And there is the spark of hope and goodness that underlies even challenging situations. My favorite chapter was the one in which the two bachelor farmers take the pregnant high school student (who they've taken in) shopping for a crib. I was grinning through the whole thing.
This is a special book, told by someone who knows small towns and their residents, who understands their problems, but who sees the good deep inside. Thanks to all of you whose reviews put this book front and center on my TBR list.
12jnwelch
Oh, I'm glad you liked Plainsong so much, Amy. Nice review! It's a favorite of mine and my wife's. I'm giving it to my English professor BIL for Christmas, with my fingers crossed (my sister confirmed he has never read it). I liked the next two a whole lot, too.
13rosalita
Yes for another lover of "Plainsong", Amy. That is absolutely one of my most favorite books. I have yet to read the two others but they are definitely in my 2014 plans.
14Copperskye
Hi Amy, Your long list of 2013 favorites reminded me of how similar our reading is. I may steal your long list idea, but I may not be able to pare it down to a short list!
Isn't Plainsong a treat! The other two books are just as special. Our library did a Q&A and reading with Mr Haruf over the summer - he is just as warm and friendly as you'd expect.
Isn't Plainsong a treat! The other two books are just as special. Our library did a Q&A and reading with Mr Haruf over the summer - he is just as warm and friendly as you'd expect.
15porch_reader
#12 - Joe - I think Plainsong is a great gift book. I think that it would appeal to a wide range of people - especially those who love language.
#13 - Julia - Yes, the other two Haruf's are on my TBR list too. I think that Plainsong will end up on my Best of 2013, although I think that list is going to have to be pretty long.
#14 - Joanne - Yes, I think a Top 10 list is going to be very hard this year. I do like to have a long list of favorites though. I wouldn't necessarily recommend all of those to everyone. When someone asks for a recommendation, I like to have a long list to page through so I can find the ones that are "just right" for them. And I am glad that Mr. Haruf lived up to my expectations of him when you met him in person!
#13 - Julia - Yes, the other two Haruf's are on my TBR list too. I think that Plainsong will end up on my Best of 2013, although I think that list is going to have to be pretty long.
#14 - Joanne - Yes, I think a Top 10 list is going to be very hard this year. I do like to have a long list of favorites though. I wouldn't necessarily recommend all of those to everyone. When someone asks for a recommendation, I like to have a long list to page through so I can find the ones that are "just right" for them. And I am glad that Mr. Haruf lived up to my expectations of him when you met him in person!
16thornton37814
Seeing your review reminds me that I want to read that one (or something else) by Haruf in 2014. I'm putting together a list of options for my categories, so I'll figure out where to add that one!
17porch_reader
Lori - I'm really glad that I picked up Plainsong. I'll definitely be reading more Haruf in 2014!
18porch_reader
Book #100: Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus & Sharpen Your Creative Mind - Edited by Jocelyn K. Glei - Finished December 12, 2013
Category: work, Kindle
Pages: 253
Rating: 4.2
Thomas Edison said, "Genius is 1 percent inspiration, and 99 percent perspiration," but organizing our days to get creative work done isn't always easy. This book is published by 99U, a division of Behance that uses books, events, and a website to help others make ideas happen. This book, the first in the 99U book series, is an edited volume with short chapters written by lots of creative people about how to manage day-to-day in order to be creativity.
The book is based on the premise that the biggest problem we face today is a reactionary workflow. Instead of making time for the creative pursuits (or other work) that is important to us, we react to whatever demands or distractions are close at hand. To avoid this, the authors provide tips in four categories:
1. Set a routine. According to this book, routine aligns workflow with energy and gets us in a rhythm. Routine can also help you get in the habit of doing the most important work before anything else and can build in a regular practice that includes renewal.
2. Focus. Often our attention is diverted by distractions. Of course, one piece of advice is to shut off distractions, but this can be difficult. (But the next section gives some alternatives.) Focus may also be easier if you make progress vision.
3. Tame your tools. Email, social media, and other tools can be very useful, but they can also get in the way. The recommendations in this section include checking email and social media mindfully and curating who you follow on social media. Another author recommends posting your complex, long-term goals by your workstation to view when prioritizing tasks.
4. Sharpen your creative mind. One of my favorite insights from this section is that we can't solve every problem by sheer force of will. We need to make time for play. Citing The Artist's Way, another recommendation is to write some morning pages, three free flowing pages that you write first thing each day. Similarly, another author recommends making time for Unnecessary Creation, for no purpose other than to create. Perfectionism can be an impediment to creativity, so to deal with perfectionism, this book recommends define finished from the start so that you know when to move on.
This is just a sprinkling of ideas from this book. Each chapter is short and easy to digest. Many of the ideas are not new or revolutionary. But the collection of these ideas together reminded me of some important practices and provided me with some new insights. Although the focus is on creative work, creative work is defined broadly, and many of these ideas would be helpful in any type of non-routine work.
Category: work, Kindle
Pages: 253
Rating: 4.2
Thomas Edison said, "Genius is 1 percent inspiration, and 99 percent perspiration," but organizing our days to get creative work done isn't always easy. This book is published by 99U, a division of Behance that uses books, events, and a website to help others make ideas happen. This book, the first in the 99U book series, is an edited volume with short chapters written by lots of creative people about how to manage day-to-day in order to be creativity.
The book is based on the premise that the biggest problem we face today is a reactionary workflow. Instead of making time for the creative pursuits (or other work) that is important to us, we react to whatever demands or distractions are close at hand. To avoid this, the authors provide tips in four categories:
1. Set a routine. According to this book, routine aligns workflow with energy and gets us in a rhythm. Routine can also help you get in the habit of doing the most important work before anything else and can build in a regular practice that includes renewal.
2. Focus. Often our attention is diverted by distractions. Of course, one piece of advice is to shut off distractions, but this can be difficult. (But the next section gives some alternatives.) Focus may also be easier if you make progress vision.
3. Tame your tools. Email, social media, and other tools can be very useful, but they can also get in the way. The recommendations in this section include checking email and social media mindfully and curating who you follow on social media. Another author recommends posting your complex, long-term goals by your workstation to view when prioritizing tasks.
4. Sharpen your creative mind. One of my favorite insights from this section is that we can't solve every problem by sheer force of will. We need to make time for play. Citing The Artist's Way, another recommendation is to write some morning pages, three free flowing pages that you write first thing each day. Similarly, another author recommends making time for Unnecessary Creation, for no purpose other than to create. Perfectionism can be an impediment to creativity, so to deal with perfectionism, this book recommends define finished from the start so that you know when to move on.
This is just a sprinkling of ideas from this book. Each chapter is short and easy to digest. Many of the ideas are not new or revolutionary. But the collection of these ideas together reminded me of some important practices and provided me with some new insights. Although the focus is on creative work, creative work is defined broadly, and many of these ideas would be helpful in any type of non-routine work.
19porch_reader
Tomorrow, I give the final exam in my Executive MBA Management class. Four essay questions - 42 students. So on Sunday, I'll be looking for ways to procrastinate while I'm supposed to be grading. Luckily, the Tournament of Books released its long list of possible finalists for the March 2014 ToB. (Thanks to Julia/rosalita for posting the link on her thread.) I've read a few of them - The Lowland, Transatlantic, Eleanor & Park, The Burgess Boys, The Interestings - and several others are on my Christmas list. But there are many that I've never heard of. So I should be able to spend lots of time on Sunday avoiding my stack of grading and adding to my TBR list.
20rosalita
Amy, as you know I only know about the Tournament of Books because you posted about the tournament back in March. I picked up so many good book recommendations, and I'm sure the same thing will happen this year.
I always preferred taking exams with essay questions to those requiring multiple choice or short answer, but I don't think I'd have been quite so enthusiastic if I'd been on the other side of the desk. That's a lot of words to read and grade! At least you are getting a slight jump on finals week. Do you have other classes as well?
I always preferred taking exams with essay questions to those requiring multiple choice or short answer, but I don't think I'd have been quite so enthusiastic if I'd been on the other side of the desk. That's a lot of words to read and grade! At least you are getting a slight jump on finals week. Do you have other classes as well?
21porch_reader
Julia - I had forgotten that you found out about the ToB from me. I know there are several LTers that follow it. I like college basketball, but it is nice to have the ToB to balance out the March Madness!
The Exec MBA class is my only one this semester, so next week for me will just be about drinking coffee and grading!
The Exec MBA class is my only one this semester, so next week for me will just be about drinking coffee and grading!
22porch_reader
My face-to-face book club is meeting on Tuesday, and we are each supposed to talk about our favorite Christmas book and read an excerpt from it. Hands down, my favorite Christmas book is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. In fact, it is one of my favorite books of all time, Christmas or not. It is funny and poignant at the same time. Does anyone else have a favorite Christmas book?
23BLBera
Hi Amy: I learned about ToB from you, so thanks. It gives me a way to avoid grading - we teachers have to stick together. :) I also learned about The Best Christmas Pageant Ever on LT. Great book. I think The Christmas Carol might be one of mine.
Nice review of Manage Your Day-to-Day. I will check that out.
Nice review of Manage Your Day-to-Day. I will check that out.
24phebj
Amy, thanks so much for the recommendation for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I was looking for a Christmas book to read and that fits the bill nicely. I also enjoyed your recent reviews. I've heard many people on LT rave about Plainsong. One of these days I will have to read it. How's your weather been? Will you have a white Christmas?
25MickyFine
Hmm, I don't know if I have a favourite Christmas book. I do have fond memories of my maternal grandfather reading my brother and I a beautiful illustrated version of Twas the Night Before Christmas when we were little.
26porch_reader
#23 - Hi Beth! I like The Christmas Carol too. I did a re-read in 2011, and my 7th graders is reading it for English class. He really likes it too. I think that it helps that they are watching the movie after each "stave."
#24 - Pat - I hope that you like The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I convinced my kids to let me read it aloud to them. We're starting tomorrow night - the beginning of Christmas break for them! We have just a skiff of snow on the ground, which is plenty for me. Hope you have a great Christmas!
#25 - Several people at my book club mentioned favorite Christmas books that were read aloud to them as kids - like A Christmas Memory. Twas the Night before Christmas is definitely a classic.
#24 - Pat - I hope that you like The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I convinced my kids to let me read it aloud to them. We're starting tomorrow night - the beginning of Christmas break for them! We have just a skiff of snow on the ground, which is plenty for me. Hope you have a great Christmas!
#25 - Several people at my book club mentioned favorite Christmas books that were read aloud to them as kids - like A Christmas Memory. Twas the Night before Christmas is definitely a classic.
27RebaRelishesReading
Hi Amy -- good luck with your grading!! Hope the students make it worth your while.
28porch_reader
Thanks, Reba! I finished up yesterday, and I'm getting ready to submit my final grades this morning. So Christmas break is officially here! I had a great group of students this semester.
29porch_reader
Book #101: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage - Alice Munro - Finished December 18, 2103
Category: short stories, prize winner
Pages: 323
Rating: 4.5
This was my first collection of Alice Munro's short stories. She'd been on my "to read" list for a long time, and after she won the Nobel Prize in Literature this year, I picked up this collection of short stories at Prairie Lights. Munro is a master of her craft. Her short stories contain more depth, more feeling, more real life than most novels. Her stories often begin in the middle of a situation and allow us to stumble around for a bit, making sense of the landscape. For example, the first story begins:
"Years ago, before the trains stopped running on so many of the branch lines, a woman with a high, freckled forehead and a frizz of reddish hair came into the railway station and inquired about shipping furniture."
As we figure out who this woman is, why she is shipping furniture, and what might become of her, Munro zooms in on a day or a moment, and then back out to cover a life. The stories themselves were often a bit dark, as real life can be, but the gift that she gives is a careful consideration of each moment, each life.
Category: short stories, prize winner
Pages: 323
Rating: 4.5
This was my first collection of Alice Munro's short stories. She'd been on my "to read" list for a long time, and after she won the Nobel Prize in Literature this year, I picked up this collection of short stories at Prairie Lights. Munro is a master of her craft. Her short stories contain more depth, more feeling, more real life than most novels. Her stories often begin in the middle of a situation and allow us to stumble around for a bit, making sense of the landscape. For example, the first story begins:
"Years ago, before the trains stopped running on so many of the branch lines, a woman with a high, freckled forehead and a frizz of reddish hair came into the railway station and inquired about shipping furniture."
As we figure out who this woman is, why she is shipping furniture, and what might become of her, Munro zooms in on a day or a moment, and then back out to cover a life. The stories themselves were often a bit dark, as real life can be, but the gift that she gives is a careful consideration of each moment, each life.
31porch_reader
Thanks, Julia! One of my favorite things about teaching is the sense of completion at the end of each semester. I celebrated by reading a chunk of Jewelweed today. I saw Rhodes read from it at the Iowa City Book Festival in Oct, and it is good. I hope we don't get all of the bad weather they are predicting. Stay safe!
32BLBera
Amy - Lovely comments on the Munro book. I hope to read another by her soon. Congrats on finishing your semester.
I'll await your comments on Jewelweed.
I'll await your comments on Jewelweed.
33porch_reader
Thanks, Beth! Jewelweed is an amazing book - more comments soon!
34porch_reader
In my family, we exchange presents with each other on Christmas Eve and then get Santa gifts on Christmas Day. Here's my haul from today.
My 4th grader just read Among the Hidden at school, so he got me that one. And my 7th grader got me The House of Hades and Ender's Game. The rest are from my husband. I can't decide which one to start with!
My 4th grader just read Among the Hidden at school, so he got me that one. And my 7th grader got me The House of Hades and Ender's Game. The rest are from my husband. I can't decide which one to start with!
35BLBera
Nice haul, Amy. I loved the Foster book. I'm reading the Marra right now, and it is very good. Merry Christmas. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday. I hope to continue seeing you around in 2014.
36porch_reader
Merry Christmas to you too, Beth! I'm glad to hear that I've got some good reading in front of me. I hope that you have a wonderful holiday!
37porch_reader
Book #102: Jewelweed - David Rhodes - Finished December 23, 2013
Category: fiction
Pages: 448
Rating: 4.9
I heard David Rhodes read from this book at the Iowa City Book Festival. It is a follow-up to Driftless, and since I had not read either book, I bought them both. Driftless was a great book, filled with multi-dimensional characters and a strong sense of place. In Jewelweed, we return to the Driftless region of Wisconsin, revisiting some characters and meeting others for the first time.
If it is possible, I enjoyed Jewelweed even more than Driftless, although that may be because I picked it up at the end of the semester and had several days to sink into it. Rhodes focuses on a few interlocking characters. Pastor Winnie is back and has struck up a friendship with Blake Bookchester who is in prison. Pastor Winnie's son August is friends with Ivan, a boy who has to repeat fifth grade and whose mother, Danielle (Dart) Workhorse, struggles to provide for them both. Dart's fortunes begin to turn when she goes to work for a family who owns a construction company and has a son who is plagued with health problems, but her past is hard to escape. No one's lives are secure, but as they deal with the challenges they've been dealt, it becomes clear that there is strength in the ties that bind these small town residents together. It is also clear that Rhodes knows each character well, respects their strengths, and forgives them their weaknesses. He also loves the land, writing nature as a central character that grounds the characters.
I was also struck by how much I remembered of the passage that Rhodes read during his reading. Even though that was two and a half months ago, I could hear his voice in my head as I re-read that part of the book. It made me feel like I knew the characters a little more deeply.
This is definitely one of my memorable reads of the year!
Category: fiction
Pages: 448
Rating: 4.9
I heard David Rhodes read from this book at the Iowa City Book Festival. It is a follow-up to Driftless, and since I had not read either book, I bought them both. Driftless was a great book, filled with multi-dimensional characters and a strong sense of place. In Jewelweed, we return to the Driftless region of Wisconsin, revisiting some characters and meeting others for the first time.
If it is possible, I enjoyed Jewelweed even more than Driftless, although that may be because I picked it up at the end of the semester and had several days to sink into it. Rhodes focuses on a few interlocking characters. Pastor Winnie is back and has struck up a friendship with Blake Bookchester who is in prison. Pastor Winnie's son August is friends with Ivan, a boy who has to repeat fifth grade and whose mother, Danielle (Dart) Workhorse, struggles to provide for them both. Dart's fortunes begin to turn when she goes to work for a family who owns a construction company and has a son who is plagued with health problems, but her past is hard to escape. No one's lives are secure, but as they deal with the challenges they've been dealt, it becomes clear that there is strength in the ties that bind these small town residents together. It is also clear that Rhodes knows each character well, respects their strengths, and forgives them their weaknesses. He also loves the land, writing nature as a central character that grounds the characters.
I was also struck by how much I remembered of the passage that Rhodes read during his reading. Even though that was two and a half months ago, I could hear his voice in my head as I re-read that part of the book. It made me feel like I knew the characters a little more deeply.
This is definitely one of my memorable reads of the year!
38Donna828
Wow, nice haul, Amy. I thought Christmas Eve started after 6:00 p.m. LOL. That's okay, we had our big gift exchange on Sunday with 5 of the 6 grandkids. Hope got most of her presents via UPS but we have a few more to deliver to her in person in just a few days.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
41ChelleBearss
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!!
42porch_reader
Merry Christmas, Donna, Tina, Roni, and Chelle! And Merry Christmas to all of my other LT friends as well! I hope that Santa put something nice under your trees!
45porch_reader
Thanks, Leah and Micky! I hope that you enjoyed the holiday too. After we opened our Santa presents on Christmas morning, we went down and spent a couple of days with my mom. She decided that she was ready to try a Kindle, so we set it up for her and tried to teach her how to use it. I think that she is going to like it. She's already had a few wintry days when she couldn't get out, so she has been reading a lot!
46phebj
Hi Amy! Glad you had a great Christmas. You have me intrigued with Jewelweed after reading your review. Do you need to read Driftless first?
I'll be interested in hearing what you think of The Goldfinch. I just finished it and I'm trying to figure out what I think. It's at least a 4 star read for me but there were parts of it I'm not sure worked for me. I think it would make a great book for a book club because it's chock full of issues.
Happy reading!
I'll be interested in hearing what you think of The Goldfinch. I just finished it and I'm trying to figure out what I think. It's at least a 4 star read for me but there were parts of it I'm not sure worked for me. I think it would make a great book for a book club because it's chock full of issues.
Happy reading!
47porch_reader
Pat - You wouldn't absolutely have to read Driftless before Jewelweed, but there are some characters that appear in both books, and Jewelweed references a couple of events that happen in Driftless. I loved both of the books.
I'm looking forward to reading The Goldfinch, although I got several chunky books for Christmas, so it will take me a while to get through them. There a new book club in my town at the local winery, and they are planning to read The Goldfinch for their Feb meeting, so maybe I'll get a chance to join in.
I'm looking forward to reading The Goldfinch, although I got several chunky books for Christmas, so it will take me a while to get through them. There a new book club in my town at the local winery, and they are planning to read The Goldfinch for their Feb meeting, so maybe I'll get a chance to join in.
49porch_reader
Book #103: Among the Hidden - Margaret Peterson Haddix - Finished December 27, 2013
Category: YA, series
Pages: 153
Rating: 4.4
My fourth-grade son read this book at school, and he liked it so much that he bought a copy for me for Christmas. I was thrilled and picked it as the first of my Christmas present books to read. This book is the first in the Shadow Children series. It takes place in a dystopian future in which food shortages have led to the passage of a law that families may have only two children. If women become pregnant a third time, they are supposed to end the pregnancy, but Luke's mother refused to do that, and he has been raised as a shadow child, staying indoors and interacting only with his family so that the Population Police do not find out about him. But when he learns that another third child is living in the new development near his farm, he learns that much of what he has assumed about Shadow Children is inaccurate and his world changes drastically.
I enjoyed this book, and I'm glad that my son has book #2 of the series on his shelf (where I can borrow it). The writing is straightforward, probably geared for the middle grades (5-8?). Because of that, the gradual reveal of the situation that I loved in books like The Giver and The Handmaid's Tale is not there. Haddix lays out the peculiarities of the dystopian future early in the book. But there are several twists and turns that keep the story moving forward, and I'm sure that's why my son enjoyed this book. He also told me that he felt "all emotional inside" when he read it, and I have to agree with him. I especially felt for Luke and his mother as they tried to survive in a world where the odds had been stacked against them. All in all, a good read!
Category: YA, series
Pages: 153
Rating: 4.4
My fourth-grade son read this book at school, and he liked it so much that he bought a copy for me for Christmas. I was thrilled and picked it as the first of my Christmas present books to read. This book is the first in the Shadow Children series. It takes place in a dystopian future in which food shortages have led to the passage of a law that families may have only two children. If women become pregnant a third time, they are supposed to end the pregnancy, but Luke's mother refused to do that, and he has been raised as a shadow child, staying indoors and interacting only with his family so that the Population Police do not find out about him. But when he learns that another third child is living in the new development near his farm, he learns that much of what he has assumed about Shadow Children is inaccurate and his world changes drastically.
I enjoyed this book, and I'm glad that my son has book #2 of the series on his shelf (where I can borrow it). The writing is straightforward, probably geared for the middle grades (5-8?). Because of that, the gradual reveal of the situation that I loved in books like The Giver and The Handmaid's Tale is not there. Haddix lays out the peculiarities of the dystopian future early in the book. But there are several twists and turns that keep the story moving forward, and I'm sure that's why my son enjoyed this book. He also told me that he felt "all emotional inside" when he read it, and I have to agree with him. I especially felt for Luke and his mother as they tried to survive in a world where the odds had been stacked against them. All in all, a good read!
50porch_reader
#48 - Julia - Yes, I think the Brick Arch book club sounds intriguing too. I just found out about it on their Facebook page. Evidently, they met in December and discussed The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. The January book (for Jan 15) is Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella. I'm not that excited about that book, but I am intrigued by The Goldfinch as the Feb selection (Feb 19). I don't know who started it, but I may give it a try in Feb. I'll keep you posted if I find out more.
51rosalita
Thanks for the info, Amy. I hate Facebook sometimes; I liked the Brick Arch page a while ago and their posts used to show up in my timeline but they haven't been lately. That seems to happen with a lot of pages and friends. I did buy the ebook of "The Goldfinch" so there's a decent chance I could get it done before Feb. 19.
I saw up above that you got your mom a Kindle. Point her in the direction of those accursed Daily Deals and she will be all set!
I saw up above that you got your mom a Kindle. Point her in the direction of those accursed Daily Deals and she will be all set!
52porch_reader
I know what you mean, Julia! Facebook is so unreliable. I'm going to try to get to The Goldfinch by Feb 19 too.
On my mom's Kindle, the daily deals show up right on the main shopping page. I get their daily email too. They really are hard to pass up!
On my mom's Kindle, the daily deals show up right on the main shopping page. I get their daily email too. They really are hard to pass up!
53alcottacre
#49: You remind me that I need to return to that series. I have read the first 2 (or is it 3? I cannot remember!)
Happy Holidays, Amy.
Happy Holidays, Amy.
54porch_reader
Happy Holidays, Stasia! I can't believe that there are 7 books in the Shadow Children's series. I didn't need another series on my plate, but it's hard to turn down a 4th grader who is excited about a book! And now I have to find out what happens next!
55alcottacre
Well, of course you do! I completely understand that!
56RebaRelishesReading
Hi Amy. Sounds like you're having wonderful holidays. Hope your Mom is enjoying her Kindle.
57porch_reader
#55 - Thanks, Stasia! I knew that you'd understand! :)
#56 - Hi Reba! It has been a nice holiday. We just got back from a weekend trip to Milwaukee. We saw a Milwaukee Bucks NBA game and went to Discovery World - their science center and aquarium. We also came home with some made in Milwaukee beer.
#56 - Hi Reba! It has been a nice holiday. We just got back from a weekend trip to Milwaukee. We saw a Milwaukee Bucks NBA game and went to Discovery World - their science center and aquarium. We also came home with some made in Milwaukee beer.
58porch_reader
OK, I don't think I'll finish any more books in 2013, so I'm going to attempt my Best of 2013 list. It is always hard to narrow it down, but here's my best attempt:
Fiction:
Jewelweed
Joyland
The Silver Lining Playbook
The Handmaid’s Tale
Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
The Funeral Dress
Bel Canto
Transatlantic
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
Plainsong
Non-fiction:
84, Charing Cross Road
The End of Your Life Book Club
On Writing
More Baths Less Talking
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
YA:
Boy 21
Eleanor & Park
Divergent
The Mark of Athena
An Abundance of Katherines
Fiction:
Jewelweed
Joyland
The Silver Lining Playbook
The Handmaid’s Tale
Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
The Funeral Dress
Bel Canto
Transatlantic
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
Plainsong
Non-fiction:
84, Charing Cross Road
The End of Your Life Book Club
On Writing
More Baths Less Talking
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
YA:
Boy 21
Eleanor & Park
Divergent
The Mark of Athena
An Abundance of Katherines
59porch_reader
And I have started a thread in the 2014 group. I hope that you will visit me there.
Porch_Reader (Amy) Reads in 2014
Porch_Reader (Amy) Reads in 2014
