Huh? What? November?? How'd that happen? I feel like Rip Van Winkle. I spent much of my favorite fall season sick, so I feel like I missed it. But the sun is out today, those wild winds from the weekend have died down, and it's supposed to be back in the 60's by tomorrow.
No matter what the season or the weather, we love our books! Here's what we read last week:
- I finished The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown, the selection for last week's neighborhood book group discussion. In a rare agreement, everyone in our group loved the nonfiction book!
- Now I am reading another nonfiction book (a lot for me!), Bill Bryson's One Summer: America, 1927, for another book group meeting this week! It's interesting so far, though I wish I had time to read a novel in between the two nonfiction books. I will never finish it in time for the discussion Thursday, but I'm enjoying it so far.
- I finished the audio, On a Clear Day by Walter Dean Myers, a teen/YA dystopian novel. It definitely has some flaws, but I enjoyed it - just wish it had been a little longer so that it might have felt more complete.
- I started and finished another audio, the middle-grade novel The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm, a fun story about a twelve-year old girl who suddenly finds herself hanging out with her fourteen-year old grandfather, when he succeeds in his search for a cure for old age. It's a combination of science, real-life preteen and teen scenarios, science fiction, and a nice dose of humor. I really liked it.
- My husband, Ken, finished The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes, about a time-traveling serial killer, that I read last month. He enjoyed it.
- Now he's reading his birthday gift from me, Personal by Lee Child, part of his favorite series.
- Craig, 16, is reading The Crucible by Arthur Miller for his American Lit class. I'd like to read it when he's finished - that's one I missed in school.
More Spooky Halloween Reads - some great gift ideas for the holidays in these lists, even though the spooky season is over.
Review of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a classic that was far more thoughtful than I expected.
Review of Nightmares! by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller, a middle-grade novel that was great on audio.
Saturday Snapshot, with a few photos from our Halloween celebrations.
What are you and your family reading this week?
What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kid/teen version hosted by Unleashing Readers.
I'm about to start Unbroken. The movie is coming out next month and I haven't read it yet. It is also our bookclub book for November. The Boys in the Boat sounds like it is similar.
ReplyDeleteOh, Unbroken is a wonderful book, Heidi! Difficult to read at times but so well-written and such an amazing story. Laura Hilenbrand is my hero - she has the same illness I do and wrote most of Seabiscuit lying on her back in bed, often with her eyes closed! She is truly inspiring and an exceptional writer. Hope you enjoy the book...and the movie!
DeleteSue
I read Unbroken and it was wonderful and incredibly inspiring. I had no idea of Laura's battle with illness. How incredible her story is about writing Seabiscuit!
DeleteTanya - Here's her essay that appeared in the New Yorker in 2003 - astounding story. Even with all her accolades and success, she;s still not much better and still housebound - almost never appears in public due to her illness. Makes her writing even more amazing!
Deletehttp://www.kenwilber.com/Writings/PDF/A_Sudden_Illness.pdf
I really enjoyed Boys in the Boat too. I struggle to read nonfiction, but I love listening to nonfiction. One Summer is on my list to get to some day. Have a great week! ~Megan
ReplyDeletehttp://wp.me/pzUn5-2aR
I don;t read much nonfiction, Megan, though I do like memoirs. Boys on the Boat read sort of like a memoir - I bet it was good on audio!
DeleteSue
That's neat that you include what everyone else is reading! :) It's just me and my hubby here. I'm reading Five by Ursula Archer & The Tomb of Hercules by Andy McDermott. My hubby is reading Inferno Park by J.L. Bryan and next he plans on reading the Ron Perlman autobiography. Thanks for sharing. Here's my It's Monday! What are you Reading? post.
ReplyDeleteKarsyn - My older son is actually the biggest reader in our house, but he's in college now and told me yesterday he hasn't had time to read lately for fun. But he'll bring a duffle bag full of books on vacation with us and read them nonstop!
DeleteEnjoy your books this week -
Sue
I have heard mixed reviews about On a Clear Day. Unfortunately, most discuss its flaws. That is so unfortunate. I am so glad that he left us with a legacy of great books, though. He was (and still is) certainly a bright star for many of us.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely some flaws, Ricki, but I will try to give a complete picture when I review it. To be honest, I'd never heard of the author before or read anything else by him! But now, I keep hearing others talk about him - I'll have to read some of his older titles - any you'd recommend?
DeleteSue
I just finished a cute Christmas book called Snow Angels, Secrets & Christmas Cake. It was funny and good after the intensity of Unbroken, This Dark Road to Mercy and The Silent Sister. Now I'm off to Cuba with Waiting for Snow in Havana, a memoir of the author's exile from Cuba as a kid. Savvy Working Gal and I are reading it for our Travel the World in Books reading challenge and doing a laid-back readalong of it. I'm not very far into it but I have my work cut out for me, it's a long book with teeny print!
ReplyDeleteI loved Waiting for Snow in Havana, Tanya! Hope you enjoy it, too.
DeleteI really liked your review of Frankenstein. It is one of the classics I truly enjoyed. I haven't read any of the other books you've listed, but love learning about them.
ReplyDeleteHappy reading this week! :)
Thanks, Kellee! I enjoyed it, too.
DeleteI just got On a Clear Day from the library. I haven't started it yet, but already feel sad that it will be the last Walter Dean Myers novel.
ReplyDeleteCheriee - can you believe this was my first Walter Dean Myers?? i need to go back and read some of his older stuff.
DeleteI can't believe it's November already either!
ReplyDeleteAre you participating in Nonfiction November with The Boys in the Boat and One Summer??
I just heard about it today, Lindsey. Sounds like fun, but I just don;t have time for any extra blogging right now. I am enjoying this little nonfiction run, though!
DeleteI am reading this week "The Shack" by William P. Young. I've heard a lot of good reviews about the book. I've been wanting to read it for a long time, but I only got a copy for myself recently.
ReplyDeleteVery good to hear about a nonfiction book being read by a book club - I just recently started a book club in my institution with a few academics coming from different specializations. We are looking into adding nonfiction among our possible reads. So will check out the title you shared here. Loved the movie adaptation of The Crucible but haven't read the novel yet. :)
ReplyDeleteYour new book group sounds great! I normally don't read much nonfiction, so book groups have definitely helped broaden my reading horizons. Here is a list from a few years ago of some of my favorite book group books:
Deletehttp://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2009/09/top-ten-book-group-books.html
Also, Unbroken (mentioned in another comment above) and the Henrietta Lacks book are both excellent choices - you can search my blog for those reviews if you like.
Have fun!!
Sue