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Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
6:16 pm - My Memory Stinks
 I've been reading, but my memory is horrible. Here are the titles that I can remember:
  • The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
  • The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book II: The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Wood
  • The Quickening by Michelle Hoover
  • The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees
  • The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel
The Incorrigible books are juvenile fiction and were a fun, easy read. I really enjoyed the fictional book about one of my favorite authors, Louisa May Alcott.

The Land of Painted Caves is supposed to be the conclusion of the Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel. The story began in 1980 with Clan of the Cave Bear. LPC is the sixth book in the series and it was extremely disappointing. It barely has a plot! The dialogue is weak and unbelievable; large portions of the book seem to be cut-and-pasted from the previous volumes in the series. I pre-ordered it and wish that I hadn't spent the money.


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Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
11:07 am - January 2011
Last month I read A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg and Kringle by Tony Abbott. The latter is juvenile fiction and I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of The Chronicles of Narnia and a bit of Tolkien's writing.

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Sunday, January 30th, 2011
7:32 pm - 2010 Book List
Wow, more than a year without posting!

At the beginning of 2010, I set a goal to read 50 books. I didn't even come close; I think I read less than a dozen! I'm pretty disappointed, but I just didn't feel like reading.

I was keeping track of what I read on the back of an envelope, but I'm pretty sure it was recycled months ago. I specifically remember reading the following books:
  • Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
  • Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
  • Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson
  • The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
  • Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
  • A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid
  • People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
  • Alice, Frankenstein and Saturday Night Beans by Lynn Olsen Brown
  • The Unschooling Unmanual by Nanda Van Gestel, Jan Hunt, Daniel Quinn et al

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Saturday, January 2nd, 2010
11:06 pm - 2009 Book List
In 2009, I read 45 books:
  1. Coming Evil by Vivian Vande Velde
  2. Voyage by Adele Geras
  3. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
  4. My Antonia by Willa Cather
  5. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
  6. Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary
  7. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
  8. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (counted as one book)
  9. The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg
  10. The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory
  11. The Crowing Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells
  12. Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell
  13. Sights Unseen by Kaye Gibbons
  14. Martha Washington: An American Life by Patricia Brady
  15. Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses by Stephen Davis
  16. The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike
  17. Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution by Natalie S. Bober
  18. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  19. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
  20. She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan
  21. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
  22. Christy by Catherine Marshall
  23. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
  24. The Known World by Edward P. Jones
  25. Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr
  26. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
  27. On the Road by Jack Kerouac (reread)
  28. The Color of Fire by Ann Rinaldli
  29. On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon by Kaye Gibbons
  30. 1984 by George Orwell
  31. Sula by Toni Morrison
  32. Gap Creek by Robert Morgan
  33. Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier
  34. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
  35. The Magician's Wife by Brian Moore
  36. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
  37. Border Music by Robert James Waller
  38. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
  39. The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
  40. The Color of Water by James McBride
  41. Red River by Lalita Tademy
  42. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
  43. Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
  44. Remember Me: Women and Their Friendship Quilts by Linda Otto Lipsett
  45. The Solstice Evergreen: The History, Folklore and Origins of the Christmas Tree by Sheryl Ann Karas
Since I started keeping track in 2005, I have read 126 books, including young adult fiction. That is an average of 2.1 books per month over the past five years. Last year, I only read 16 books, so this year was an amazing improvement.

My goal for 2010 is to read 50 books! I would like to reread the Harry Potter series, but I have at least one dozen other titles to tackle first.

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Friday, January 1st, 2010
8:08 pm - Catching Up
Since the end of October, I've read:

The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg
Coming Evil by Vivian Vande Velde (junior fiction)
Voyage by Adele Geras (junior fiction)
The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory
Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell
Sights Unseen by Kaye Gibbons
Martha Washington: An American Life by Patricia Brady
Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses by Stephen Davis

It seems like I read more than this, but this is all that I can remember.

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Sunday, October 25th, 2009
9:37 pm - Reading Corner

Reading Corner, originally uploaded by mama-bear.

Currently on the night-side table, waiting to be read.

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Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
9:25 pm - Short List
My reading slowed to a crawl in late August and September. Here's what I remember reading since my last update:
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  • The Crowing Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells
  • The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike
  • Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution by Natalie S. Bober
  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
I started a couple of other books, but didn't get very far.

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Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
1:04 am - Reading

Reading, originally uploaded by mama-bear.

It has been a great year of reading for me...I'm working on my 33rd book.

picture is of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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Sunday, July 26th, 2009
10:51 pm - July Books
So far in July, I've read:
  • She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan
  • The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
  • Christy by Catherine Marshall
  • Border Music by Robert James Waller
  • The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The last title was this month's choice for a book club that I am hoping to join, if our schedule ever works out for me to actually attend one of their meetings. Several people had recommended it and I started reading without even glancing at the back cover. It is very rare that I have no idea what a book is about before reading it, and I have to say that jumping in without looking was refreshing. It turned about to be a very interesting book and I loved the format. The authors did a fabulous job using correspondence to tell the story, instead of standard prose.

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Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
7:47 pm - Reading Update
Since my last update, I have read the following books:
  • The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
  • The Color of Water by James McBride
  • James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
  • Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary
  • Red River by Lalita Tademy
  • Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
  • Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
  • My Antonia by Willa Cather
  • Remember Me: Women and Their Friendship Quilts by Linda Otto Lipsett
  • The Solstice Evergreen: The History, Folklore and Origins of the Christmas Tree by Sheryl Ann Karas
Summer Sisters and Sundays at Tiffany's are good beach or poolside books. I read My Antonia in high school, but got more out of it this time. It really is a good story. I learned a lot from the last two titles, especially the book about Christmas trees.

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Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
11:08 pm - Eight Things Meme
8 things I am looking forward to:

sunshine later in the week
picking fresh strawberries
sewing later tonight
homegrown tomatoes
listening to the new Pete Yorn CD
Independence Day
seeing my grandparents
a new roof

8 things I did yesterday:

ate leftovers
vacuumed
went to Target
checked Facebook
read a magazine
experimented with interfacing
drank gingerale
fell asleep with my son

8 things I wish I could do:

rollerblade well
move back to Las Vegas
read the Hunchback of Notre Dame
empty my email inboxes
learn a computer language
learn how to use an SLR
satisfy my baby lust
sew a hand-quilted king-size quilt

8 favorite fruits:

blackberries
pineapple
bananas
clementines
nectarines
strawberries
cherry tomatoes
black grapes

8 places I would like to travel:

Switzerland, to see the Alps
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Canadian Rockies
Quoddy Head State Park, Maine
Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota
Redwood National Park, California
Santa's Village, New Hampshire (with the kids)
Australia

8 places I have lived:

Childhood home in Maine
Oxford Hall, University of Maine
University Park, Old Town, Maine
Penacook, New Hampshire
Lowell, Massachusetts
Henderson, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Current home in New Hampshire

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Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
11:09 am - April Reads
I gave up on Marie Antoinette after about 70 pages. I just couldn't focus enough to keep track of all the names and complicated relationships of the European monarchies.

Despite my false start, I read at least six books in April, including:
  • The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
  • The Known World by Edward P. Jones
  • Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
  • Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr
  • Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
  • The Magician's Wife by Brian Moore
I also started reading The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve, but my husband picked it up and started reading it. I don't like sharing books, so I let him finish it. I suppose I'll get back to it this month, after I finish The Color of Water by James McBride.

In the first four months of 2009, I've read 17 books! My goal for the year is 19, without repeats. Because I had already read On the Road, I've only read 16 that count towards the 19. I'm pleased that I'll have no problem reaching my goal.

For the first time, I got reading glasses in April and have been wearing them in the evenings when I read and sew. They make me feel old! The frames are teal and I feel a bit eccentric wearing them. My wardrobe is so boring that it's good to have something a bit quirky.

Of all the titles I have read so far this year, I think that The Other Boleyn Girl (I also watched the movie) and Girl with a Pearl Earring are my favorites.

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Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
11:05 pm - Can't Stop
Lately, I cannot stop reading. It took me a long time to finish On the Road by Jack Kerouac, but once I did, I plowed ahead onto several new titles. I read Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates in about 24 hours, On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon by Kaye Gibbons in about two days and Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms in less than two days.

The contrast of Kerouac's Beat Generation in On the Road to the suburban life of the Wheelers in Revolutionary Road is one that I have been pondering. Both books spoke to me, as I am currently struggling to accept the new lifestyle my husband and I chose. For the first time in my adult life, I am in a place where society says that I should be putting down roots for myself and my children. We purchased a home and plan to be here for a decade or two, at least. I keep contemplating whether or not settling down is really necessary.

All four of the novels I listed above were written in during or after wars. I wonder how much notable fiction will emerge from American soldiers currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now I am reading Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser. It is non-fiction and is a lot more challenging to read.

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Friday, March 20th, 2009
12:39 pm - Historical Fiction
I read The Color of Fire by Ann Rinaldli a few weeks ago. It was a very quick read, as it is juvenile fiction. It wasn't a very good story, but I did learn about an event in American history that I had never heard of before. In 1741, colonists of New York City executed over 30 people that they believed were involved in a plan to burn down the city and possibly stage a slave revolt. The executions included 13 people being burned at the stake. Here is more factual information about the incident.

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Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
8:27 am - Stack

Reading, originally uploaded by mama-bear.

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Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
10:14 pm - Orwell
I finished reading 1984 by George Orwell earlier this week. Today, I saw a bumper sticker that said something like "When the Power of Love Overcomes the Love of Power, the World Will Know Peace." With the book fresh in my mind, I immediately wondered if anything will ever conquer the quest for power. The book is also clouding the way I think about people's actions and motives.

While reading, I often had to stop and re-read sections and paragraphs, especially when Orwell was explaining things like doublethink. It has been years since I had to think critically about a novel. Most of the reading I do is purely for entertainment.

I would like to read the book again in an academic manner. I'd like to be critical of it and possibly work on some discussion questions for each chapter. I need to challenge my brain and I feel like dissecting literature would be a great way to shake out the cobwebs (as opposed to doing calculus or physics!).

1984 has peaked my interest in utopian and dystopian literature. I've added Fahrenheit 451 and The Iron Heel (written by Jack London before World War I) to my list of books that I would like to read.

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Tuesday, February 17th, 2009
6:38 pm - Oodles of Reading!
I finished the Narnia Chronicles early in February. The last volume, The Last Battle, gave me a lot to think about; much more than the others, though the religious symbolism is present in all of the stories. Of all of the stories, I think that I like The Lion, the Witch and the the Wardrobe best. Since then, I have read:
  • Sula by Toni Morrison
  • Gap Creek by Robert Morgan
  • Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier (author of Cold Mountain)
  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
I ought to read Sula again and think on it more; it would be a good book for a book club discussion. While I found Gap Creek interesting, I didn't find it believable. Plus, it lacks a plot; it is really more of a diary of a young wife at the end of the 19th century in rural Appalachia. It is told in the first person and the vocabulary is quite limited.

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Thursday, January 8th, 2009
4:21 pm - The Magician's Nephew
It took me two days (evenings actually) to read The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. I love the writing style! It is straightforward and not overly descriptive; just enough to encourage the imagination to run wild. I don't know why I didn't read it sooner (like 20 years ago!). I do wish, however, that I hadn't seen parts of the first Narnia movie. I am a third of the way through the next story and I keep seeing the actors in my head. I would rather have dreamed them up myself. The entire volume that contains the Chronicles is less than 700 pages. I would read the entire thing in a week if we weren't in the middle of moving!

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Saturday, January 3rd, 2009
3:55 pm - White Elephant Giveaway
I'm having a giveaway at my other blog:

http://thoughtsfrommsq.blogspot.com/

The contest ends at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Thursday, January 8, 2009.

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Thursday, January 1st, 2009
7:45 pm - 2008 Book List
Here are the books I read this year:

* Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
* Animal Farm by George Orwell
* The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
* Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
* The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
* The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
* The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

* A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
* A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
* Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
* Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
* Flying Changes by Sara Gruen
* Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
* The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
* Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
* The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Since I started keeping the list (in 2005), I've read 81 books, which includes young adult fiction. That is an average of 1.7 books per month over the past four years. My goal for this coming year is to reach 100 books (i.e. read 19 in 2009) with no repeats. I plan to count the Chronicles of Narnia as one book.

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