Spring Reading Thing

Oh. My. Word.  It cannot be the first day of spring. 

This has completely caught me off guard, much like the time change a couple weeks ago.  No, seriously, I am still waiting for winter.  My internal calendar runs on 4 seasons, not 3 and not 2, there must be 4.  This past winter season has been, basically, nonexistent.  My internal calendar is still waiting for 30 degree weather and a couple snow days, with actual snow, lasting more than 4 hours. 

With that all said, I am still forming my list for the Spring Reading Challenge .  Did I mention that the fact that today is the first day of spring has caught me off guard? There is also the fact that my list, lately, has become a mishmash of books due to my foray into the 21st century.  I finally bought an e-reader.  After buying the Kindle, I do believe my  Facebook post read "Hello 2007, ..."  Despite Hubby's techy credentials, I run behind the technology curve. 

With the Kindle came the discover of Pixel of Ink, a website that posts free, and discounted, books for the Kindle.  Since January I've been busy downloading free books I've never heard of, from authors and genres I probably wouldn't browse in a book store.  However, they were free, and can sit on my digital shelf without collecting dust, nor cluttering my house.  And, if I don't get to them, oh well, they were free and not collecting dust.

So, what am I reading?

I just finished When Women Were Warriors, Book I: The Warrior's Path, by Catherine M. Wilson. I loved the writing of this book.  It reads like a legend, being told by a storyteller.  Of course, like any legend, it has a tendency to ramble, but it all comes back together in the end, and I really liked the writing.  After downloading it (for free) I discovered this was part 1, of 3 books.  After reading the reviews for the other two, I'm not sure I will purchase them.  The first part, though it doesn't provide a neatly wrapped ending, ends it well enough for me to skip the other two. 

Presently, I am reading The Time Baroness, by Georgina Young-Ellis.  Dr. Cassandra Reilly, from the year 2120, travels back in time to 1820, to experience the Regency Age, several years after the death of Jane Austen.  Since my Jane Austen kick, several years ago, my reading list is usually occupied by anything Austen related; present day, continuations and adaptations.

Which brings me to two other books on my list, Georgiana Darcy's Diary: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Continued, by Anna Elliott, and Charlotte Collins: A Continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, by Jennifer Becton.  If you have read Pride and Prejudice, or watched the movie(s), you will remember that Georgiana Darcy is Fitzwilliam Darcy's young sister, and Charlotte Collins is Elizabeth Bennet's best friend, who married the insufferable Rev. William Collins.

The Saturday Big Ten Wedding, the latest installment from the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith, I am hoping, will soon make an appearance on my digital reading list.  My name is on the library's waiting list for this book, so I am hoping to receive it in a couple weeks.  What new mysteries will Mma Ramotswe solve, and will Mma Makutsi and Phuti Radiphuti ever have their wedding?  (The title of this book is telling me that they will finally say "I do".)

Percy Jackson fever is running through our house, again.  This time we are catching up with the latest series The Heroes of Olympus, by Rick Riordan.  My son received The Lost Hero for Christmas, and The Son of Neptune is sitting on my digital bookshelf.  Apparently there is a third book coming out sometime soon.  JT has declared he will not read another book, by any other author, until that new one is published.  Thankfully, he has found plenty to occupy his reading fever, but he is still anxious to read it. 

That is only 6 books, but I will leave it at that.  Usually, my lists are short, and I don't make it through them; however, since the arrival of the Kindle I have been reading more.  On the flip side, I'm a visual person, and though I love my new, none dust collecting, digital book shelf, the six pages of books loaded onto the Kindle, plus what are in the archives, are overwhelming me.  I need to see covers, spines, read dust jackets, to figure out what I want to read.  So, hopefully, I will read more, but I need to look my list over, again, to figure out what those books will be.

What are you reading this spring season?

Spring Reading Thing Wrap Up

This Years Spring Reading Thing is coming to an end, but my reading won't be.  While I was diligently reading away my list, and modifying to add new books, I was busy stocking up my summer list (thanks to Paperback Swap), and adding some books to my Spring Thing, hence the modification. 

I did finish Brad Metzler's Inner Circle.  Final review, "Ehh".  I would have felt better about the book had I not paid full price for it.  Though the premise was intriguing, which is what drew me to purchase the book, the story itself was rather far fetched.  Maybe I was looking for more intrigue and secrets, instead of youthful indiscretions and regrets. 

The Daughter's Walk, by Jane Kirkpatrick, is a MUST READ.  When I finished it I passed it on to my mother-in-law; who, unknown to me, was looking for it, but didn't realize it hadn't been released yet.  SCORE!  I fully recommend this book.

Next came The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book.  The writing, the details, the characters, everything about this book makes it a classic.  Not sure what I'm waiting for, but at some point I am watching the movie, again.

The Buccaneers, also by Edith Wharton, came next.  So much of this book I had forgotten, and also I enjoyed it, though not as much as The Age of Innocence.  Presently, thanks to Netflix, I am watching the 1995 BBC production of the former.

Before continuing with my preassigned list I continued with a series started earlier in the year, the adventures of Mrs. Pollifax, homemaker, widow, grandmother, turned CIA spy.  The series, written by Dorothy Gilman, continues with The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax and The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax.  The three I've read have proven to be a fun and quick read.  I can't help by see my own grandmother in the Mrs. Pollifax role.  

Next came E.M. Forster's Room With a View.  However, I had to put it down and move on.  There is something about E.M. Forster's writing that requires one uninterrupted time to read, long stretches of uninterrupted time, otherwise it is hard to get into the story.  Maybe, I will take this along on vacation; though, I'm not sure if a vacation with children will give me the time needed, but I can only hope.  I also enjoy his writing, but need to time to absorb it.

The other problem with continuing with my old list is that a new list was forming on by night stand, and I couldn't wait.  I just finished Mr. Darcy's Daughters, by Elizabeth Aston.  Aston picks up from Pride and Prejudice 20 years after Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet marry.  Now Darcy has 5 daughters, who are let loose on London society without their imposing father.  Overall, it is a good read, though you will find many similarities to the mishaps and happenings in Pride and Prejudice. 

And there, is where my Spring Reading Thing comes to an end.  I'm continuing the next book in Aston's series, titled The Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy.  The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, is sitting on my pile, along with the newest book by Connie Schultz, and a book about the creation of Nancy Drew, our favorite female sleuth.  Sorry, I don't have the title at the moment.  It is a book I picked up at a local book sale.  It looked interesting, but I can't remember the title.  It is now sitting on my night stand, where I haven't looked at it since purchasing the book, and I'm downstairs in the office typing.  If you are interested in the title leave a comment, or simply email me, I will send it to you.

And, there ends the list.  Some books were read, some were added, and some were set aside for another time.  Maybe another cruise in a year or so, if I'm so lucky. 

Katrina, thank you for another fun, and encouraging, reading challenge.  I'm looking forward to the Fall Into Reading challenge.  I have no idea what will be on my list, but it will be fun.

Spring Reading Thing

It's that time again.  When we head to the garden, do a little planting, then enjoy a comfy chair on the patio, enjoying the sun and a good book.  Unless you live further north than I do; and, in that case, you may still be shoveling the snow ... I'm sorry.

It has been a reading bonanza around here.  The past few Reading Things I found myself bemoaning my lost of reading mojo.  Well, I found my mojo.  Then again, it helped that Hubby and I took a Caribbean cruise in February, no children, and I read some most excellent books.  Which, I plan on sharing below.

But first, here is my reading list for the Spring Reading Thing.

I am, or was, reading Brad Metzler's Inner Circle.  The day it was released I heard an interview of Brad and a review of the book, so I ordered a copy that day.  It sounded like a book both Hubby and I would enjoy, and he needed some books for the cruise.  His review: Overall the book is good, but the first 100 pages makes it hard to get into the story.  And, he was correct.  Those first few chapters are awkward, but when you make it past them you will be rewarded.

Unfortunately, I had to set this book aside, for the moment, which is sad since it is just getting good, to read The Daughter's Walk, by Jane Kirkpatrick.  This is for a book review, so it needs to be completed ASAP.  I'm 50 pages in, and enjoying the book.  It is historical fiction, adapted from a true story, and written in the daughter's voice.  Immediately, when I began the book, I could hear the daughter's voice.  No, I'm not hearing voices, just imagining how the daughter would sound as she tells the story, this is what I consider a sign of a good book.

When these two books are completed I will follow through on 1 of the 2 trends I have seen during past Reading Things.  The first is noticing that many of you are reading youth fiction, that which our children are reading.  This trend I have already followed, and enjoyed many of the books my children are reading, which is fun since we can then talk about them.  The second trend is many like to reread old books.

I have this thing about rereading books.  It is the same with using recipes more than once; I'm always looking for new recipes to try; and I'm always looking for new books to read.  However, Hubby and I love to collect books, so it is a little funny that I keep books I only read once.  The same with cookbooks.

Anyone is open to analyze this little bit of my psyche, I would love to hear your view.

Anywho.  I plan on rereading some favorites, and I will start with Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence and The Buccanears.  I fell in love with these stories after watching the movies.  I'm a period piece junkie.  And, as with all book to movie adaptations, the books are WAY better.  Especially The Buccanears, much more sensational then the movie; which is odd since movies tend to be more sensational to draw people in.

After these, and if there is time (I'm a slow reader, and these books are slightly long) I plan on moving to E.M. Forster.  Room with a View, Howards End, Maurice, Where Angels Fear to Tread, and maybe I'll finish A Passage to India.  The later I began several years ago, when tiny children were running around the house, and I had no time to sit and read.  Trying to read the book began to feel like my own passage through India, in the heat, trudging along, and nowhere fast.  This did not make for a fun book to read, so on my bookshelf it sits.

Then, at the end of the challenge, I will celebrate with a big movie fest, watching all the movie adaptations of Wharton's and Forster's books.

Now, for my completed cruise list.  Oh my, you should have seen the growing pile of books, all waiting for our cruise.  I couldn't keep my hands off of them, and I did read one or two before the cruise, which was a good thing since I didn't finish all the books I did take with me.


The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Bauermeister
I'm thinking I found this book on someone else's reading list, and I'm so glad I did.  Loved.  Loved.  Loved this book!  It tells the stories of several students of a monthly cooking class, how their lives came to this point, where they are taking a cooking courses, and how cooking helped them to heal old wounds during the course of the class.

Nanny Returns, by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
If you read The Nanny Diaries, which came out 10 years ago, then you need to read this follow up.  The antics of the X Family, and their Park Avenue counterparts made me want to scream, as did the first book.  Really, do people live like this, and treat people like this?  At times the book is like a horror movie, where you are yelling at the heroine not to walk down that hallway.  You will find yourself yelling at Nanny, "don't answer the door, the phone, or talk to the crazy rich people".  Isn't that a sterling endorsement of the book?

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, by Dorothy Gilman
Mrs. Pollifax is a widow, a grandmother, a garden club member, and a spy for the CIA.  Well, not so much a spy, but she is looking for some adventure in her life.  One day she walks into CIA Headquarters, and volunteers to serve her country.  This is the first book in the series, and I am hooked.  The next two are on their way, and I will be reading them this summer. 

There are my lists, past and present.  Have you read any of these books?  What is your reading MO?  Do you find yourself reading the same thing, or also looking for new books?  I can't wait to read your list.

And, for more lists visit Callapidder Days, and see what other people are reading this spring. 

Spring Reading Thing

Summer is here, in a big way. We went for a family walk/bike ride last night and it felt like August, in the middle of June. And, we need rain. Our grass is brown and our flowers are not looking pretty. A normal look around here in August, but it is June.

Sorry, I digress.

Reading! Spring Reading Thing! Book Lists!

This latest reading challenge went by quickly, and I read slowly. However, thanks to several weekends away I was able to finish part of my list. Which I'm happy with since my list consisted of all non-fiction, not everyone's favorites.

The first book read, and finished was Play by Play: Baseball, Radio and Life in the Last Chance League by Neal Conan. Here is a quick description, and the disclaimer that I DO NOT like baseball. However, I did enjoy the book.

Next was My Life as a Furry Red Monster by Kevin Clash, with Garry Brozek. This is a quick and fun read by Elmo's puppeteer.

After breezing through that I moved onto a heavier read, Fair Game: How a Top CIA Agent Was Betrayed by Her Own Government, by Valerie Plame Wilson. This story intrigued me from the moment it became news, and while it remained in the news for several years. While reading the book you need to remember that this is one side of the story, which is actually refreshing since what played out in the news seemed to be a second side.

Now I'm reading Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. And, I'm learning a lot, and I've only made it to the first chapter. In order to remember everything I'm reading (all the rules and how they are used) I may need to start taking notes.

What is left on my list? Living to Tell the Tale by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Will I have a chance to read this? I'm not sure. From the reviews I've read I need to be in a certain state of mind to tackle the book, and I haven't been there recently.

What am I reading this summer? Other then "Eats, Shoots & Leaves." More non-fiction, yipee skipee. The ADHD books are piling up, along with our frustrations as parents, and our son's frustrations with this label and what it does to his brain. We are needing some tools to figure all this out, and break some really bad behavior patterns (or at least improve them), hopefully before the start of school.

I'm sure there will be several fun, fiction books between the heavy duty ones. In fact, I have one in the mail (Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, by Rhoda Janzen) and I'm saving it for our vacation later this summer.

What will you be reading this summer?

Spring Reading Thing

Welcome spring!

Another sign of spring is Callapidder Day's Spring Reading Thing.

Every time a reading challenge rolls around I'm very excited, and then I'm asking myself "why am I excited:"

1. I read all the time, but the challenge makes me read a little more.
2. I'm slightly competitive, but don't sweat it when I don't complete the list.
3. I enjoy making lists, it's a Type A thing, I should seek counseling.
4. If you enjoy reading, you enjoy sharing your books with friends, and blog friends.
5. If you enjoy reading, you are always looking for suggestions.

For whatever reason I'm excited that this year's Spring Reading Thing has rolled around, I'm here, and glad you are as well.

So, now for this season's list. I'm into biographies/memoirs this spring. I'm not exactly going on a biography kick, like my Jane Austen phase, instead there is a stack of nonfiction books that need read, I'm tired of dusting them.

What is it about nonfiction books? This comment has been echoed by many others.

Presently I'm reading ...

Play by Play: Baseball, Radio and Life in the Last Chance League by Neal Conan
Neal Conan is the host of NPR's Talk of the Nation. I enjoy his interview style and thought I would probably enjoy his book, even though I am not a baseball fan. I do not understand baseball, and would rather watch the grass on the ball field grow before watching a game. Though baseball terminology and game statistics are used in the book I tend to gloss over those parts ... well actually my eyes glaze over so I can't even see what I'm reading. However, the book isn't about the game or the statistics, it is about people, there life stories and how they ended up in this league known as the Last Chance League.

My Life as a Furry Red Monster by Kevin Clash, with Garry Brozek
Kevin is the person behind (or is it underneath) Elmo. Have you ever heard him talk? He has a deep voice, not at all Elmo sounding. I'm looking forward to this one, an interesting read ... and it is short. (Sorry, just being honest.)

Fair Game: How a Top CIA Agent Was Betrayed by Her Own Government
You probably remember the news stories, how a CIA agent's cover was blown and the White House accused as the culprit. Hubby is presently reading it and it becomes a little confusing at times. Though she is no longer with the CIA the agency had to review the manuscript before it was published. The Manuscript was published as was, with all the areas the CIA blacked out due to secrecy. The publisher hired a journalist to fill in all the blacked out data, which is read in the Afterward.

***Just as I typed this Hubby came out and started talking about the book. He commented that one of the things you need to remember while reading it is that she is writing from her point of view, and though it is easy to agree with what she is saying we need to remember that there is another side to the story.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
This was on my list in the fall. It isn't a biography, nor memoir, in fact it is cataloged under Reference/Humor ... reference ... nonfiction ... it fits. It is also about punctuation, grammar and punctuation, two of my three writing weak points, the third is spelling.

Living to Tell the Tale by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
I place this on my list with trepidation. I'm not sure I will start it, and if I do even more unsure if I will finish it. The last Marquez book I started to read, The General in His Labyrinth, was never finished. However, I think that was more to the fact that I had two young children, one an infant, and no time to read. His books require significant sit down time, we shall see.
*Please excuse my misspelling his name, I can't figure out how to find the characters with all the swishes and sashes.

And ... well there are a few other books I pulled out and thought of putting on the list, but think I will end it here. If I get around to the others, three being the ever present books about children with ADHD ... one of these days ... I'll let you know, until then I'm sticking to the 5 (well 4 since I'm unsure about the last one) above.

Happy reading this spring, I can't wait to read what everyone has picked.

Mark Your Calendars

Calling all reading peeps.

Collect those books, make your lists, plan a trip to the library/book store/favorite book trading website.

Mark your calendars, March 20. (coincidentally, the first day of spring.)

Callapidder Days will host her Spring Reading Thing.

See you there.

Spring Reading Thing Wrap-Up

I can't believe we are at the end of this year's Spring Reading Thing. As the saying goes, so many books, so little time.

This time around I only finished half my list. Now in my defense an extra book, or two, was slipped in. JT and I have been enjoying the Box Car Children series, and with his ADHD diagnoses I've been reading several behavioral management related books.

So, here was my original list, the completed books are crossed out.

The Jane Austen Book Club, Karen Joy Fowler
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, Alexandra Potter - *Presently Reading
Austenland, Shannon Hale
Captain Wentworth's Diary, Amanda Grange
Mr. Knightley's Diary, Amanda Grange
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, Laurie Viera Riglere

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, Alan Alda
Play By Play, Neil Conan
Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life, Queen Noor

A Woman After God's Own Heart, Elizabeth George
*This is only half crossed out because I'm only half way through it ... go figure. I started a new Bible Study at our Church, Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself.

Oh, well that list looks a little better then I originally thought. There are only three books I haven't started yet. Well, that leaves plenty of reading material for the summer.

My favorite book from the list was Leap of Faith, by Queen Noor. Queen Noor is an American born, former wife of King Hussein of Jordan (he died in 1998.) Over the years I had seen her in the news and she intrigued me. I mean, how does an American born, Princeton graduate become the wife to a king of a small Middle Eastern country.

She answers those questions, plus many more regarding Middle Eastern politics. It was interesting to read how King Hussein had dedicated much of his life on Middle East peace. Several stories do not place the U.S. government, nor our society, in a positive light, but it is a side we need to realize other's see, understand, and face up to.

Sorry. Climbing off my soap box now. After reading the book I read several reviews written on Amazon and Paperback Swap. I was a tad frustrated by those who were completely put off by her analysis on the United States. Remember, there are two sides to every story.

Anyway, I'm back to my Jane Austen theme, with Me and Mr. Darcy. I will probably finish the other books on my list and then pick up Neal Conan's Play by Play. Neal Conan is an NPR host (the name of his show escapes me at the moment.) He took a summer off one year and worked as an announcer for baseball. Why am I reading this? Not sure. I am not a baseball fan. But, I had heard an interview with him when the book first came out and my interest was peaked. We shall see how it goes.

If it doesn't go very well, that is OK. My reading pile keeps growing. Again, so many books, so little time.

Until Callapidder's Fall Into Reading,

Happy Reading.

Spring Reading Thing

Since the Fall Into Reading Challenge, 2008, I've been stalking visiting Callapidder Days daily regularly, wondering when the spring reading challenge was coming. Plus, reading her great postings.

Well, the Spring Reading Thing - 2009 begins today. On the first day of spring, go figure the irony. And my books are stacked and ready to go!

The fall challenge pushed me to finish the Jane Austen portion of my Jane Austen Read-a-Thon. This spring I continue my Jane Austen fascination by reading the Jane Austen themed books. Last summer a friend introduced me to such books as Austenland and Me and Mr. Darcy. I was ordering these books, through Paperback Swap, and ready to read when it occurred to me I may enjoy them more if I actually read the works Jane Austen. To this point I had only watched the cinema versions of Emma and Sense and Sensibility. And so I read them, all 6 works, after each book rewarding myself by watching the movie version.

So, first on my list: The Jane Austen themed books. (In no particular order)

The Jane Austen Book Club, Karen Joy Fowler
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, Alexandra Potter
Austenland, Shannon Hale
Captain Wentworth's Diary, Amanda Grange
Mr. Knightley's Diary, Amanda Grange (in the mail)
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, Laurie Viera Riglere (Presently on my wish list at Paperback Swap.)

***All these books were ordered through Paperback Swap. An economical way to collect the books, and when I've completed them I can re-swap them for new books.

But I can't start these yet. Presently I'm reading a book written by Alan Alda, and so starts the Nonfiction section of my list.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, Alan Alda
Play By Play, Neil Conan
Leap of Faith: Memoris of an Unexpected Life, Queen Noor

Why these? Well, because they have been collecting too much dust while sitting on my bookshelf, and I really do want to read them. Once again, the last two books in this section were acquired from Paperback Swap. (Alan Alda's book I borrowed from my Mother-in-Law, a media center coordinator at a local private school. A librarian in the family is a good thing.)

And the final section, Devotional:

A Woman After God's Own Heart, Elizabeth George
*This book I began during the last challenge. Yes, I'm still working on it. If you remember it took me 8 months to complete Beth Moore's The Patriarchs.

When that is finished I'll start another book. What is the title of that book, I don't know? Yes, I have the book. Yes, I know where the book is, somewhere in the basement with all the other books from my now empty bookshelf. The living room just received a new coat of paint and everything has yet to be returned to it's proper place.

That is my list. A little more ambitious then the fall challenge, then again reading Jane Austen was ambitious in and of it self.

And what is on your list? One of the fun parts of this challenge is reading the lists of others, and finding new books to read. For the next challenge.

Let the reading begin!

Finally ... It Is Almost Time

Like the shamrocks? February has come and gone and it was time for a new blog layout.

After Valentine's Day I was tempted to change it back to snowflakes, but was beginning to feel spring fever and wanted to celebrate spring, or anything other then snow and cold. Since it is March and I'm part-Irish it seemed appropriate to post the shamrocks. And they weren't snowflakes. I love winter and the snow, but there is a point one reaches when it is time to move onto a warmer season.

Ha! I may want to celebrate the coming of spring but that doesn't mean winter is over. The kids were home today, and so was Hubby (yah!), and the kids have a 2 hour delay tomorrow thanks to the snow storm hitting the east cost this weekend. Now, if you live in valley or follow my blog you know that it doesn't take much to close schools.

So, the amount of snow we received wasn't a lot. But it was cold. So cold I wouldn't let the kids go out and play, which is always hard when there is snow on the ground. Hubby did take them out to shovel the driveway, and the neighbor's, this afternoon. It was cold! Thankfully the wind had died down while they were out, but every bit of them was covered. All you could see were their little eyes peeking out between the coat and the hat. Except for ED who ventured outside before being "mommy approved."

But spring is near. Thank you Katrina, at Callapidder Days, for bringing spring into my home while the wind chill made the temperature outside below zero.



Yes, the Spring Reading Thing is coming, March 20th. Yeah! So dust off those books. Gear up your list. What better way to spend spring then enjoying the warm rays of the sun, outside, with a good book. And then you get to brag about reading it.

Haven't joined in before. Give it a try. And you don't need a blog to join. So mark your calendars, March 20th, the reading begins.