January Reads
Oh, I have read TWELVE books in January! Go me! What have YOU read lately?
The Martyr's Song by Ted Dekker 01/01/08
Good - Inspirational
A small group of bitter soldiers stumbles upon a peaceful Bosnian village at the end of WW2 and the villagers are put to the ultimate test.
I've been reading every Dekker book I can find! This one is part of a loose series and it is the one that is the basis for all the others.
ttyl by Lauren Myracle 01/02/08
Good - Young Adult
Told completely in instant messages, 3 teen girls explore the world of 10th grade and friendship.
Saw this book at the library book sale and it intrigued me, since I have been instant messaging friends for years now. I found it really amazing how one could "get" the personalities just from the instant messages! I really enjoyed this book. (By the way, it took place in Atlanta.)
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer 01/07/08
Good - Young Adult
Bella is in danger and Jacob and Edward must team up to protect her, but who will she choose?
This is the third book in the Twilight series. I'D PICK JACOB. ;-)
T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton 01/11/08
Good - Suspense
Kinsey's neighbor Gus is the victim of a sociopathic private nurse.
Better than the "S" book, I think.
ttfn by Lauren Myracle 01/14/08
Good - Young Adult
Again told completely in IM, this novel follows the junior year of Angela, Zoe, and Maddie.
This is the sequel to ttyl. Angela, Zoe, and Maddie have a wild junior year. I really wouldn't recommend this to teens, although I found it an eye-opening insight into what teens are thinking and doing. I do realize it was written by an adult though. There is a third book I have not read yet.
Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke 01/19/08
Fair - Mystery
Hannah must find the killer of the stingy department store owner who was playing Santa Claus on the night of his death; there were 3 novellas by different authors in this book but I only read the Fluke novella.
Although I enjoy Hannah and her mystery-solving, I just find this series a bit bland lately.
Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom by Ursula Nordstrom 01/20/08
Good - Non-fiction
Ursula Nordstrom is regarded as the single most creative force for innovation in children's book publishing in the US during the 20th century. She worked with authors and illustrators like Margaret Wise Brown, Maurice Sendak, Louise Fitzhugh, Shel Silverstein, E.B.White, H.A. And Margret Rey and many many more.
This was a very long book and most of it was fascinating! Nordstrom wrote one children's novel - The Secret Language, which was one of my favorites growing up. Emily is reading it now, so I googled to find out if she had written any others and found out she was a prominent children's book editor! Check out the list of some of her writers and illustrators! If you are interested at all in children's literature, I highly recommend this book! (Oh, by the way, she HAD written only one other novel - a sequel to The Secret Language. However, she burned it and it was never published!)
Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich 01/20/08
Good - Mystery
Diesel turns up around St. Patrick's Day and Grandma Mazur finds a bag of money that was already stolen by a little guy who thinks he is a leprechaun.
This was quick and funny! Whets my appetite for FOURTEEN!
The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky 01/24/08
Good - Fiction
A man is hit by a car – who is driving, the mother or her teenage daughter?
Interesting premise, but very preachy toward the end.
Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson 01/24/08
Good - Non-fiction
A homeschooling dad of 8 wrote this book to help homeschooling moms realize the lies they believe about themselves and how to combat them.
Short book, quick read, but thought-provoking. I am leading a moms study at co-op based on this book.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards 01/29/08
Fair - Fiction
A doctor delivers his own twins during a blizzard and gives up his daughter because she has Down's Syndrome, but tells his wife the baby is dead.
This book tried very hard to be sophisticated, but missed out. By the end I was very bored and could have cared less about any of the characters.
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon 01/31/08
Excellent - Historical Fiction
RE-READ Claire and Jamie settle on a mountain and their daughter Brianna finds love - 4th in the Outlander series; I listened to the audiobook.
Oooh, listening to Davina Porter read Gabaldon is one of the things I enjoy the most in life! This took a LONG time to listen to. It was 39 compact discs, if you can imagine! I listened on the way to work and back home so it took a couple months. But she does the accents! And she is so expressive! And Gabaldon's writing is just so darn INTERESTING! She does tend to wax rhapsodical about scenery though - leaves, for example, can be described in detail. This I can skip when reading the book, but it makes me roll my eyes at times when listening. But these eye-rolling times are few and far between, and mostly just when I am wondering what in the world ever happened in that cliffhanger the last chapter ended with! Just one note, Gabaldon is R-rated reading. So, although I do recommend it, it isn't for those who prefer squeaky clean fiction.
The Martyr's Song by Ted Dekker 01/01/08
Good - Inspirational
A small group of bitter soldiers stumbles upon a peaceful Bosnian village at the end of WW2 and the villagers are put to the ultimate test.
I've been reading every Dekker book I can find! This one is part of a loose series and it is the one that is the basis for all the others.
ttyl by Lauren Myracle 01/02/08
Good - Young Adult
Told completely in instant messages, 3 teen girls explore the world of 10th grade and friendship.
Saw this book at the library book sale and it intrigued me, since I have been instant messaging friends for years now. I found it really amazing how one could "get" the personalities just from the instant messages! I really enjoyed this book. (By the way, it took place in Atlanta.)
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer 01/07/08
Good - Young Adult
Bella is in danger and Jacob and Edward must team up to protect her, but who will she choose?
This is the third book in the Twilight series. I'D PICK JACOB. ;-)
T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton 01/11/08
Good - Suspense
Kinsey's neighbor Gus is the victim of a sociopathic private nurse.
Better than the "S" book, I think.
ttfn by Lauren Myracle 01/14/08
Good - Young Adult
Again told completely in IM, this novel follows the junior year of Angela, Zoe, and Maddie.
This is the sequel to ttyl. Angela, Zoe, and Maddie have a wild junior year. I really wouldn't recommend this to teens, although I found it an eye-opening insight into what teens are thinking and doing. I do realize it was written by an adult though. There is a third book I have not read yet.
Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke 01/19/08
Fair - Mystery
Hannah must find the killer of the stingy department store owner who was playing Santa Claus on the night of his death; there were 3 novellas by different authors in this book but I only read the Fluke novella.
Although I enjoy Hannah and her mystery-solving, I just find this series a bit bland lately.
Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom by Ursula Nordstrom 01/20/08
Good - Non-fiction
Ursula Nordstrom is regarded as the single most creative force for innovation in children's book publishing in the US during the 20th century. She worked with authors and illustrators like Margaret Wise Brown, Maurice Sendak, Louise Fitzhugh, Shel Silverstein, E.B.White, H.A. And Margret Rey and many many more.
This was a very long book and most of it was fascinating! Nordstrom wrote one children's novel - The Secret Language, which was one of my favorites growing up. Emily is reading it now, so I googled to find out if she had written any others and found out she was a prominent children's book editor! Check out the list of some of her writers and illustrators! If you are interested at all in children's literature, I highly recommend this book! (Oh, by the way, she HAD written only one other novel - a sequel to The Secret Language. However, she burned it and it was never published!)
Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich 01/20/08
Good - Mystery
Diesel turns up around St. Patrick's Day and Grandma Mazur finds a bag of money that was already stolen by a little guy who thinks he is a leprechaun.
This was quick and funny! Whets my appetite for FOURTEEN!
The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky 01/24/08
Good - Fiction
A man is hit by a car – who is driving, the mother or her teenage daughter?
Interesting premise, but very preachy toward the end.
Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson 01/24/08
Good - Non-fiction
A homeschooling dad of 8 wrote this book to help homeschooling moms realize the lies they believe about themselves and how to combat them.
Short book, quick read, but thought-provoking. I am leading a moms study at co-op based on this book.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards 01/29/08
Fair - Fiction
A doctor delivers his own twins during a blizzard and gives up his daughter because she has Down's Syndrome, but tells his wife the baby is dead.
This book tried very hard to be sophisticated, but missed out. By the end I was very bored and could have cared less about any of the characters.
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon 01/31/08
Excellent - Historical Fiction
RE-READ Claire and Jamie settle on a mountain and their daughter Brianna finds love - 4th in the Outlander series; I listened to the audiobook.
Oooh, listening to Davina Porter read Gabaldon is one of the things I enjoy the most in life! This took a LONG time to listen to. It was 39 compact discs, if you can imagine! I listened on the way to work and back home so it took a couple months. But she does the accents! And she is so expressive! And Gabaldon's writing is just so darn INTERESTING! She does tend to wax rhapsodical about scenery though - leaves, for example, can be described in detail. This I can skip when reading the book, but it makes me roll my eyes at times when listening. But these eye-rolling times are few and far between, and mostly just when I am wondering what in the world ever happened in that cliffhanger the last chapter ended with! Just one note, Gabaldon is R-rated reading. So, although I do recommend it, it isn't for those who prefer squeaky clean fiction.
Comments