Friday Reads

One of the accounts I follow on Twitter is Friday Reads.  Here are this week's reads:

 It's Friday!  Here is what I am reading today:

Sharon's reading a book on her Kindle:

Friday Reads

One of the accounts I follow on Twitter is Friday Reads.  Here are this week's reads:

 It's Friday!  Here is what I am reading today:

I'm still listening to Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon.  

Sharon's bus read today is:

We were discussing just why it is so many people choose to read romance novels on an e-reader.  Seeing that cover, it's no surprise!

What are you reading this lovely Friday?

Summer reads

Here's a list of the books I've read this summer.  This does not include books read for storytime. Bolded titles are recommended reads. A few notes are included.  Want to know more?  Just ask!

Audiobooks: 

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - 2012 Odyssey award honor; 2012 Printz award honor.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon - Book 3 of the Outlander series. My second time listening.

Picture Books:

How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan 

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce 

Novels: 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - Possible Printz contender?  Beginning has a few issues, but over a great read. (WWII historical fiction - female pilot and female spy)

The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castellucci 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine #1) by Ransom Riggs 

Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt 

The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy, #1) by Jennifer A. Nielsen 

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy, #1) by Leigh Bardugo 

Wonder by R. J. Palacio - Possible Newbery contender?

My Family for the War by Anne C. Voorhoeve (WWII historical fiction)

Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth 

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter 

Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 

Snow in Summer: The Tale of an American Snow White by Jane Yolen

Friday Reads

One of the accounts I follow on Twitter is Friday Reads.  Here are this week's reads:

I'm about to start a new book, though I'm not sure what yet.  I've a few sitting around, just begging to bed read.  Guess I'll have to update once I pick a book!

 Audiobooks are the same as last week:

This is my current listen for the van.

 

And for on the go, I've been listing to this one. 

Sharon shared her current read:

What are you reading today?

 

Friday Reads

One of the accounts I follow on Twitter is Friday Reads. With that in mind, here are the books I was reading yesterday:

I stayed up until 5 a.m. Friday morning finishing this book!  

 Audiobooks:

This is my current listen for the van.

 

And for on the go, I've started this one.  I've never before listened to more than one audiobook at one time.

 

Friday Reads

One of the accounts I follow on Twitter is Friday Reads. With that in mind, here are the two books I'm reading today:

Edited to add Sharon's Friday Read:

What are you reading this Friday?

Do you hear what I hear?

I’ve listened to several audiobooks so far this year. 

• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – a favorite.  So much so that I recently purchased the whole series through audible.
• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George – 1960 Newbery honor.  While enjoyable, it is a bit dated.
• Julie by Jean Craighead George – sequel to Julie of the Wolves that was published many years later.  Pretty good.
• Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm. –2011 Newbery honor.  It was OK. 
• Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George – 1973 Newbery winner.  LOVED IT.  Even though it won the award nearly 40 years ago, it didn’t seem dated.  A true classic.
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett – Loved it.  I heard that the audiobook was fantastic, and I am happy to say that it is. 

echo

An echo in the bone by Diana Gabaldon

As I remarked, I finished listening to the most recent publication in the Outlander series. This makes for a very sad Ama.

The novel takes up where the previous ended. Claire, Jamie and Ian are working their way to Scotland – with an unexpected detour of battle. Brianna, Roger and family are back in their own time period and settling into life at Lallybroch. Additionally, we follow the lives of Lord John Grey and his stepson, William, who is now a solider fighting for the British Army. The lives are more intertwined than ever, with plot twists and surprises popping up throughout the tales.

At times the transitions from one time period to another – and from one storyline to the next even within the same time period – are not done smoothly. This was a bit distracting; however, the tales that Gabaldon is weaving are so engaging that I was often sucked into them, thinking about what was going to happen next. Unfortunately, the ending of this edition continues this by not being much of an ending, but rather a series of loose threads waiting to be woven into the finish product.

I love the historical aspects of this series. Gabaldon brings the 1770s to life, placing the reader at the battles of the American Revolution and in Jenny and Ian Murray’s Scottish Highland home.

but...but...what will I listen to now???

le sigh.

I am an unhappy Ama. Why?

I finished listening to the most recently published book of the Outlander series.

I feel all out of sorts now. What am I going to listen to next? I've been listening to that series for the past year and a half or so. I might have to check out the first one and listen to it again. I need my Jamie Frasier fix!!

When the final CD ended and the - not narrator...announcer? - said, "The End" I actually exclaimed loudly, "ACK!"

Dear Diana Gabaldon,

I hope you are nearly finished writing the next book of the series and that it will be published soon. I wanna know what happens next!!

Sincerely,

Ama - one of the many people who adore this series (and not just because of the sex scenes!)

Books as far as the eye can see

I have four books that I've finished reading recently that I still need to post about. Two of them I swear I already typed up the reviews. Hrm. Must check the laptop. I might have saved the reviews to the laptop instead of my thumb drive.

These are the four books:

• In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth (ARC copy, but was published as of today)
• The London Eye mystery by Siobhan Dowd
• Charles and Emma: the Darwins' leap of faith by Deborah Heiligman.
• The last Olympian (book 5 of the Percy Jackson series) by Rick Riordan

I'm still listening to An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon. No surprise there, as it is only 40 discs! I'm reading Marcello in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork and Troll's eye view : a book of villainous tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.

More excitedly, I received an ARC of Karen Cushman's newest book: Alchemy and Meggy Swann. I must read a few of the books I have checked out first, though, since that pile is getting very high.

So many books...so little time. Le sigh.

Waiting on Wednesday

It’s Wednesday – and I am back in town – so that means it is time for another edition of Waiting on Wednesday!

This Wednesday I am waiting for the newest book in the Outlander series to be published. Specifically in audiobook, since that is how I’ve read the rest.

Good news for me, the book comes out this fall – September 22. Even better news for me, according to Amazon.com, the audio version is set to be released on September 30. Here’s hoping that my library buys it! By the time I’m able to get my hands on a free copy, I should actually be ready for it. I still have one more book in the series that I still need to listen to, and it is going into my car’s CD player when I leave work tonight.

Here’s the synopsis of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon (text pasted below) – the seventh book of her fantastic Outlander series.

Diana Gabaldon’s brilliant storytelling has captivated millions of readers in her bestselling and award-winning Outlander saga. Now, in An Echo in the Bone, the enormously anticipated seventh volume, Gabaldon continues the extraordinary story of the eighteenth-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his twentieth-century time-traveling wife, Claire Randall.

Jamie Fraser, former Jacobite and reluctant rebel, is already certain of three things about the American rebellion: The Americans will win, fighting on the side of victory is no guarantee of survival, and he’d rather die than have to face his illegitimate son–a young lieutenant in the British army–across the barrel of a gun.

Claire Randall knows that the Americans will win, too, but not what the ultimate price may be. That price won’t include Jamie’s life or his happiness, though–not if she has anything to say about it.

Meanwhile, in the relative safety of the twentieth century, Jamie and Claire’s daughter, Brianna, and her husband, Roger MacKenzie, have resettled in a historic Scottish home where, across a chasm of two centuries, the unfolding drama of Brianna’s parents’ story comes to life through Claire’s letters. The fragile pages reveal Claire’s love for battle-scarred Jamie Fraser and their flight from North Carolina to the high seas, where they encounter privateers and ocean battles–as Brianna and Roger search for clues not only to Claire’s fate but to their own. Because the future of the MacKenzie family in the Highlands is mysteriously, irrevocably, and intimately entwined with life and death in war-torn colonial America.

With stunning cameos of historical characters from Benedict Arnold to Benjamin Franklin, An Echo in the Bone is a soaring masterpiece of imagination, insight, character, and adventure–a novel that echoes in the mind long after the last page is turned.

I'm on fire!

I finished it! Yay! All 47 discs of The Firey Cross by Diana Gabaldon have been listened to, and the set has been returned to the library.

While I enjoyed this continuation of Jamie and Clare’s story, there were times that I found it a bit tedious. Don’t get me wrong. I still love the characters and the plot. It just felt that some scenes were drawn out, and the flow wasn’t as flawless as the previous books.

That being said, I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I put it on hold, and hope it will arrive early next week. Until then, I am listening to another audiobook narrated by the very talented Davina Porter - Alice's Adventures In Wonder Land by Lewis Carroll.

In other fun news, in about 30 minutes my husband and me are going to see the latest Harry Potter movie. I can’t wait!

Just say it...

Say the Word by Jeannine Garsee

Shawna seems to be the perfect teenaged daughter. Great grades. Planning to become a doctor. But, Shawna sees herself as three people in one. Perfect Shawna, who always does the right thing and what is asked of her. Pathetic Shawna, who doesn’t stand up for herself and what she wants. Evil Shawna, who whips out the mean spirited zingers at just the right time.

When her mother dies, Shawna must face the realities of the last ten years – her mother leaving the family and moving to NYC with her lesbian lover, Fran; her father’s selfish and controlling personality; her feelings for Fran and her sons. In her struggle to find herself, Shawna must make her three parts one whole person.

This is a compelling book. I started it at dinner on Wednesday and had it finished by bedtime. The characters and their reactions are real. The story is compelling. Well written, the tale stops short of going over the top with the action and plot twists. This will be one I’ll pass along to others.

There are several heavy topics in this novel: homosexuality, depression, and abuse top the list. This is a great read for high school aged teens.



Other books I’ve been reading…

Both of these are written for adults:

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
I’ve decided to return this book unfinished. I did make it more than halfway to through it, but the writer’s style – which reminds me of a senior or college term paper – annoys me.

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander series)
I’m on the last disc of this audiobook! Yay! More on the story once I am completely finished.

Books for a variety of ages...

Heartsinger by Karlign Stoffels - Perhaps something was lost in translation. This book was originally published in Dutch. It is the tale of two teenagers who have a magical gift of song. One is the singer of sorrows. The other is the singer of joy. This is also the tale of several of the people who they sing for – including a princess who does nothing but sit and look at herself in the mirror all day.

*yawn* Why did I think this sounded like a good book? I did finish it…but it was only 134 pages long.

For last month’s book group, I read Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve. The premise of the tale is an interesting one – the story of King Arthur as seen through the eyes of a child raised by Merlin (or Myrddin as he is called in the book). The story falls short, though, leaving the reading wanting more….something. Too often the text seems so flat.

I also finished the book 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass. Now, this is a story that I really enjoyed. Written for that tween group, it is the story of Amanda and Leo. Both were born on the same day. After overhearing Leo say something unkind, Amanda leaves their 10th birthday party – and doesn’t speak to Leo again. A year goes by, and the two are going to celebrate their birthdays separately for the first time in their lives. After a lackluster day, Amanda wakes up the next morning – not to the day after her 11th birthday, but to relive the unhappy birthday all over again! Can Amanda figure out why she keeps reliving the same day over and over again, or will she be cursed to relive her eleventh birthday for the rest of her life?

The story’s basic plot reminds me of the movie Groundhog Day. That’s not a bad thing…I like that movie! Well written and an overall fun book, this story is about forgiveness and friendship. It is one of my favorite books so far this year!

I’m still listening to Drums of Autumn, and am nearly halfway through! I am reading Ghost Medicine by Andrew Smith (a book club pick – and an excellent story) and Wintergirls (also a book club pick – which I just started). I think I am going to return The Shadow in the North. I’m just not getting into the story at all.

Living spiritually....and enough with the vampires!

I finally finished Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton. It seems like I’ve been reading it for months. Perhaps because I have been? While not really a lengthy book, I was having a hard time making myself finish it - mostly because I am over the character and the crazy storylines. While I understand that a reader should expect gore and graphic scenes in a series whose main character hunts vampires and raises zombies for a living, I think that in this novel the author went a bit too far. Namely the scene in the hospital nursery.

So, this is the last book I plan to read in the Anita Blake vampire hunter series. I might try Hamilton’s other series…but not for a while!

The other book I finished reading on Monday was The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs. This was an impulse buy. Recently, Borders had their educator appreciation week. As a public library employee, I can also use the 25% discount. Awesome! I think the hubby and I spent about $85 on books the weekend he was home!

So, I saw this book as I was walking towards the front of the store. It looked funny and intriguing. I started reading it about 15 minutes after I bought it (while I was out eating dinner), and was instantly sucked in.

The book is a memoir (of sorts). The author decided that he might be missing something in his life by not raising his son with religion. So, he decides to do some major research…and to live life for one year by the rules of the Bible. The literal rules. You know them…thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not lie, thou shalt not wear linen and wool in one garment, thou shalt not cut your beard…

The spiritual quest is documented throughout the book. Jacobs has a crew of religious advisors, ranging from Orthodox rabbis to a “Pastor out to Pasture”. He visits a Creationist Museum in Kentucky, stays at an Amish Bed and Breakfast in Pennsylvania, and meets his infamous ex-uncle Gil in Israel.

I thought this book was excellent, and am looking forward to reading his other book, Know it All.

Current reads: Right now I’m listening to Drums of Autumn – I’m about a third of the way through…I think. Maybe just a fourth. It’s a long audiobook!! I’m reading The Shadow in the North by Phillip Pullman. I want to finish it this weekend so I can watch – and return – the BBC movie based on the book.

I have a growing stack of books in my office, and am unsure which I’ll start reading next. There are so many to choose from!

Come along on a fantastic voyage...

I’m nearly finished with Voyager! While I am immensely enjoying the series, I am going to take a break for a book or two. The books are wonderful…but LONG. Voyager is 36 CDs!

So, once I finish it (hoping that it will be tonight), I am going to start The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (and also narrated by him). I’ve read the book, and enjoyed it. The audiobook is the 2009 Odyssey Award winner.

I think my next audiobook will be Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy; narrated by Rupert Degas. This is another book that I’ve already read and enjoyed. It was a 2008 Odyssey Award honor.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon; narrated by Davina Porter

In the third installment of the Outlander series, Claire prepares to return to the 1700s – and to Jamie. Upon making the trip through the stone circle once again, she makes her way to Edinburgh, where she believes Jamie to be living. She does reunite with Jamie and with his family.

When their nephew Young Ian is kidnapped, the couple head for the West Indies in hopes of finding the teen.

I enjoy this story as much as I have the previous tales. The only reason I’m taking a break from the series is that the books are long – and each takes well over a month to complete.

I’m reading several books, including Blue Moon by Laurell K. Hamilton and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (a teen book). I just started Hunger Games, so I don’t have much to say about it yet.

Blue Moon is the eighth book in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. It’s OK. At this point, I’m continuing the books just because they are decent enough vampire fluff, and I’m still in the mood for that type of book. I’m about halfway through this one, so I’ll wait to write more about it.

2008 in review

According to my GoodReads list, I read/listened to 69 books in 2008. Granted, that doesn’t count the many children’s picture books that I read for work (and for pleasure). I’m sure that number is well over 200.

Listed below are my top picks for 2008. If you look at my ratings on GoodReads, you may notice that some books that were rated with 5 stars didn’t make the list. Why? Because as I looked over the titles, I picked the ones that stood out. I may have LOVED a book when I first read it, but if months later I don’t think of it to recommend to others, then why should it be on my top list?


My top 10 books read in 2008 (in no particular order)

1. Unwind by Neal Schusterman (Teen)
2. The Wee Free Men: A Discworld Novel by Terry Pratchett (Children's/Tween/Teen)
   
3. My Bonny Light Horseman: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, in Love and War by L. A. Meyer (Teen)
4. Babymouse: Queen of the World! Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Children's/Tween)
   
5. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (Adult)
   
6. The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer (Adult)
   
7. Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner (Teen)
8. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (Adult)
   
9. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Teen)
10. Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black (Teen)

Top Audiobooks listened to in 2008(in no particular order)

1. Poison by Chris Wooding; read by Virginia Leishman (Teen)
2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon read by Davina Porter (Adult)
   
3. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon read by Davina Porter (Adult)
   
4. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz read by Christina Moore and a full cast (Children's)
   
5. Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L. A. Meyer read by Katherine Kellgren (Teen)
6. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray read by Jo Wyatt (Teen)
7. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray read by Josephine Bailey (Teen)
   
8. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray read by Josephine Bailey (Teen)
   

Happy Book Day!

Several books came in for me on my day off. Yay! So, my latest reads are:

The Duggars : 20 and counting! : raising one of America's largest families--how they do it by Michelle & Jim Bob Duggar
Why am I reading this book? Because I’m slightly obsessed with this family. Ma and Pa Duggar and their brood live in Arkansas. Ma has birthed 18 children – only two sets of twins – and would love to have more. Oh…and all the kids have names that begin with a J.

Umkay…

The family has had several TLC/Discovery specials over the past several years, and now even has their won television show. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have cable/satellite, so I can rarely watch the madness on TV.

Circus of the Damned by Laurell K. Hamilton. This is book 3 of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. I am excited to read it, and have already placed the next few books on hold. Yay!


The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp. This is a book club pick for February. I started reading it yesterday, and haven’t read enough yet to write about it.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (audiobook) – still listening to this series. I’m nearly finished with disc 18 of 30+. It’s getting really good. Clare is back from the future and has just found out that Jamie married the bitch who tried to get Clare burned as a witch!

Speaking of the Outlander series…

A friend and I were discussing the books last night. I’ve decided that Kevin McKidd should play Jamie in the Outlander movie, rumored to be released in 2011. If you watch Grey’s Anatomy, you would know him as Major Hottie. Not only is he a cutie with reddish hair, but he’s also Scottish.

In other news…

I’m hoping to get quite a bit of Voyager completed over the next two weeks. I’ve a drive to – and from – Michigan, and a flight to – and from – Denver. Plus the time hanging around airports, hotels, etc. So, I am going to borrow the husband’s MP3 player and download some books on CD to it and my laptop. Additionally, as I am going to a library conference, I’m sure I’ll pick up a book – or 20 – while in Denver.

currently being enjoyed....

I’m currently reading four books.

The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones – this is my new “dinner” book. I started it last night. It’s a quick read…and not just because I must have read a bit before. Anita is about to turn 16 and her life is turned upside down. She really isn’t the teenage mortal girl she believed herself to be, but rather the long lost daughter of the ruler of Faerie. There are at least two more books in this series. This is a teen book.

Guilty Pleasures: an Anita Blake, vampire hunter novel by Laurell K. Hamilton – also started this one last night, and another quick read. I finished about half of the book in just a short amount of time. I am really enjoying the humor. Anita Blake doesn’t like vampires…and they don’t like her much either. But when the animator (i.e. reanimated the dead) is made an offer that she can’t really refuse, Anita finds herself working for city’s leader of the undead. This is an adult book.

Playing with Fire by Derek Landy – this is the sequel to Skullduggery Pleasant. A nasty bad guy escapes from his prison and is wreaking all sorts of havoc for Valkarie and Skullduggery. This is one of those children's/tween/teen books.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (audiobook) – Another installment of the epic Outlander story. This is book three. As you may imagine, I’m loving it. Same narrator as the previous, so that’s an added bonus. We find out what happened to Jaime after the Culloden disaster…and if he and Claire are ever to be reunited. This is an adult book.

Catching up...part 2

Fly by night by Frances Hardinge – I took a long time (by my standards) to read this book, as it was my dinner book. I kept it in the car and only read it when I was eating out by myself.

Living in a world where all printed text is tightly control, twelve-year-old Mosca is starving for words. This causes her to free the swindling poet (and spy), Eponymous Clent, and escape – along with her pet goose - her swampy town for adventures in the capital city. Mosca becomes involved in various acts of espionage, all affecting the safety of the city.

I liked this story. Each chapter title begins with a different letter – from A-V (i.e. A is for Arson). The tale is full of adventure and fun.

I have a copy of this book available for whomever emails me 1st at amasgetbooked@gmail.com !



Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon – This is the second book in Gabaldon’s Outlander series. I listened to it. As it is 33 discs, it took some time to complete!



It’s been 20 years since Claire left Jamie behind in 1740s Culloden. She is now a surgeon – and mother to tall, redheaded Brianna. On a trip to Scotland, Claire is determined to tell Brianna the truth about her parentage, and, with the help of historian Roger Wakefield, to search for the fate of her beloved Jamie.

Claire tells of their escape to France, involvement in the Jacobite rebellion, return to Scotland, and why she returned to her own time.

I love this series, which is why I am listening to the third book now (Voyager). Davina Porter is an excellent narrator, making the characters distinct and positively come alive. Gabaldon has weaved a beautiful tale of love and of war.