March Same As It Ever Was
Posted: 2020/03/04 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: E-Books, Early Review, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: Adrian Hyland, australia, Baghdad, books, Borneo, chick lit, E H Young, Early Review, Edward Docx, Fiction, J Robert Lennon, Jacqueline Winspear, librarything, list, Martin Mosebach, middle east, mystery, NonFiction, Peter Hamilton, reading, Sam Lightner, science fiction, series, Tony Horwitz, travel | Leave a commentThis March will mark my eighth time running the St. Patrick’s Day Road Race. When I lived in town I would watch the runners race by, seemingly effortlessly. I could spy on them from my third floor apartment; while I sipped coffee I wondered what it would be like to able to run six miles knowing believing I couldn’t run a single one. Look at me now, Dad.
Here are the books I’m reading for the month of March:
Fiction:
- Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear – in honor of International Women’s month and to check off a category from the Portland Public Library Reading Challenge list (a cozy mystery).
- Miss Mole by E.H. Young – in honor of Young’s birth month.
- The Calligrapher by Edward Docx – in honor of March is Action Hero month.
- On the Night Plain by J. Robert Lennon – in honor of Yellowstone National Park.
- Pandora’s Star by Peter Hamilton – in honor of sci-fi month.
Nonfiction:
- All Elevations Unknown: an Adventure into the Heart of Borneo by Sam Lightner, Jr. – in honor of the first time Mount Kinabu was ascended (March 1851).
- Baghdad without a Map and Other Misadventures in Arabia by Tony Horwitz – in memory of the March 2003 bombing of Baghdad.
Series Continuations:
- Gunshot Road by Adrian Hyland – to continue the series started in January in honor something I can’t remember.
Early Review for LibraryThing:
- The 21: A Journey into the Land of the Coptic Martyrs by Martin Mosebach (started in February).
February’s Finale
Posted: 2020/02/29 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: E-Books, Early Review, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: african american, anthology, Arctic, books, caribbean, Charles Ogletree, civil rights, crime, Cuba, Early Review, Eleanor Clark, Elizabeth Nunez, epistolary, essays, exploration, Fergus Fleming, Fiction, italy, James Crumley, Julia Poey, leisure, librarything, list, Martin Mosebach, mystery, Nick Bantock, NonFiction, personal, Poetry, reading, Rome, short stories, travel, Virgil Suarez | Leave a commentWhat to tell you? I spent February in a tailspin of old memories. To blame it on one singular event would be too simplistic. As they say, it’s complicated. Very. In other news I have been running! Successfully, I might add. February saw 40 miles conquered. Here are the books planned and completed:
Fiction:
- Anna In-Between by Elizabeth Nunez (EB & print).
- Little Havana Blues edited by Julia Poey and Virgil Suarez (EB & print).
- The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber (EB, AB & print).
- The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley (EB & print).
Nonfiction:
- All Deliberate Speed: reflections on the first half century of Brown v. Board of Education by Charles J. Ogletree, Jr (EB & print).
- Barrow’s Boys by Fergus Fleming (EB & print).
- Rome and a Villa by Eleanor Clark (EB & print).
Early Review for LibraryThing:
- The 21: a journey into the land of the Coptic martyrs by Martin Mosebach (just started reading).
Leisure (print only):
- Migrations: Open Hearts, Open Borders: The Power of Human Migration and the Way That Walls and Bans Are No Match for Bravery and Hope by ICPBS.
- Pharos Gate by Nick Bantock.
- Morning Star by Nick Bantock.
- The Museum at Purgatory by Nick Bantock.
- Alexandria by Nick Bantock.
- The Gryphon by Nick Bantock.
February Fixed
Posted: 2020/02/03 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio book, E-Books, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: anthology, books, cancer, caribbean, Charles Ogletree, civil rights, Cuba, Delia Poey, Eleanor Clark, Elizabeth Nunez, exploration, Fergus Fleming, Fiction, illness, italy, leisure, list, Matt Weber, michael faber, NonFiction, Poetry, reading, Rome, sex, short stories, victorian, Virgil Suarez | Leave a commentI am consistently running (yay). My head is finally screwed on straight – somewhat (yay). Things are not perfect but I can say February is mostly fixed.
Fiction:
- The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber – in honor of Charles Dickens and his birthday being in February. Weird, I know.
- Anna In-Between by Elizabeth Nunez – in honor of my childhood.
- Little Havana Blues: A Cuban-American Literature Anthology edited by Virgil Suarez and Delia Poey – in honor of Cuba’s reformed constitution.
- The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley – in honor of February being friendship month.
Nonfiction:
- Rome and a Villa by Eleanor Clark – in honor of Clark’s birthday.
- All Deliberate Speed: Reflections on the First Half Century of Brown v. Board of Education by Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. – in honor of February being Civil Rights month.
- Barrow’s Boys: A stirring Story of Daring, Fortitude, and Outright Lunacy by Fergus Fleming – in honor of Exploration month.
Leisure:
- Making Tracks by Matt Weber – a Christmas gift from my sister.
August Gusted
Posted: 2019/09/03 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: E-Books, Early Review, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: africa, autobiography, biography, books, Cecil Forester, Confessional, crime, Early Review, fairytale, Fiction, Florence Nightingale, grief, holocaust, Isaac Asimov, Isaak Sturm, Jonathan Frazen, Laurie Colwin, Lee Child, librarything, list, Maria Arana, Maria Thomas, Mark Bostridge, memoir, mikael rosen, movie, Music, mystery, new york, Nikki Grimes, Peru, Poetry, postmodern, reading, Robin McKinley, Running, school, science fiction, series, sports, swimming, travel, world war ii | Leave a commentWhen I look back at August my first thought is what the hell happened? The month went by way too fast. Could the fact that I saw the Grateful Dead, Natalie Merchant (4xs), Trey Anastasio, Sirsy, and Aerosmith all in the same month have anything to do with that? Probably. It was a big month for traveling (Vermont, Connecticut, NYC) and for being alone while Kisa was in Charlotte, Roanoke, Erie, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Colorado. And. And, And! I got some running done! The treadmill was broken for twenty days but in the last eleven days I eked out 12.2 miles. Meh. It’s something. Speaking of something, here are the books:
Fiction:
- African Queen by C.S. Forester
- Antonia Saw the Oryx First by Maria Thomas
- Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object by Laurie Colwin
- Strong Motion by Jonathan Frazen
- Beauty by Robin McKinley
- Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
Nonfiction:
- American Chica by Marie Arana
- Florence Nightingale by Mark Bostridge
- Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson
Series continuation:
- Die Trying by Lee Child
- Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov
Early Review cleanup:
- Filling in the Pieces by Isaak Sturm
- Open Water by Mikael Rosen
Travels of August
Posted: 2018/08/01 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio book, E-Books, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: Athens, audio book, books, Bryce Courtenay, chick lit, china, colorado, crime, Donna Jo Napoli, Ed McBain, fairytale, Fiction, greece, india, Isabella Bird, Kerstin Ekman, Kirsty Needham, list, memoir, mystery, NonFiction, Nora Roberts, romance, Rona Jaffe, series, Sofka Zinovieff, sweden, Tarquin Hall, travel | Leave a commentSince the Run for Nancy was only a few days ago I am still on a high from not only running four miles, but running four miles without pain. No pain whatsoever. The pain is so gone it’s as if I imagined the whole thing. Weird. Weird. Weird. As for books, since I don’t have any other running plans in the near future:
Fiction:
- The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe – in honor of August being Chick Lit month.
- The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay – in honor of Courtenay’s birth month being in August.
- Daring to Dream by Nora Roberts – in honor of August being Dream Month (hey, I read it somewhere).
- Niccolo Rising by Dorothy Dunnett – in honor of Dunnett’s birth month being in August.
- The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall – in honor of Rajir Ratna Gandhi’s birth in August.
Nonfiction:
- A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella Bird – in honor of Colorado becoming a state in August.
- Eurydice Street: a Place in Athens by Sofka Zinovieff – in honor of the Dormition of the Holy Virgin.
- A Season in Red by Kirsty Needham – in honor of the Double Seven festival in China.
Series continuations:
- The Big Bad City by Ed McBain – to continue the series started in July.
If there is time:
Fiction:
- Under the Snow by Kerstin Ekman – in honor of Ekman’s birth month.
- Crazy Jack by Donna Jo Napoli – in honor of Fairy Tale Month.
March of the Books
Posted: 2017/03/31 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: E-Books, Early Review, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: Ann Cleeves, audio book, Barbara Gowdy, basketball, books, Dan Simmons, David Halberstam, e-book, Early Review, Fiction, Laura Esquivel, librarything, list, Marianne Leonne, middle east, movie, murder, mystery, nebraska, Nigeria, NonFiction, science fiction, series, sports, travel, Truman Capote | Leave a commentHere’s the singular thing I love, love, love about March: the St. Patrick’s Day Road Race in Holyoke, MA. I adore running this race. Runner’s World magazine has mentioned it more than once, calling it the mini Boston Marathon for it’s toughness. I PR’ed this year! But what I am more excited about is that this time I was only five seconds away from breaking an hour. Unlike last year (1:07:and something seconds) I was 1 hour and a measly four seconds. But, enough about running! Here are the books finished for March, 2017:
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (AB +EB)*
- Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (AB + print)
- Falling Angels by Barbara Gowdy*
- Treachery in the Yard by Adimchinma Ibe*
Nonfiction:
- Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam (DNF)
- Big Empty edited by Ladette Randolph and Nina Shevchuk-Murray (EB)
- No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin (AB)
Series continuations:
- Red Bones by Ann Cleeves
- Hall of a Thousand Columns by Tim Mackintosh-Smith (DNF)
- Endymion by Dan Simmons
Early Review “won”:
- Ma Speaks Up by Marianne Leone (received and finished)
- My Life with Bob by Pamela Paul (This has arrived & I have started it)
*Short enough to read in one day.
Spring Forward
Posted: 2017/03/01 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: books, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: Adimchinma Ibe, Ann Cleeves, Barbara Gowdy, basketball, books, Dan Simmons, David Halberstam, Early Review, Fiction, Ladette Randolph, Laura Esquivel, librarything, list, Marianne Leonne, mexico, middle east, movie, mystery, nebraska, Niagara Falls, Nigeria, NonFiction, science fiction, series, Shetland, sports, travel | Leave a commentI’m really looking forward to spring. The chance to run outside (sorry, New Guinea) & a little more green in my life. Here are the books planned:
Fiction:
- Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel ~ in honor of the best time to visit Mexico (AB). I think this will only take a few days to read so I’m adding:
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (AB) as a backup ~ in honor of the Oscars (even though they just happened, embarrassingly so).
- Falling Angels by Barbara Gowdy ~ in honor of the time Niagara Falls stopped flowing, and,
- Treachery in the Yard by Adimchinma Ibe ~ in honor of Nigeria’s president as of 2015.
Both of these fictions are short-short so I should be able to read them in a day or two each.
Nonfiction:
- Breaks in the Game by David Halberstam ~ in honor of March Madness (basketball)
- The Big Empty edited by Ladette Randolph ~ in honor of Nebraska becoming a state in March.
Series Continuations:
- Red Bones by Ann Cleeves ~ to continue the series started in January in honor of Up Helly Aa.
- Endymion by Dan Simmons ~ to continue the series started in January in honor of Science Fiction month. This sucker is 600 pages long. Not sure I’ll finish it in time…
- Hall of a Thousand Columns by Tim Mackintosh-Smith ~ to continue the series started in February in honor of Exploration month. This is an ILL and it hasn’t arrived yet, so I’m not sure I will finish it in time.
Early Review for LibraryThing:
- Ma Speaks Up by Marianne Leonne ~ maybe. I “won” it in February but it hasn’t arrived yet.
- EDITED to ADD: I just got word I also “won” My Life with Bob by Pamela Paul. It isn’t expected to arrive for awhile so this is really an April book.
I Heart Books
Posted: 2017/02/28 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio book, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: Ann Cleeves, audio book, books, childrens book, Dan Simmons, Eric Brende, Ernest Gaines, Fiction, list, NonFiction, series, Stephanie Barczewski, Tom Neale, travel | Leave a commentI heart books…a February recap of reading.
February was an odd month. Our first serious snow storm gave me an extra day off. With all the other holidays & my birthday off I feel as though I’ve been more out than at work. At least in the last two months it does. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining for it certainly has given me more time to read! Case in point:
Fiction:
- The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest Gaines (AB & print)
Nonfiction:
- Island to Oneself by Tom Neale (as a followup to The Book of Puka-Puka.)
- Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende
- Travels with a Tangerine by Tim Mackintosh-Smith
- Song of the Dodo by David Quammen
- Antarctic Destinies by Stephanie Barczewski
Series continuations:
- Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons (started with Hyperion).
- White Nights by Ann Cleeves (started with Raven Black).
Fun:
- Wonder by RJ Palacio
LibraryThing:
- Nada. I “won” Ma Speaks Up by Marianne Leonne but it hasn’t arrived yet.
As an aside, I ran 36.25 miles for the month.
April Comes Quickly
Posted: 2016/03/31 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: books, Fiction, Graphic Novel, NonFiction | Tags: Barbara Kingsolver, Bernard Malamud, biography, books, Bryan Talbot, Eleanor Perenyi, Fiction, Food, france, gardening, graphic novel, Jayne Krentz, Joihn Gottman, Juliet Barker, list, Marilynne Robinson, marriage, mfk fisher, Morgan Spurlock, Neil White, NonFiction, Robert Caro, Tim Moore, William Burroughs | Leave a commentI don’t know where March went. I’ve looked under calendars and in date books and I still can’t figure it out. The month went by so fast! Here are the books finished for March:
- Naked Lunch by William Burroughs
- The Assistant by Bernard Malamud
- Family Man by Jayne Krentz
- Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (AB)
- The Brontes by Juliet Barker (DNF)
- Means of Ascent by Robert Caro (DNF)
- Center of the World by Jacqueline Sheehan (Fun)
- In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White (would have been an Early Review book a long time ago)
On tap for April (besides a little Noodle 5k run):
- A Considerable Town by MFK Fisher ~ in honor of April being the best time to visit France
- The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman ~ for fun
- Green Thoughts by Eleanor Perenyi ~ in honor of gardening month
- Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot ~ in honor of April Fools
- Don’t Eat This Book by Morgan Spurlock ~ in honor of April being Food Month (AB)
- The Grand Tour by Tim Moore ~ in honor of Harvey Ball passing in April
November End
Posted: 2015/11/02 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: books, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: adventure, biography, books, Early Review, Fiction, history, librarything, list, mystery, NonFiction, Poetry, short stories, travel | Leave a commentThis is the LAST month of the gigantic list! Yay! Hopefully, I can remember how I used to blog the books before this huge list! As an aside, I have finished training for the marathon so I won’t have that obsession after next month (14 DAYS from now).
Dragon Reborn by Robert JordanIn a Strange City by Laura LippmanBy a Spider’s Thread by Laura LippmanRecognitions by William GaddisMaus by Art SpiegelmanLady Franklin’s Revenge by Ken McGooganBrief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao* by Junot DiazWalk in the Woods by Bill BrysonEugene Onegin by Alexander PushkinShadow Rising by Robert JordanA Good Doctor’s Son by Steven SchwartzDrinking: a Love Story by Caroline KnappAncient Rome on 5 Denarii a Day by Philip MatyszakNero Wolfe Cookbook by Rex StoutTreasure Hunter by W. JamesonMaus II by Art Spiegelman (Jan)The Dew Breaker by Edwidge DanticatIn Xanadu by William DalrympleThe Assault by Harry MulischWild Blue by Stephen AmbroseShot in the Heart by Mikal GilmoreGreater Nowheres by David Finkelstein/Jack LondonAlma Mater by P.F KlugeOld Man & Me by Elaine DundyDud Avocado by Elaine DundyGood Life by Ben BradleeUnderworld by Don DeLilloHer Name Was Lola by Russell HobanMan Who Was Thursday by GK ChestertonFires From Heaven by Robert JordanFinnegan’s Wake by James JoyceHerb ‘n’ Lorna by Eric KraftPolish Officer by Alan Furst–Lord of Chaos by Robert JordanWalden by Henry David ThroreauReservations Recommended by Eric KraftSelected Letters of Norman Mailer edited by J. Michael LennonChasing Monarchs by Robert PyleSaturday Morning Murder by Batya GurBebe’s By Golly Wow by Yolanda JoeLives of the Muses by Francine ProseBroom of the System by David WallaceCrown of Swords by Robert JordanLittle Follies by Eric KraftLiterary Murder by Batya GurBob Marley, My Son by Cedella Marley BookerNight Flight by Antoine de Saint-ExuperySouthern Mail by Antoine de Saint- ExuperyMeasure of All Things, the by Ken AlderTwo Gardeners by Emily WilsonRoyal Flash by George FraserBinding Spell by Elizabeth ArthurCrown of Swords by Robert JordanADDED: Castle in the Backyard by Betsy DrainePath of Daggers by Robert JordanWhere Do You Stop? by Eric KraftEverything You Ever Wanted by Jillian LaurenMurder on a Kibbutz by Batya GurFlash for Freedom! by George FraserMurder in Amsterdam by Ian BurumaPetra: lost city by Christian AugeFrom Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas FriedmanCutting for Stone by Abraham VergheseFlashman at the Charge by George MacDonald FraserWhat a Piece of Work I Am by Eric KraftBattle Cry of Freedom by James McPhersonRuby by Cynthia Bond
Winter’s Heart by Robert JordanCrossroads of Twilight by Robert JordanMurder Duet by Batya GurFlashman in the Great Game – George MacDonald FraserAt Home with the Glynns by Eric KraftSixty Stories by Donald BarthelmeNew Physics and Cosmology by Arthur ZajoncGrifters by Jim ThompsonSnow Angels by James Thompson
So Many Roads: the life and Times of the Grateful Dead by David Browne
Short story: Drinking with the Cook by Laura FurmanShort Story: Hagalund by Laura FurmanLone Pilgrim by Laurie ColwinNot so Short story: The Last of Mr. Norris by Christopher Isherwoodshort story: Jack Landers is My Friend by Daniel Stolarshort story: Marriage Lessons by Daniel StolarLight in August by William FaulknerNot so Short story: Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher IsherwoodA Comedy & A Tragedy by Travis Hugh Culley
Feed Zone by Biju ThomasLeaving Small’s Hotel by Eric KraftFlashman’s Lady by George MacDonald FraserIn the Footsteps of Genghis Khan by John DeFrancisFaster! by James Gleick
Game of Kings by Dorothy DunnettFamilies and Survivors by Alice AdamsInflating a Dog by Eric Kraft
Castles in the Air by Judy Corbett
Flashman and the Redskins by George MacDonald Fraser
Queens’ Play by Dorothy Dunnett
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John IrvingPetty by Warren Zanes
Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
Homicide by David SimonThen She Found Me by Elinor Lipman (AB)
Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett
Flashman and the Dragon by George MacDonald Fraser
A Cup of Water Under My Bed by Daisy Hernandez (ER)Crows Over a Wheatfield by Paula SharpTime Traveler: In Search of Dinosaurs and Ancient Mammals from Montana to Mongolia by Michael Novacek- ADDED: Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giaordano (recommendation from my sister)
- ADDED: Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry (needed an AB)
- Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman
- Flashman and the Mountain of Light by George MacDonald Fraser
- Pawn in Frankincense by Dorothy Dunnett
- ADDED: My Confection by Lisa Kotin (ER)
- ADDED: Hatchet Job by Harold Adams
DNF = Did Not Finish; AB = Audio Book; ER = Early Review; DNS = Did Not Start; EB = E-Book
June Buggy
Posted: 2015/06/08 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio books, E-Books, Early Review, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: audio books, biography, books, Early Review, Fiction, librarything, list, mystery, NonFiction, reading, travel | Leave a commentI said May was going to be a crazy month and I was right. I survived the half marathon at the beginning of the month and the 60 mile walk at the end of the month. I didn’t get to all of the books because I futzed around with so many non-list running books (silly me). But, here is the list such as it is:
Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan(DNF)In a Strange City by Laura LippmanBy a Spider’s Thread by Laura Lippman(AB)Recognitions by William Gaddis(DNF)Maus by Art SpiegelmanLady Franklin’s Revenge by Ken McGooganBrief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao* by Junot Diaz(AB)Walk in the Woods by Bill BrysonEugene Onegin by Alexander PushkinShadow Rising by Robert JordanA Good Doctor’s Son by Steven SchwartzDrinking: a Love Story by Caroline KnappAncient Rome on 5 Denarii a Day by Philip MatyszakNero Wolfe Cookbook by Rex StoutTreasure Hunter by W. Jameson(ER)Maus II by Art Spiegelman (Jan)The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat(AB)In Xanadu by William DalrympleThe Assault by Harry MulischWild Blue by Stephen AmbroseShot in the Heart by Mikal GilmoreGreater Nowheres by David Finkelstein/Jack LondonAlma Mater by P.F KlugeOld Man & Me by Elaine DundyDud Avocado by Elaine DundyGood Life by Ben BradleeUnderworld by Don DeLilloHer Name Was Lola by Russell HobanMan Who Was Thursday by GK ChestertonFires From Heaven by Robert JordanFinnegan’s Wake by James JoyceDNFHerb ‘n’ Lorna by Eric KraftPolish Officer by Alan Furst– (AB)Lord of Chaos by Robert JordanWalden by Henry David ThroreauReservations Recommended by Eric KraftSelected Letters of Norman Mailer edited by J. Michael Lennon– (ER)Chasing Monarchs by Robert PyleSaturday Morning Murder by Batya GurBebe’s By Golly Wow by Yolanda JoeLives of the Muses by Francine ProseBroom of the System by David WallaceCrown of Swords by Robert JordanLittle Follies by Eric KraftLiterary Murder by Batya GurBob Marley, My Son by Cedella Marley Booker(ER)Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-ExuperySouthern Mail by Antoine de Saint- ExuperyMeasure of All Things, the by Ken Alder(AB)Two Gardeners by Emily WilsonRoyal Flash by George Fraser- Fifties by David Halberstam (Apr – DNS)
Binding Spell by Elizabeth ArthurCrown of Swords by Robert Jordan(DNF)ADDED: Castle in the Backyard by Betsy Draine(EB)Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan(DNF)Where Do You Stop? by Eric KraftEverything You Ever Wanted by Jillian Lauren(ER)- Murder on a Kibbutz by Batya Gur (Jun)
Flash for Freedom! by George Fraser
Murder in Amsterdam by Ian Buruma
Petra: lost city by Christian Auge
From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas Friedman
- Jordan by E. Borgia (May – DNS)
- Coroner’s Lunch by Colin Cotterill (May – DNS)
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
- Flashman at the Charge by George MacDonald Fraser (Jun/Apr)
- What a Piece of Work I Am by Eric Kraft (Jun/Feb)
- Castles in the Air by Judy Corbett (Jun)
- Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson (AB/Jun)
- Thirty-three Teeth by Colin Cotterill (Jun)
- ADDED: Ruby by Cynthia Bond (ER)
- Millstone by Margaret Drabble (Jun)
Winter’s Heart by Robert Jordan(DNF)Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan(DNF)- At Home with the Glynns by Eric Kraft (Jul/Feb)
- Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill (Jul)
- Sixty Stories by Donald Barthelme (Jul)
- New Physics and Cosmology by Arthur Zajonc (Jul)
- Grifters by Jim Thompson (Jul)
- Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (Jul)
- Snow Angels by James Thompson (Jul)
- Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill (Aug)
- ADDED: Leaving Small’s Hotel by Eric Kraft (Aug/Feb)
- Flashman’s Lady by George MacDonald Fraser (Aug)
- Possession by AS Byatt (Aug)
- In the Footsteps of Ghanghis Khan by John DeFrancis (Aug)
- What Just Happened by James Gleick (Aug)
- Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett (Aug)
- ADDED: Inflating a Dog by Eric Kraft (Sep/Feb)
- Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill (Sep)
- Flashman and the Redskins by George MacDonald Fraser (Sep)
- Queens’ Play by Dorothy Dunnett (Sep)
- Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (Sep)
- Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (Sep)
- Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Sep)
- Then She Found Me by Elinor Lipman (Oct)
- Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill (Oct)
- Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett (Oct)
- Flashman and the Dragon by George MacDonald Fraser (Oct)
- Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman (Nov)
- Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Collin Cotterill (Nov)
- Flashman and the Mountain of Light by George MacDonald Fraser (Nov)
- Pawn in Frankincense by Dorothy Dunnett (Nov)
- Andorra by Peter Cameron (Nov)
DNF = Did Not Finish; AB = Audio Book; ER = Early Review; DNS = Did Not Start; EB = Electronic book
November the End List
Posted: 2014/10/31 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio book, Early Review, Fiction, NonFiction, Poetry | Tags: audio books, biography, books, childrens book, fantasy, Fiction, list, NonFiction, Poetry, reading, science fiction, short stories | Leave a commentThis is the final month for the Challenge year. I don’t have much to say beyond that. Here are the books:
In a Strange CityButcher’s Hill by Laura Lippman (to continue the series started in September) Note: Butcher’s Hill was supposed to be read in October but it took over a month for it to arrive.- ADDED: All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
- Andorra by Peter Cameron
- Any Four Women Can Rob the Bank of Italy by Ann Cornelisen
- Beaufort by Ron Leshem
- Cradle of Gold by Christopher Heaney
- Grass Dancer by Susan Power*
- ADDED: Great Hunt by Robert Jordan (to continue the series started in October, because I forgot to mention the rest of the series)
- You Get What You Pay For by Larry Beinhart- MAYBE
*Planned as audio books
FINISHED (Dec 2013 – Oct 2014):
- Absolute Zero by Helen Cresswell*
- After the Dance by Edwidge Danticat
- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow*
- Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin*
- Angels Weep by Wilbur Smith
- Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler.
- Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Art Student’s War by Brad Leithauser
- Baltimore Blues* by Laura Lippman
- Beirut Blues by Hanan al-Shaykh
- Benjamin Franklin: an American Life by Walter Isaacson
- ADDED: Biodegradable Soap by Amy Ephron
- Bring Me a Unicorn by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks*
- Black Lamb and Gray Falcon by Rebecca West (DNF)
- Bluebird Canyon by Dan McCall
- Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
- Cabin Fever by Elizabeth Jolley
- Captain Sir Richard Burton by Edward Rice (DNF)
- Careless Love by Peter Gurlnink
- Caroline’s Daughters by Alice Adams
- Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks
- Children of Cambodia’s Killing Fields: Memoirs of Survivors compiled by Dith Pran
- Civil Action by Jonathan Harr
- Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire*
- Culture of Disbelief by Stephen Carter (DNF)
- Dancer and the Thief by Antonio Skarmeta
- Dancer with Bruised Knees by Lynne McFall
- Dark Sun by Richard Rhodes (DNF)
- Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan*
- Dervish is Digital by Pat Cadigan
- Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler
- Eighth Day by Thornton Wilder
- Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
- ADDED: Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
- Faith Fox by Jane Gardam
- Falcon Flies by Wilbur Smith*
- Feast of Love by Charles Baxter
- First Man by Albert Camus
- Flower and the Nettle by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Fordlandia by Greg Gandin
- French Revolutions* by Tim Moore.
- Georges’ Wife by Elizabeth Jolley
- Gesture Life by Chang-rae Lee
- Half Magic* by Edward Eager
- Herzog by Saul Bellow
- History Man by Malcolm Bradbury
- Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- House of Morgan by Ron Chernow – attempted
- Illumination Night by Alice Hoffman
- In the Graveyard of Empires by Scott Jones*
- Inside Passage by Michael Modzelewski
- Inspector Ghote Breaks an Egg by H.R.F. Keating
- It Looked Like Forever by Mark Harris
- Last Train to Memphis by Peter Guralink
- Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Leopard Hunts in the Darkness by Wilbur Smith
- Life in the Air Ocean by Sylvia Foley
- Long Way From Home by Frederick Busch
- Lotus Eaters by Tatjani Soli
- Lulu in Hollywood by Louise Brooks
- Men of Men by Wilbur Smith
- Neighborhood Heroes by Morgan Rielly
- Now Read This II by Nancy Pearl
- Ocean of Words by Ha Jin
- Oedipus by Sophocles
- Owl Service by Alan Garner*
- Palladian Days by Sally Gable*
- Partisan by Benjamin Cheever
- ADDED: Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
- Price of Silence by Liza Long
- Professor and the Housekeeper by Yoko Ogawa
- Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald
- Raw Silk by Janet Burroway
- Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro*
- Rose Cafe by John Hanson Mitchell
- Rose of Martinique by Andrea Stuart
- Run or Die by Kilian Jornet
- Running for Mortals by John Bingham
- Seeing in the Dark by Timothy Ferris
- Soul of All Living Creatures by Vint Virga
- Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff
- Thousand Ways to Please a Husband by Weaver/LeCron (E-book)
- Thrush Green by Miss Read*
- Toronto by Charles Way
- Transcriptionist by Amy Rowland
- War Within and Without by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Wildwater Walking Club by Claire Cook.
- Winners and Losers by Martin Quigley
- Zero Days by Barbara Egbert
Poetry:
- “Aftermath” ~ a poem by Siegfried Sassoon
- “Romance” ~ a poem by W.J. Turner
- “Kubla Khan” ~ a poem by Samuel T. Coleridge
Short Stories:
- “The Huckabuck Family” by Carl Sandburg
- “How to Revitalize the Snake in Your Life” by Hannah Tinti
- “Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury
- “Thirty Year Old Women Do Not Always Come Home” by Mark Winegardner
- “Birdland” by Michael Knight
- “Killer Inside Me” by Jim Thompson
- “Down There” by David Goodis
- “Crossing the Craton” by John McPhee.
- “Lukudi” by Adrianne Harun
- “The Eighth Sleeper of Ephesus” also by Adrianne Harun
- “Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius” by Jorge Luis Borges
For next year:
- Hall of a Thousand Columns by Tim Mackintosh-Smith.
Bang of July List
Posted: 2014/07/02 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio book, Early Review, Fiction, NonFiction, Poetry | Tags: biography, books, Fiction, list, memoir, NonFiction, reading, short stories | Leave a commentJuly is vacation month for me. Well, just to clarify, I go on vacation starting tomorrow (hence the late list post). Not that I go on vacation for the whole month! Don’t I wish! But, with a week off I should be able to get through a good chunk of reading. Sadly, the only books I am really looking forward to reading are Faulks and Rielly. Sigh. Here’s the list:
- Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler.
- Black Lamb and Gray Falcon by Rebecca West. This is well over 1,000 pages long!
- ADDED: Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks (continues the series)
- Dark Sun by Richard Rhodes. This was on the list for last year but I decided it wasn’t “fun.” Remember? I still don’t think it will be fun.
- Faith Fox by Jane Gardam*
- In the Graveyard of Empires by Scott Jones*
- ADDED: Neighborhood Heroes: Life Lessons from the Greatest Generation by Morgan Rielly (LibraryThing Early Review)
*Audio book
Here is how the rest of year eight should go:
- Andorra by Peter Cameron (November)
- Any Four Women Can Rob the Bank of Italy by Ann Cornelisen (November)
- Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman (September)
- Beaufort by Ron Leshem* (November)
- Beirut Blues by Hanan al-Shaykh (August)
- Bluebird Canyon by Dan McCall (September)
- Captain Sir Richard Burton by Edward Rice (October)
- Caroline’s Daughters by Alice Adams (August)
- Cradle of Gold by Christopher Heaney (November)
- Culture of Disbelief by Stephen Carter (October)
- Eye of the World by Robert Jordan* (October)
- Fordlandia by Greg Gandin (August)
- Gesture Life by Chang-rae Lee (August)
- Grass Dancer by Susan Power (November)
- History Man by Malcolm Bradbury (September)
- In a Strange City by Laura Lippman (October)
- Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges (August)
- Long Way From Home by Frederick Busch (August)
- Raw Silk by Janet Burroway (September)
- Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro* (August)
- Thousand Ways to Please a Husband by Weaver/LeCron (September)
- You Get What You Pay For by Larry Beinhart (November)
*Planned as audio books
FINISHED:
- After the Dance by Edwidge Danticat
- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow*
- Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin*
- Angels Weep by Wilbur Smith
- Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Art Student’s War by Brad Leithauser
- Benjamin Franklin: an American Life by Walter Isaacson
- Bring Me a Unicorn by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks*
- Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
- Cabin Fever by Elizabeth Jolley
- Careless Love by Peter Gurlnink
- Civil Action by Jonathan Harr
- Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan*
- Dancer and the Thief by Antonio Skarmeta
- Dancer with Bruised Knees by Lynne McFall
- Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler
- Eighth Day by Thornton Wilder
- Falcon Flies by Wilbur Smith*
- Feast of Love by Charles Baxter
- First Man by Albert Camus
- Flower and the Nettle by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- French Revolutions* by Tim Moore.
- Georges’ Wife by Elizabeth Jolley
- Herzog by Saul Bellow
- Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- House of Morgan by Ron Chernow – attempted
- Illumination Night by Alice Hoffman
- Inside Passage by Michael Modzelewski
- Inspector Ghote Breaks an Egg by H.R.F. Keating
- It Looked Like Forever by Mark Harris
- Last Train to Memphis by Peter Guralink
- Leopard Hunts in the Darkness by Wilbur Smith
- Life in the Air Ocean by Sylvia Foley
- Lotus Eaters by Tatjani Soli
- ADDED: Lulu in Hollywood by Louise Brooks
- Men of Men by Wilbur Smith
- Now Read This II by Nancy Pearl
- Ocean of Words by Ha Jin
- Oedipus by Sophocles
- Palladian Days by Sally Gable*
- Professor and the Housekeeper by Yoko Ogawa
- Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald
- Rose Cafe by John Hanson Mitchell
- Rose of Martinique by Andrea Stuart
- Run or Die by Kilian Jornet
- Running for Mortals by John Bingham
- Seeing in the Dark by Timothy Ferris
- Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff
- Thrush Green by Miss Read*
- Transcriptionist by Amy Rowland
- War Within and Without by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- ADDED: Wildwater Walking Club by Claire Cook. A gift from a fellow Just ‘Cause walker 🙂
- Winners and Losers by Martin Quigley
- Zero Days by Barbara Egbert
Poetry:
- “Aftermath” ~ a poem by Siegfried Sassoon
- “Romance” ~ a poem by W.J. Turner
- “Kubla Khan” ~ a poem by Samuel T. Coleridge
Short Stories:
- “The Huckabuck Family” by Carl Sandburg
- “How to Revitalize the Snake in Your Life” by Hannah Tinti
- “Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury
- “Thirty Year Old Women Do Not Always Come Home” by Mark Winegardner
- “Birdland” by Michael Knight
- “Killer Inside Me” by Jim Thompson (not really a short story, but I treated it as such)
- “Down There” by David Goodis (again really, not a short story)
- “Crossing the Craton” by John McPhee. It’s the fifth and final chapter in Annals of the Former World but since it’s less than 50 pages long, I’m treating it as a short story.
- Lukudi by Adrianne Harun
- The Eighth Sleeper of Ephesus also by Adrianne Harun
For another year (because I screwed up):
- Hall of a Thousand Columns by Tim Mackintosh-Smith.
May Day List
Posted: 2014/05/02 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio book, Fiction, NonFiction, Poetry | Tags: audio books, biography, books, classic, Fiction, history, list, mystery, NonFiction, Poetry, reading | Leave a commentI don’t hold onto many books. Once I have read something I either lend it away, maybe to never see it again or I donate it somewhere, hoping to never see it again. In an effort to clean off my personal shelves I swapped out some of the titles I had been planning to borrow from other libraries for books I already have at home. This practically changes the entire list for May, but oh well. Here are the many, many books that are on the list for this May:
- Art Student’s War by Brad Leithauser
- Hall of a Thousand Columns by Tim Mackintosh-Smith
- Careless Love by Peter Gurlnink…yes, I am STILL reading this! I can’t seem to finish it! Grrrrr
- Inspector Ghote Breaks an Egg by H.R.F. Keating
- Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown. I was going to read Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott, but I have Bury My Heart at home.
- Oedipus by Sophocles. Originally I was going to read Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan, but like Bury My Heart, I have Oedipus at home.
- Finishing: The Lotus Eaters by Tatjani Soli
- ADDED: French Revolutions* by Tim Moore. I needed something on cd.
- ADDED: The transcriptionist by Amy Rowland (an Early Review title from LibraryThing)
*Audio book
Here is how the rest of year eight should go:
- Andorra by Peter Cameron (November)
- Any Four Women Can Rob the Bank of Italy by Ann Cornelisen (November)
- Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler (July)
- Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman (September)
- Beaufort by Ron Leshem* (November)
- Beirut Blues by Hanan al-Shaykh (August)
- Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks* (June)
- Black Lamb and Gray Falcon by Rebecca West (July)
- Bluebird Canyon by Dan McCall (September)
- Captain Sir Richard Burton by Edward Rice (October)
- Caroline’s Daughters by Alice Adams (August)
- Cradle of Gold by Christopher Heaney (November)
- Culture of Disbelief by Stephen Carter (October)
- Dancer with Bruised Knees by Lynne McFall (June)
- Dark Sun by Richard Rhodes (July)
- Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler (June)
- Eye of the World by Robert Jordan* (October)
- Faith Fox by Jane Gardam* (July)
- First Man by Albert Camus (June)
- Fordlandia by Greg Gandin (August)
- Gesture Life by Chang-rae Lee (August)
- Grass Dancer by Susan Power (November)
- History Man by Malcolm Bradbury (September)
- In a Strange City by Laura Lippman (October)
- Inside Passage by Michael Modselewski (June)
- Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges (August)
- Long Way From Home by Frederick Busch (August)
- Raw Silk by Janet Burroway (September)
- Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro* (August)
- Rose of Martinique by Andrea Stuart (June)
- Thousand Ways to Please a Husband by Weaver/LeCron (September)
- You Get What You Pay For by Larry Beinhart (November)
*Planned as audio books
FINISHED:
- After the Dance by Edwidge Danticat
- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow*
- Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin*
- Angels Weep by Wilbur Smith
- Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Benjamin Franklin: an American Life by Walter Isaacson
- Bring Me a Unicorn by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Cabin Fever by Elizabeth Jolley
- Civil Action by Jonathan Harr
- Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan*
- ADDED: Dancer and the Thief by Antonio Skarmeta
- Eighth Day by Thornton Wilder
- Falcon Flies by Wilbur Smith*
- Feast of Love by Charles Baxter
- Flower and the Nettle by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Georges’ Wife by Elizabeth Jolley – This finishes the Vera Wright Trilogy
- Herzog by Saul Bellow. Originally, I was going to read Call It Sleep by Henry Roth in May, but I read Herzog early in honor of Bellow’s passing in April of 2005.
- Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- House of Morgan by Ron Chernow – attempted
- Illumination Night by Alice Hoffman
- It Looked Like Forever by Mark Harris
- Last Train to Memphis by Peter Guralink
- Leopard Hunts in the Darkness by Wilbur Smith
- Life in the Air Ocean by Sylvia Foley
- Men of Men by Wilbur Smith
- Now Read This II by Nancy Pearl
- Ocean of Words by Ha Jin
- Palladian Days by Sally Gable*
- Professor and the Housekeeper by Yoko Ogawa
- Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald
- Rose Cafe by John Hanson Mitchell
- Run or Die by Kilian Jornet
- Running for Mortals by John Bingham
- ADDED: Seeing in the Dark: How Backyard Stargazers are Probing Deep Space and Guarding Earth from Interplanetary Peril by Timothy Ferris
- Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff
- ADDED: Thrush Green by Miss Read*
- War Within and Without by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Winners and Losers by Martin Quigley
Poetry:
- “Aftermath” ~ a poem by Siegfried Sassoon
- “Romance” ~ a poem by W.J. Turner
- “Kubla Khan” ~ a poem by Samuel T. Coleridge