One Book A Week Club 2017

[kathrinee]

My June books

Chinua Achebe: Things Fall Apart (1959). I realize this is an iconic book by Achebe, a giant among African writers. I appreciate its impact and importance, but it didn't grab me.
David Howarth: Ni Liv (1955). A read-aloud with my 10yo. A biography of a Norwegian saboteur during WW2. Incredible story of survival.
Karl Ove Knausgård: My Struggle, book 1 (2009/2012). I know I'm late to the party here! This autobiographical writing is strangely compelling, almost addictive. His ability to describe, capture in words, and the tone of the more essay-like parts of the volume makes me want to read book 2 as well!
Jack London: Call of the Wild. Family read-aloud. I loved London as a pre-teen, I still find his writing and wilderness descriptions really compelling.
Stephen King: Bag of Bones (1998). This is the first King-book I've ever read. Frankly, I'm not eager to read more.
Nina LaCour: We are Okay (2017). YA fiction about first year of college, friendship, love, death, human connection. I liked it.
Graeme Simsion: The Rosie Project (2013). Quirkily funny about Don, who is somewhere on the autism spectrum, and his budding relationship with Rosie, who is messy and irrational. Made me laugh, and think
Piper Kerman: Orange is the New Black (2010). Autobiography about a well-educated, white, middle-class woman who spends a year in prison for a 10 year old drug offense. I was a bit disappointed about the prose, but found it interesting enough. She talks about "prison Zen," which I liked!

[pjcsaville]

I read several books last month.
Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson
The Story of Robin Hood by Bertha E Bush
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (One of my favorites)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Fairy Changeling by Dora Sigerson Shorter
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
The Story of Napoleon by H. E. Marshall
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Some I listened through Librivox and other audiobooks, but about half I read.

I've got quite a list for next month. I'm half way through Little Women and Huckleberry Finn. I want to read Little Men, the Blue Fairy Book, Le Mort d'Arthur and books I want to read to my daughter: A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, and some of the Narnia books.

[MaryinArkansas]

Here is my list of books for June:

"The Player’s Boy" by Bryher (pen name of Annie Winifred Ellerman) Good, unusual novel set in England in the era of James I.

"Persuasion" by Jane Austin. LibriVox download beautifully read by Elizabeth Klett. I’m not a special fan of Miss Austen's books – maybe I’m too old. I can’t get into her 18th century attitude of romance. This book was entertaining, especially as it was so wonderfully read by Ms. Klett.

"Lost City of the Monkey God" by Douglas Preston Kindle download. Very good book. I first heard about it on a CBS Sunday news program. The book sounded intriguing, and it was. It was quite an adventure story. This link to the segment of the CBS program tells a lot about the book. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/curse-of-the-lost-city-of-the-monkey-god/

"The Bone Garden" by Tess Gerritson. Downloaded audio book from library. Nice, entertaining book. Lots going on. Good summertime entertainment.

"Ice in June, A Playwright’s Story" by Fred M. White. Gutenberg download from “Golden Stories: A Selection of the Best Fiction by the Foremost Writers" My short story for June. OK story, but nothing special about it. He also wrote sci-fi. Perhaps his science fiction stories were better than this one.

[kathrinee]

My July books:
All the light we cannot see (2014) by Anthony Doerr. Emotionally satisfying, well written about children and teens in WW2 (though not--necessarily--for young readers). I thought it was about 100 pages too long, though.
Never let me go (2005) by Kazuo Ishiguro. About clones, donors, careers. I read it with severe back pain, but found it a genuinely annoying book.
The Snowman (2010/2012) by Jo Nesbø. Very readerfriendly, good entertainment.
Hatchet (1987) by Gary Paulsen. Family read-aloud. Instructive self-talk!
One plus one (2014) by Jojo Moyes. Readerfriendly, tearjerker, forgettable.
The end of the beginning (2004) by Avi. Sweet.
A beginning, a muddle, and an end (2008) by Avi. Annoying! Maybe my patience was just over, but I felt this one was too clever by half.
Sense and sensibility by Jane Austen. With a brother like Mr. Dashwood, who needs enemies!
My struggle, book 2 by Karl Ove Knausgard. Family, kids, love and frustration.
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing vol. 1: The Pox Party (2006) by M.T. Anderson. I've been reading this in parallel with Johnny Tremain, both about the same time, place and (partly)the same people. This is a reimagination. It is well written and clever, but for me it had lots of resistance.
Obernewtyn (1987) by Isobelle Carmody. YA sci-fi/fantasy, postapocalyptic about people with powers of reaching into the minds of others and powerstruggles. Meh.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) by Mohsin Hamid. Drawing-me-in 1st person narrative about our post-9/11 world.
Persuasion (1817) by Jane Austen. Ah, teh power of a loveletter!
South of the border, west of the sun (1998) by Haruki Murakami. Such muted, clear prose. Disappearing women, togetherness, presentness, love, solitude.

[MaryinArkansas]

Only a few books read for July. One that I liked a lot was "Isaac’s Storm" by Erik Larson. Overdrive library e-book download. Excellent account of the 1900 Galveston hurricane.

"Thurber on Crime" by James Thurber. Library sale book. “Stories, articles, drawings and reflections on the evil that men and women do.” Nice little book.

"Lights and Shadows of New York Life" by James Dabney McCabe. A Gutenberg download that I started some time ago. This interesting sounding book was my pick for a book/story about the state of New York for my “50 States 50 Stories” project. The book is actually about New York City. It’s a very interesting, often fascinating description of the city’s past. Of course it was a current picture of the city at the time it was written in the 1870s. It’s a fascinating look at what the city was like during that time.

[MaryinArkansas]

My books read for August. I've started some others, but don't count them until completed:

"The Octopus" by Frank Norris, LibriVox download. A very good book. At times a little long and preachy, but beautifully read (performed) by Delmar H. Dolbier

"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. Amazon e-book download. I liked this book very much. Will check out the movie some time.

"Land of the Burnt Thigh" by Edith Ammons Kohl. Gutenberg download. Excellent, true account of early 20th century settlement by two sisters (plus others) in South Dakota.

"Lake Woebegon: Summer 1956" by Garrison Keillor. Library sale book. Good, fictional memoir.

"Roman Wall" by Bryher (Annie Winifred Ellerman) Library sale book. Good, historical novel of the 3rd century Roman frontier. Well written characters.

Although not actual books, I've also been listening to stories on archive.org from the old radio series "Suspense". Nothing earth shaking so far as the plot goes, but it's fun to listen to some of the well known actors of that era - Agnes Moorehead, Roddy McDowell, Edmond O'Brien, etc. Entertaining stories.

[J_N]

I blasted past my reading goal 3 books ago without noticing.

The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase by Mark Forsyth made it over the finishing line.

Page-wise I am currently at 31,401 - far below last year where I almost hit 60,000 pages by the end of the year (~40,000 pages within the first 100 books - this was one of my goals last year which I will NEVER repeat ). At the moment I don't think I will even make it to 40,000 but there is usually a surge in the later months as I am not as much out and about when it's dark and cold outside.

[MaryinArkansas]

Only one book for September - unusual for me. The LibriVox version of "Why Frau Frohhmann Raised Her Prices and Other Stories" by Anthony Trollope. Some pleasant stories nicely read by Nicholas Clifford, as always.

I started a couple of other books last month, but could not get into either one of them. October is showing more promise.

[thestorygirl]

Updated list:

"The Creative Habit," by Twyla Tharp (non-f)
"Angels Elect and Evil," by C. Fred Dickason (non-f)
"The Big Four," by Agatha Christie
"Wish You Were Here," by Beth Vogt
"The Blue Castle," by L. M. Montgomery
"The Loved One," by Catherine Palmer & Peggy Stoks
"The Ragamuffin Gospel," by Brennan Manning (non-f)
"The Seven Conundrums," by E. Phillips Oppenheim
"Secrets on the Wind," by Stephanie Grace Whitson

[MaryinArkansas]

My books read for October and November

October:

“Kill All Cats” by Rick Bylina. Hard copy book. OK book. I was working on other projects this month, so didn’t read a lot. I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I’d read it in a day or two. Instead, I spent several weeks reading it.

“The Spanish West” from Time-Life Book Series of “The Old West”. Beautifully illustrated, interesting history of the Spanish West in (what became) the United States and Mexico. Very good

“Glass Houses” by Louise Penny. Download library audio book. Another mystery from the 3 Pines series. Excellent story with wonderful characters, as always.

“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) LibriVox download. Perfectly read by Phil Chenevert. A great book.

November:

“The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu” by Joshua Hammer. Library e-book download. Description from Goodreads: “In the 1980s, a young adventurer and collector for a government library, Abdel Kader Haidara, journeyed across the Sahara Desert and along the Niger River, tracking down and salvaging tens of thousands of ancient Islamic and secular manuscripts that had fallen into obscurity.” Fascinating story. Hard to read in parts, because of some of the cruel things done by Isis type groups.

"The Golden Bird" by Shannon Garst. Hard copy book. Nicely written, simple children’s book of a young boy of the Tarascan tribe of Mexico.

“The Glory of the Conquered” by Susan Glaspell. Librivox download. This was Susan Glaspell’s first novel. Not her best effort, but still a good book.

[mightyfelix]

My reading has dropped off drastically ever since I started recording for LV, actually. How do you guys do it?

[J_N]

I haven't been recording much lately, but nowadays most of my reading is done via audiobooks and the time I use audiobooks is not free for LV recording anyway (commute, running, chores, ...), so they don't hinder each other.

On another note: Less than a week to go, so folks, finish those last books and get your reading lists updated.

[kathrinee]

My August through December books :

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour (2012). YA fiction. Honest about love and friendships. "It is ok if it hurts," says one of the characters...
My Struggle: Book 3 bu Karl Ove Knausgaard. Oh, the joys and anxieties of growing up.
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, beautifully read by Phil Chenevert. A reminder of the importance of making good choices and cultivating a good heart.
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (1943). Long and good, familiy read that we all liked.
Healing Children: A Surgeon's Stories from the Frontiers of Pediatric Medicine by Kurt Newman (2017). Interesting and thoughtprovoking non-fiction
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932). I loved the way Shakespeare's words were woven into the narrative!
Winnie-The-Pooh by A.A. Milne. Family read-aloud for the big bear of the family!
My Struggle: Book 4 by Karl Ove Knausgaard. Teenager: brain under construction.
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1932). Read-aloud. Lots of fond memories of my own mom reading it aloud for me!
A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev (2014).
The House on Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne (1928). Read-aloud for Ted (the bear). These stories are amazing, now firmly part of the family vernacular
The Liberation of Gabriel King by K.L Going (2005). YA fiction. I liked this book for tackling fear and bravery -- and for not trying to do everything, all at once.
Boy of the Painted Cave by Justin Denzel (1988). Read-aloud for my English students. They liked it!
Paul Revere and the World he Lived in by Ester Forbes (1942). Sort of slow and sprawling, very informative.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (1961). YA. Good and sad.
Coraline (graphic novel) by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russel. Properly scary!
Reading with Patrick by Michelle Kuo (2017). Autobiographical. Quite lovely on reading, writing and the impact of those two things.
Emma by Jane Austen (1815). Her prose is quite amazing.
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (2007). YA fiction.
My Stuggle: Book 5 by Karl Ove Knausgaard.
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough. Interesting non-fiction survey of research on grit and character.
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen (2001). YA fiction. It grew on me, I found it quite powerful in the end.
Poison's Kiss by Breeana Shields (2017). YA fiction. Meh.
Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai (2015). YA fiction. Somehow both annoying and beautiful.
Among the Hiddel by Margaret Peterson Haddix (1998). YA ficiton. Felt like a transitional novel to me -- I would have liked it more if the characters had been more fleshed out.
The Read Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things by Paula Byrne (2012). Interesting biography tying together JA's life and writing and her times.
The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer (2004). YA fiction. Long, but a fairly easy read (for younger readers, too). Funny, scary, exciting...

Puh!

[MaryinArkansas]

This my list for December. It's unusual not to have a LibriVox book on the list. I am listening to one now, just haven't finished it yet. I enjoyed posting books on here this year. I do look at Goodreads to read about books, but rarely post anything on there. I hope LibriVox has another "one book a week club" for 2018, though I don't have any particular reading goals for the new year.

“Scat” by Carl Hiaasen. Library audio book download. Very nice, entertaining book. His writing and characters are enjoyable

“Dear Fahrenheit 451” by Annie Spence. Library e book download. Entertaining essays by a librarian about books that she has read…and not read. An enjoyable, quick pick up after trying to wade through a novel that was too long and complicated to finish

“The Museum of ExtraordinaryThings” by Alice Hoffman. Library book. Not a perfect book, but very enjoyable. Unusual story and interesting mix of fiction with actual incidents.

“In Such Good Company” by Carol Burnett. Library audiobook download, read by Carol Burnett. Very entertaining book about Carol Burnett’s comedy variety show, plus some of the people she has known. At times a little too detailed, but all in all an entertaining, pleasant story.

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer. Kindle prime library book. Excellent story narrated by the 9 year old character who lost his father in the 9/11 World Trade Center tragedy and how he seeks answers to what happened as he and others in the book come to grips with tragedies in their lives.

[commonsparrow3]

I completely forgot to update my 2017 Book List through most of the year. I've just done my best to recollect some of what I read last year and fill in the gap.
But now it's a new year, and I've started my 2018 Book List, and I'm going to really try to remember not to neglect it this year!