Challenge: 50 Books discussion

1. 2. 3.

American Savior was provocative and intriguing.

4.

I hadn't read Anne Tyler -- this book was pleasant; a lighter read than I usually pick -- and I thought it was a nice, well-told story.

5.

Hugely readable; great overview of this topic.Giving Up The Last Days of Sylvia Plath

GIVING UP THE LAST DAYS OF SYLVIA PLATH
Intersting little tome . . .

44 to GO!!!!!!!!!!!

SO FAR:
1, The Miracle Life of Edgar Sawtelle
2. American Savior
3. Executive Function in Education
4. Gods behaving Badly
5. Digging to America
6. The Road
7. Giving up: The last days of Sylvia Plath

I'm moving on to STILLWATER by William Weld.

Forgot one:
8. The Power of Now, Tolle

Not in the mood for STILLWATER . . . moving on to No Time for GoodBye by Linwood Barclay

9. No Time for Goodbye by Linwood BarklayNo Time for Goodbye

I thought "No Time . . ." was a decent attempt at suspense. The end disappointed a little -- building to something that fell a little flat. Maybe I don't read enough of this kind of book anymore to know how it compares. I still enjoyed it . . .

10. Three Little Words A Memoir

This book was wonderful. It's the memoir of a young woman who spent her formative years in mostly horrific foster homes before being adopted. Her insight and eloquence is shocking.

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a big hug for your first 10!

I would hav given this one (#11!!) three stars early on but I'm finding that it has stayed with me. I enjoy YA fiction. This book was a quick read but came around/concluded nicely -- pretty insightful.

#12! I can never stay away from non-fiction for too long.

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#13 More intervening non-fiction; always trying to boost my knowledge of what it's like for my sons to navigate the world (they did not inherit some of my better traits!!)

My boys are now all grown--one with a wife and the other with the same girlfriend for 3 years. It is the absolutely most lovely time in my life. I spoil the girls shamelessly.

Do your boys have Aspergers? One of mine does--the one with the wife.

There's so much to read here that I missed your question. My boys are 9, 7 and 3. The older one has a few social issues and some gross/fine/graphomotor issues; the middle one is some interesting mix of verbal and nonverbal ld, adhd and few spectrum characteristics. Advocating for just one of them could be a full-time job and I have two!! Finally got the middle one into a private school for ld kids (cross your fingers) and a good assistive technology eval for the oldest one (yeah -- another year of monthly team meetings!!) Wouldn't trade a minute, though!

Your plate is full! Have you ever seen any of Michele Garcia Winner's curriculum? It make so much sense...I think it would help at home. Wish I had had it!

I shall find it!! Get this: I work for the state prosecuting child abuse cases and, I'm sure you can relate -- that's where I go to RELAX! My middle guy is headed to a private LD school in the Fall -- I really hope he can find some success there. We're all at peace, believe it or not, despite the chaos.

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#14 The Hour I first Believed

O.K. -- so I don't have the longest attention span or the most patience in the world and I do enjoy Wally Lamb -- but I could not WAIT for this book to end!! I liked it enough to finish, but the subplots' subplots had me skimming and I'm sure I missed some foundational details. Provocative themes, intricate details -- but I'm so glad i'm DONE!!

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#15 The Shut-Down Learner . . . if there's an IEP in your life somewhere and you have that overwhelmed "what are they talking about feeling", -- READ THIS BOOK!!

After every parent teacher conference my husband looked at me and said, "What do people do who aren't teachers? I'm so glad I have you." It's a different world, education, and not always in a good way.

(I taught middle school to get away from the chaos at my house--I can relate!)

All I can ever think about is "how would the child of a non-english speaking, learning disabled, substance-addicted, battered, underemployed and/or undereducated parent do"? With no offense to anyone so afflicted, they were doing a pretty good job running circles around me!!! I went to school for 20 years!!!!!! Child welfare, too, is a different world, and not always in a good way -- both arenas have been rich in life lessons for me but I'm sure not everyone walks away enriched. Thankfully, I love a challenge!!!!!!!!

Perhaps we are soul sisters!

I was thinking the same thing . . . lucky me!! Lucky us!!

16 Revealing Minds: indispensable part of this Mom's library.

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17. Definitely a 4 star read!! I've decided that I love a story in letters (epistolary is quite a cool word, too, don't think?). Ever high in expectations for a great ending -- this fell a tad flat. Otherwise, the writing and story that evolved was wonderful.

18.
I confess . . . I skimmed some of this. Perhaps it was too dense for my current attention span?

19.

I have become a huge Ann Patchett fan -- perhaps more than ever upon finishing this book. I've never read a more honest reflection on friendship between women -- complicated and painful yet enduring and true. I'm still digesting the enormity of the story.

20.

Decent suspense . . . .

21.

22.

Not something I thought I'd enjoy but there's nothing wrong with decent suspense. What intrigued me most was reading the work of an obvious member of the Stephen King clan who wasn't Stephen King. The premise of being haunted by a ghost purchased on the internet seemed quite clever -- I won't spoil the rest. It was an enjoyable read.

23.

I know this book received a lot of criticism. I liked it. I agree that it wasn't so much the writing as the story -- wonderfully conceived. This book is another that will stay with me. Was it a bit trite? Maybe. I'll still give 4 stars.

24.

My first five star read of the year (although I'm wondering whether Ann Patchet's Truth & Beauty should be a five . . .). Never have I read such wonderful character development among a collection of short stories strung together to define a character (Olive, a Maine native approaching the sunset of her life with insight, character, depth and, at the same time, emotional frailty. LOVED IT!

25. I enjoyed this quick read; the ending needed a little polish but it was well done.

Rediscovered some wonderful books with my 4 y.o this summer!!!

26. Touching; a quick read. YA -- a bit simplistic but some wonderful passages.

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Once again YA but LOVELY; narrator is an autistic male teen. I read the library's copy but want to have one on hand . . . will start perusing swapsites and used bookstores!!

28.No Child Left Behind Past, Present, and Future [image error]

Needed a non-fiction fix. Convinced our educational system is globally irrelevant . . . politically manipulated and hopelessly misguided -- some would say FUBAR.

29. The Graveyard Book [image error]

Good read; quick read. Memorable themes. But people loved it? Adored it? Will pass it on to my 10 y.o. for a second opinion.

The Little Stranger

31.

So sad . . . I'm a little stuck @ 31 . . . I've picked up a lot of "to reads" but not stuck with them, skimmed a LOT of non-fiction, caught up on magazines and bookreviews, done A LOT of Christmas shopping -- but I've not advanced towards 50. Perhaps 40 this year and 50 in 2010!~!!!

Kate, re message 47, Don't be disccouraged, that happens to me, too, sometimes. I just can't figure out what would be satisfying to me to read...either I've read all my favorite authors' latest books (dead end), and the new authors I want to try just don't grab me like my favorites (unsatisfying), or I'm in a mood I can't really define...kind of like when I used to want to eat something and would rummage through the cupboards looking and eating and nothing was satisfying, but I kept looking and eating anyway. I guess it never occurred to me (before) to NOT eat something that wasn't satisfying...and turn my attention to something else purposely to build up my appetite again so that I could really appreciate good food again when I had it...I don't have to do that any more with food, but sometimes it happens with reading material and I feel stumped. Hmmm...I think I will take my own 'advice' about that, now that I've drawn the parallel.

Kate wrote: "So sad . . . I'm a little stuck @ 31 . . . I've picked up a lot of "to reads" but not stuck with them, skimmed a LOT of non-fiction, caught up on magazines and bookreviews, done A LOT of Christmas ..."

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is on my TBR on my Kindle right now, but I have heard that the sequel The Girl that Plays with Fire is execellent. That might catch your interest. BTW I got so burned out this past summer I think I only read about 6 books from May to beginning of August. I usually go back to my old standby (James Patterson) and just do some mindless reading that I know moves.

32.
The Gargoyle

WHAT A BOOK! Poetic, twisted, tragic -- very complex characters . . . I don't know what to think of the whole tale. Highly recommended . . .