Books on the Nightstand discussion

Gotta love store puppies!
What a great idea, Callie. Are you blogging your store visits, or are we the only ones lucky enough to hear your bookstore experiences?

I read outloud to my 13yo daughter everynight. She picked one off of my 12 in 2012 list to start tonight. yay! Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles.

Christine wrote: "I read outloud to my 13yo daughter everynight. She picked one off of my 12 in 2012 list to start tonight. yay! Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles."

You're going to really enjoy "Each Little Bird That Sings." Everyone in our public library's Children's Literature Book Group loved it! Recommended it to my niece and it's one of her favorites.

Finished up book 4 of 21 last night.

Ann wrote: "Gotta love store puppies!
What a great idea, Callie. Are you blogging your store visits, or are we the only ones lucky enough to hear your bookstore experiences?"

I've been looking for a reason to start blogging, maybe this will be it! For now, this is where I'll be putting my updates.

Four books of the first twelve down and several others underway -- some which are finishing up from end of 2011 may not fit the 12's I'm aiming for but -- oh well -- deal with that down the road.

January Update for 12-in-12
Historical Fiction (1 of 12):
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (TBR Kindle) 5 stars
Non-fiction: (1 of 12)
Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss by Mark Hyman (TBR Kindle) 5 stars
Mystery (1 of 12):
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (TBR Kindle) 3 stars [NOTE: This is really urban fantasy and the murder was not solved in this book; I ended up checking out the rest of the series from library]

Uh, huh, JoLene, I see how this is going to be. So.
I've read:
one under "book discussion" (check)
two under "spiritual books" (check)
one from my TBR list (check)
none from BOTNS recommended : > (
and one from my stacks at home.

One of my rules that I could only include one book under one category and once placed, it couldn't be moved to another list.

I have also read 3 books that don't fit under the above calories, so that's 3 of the undesignated category.

My plan:
12 from my TBR list on my e-reader
12 from my TBR list on my bookshelves
12 new releases

So far I have read 1 and started my 2nd from my TBR list on my e-reader, started the first from my TBR list on my bookshelves, and I have identified a couple new releases that I want to read. I have created three bookshelves to keep track of my 12-in12 challenge :)

JoLene wrote: "January Update for 12-in-12
Historical Fiction (1 of 12):
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (TBR Kindle) 5 stars
Non-fiction: (1 of 12)
Ultrametabolism: The Simple P..."</i>

<i>JoLene wrote: "January Update for 12-in-12
Historical Fiction (1 of 12):
[book:The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (TBR Kindle) 5 stars
Non-fiction: (1 of 12)
[book:Ultrametabolism: The Simple P..."

JoLene: I'm glad to see someone else loved The Book Thief as much as I did! It is my first choice to give for World Book Night in April...fingers crossed I get that choice, as I think it's an awesome book!

@Jo Ann -- I can't believe that I waited so long to read it as it's been on my Kindle for at least a year. Someone picked it for my book club so I was glad to have the push to read it!

finished reading "Each Little Bird That Sings" to my daughter tonight (1 of 12 on my list). I loved the story, but it was very hard to read outloud. Quite the tearjerker. Had to keep pausing to compose myself
It's about a girl who grows up in a funeral home, so she's used to dealing with death, but then members of her family start dying. Yes, it's a kid book.

5 down and 16 to go!

I finished "Time Traveler's Wife" last night. First one off my "own" library shelf, eleven more to go. I am on target to do one a month in between other books.

Finished in one sitting. That's what I love about graphic novels. I can read them in once sitting! On to !

Just finished Learning to Swim (ooh, loved it) but have to admit it's the first book I've ever read on a phone (bought from an indie!) and was surprised that I really enjoyed it. At least now I'll always have a book with me.

Susan, that's great. I haven't yet tried reading a book on my phone, mostly because my eyes are getting so old that I can barely read my email on my phone.

Curious about how your purchase of the ebook from the indie store went. Easy? Frustrating? So-so?

I have to admit that it was a little frustrating, the first time, not as smooth as downloading a song from i-tunes, for example.

BUT, and here's the good part, all you do is call your beloved indie owner for support. Now that I know what I was doing wrong, it will be a snap.

My only issue (and this is with the INDIEBOUND app) is that it's a two-step process. You go to the store's website on your phone to buy and download the book (do this on your phone!) Then you go to the INDIEBOUND app to read it.

I think IndieBound needs to address this and tweak the app so it's a cleaner process - so you can buy and read straight from their app.

I thought for sure the type would be too small and frustrating but it was about the same size as the type on a book page. And since there's so little text on a page, I felt like a super fast reader for the first time in my life!

Susan wrote: "My only issue (and this is with the INDIEBOUND app) is that it's a two-step process. You go to the store's website on your phone to buy and download the book (do this on your phone!) Then you go to the INDIEBOUND app to read it.

I think IndieBound needs to address this and tweak the app so it's a cleaner process - so you can buy and read straight from their app."

This is an Apple issue, really -- Apple takes 30% of any in-app purchases as commission, which would leave nothing for the bookseller. So the only option is to route you out of the app onto the web store to make the purchase. Amazon, Kobo, and B&N work the same way (I believe, haven't tried recently).

OK, that makes a lot of sense and knowing that leaves me even more patient with the process.

And like I said, now that I've done it once, it's a piece of cake.

My 12 in 12 challenge is really simple....read 12 books (1/month) form my Good Reads "To Read" list.
Book 1.- Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

My challenges are to read 12 books published in 2012 and to visit 12 independent bookstores that are new to me.

Books

1. Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That: A Modern Guide to Manners - Henry Alford - 1/10/12



Bookstores

Coming soon...

Susan wrote: "OK, that makes a lot of sense and knowing that leaves me even more patient with the process.

And like I said, now that I've done it once, it's a piece of cake."

I'm going to have to check out that INDIE app. Ann is right though - all the non iBooks reading apps now work that way - you can no longer purchase directly through the app and it is kind of a pain. Wonder if I can purchase through the Northshire using that app?

Good question - I'm sure Northshire offers that but do you know Ann?

I've finished two four books this year -- need to determine if (or should I say how?) they qualify for any of my 12's lists -- meanwhile I've been putting books on the 12's shelf I created and ordering them into categories. This is going to be a slow and play it as it goes year for me as far as reading so I may or may not be where I wish with all my various 12's at year's end but I'm quite certain that my reading will be very satisfying this year given that all the books I'm putting on that shelf are ones I've really wanted to read for a long while or ones which have called very strongly for me to pick them up now/this year. I also enjoy everyone's take on this and the approach to the check-ins. Thanks everyone.

Just finished my February book and since I am ahead of my "one off my shelf " per month I took an "extra" one off the shelf!

Victoria wrote: "SWonder if I can purchase through the Northshire using that app? "

You should be able to in a few weeks. Northshire is in the process of adding that functionality to their website, but demand from independent bookstores is high, so there's a bit of a lag time as the Indiebound folks get it "turned on."

i read Domestic Violets which is a book i own.

i want to work on the classics, but i may have to read them all this summer.

Ann wrote: "Victoria wrote: "SWonder if I can purchase through the Northshire using that app? "

You should be able to in a few weeks. Northshire is in the process of adding that functionality to their website..."

Thanks Ann for the info! I will keep checking their site periodically. I bought a frequent reader club membership thing when I was there in the summer - no idea how any of that ties in. I guess I can ask when we are there in April.

Carla wrote: "I believe I'll go with 12 Pulitzer Prize winners from the fiction and non-fiction categories. I'm sure I'll also hit 12 in other categories in my race to read 100 books two years in a row - 12 audi..."

Amending my own list after further obsessing about this...
I am reasonably confident that I can do 12 sets of 12 (some books of course count in more than one category):
12 e-books
12 Pulitzer Prize winners
12 classics
12 audiobooks
12 mysteries
12 literary fiction
12 general non-fiction
12 romance
12 thrillers
12 books from my shelves
12 history
12 books I loved (earning a 5-star rating on goodreads)

Reading through other's comments has both inspired and humbled me in my 12 in '12 challenge commitment. I am going to read:
12 classics
12 science fiction books
12 award-winning books
I have somewhat avoided classics and sci fi books as I've become an adult reader, but believe that I am missing out. My one caveat is that books cannot overlap groups.
At this point, I'm doing okay. I've completed 1 sci fi and 7 award winners.

February Update for 12-in-12
Historical Fiction (3 of 12 complete):
2. The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy: 3 stars
3. Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey: 2 stars
Non-fiction: (3 of 12 completed)
2. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot: 4 stars
3.Too Close to the Sun by Curtis Roosevelt 3 stars
Mystery (2 of 12 completed):
2. A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander 5 stars

I will read 12 good books (by good I simply mean I don't stop reading part way, which I do quite easily) published in 2012 and obtained from the Toronto Public Library. I'm currently reading The Snow Child, which is great, and have Dogma waiting for me, which I'm pretty sure I'm going to love (apparently it's like Spurious with more Canadians). I have quite a few Waterstones 11 books on hold even though the library has yet to obtain them, bless TPL for this amazing option. The challenge is in using the library to stay up to date with contemporary fiction!

I hope I am not too late to start. I love the idea. Reading 12 books that are on my shelves is what I decided. I am sure my husband will be thrilled to see one shelf go down a few books.

I'm late getting this posted, but I've challenged myself to read all of the Orange Prize winners. Several of the past winners were already among my favorites and I have TWELVE left to read this year. Convenient, huh?

Finished another one from my shelf so I am on track!

I am going to read 12 Classics. I am just finishing " The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair and wondered why it took me so long to pick this book up to read. I have really enjoyed this book.I guess it could also be included in the 12 books on my shelves, since I have had it sitting there for years.

Toward my goal of reading 12 books I've been avoiding reading, I've now completed 2. Read The Handmaid's Tale in January and then completed War and Peace yesterday. Now reading Oliver Twist and will hopefully finish by the end of the month and be back on track for 1 a month :)

I have gotten 3 books of my TBR list (basically about a quarter of the way through). I have just finished my second Shakespeare play for the year and am off to start my third and fourth ones. And I have read 2 books from the 1001 list of books.

So basically I am making headway, but not as quickly as I would like.

i finished Winter Garden which is a book i own. i have ten left for this challenge.

Just realizing I've already polished off over tweleve books for the 12s in 2012 chqallenge. Finishing the last of four related to Gail godwin one of my favorite writers and working toward doing likewise for Edna St. Vincent Millay and Marilyn French who are also on the favorites list. Finding so many connections falling into place as I read women writers, about women writers, etc. Having fun with all my various 12s!

I have a modest goal for the year of 18 books. Little leisure time for reading... on 5 of 18 now. I think I will try to make 12 recommendations from friends, family and great forums like this. Broaden my horizons a bit - as I have my favorite authors and styles... Reading Cutting for Stoneright now, which was a recommendation - and totally loving it. Not something I would have selected on my own, but so glad to be reading it.

I like Vernell's goal on Feb 4th's post. To make it mine, I will read 12 books on my eReader, 12 books on my shelf and 12 audio books. Gotta make my list for each now or just decide as I go along, I'm not sure.hmmmm

I'm on books 9 and 10 out of 21....

I've decided that I made my goal without thinking or maybe I was dreaming but with moving into my new home this year I must cut reading back. Instead of 12 books from each media, I will cut it to 4 books from each. I will read 4 books from my eReaders, 4 from my shelf and listen to 4 audio books for a total of 12 books. I think that goal will be reachable.

I'm on my fourth book in my challenge and having first soaked then baked it the book is now falling apart so I must finish it quickly before I loose some pages.

Carla wrote: "Carla wrote: "I believe I'll go with 12 Pulitzer Prize winners from the fiction and non-fiction categories. I'm sure I'll also hit 12 in other categories in my race to read 100 books two years in a..."

I love obsessing about reading!!

Reached the half way mark - six down, six to go!

March Update for 12-in-12
Historical Fiction (5 of 12 complete):
4. The Angel Makers by Jessica Gregson: 3.5 stars
5. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom: 4 stars
Non-fiction: (4 of 12 completed)
4. The White House Doctor: Behind the Scenes with the Clinton and Bush Families by Connie Muriano: 2.5 stars
Mystery (3 of 12 completed):
3. Bluffing Mr. Churchill by John Lawton: 2 stars

My first 12 in 12. I am reading books that have been on my home shelf for ages. This has been on the shelf for a year. Peter & Max a Fables novel by Bill Willingham. This is an amazing book and the premise that all the fables are alive and living in Fabletown is such a cool idea. Looking forward to reading more of the fables.