Books on the Nightstand discussion

I'm starting . Happy New Year!

I'm reading

I am reading on my Nook. I actually started it last year (a few days ago). LOL.

Reading , which I started last week. Something made me want to read this, so I thought I would give in to fate. Glad I did!

Just started 11/22/63 and can barely put it down. I guess I know what I am doing for the rest of the day :D

I just wrapped up my first 2 reads of 2012.

: Wow. That's all I can say. I listened to the audio, which was really excellent (with a great Welsh narrator!), and I'll dare to say that this is the best YA I've ever read. It's about a little Welsh boy who discovers that he's a magician on the anniversary of his sister's disappearance and the ways that his newfound talents may be able to bring his family back from despair. The writing is gorgeous (almost poetic in places), the setting and characters are wonderfully painted, and the story deals with the ideas of magic and loss in a way that is simply beautiful - all while being a page turner! I highly recommend for kids and adults alike.

: Also really wonderful... this is a great example of contemporary Southern writing, for anyone getting in the mood for the Oxford Booktopia. Lovely writing and a strong sense of place. It's also very plot driven, which surprised me, but it's terrifically creepy... it really reminded me of The Night of the Hunter. Very spooky and definitely recommended!

I hope these 2 great reads bode well for 2012 reading!

I'm still reading Lucky Bunny by Jill Dawson but should finish soon. I can't wait to get stuck into 11/22/63 by Stephen King.

Maggie wrote: "I'm still reading Lucky Bunny by Jill Dawson but should finish soon. I can't wait to get stuck into 11/22/63 by Stephen King."

I didn't think it would grab me like it has; but if the fist 40 pages are anything like the rest; i am game!! :)

I'm reading Vroom by the Sea by Peter Moore. This year I'm going to pick a theme for each month (and at least do the first thousand pages in that theme) and January is armchair traveling!

As a 30 year Stephen King fan who has read through the great, the good, and the not-so-good, I'm glad to see him still able to knock one out of the park.

Started this in December but I include it as a January. : )ger

I am in the middle of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. I can't wait to see the movie ( I am big fan of Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Collin Firth). I started Mercury Falls on my kindle, and I have Stephen King's 11/22/63 waiting for me when I finish grading research papers. I am also listening to The Sherlockian.

Eric wrote: "As a 30 year Stephen King fan who has read through the great, the good, and the not-so-good, I'm glad to see him still able to knock one out of the park."

I couldn't agree more! :)

In the middle of Stendhal's The Red and the Black for book group, and I can't put it down. Also still listening to Chris Bohjalian's Secrets of Eden, which I didn't quite finish on the holiday road trip. BOTN persuaded me to finally pick up Bohjalian last year, and now I love him!

I finished Dreams of Joy on audio yesterday and haven't started my next audio book..maybe a thriller...suggestions?
and I'm abourt 200 pages short of finishing The Marriage Plot on my iPad so that'll be my first "read book" of 2012. Hope I didn't challenge myself to too many books. Happy New Year everyone.

Mella wrote: "In the middle of Stendhal's The Red and the Black for book group, and I can't put it down. Also still listening to Chris Bohjalian's Secrets of Eden, which I didn't qui..."

Yep! Mr. Bohjalian has BOTNS to thank for my patronage, too. I like everything of his that I have read.

Nancy- Harlen Coben! I really enjoyed listening to his stuff on audio, lots of time sitting in my driveway so I could see what happened next!

Thanks Callie,
Happy New Year. n

Ian Brown (not to be confused with the Stone Roses front man) is a Canadian journalist and radio personality. He and his wife Johanna (also a writer) have two children, Hayley and Walker. Walker has CFC, a genetic syndrome that renders him developmentally disabled, unable to talk, and subject to a raft of health problems.

Brown's book is a memoir of the difficulty of raising his son, a rumination on the history of the care (or lack of same) of the mentally retarded (and yes, Brown uses that word) in history, a quest for answers, and a philosophical examination of the value of the less abled to the rest of us, and vice versa.

It's a book you'll certainly dialogue with. It'll challenge your idea of your own level of empathy and get you thinking about the role of society in raising special needs children. It's especially relevant in these times: first because genetic testing and termination of pregnancies may eventually eliminate these special cases from our ranks; second because the current social Darwnism being shoved down our throats by small government advocates would offer no respite or help for parents who would most need it.

Just finished . I am at a loss for words right now to try to describe how much I loved this book. Absolutely incredible and definitely one of my all time favorites. Hard to decide what book to follow that with......

Spent the first two days of 2012 enjoying "I'm Half Sick of Shadows" by Alan Bradley. Not as strong a story as "Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" - but fun nonetheless.

Now picking up "The Day the Falls Stood Still" by Cathy Marie Buchanan. One of my "already own" books I've pledged to read in 2012.

Reading The Marriage Plot

Listening On Canaan's Side

Half way through The Pilgrim's Progress and started 1Q84 yesterday.

just started Bloodroot by Amy Greene...

I've paused my reading of The Mating Season in order to get through The Kingdom of Gods. During my commute, I'm listening to For The Win.

Reading & loving it so far

I stayed up stoopid late finishing and writing the review for The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I used to write just audiobook reviews; but I'm adding about a dozen print reviews into the mix this year as part of my blogging resolution. Anyway, because I stayed up late, I can't guarantee that the review makes much sense to anyone but me; but at least I made my first blogging goal of 2012! :-D

Now I'm on to finishing up my re-read of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and hopefully get the review posted by 01/05 :-)


The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne


The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I am reading and "on deck" is

I recently finished some more "fun" reads, the whole dragon series by G.A. Aiken About A Dragon, and Sexiest Vampire Alive

Finished Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian Steinberg did an amazing job of writing - he's funny, insightful and poetic in this book. I look forward to reading anything he does in the future.
Almost finished with Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War about a woman who changed the politics of Liberia with a all women peace building initiative. She's inspiring.

I'm in the middle of Dangerous Highlander as part of my 12 in 2012. Not bad and a quick read.

Alondra wrote: "Just started 11/22/63 and can barely put it down. I guess I know what I am doing for the rest of the day :D"

I started this one on January 1st also. I'm loving it! The only bummer is now I'm back to work after being on vacation and I don't have enough time to read as much as I want to. How far along are you?

Nan wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Just started 11/22/63 and can barely put it down. I guess I know what I am doing for the rest of the day :D"

I started this one on January 1st also. I'm loving it! ..."

Loved it!!

So I started 2012 reading some very light books; I got caught up on the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Still waiting on Explosive Eighteen, currently # 23 on the reserve list at the library, so I may not get this until February or March. Then I read my first two 2012 challenge books: Animal Farm (oldest in my TBR folder) and Smart Girls Like Me (oldest TBR on my physical bookshelf). Still need to read a new release this month: at least one of How it All Began, The Baker's Daughter, and/or A Grown Up Kind of Pretty. None have been released to date, although How it All Began should be available in the employee bookstore tomorrow. I must really be craving some book candy, as I picked The Manny up out of my Nightstand last night when I needed to start a new book. After that I will read The Passage (checked out from the library)and that may just take me into February.

Oh and I almost forgot... Reading one Harry Potter per month to re-read the series leading up to July, where one of my 2012 Challenge books is Harry Potter and being the 7th olders book physically on my bookshelf to read. So embarrassed to admit I have had this book for 3 years and not read it yet.

I read The 19th Wife . I liked it but didn't love it as much as I thought I would because I wasn't that thrilled with the present day portion. (The historical portion was great.)

Last night I finished Only Time Will Tell . It was the first book I've read by Jeffrey Archer, and oh my goodness it was fantastic. I wish I had read it first so that I could have said that the first book I read this year was one of the absolute best. Archer has an amazing understanding of what different people find important, and interweaves beautifully written and detailed characters. Excellent, excellent book. Can't wait for the next book in the Clifton Chronicles!

Nan wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Just started 11/22/63 and can barely put it down. I guess I know what I am doing for the rest of the day :D"

I started this one on January 1st also. I'm loving it! ..."

I am on page 303, right now. Going to Dallas, baby! Woot-woot :D

Becky wrote: "Nan wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Just started 11/22/63 and can barely put it down. I guess I know what I am doing for the rest of the day :D"

I started this one on January 1st also. I'm..."

Thanx, Becky. I have been hearing awesome things about it. Some don't like it, but to each their own; ya know? :O

Shruti wrote: "I read The 19th Wife . I liked it but didn't love it as much as I thought I would because I wasn't that thrilled with the present day portion. (The h..."

So does Archer writer murder mysteries? Thrillers? I've never read anything by him.

I'm currently reading Case Historiesafter watching the PBS miniseries. I'm enjoying the book immensely.

Valerie wrote: "Shruti wrote: "I read The 19th Wife . I liked it but didn't love it as much as I thought I would because I wasn't that thrilled with the present day ..."

Well Only Time Will Tell is the first book I've read by Jeffrey Archer, it wasn't really a mystery so much as a family saga in my opinion. The way the description that I read before reading the book was worded, it made it sound like it's a big mystery. It is for the characters - but the readers know early on. I felt that the book was more about the characters than the mystery. It's the first in a new series though, so who knows where it might go. I havent read any other books by him - I think Kane and Abel and First Among Equals are two of his most famous works - but I'll let you know when I have!

I'm reading which is the final book in the trilogy and listening to and to Michael and Ann's podcasts of course!

Starting

Just getting towards the end of . Loving it- a great first read for the New Year!

I am reading Zeitoun .....incredible read.

Shannon wrote: "I am reading Zeitoun .....incredible read."

It really is. I loved it.

Marie wrote: "Just getting towards the end of . Loving it- a great first read for the New Year!"

Hey Marie. I just started this on my Nook and kind of slow going bit still very intriguing

Normie wrote: "Marie wrote: "Just getting towards the end of . Loving it- a great first read for the New Year!"

Hey Marie. I just started this on my Nook and kind of s..."

Stick with it- the descriptions are pretty dense, but once you get used to the style it turns into a page-turner. Just finished it, what a crazy ending!

Tasha wrote: "Shannon wrote: "I am reading Zeitoun .....incredible read."

It really is. I loved it."

I loved it too!

I just finished , which was recommended by Josh from Bookrageous in one of their early episodes. It was wonderful! I guess I would classify it as a literary steampunk closed-door mystery, which is not a combination I've encountered before, but it is pulled off beautifully. (But maybe it's not steampunk, as I've never read one before? I assume if there are corsets and airships it's probably steampunk). Anyways, give it a try, it's great!

I've just finished Children of God by Mary Doria Russell, the sequel to The Sparrow. Both books are incredibly intriguing and deserve a better write-up than my puny brain can provide! I picked The Sparrow for book-club based on Ann's suggestion and everyone, including the sci-fi-phobes agreed it was one of the best books of the year. So we were almost required to read the sequel this year.

Now I'm on to Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit and, while I gave up eating fresh tomatoes outside of July-September, I'm afraid of how much more I'll learn about the tomato industry.

is for my next book discussion at my library (we have new moderators and I hope we are not turning into the chick-lit-book-of-the-month-club. So far this is not my usual cup of tea, but I'll get through it and reserve judgement. Really.