Challenge: 50 Books discussion

1. Easy Country by Katrin Cargill (Even though this home design book is from 1998, it gave me some inspiration!)

2. The Big Dipper and You (a wonderful children's book on the topic; random used hardcover picked up somewhere random -- planning to read it a BUNCH of times with my 2nd grader!)

3. 1Q84

I'm glad that I read this expansive novel from my to-read list. I'm not sure when I'll read a 1300 page novel again. I know a bit more than before about Japanese fiction. The characters and some of the scenes were magnificent. The author does repeat himself a lot and the end was disappointing for me; was it worth all of that work? Not sure. 4 stars for now but, for me, it was really 3 1/2.

4. Remembering Ritalin: A Doctor and Generation RX Reflect on Life and Psychiatric Drugs

Usually parenting challenges send me to the stack of books I've collected on various special topics; this was a re-read and an important work on the topic.

5.Swimming at Suppertime: Seasons of Delight on the Wrong Side of Buzzards Bay

6. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. Love, love, love this book. Perhaps the ending was a bit trite and everyone won't like the characters . .. But their experiences, tensions and difficulties were described so compellingly . ..

7. Unbroken by Lauren hillebrand

I also thought The Interestings was a very compelling book. The characters are wonderfully described--there are no problems keeping track of who's who, and their development through the decades is very insightful. I've read several of Wolitzer's book, and this, in my opinion, is her best.

Rose

8.The Alchemist

Read this on a friend's recommendation -- did a lot of underlining! Still need to mull it over and perhaps re-read . . .

9. Classroom Success for the LD and ADHD Child

This book is from 1997 and I've read it 3 times. Very readable; enhances perspective every time.

10. The Tent by Margar et Atwood

11. Dirty Little Secret. Well written fictional account of a teen, the youngest of a large sibling group, growing up in the care of her single, dysfunctional Mom -- a compulsive hoarder.

12. No Comfort Zone: Notes on Living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

13. 2 b or not 2 b-- Kurt vonnegut

14. Nowhere to Hide (another re-read of another learning disabilities book . . . )

15. Divergent

16. Broke Heart Blues I thought this book was delicious. It latched on to the sentiments and perceptions of an era and dragged a multitude of characters through it. I could imagine my Mom in her high school bedroom or her friends at a 30th reunion right alongside this crew. Did NOT want the story to end.

17. Bonnie by iris Johansen -- quick mystery read . . .

18. The Marriage Plot

Compelling read . . . trite ending . . . characters a bit neurotic for me . . . Underlined some great sentences and enjoyed the ride . . .

19. The Mistress's Daughter by a.m. Holmes

20. Birds of America by Lorrie Moore. I think I would enjoy a grocery list if Lorrie Moore wrote it. Intrigued by some quirky themes and insights among the characters here, but, oh, the language!!

21. Congratulations, by the way: Some Thoughts on Kindness

22.
The Burgess Boys

Hmmmm . . . Olive Kitteridge was a lifetime fave. This story didn't invoke the same passion. The characters were predictable and flat. Some of the themes were underdeveloped. I really didn't care what happened to any of these folks and didn't come away from the story with much. Onward, upward!

23. The Ocean at the End of the Lane

24 The Slave Across the Street

Well-written account of an unlikely human trafficking victim; I read in one sitting

25. Reading Disability: Progress and Research Needs in Dyslexia

26. New Yorker Book of Literary Cartoons -- meh!!

27. The Boston Stranglers 3 solid stars for genre: reporter second-guessing true crime

28. The Borrowers Avenged

29. All I Can Handle: I'm No Mother Teresa: A Life Raising Three Daughters with Autism

30. Zombie

Words fail me. JCO is a favorite author; I can barely choke out one star for this book.

Black Water 31. Black Water: Joyce Carol Oates

32. Seven Simeons: A Russian Tale

33.

Tales from the Odyssey -- The Land of the Dead

What I Know For Sure

35. The Madwoman in the Volvo: My Year of Raging Hormones

If you are a woman of (a certain? any?) age, go buy this book. You'll love it yourself or you will know someone who needs it . . . you will laugh, you will recoil, you will ponder -- good, good stuff!!!!!!

36 In the Miso Soup

I have become a huge Murakami fan. Grabbed this little thriller from the library. Depraved doesn't begin to describe one of the main characters. Enjoyed the ride.

37. The First True Lie

Interesting read . . . told from the perspective of a pre-teen boy coming to terms with his mother's death (in their apartment. where she remains. for days).

The Answer To Your Question

For fans of Gone Girl et. al. What suspense!

39

Snow Tree The Snow Tree

41. Little Tree (inspired by an e e Cummings poem . .. Sublime!)

42. Psychiatric Tales

43. 20 Minute Express Recipes for Busy People -- there's some great stuff in here!

44. I Can't Complain (all too) personal essays . . . Love, love, love!

45. One Christmas by Truman Capote . . .oh, yeah . . .

46. The Incurables by Mark Brazaitis: great set of twisted little psychodramas I had been reading over time

47. Sad Santa

48. My Other Ex . . . priceless, thoughtful essays on female friendship

PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessi[bookcover:PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Livesons from Ordinary Lives|87640]49. Post Secret