#Read26Indy discussion

What are you reading in November? I am starting with Grave Peril by Jim Butcher, Fever by Robin Cook, and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I am also finishing Mistress of the Empire by Feist and Wurtz

I read THE NIGHT CIRCUS a year or so ago for one of my book clubs. Morganstern takes chances and lets the story discover its surreal magic. This is one of my favorite novels. I hope you like it.

I'm still plowing through CAPITAL and READING DON'T FIX NO CHEVIES and just started ADIOS MUCHACHOS, THE MAMBO KINGS PLAY SONGS OF LOVE, THE MOTHER POEMS and DISTANT LANDS. My work schedule is making 140 books look like a long shot but we'll see what the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks allow.

I'm spending my extra hour during this "Fall Back" of DST doing a fun recap of my reads for the year. I've followed the group, gotten great recs for my TO READ list, but I've not posted my progress. With 5 kids 13 yrs and younger, I'm QUITE busy, but I've realized its important for my kids to see the enjoyment I get out of reading, and reading gives me some much needed "me" time. I have tried to be deliberate in regularly reading for pleasure, in the past couple of years, since I hadn't really taken the time since my book worm days of high school. I also received a Kindle Fire last Christmas, so I've actually enjoyed electronic books more than I thought I would (so easy to borrow from the e-reads at the library). Please note that some of these were for pre-reading my teen and tweens books (and entertainment purposes as well). So here is my list for 2014 to date:

#1 Why Aren't You Sweet Like Me?: Based on a True World War II Love Story by Carrie Nyman
#2 The King of Colored Town by Darryl Wimberley
#3 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
#4 Divergent by Veronica Roth
#5 Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
#6 Argo: How the CIA & Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History by Antonio J. Mendez
#7 Insurgent by Veronica Roth
#8 The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
#9 No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen
#10 The Giver by Lois Lowry
#11 Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
#12 Allegiant by Veronica Roth
#13 Looking for Alaska by John Green
#14 Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
#15 The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
#16 The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
#17 Messenger by Lois Lowry
#18 The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald
#19 Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James
#20 The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
#21 Son by Lois Lowry
#22 Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James
#23 Paper Towns by John Green
#24 Unsaid by Neil Abramson
#25 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
#26 Number the Stars by Lois Lowry was in there somewhere and I need to put it on my "Read" list.

Currently Reading The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.

So, I've met the challenge 10 months in, and more ground to cover. Yay! (and a Scholastic Warehouse sale in just a month for some new 2015 material for the whole family!)

Kris, what did you think of THE KING OF COLORED TOWN? I have that book and haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

In my opinion, it was very good. It is probably a good portrayal of the times, minus the "warm fuzzies" of The Help. It was shocking in some places, definitely for the mature reader. I had hoped for a different ending, but all in all, a book to remember. Michael, by looking at your posts, you are quite an avid reader, so you have many more "books under your belt". I hope you find my review helpful.

Thanks, Kris. I wasn't a big fan of THE HELP. I liked WENCH by Dolen Perkins-Valdez better so I won't mind the absence of "fuzziness". Thanks for the response. I also have some John Greens on my Kindle. I'll try to get to him next year.

Of the 3 John Green books I've read this year, the book I like best was Paper Towns.

Thanks.

Kris wrote: "Of the 3 John Green books I've read this year, the book I like best was Paper Towns."

FYI - if you are Thinking of reading An Abundance of Katherines, I almost felt like it was just another version of Paper Towns (and not as good).

My 112th is DISTANT LANDS:AN ANTHOLOGY OF POETS WHO DON'T EXIST by Agnieszka Kuciak, translated by Karen Kovacik.

THE MOTHER POEMS by Liza Hyatt is #113.

"READING DON'T FIX NO CHEVYS" by Michael W. Smith and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm is my 114th book.

Reading :
Swan Song by Lee Hans ( a cheap buy on kindle)
The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott
Wars of the Roses by Dan Jones

All three seem to be pretty good. The book of the kings will go slow. Lots of detail but keeps my attention .

My 115th book is Oscar Hijuelos' THE MAMBO KINGS PLAY SONGS OF LOVE.

My 29th book of the year is the The State of Jones by Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer.

Matthew wrote: "What are you reading in November? I am starting with Grave Peril by Jim Butcher, Fever by Robin Cook, and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I am also finishing Mistress of the Empire by Feist a..."

I read The Night Circus this year for my book club and loved it! The fantasy was outside of my usual wheelhouse, but it really opened me up to new books. That's what I love about book club!

I'm a book nerd and have read 66 and a third books so far this year (but I have a three year old and count his books too, so don't be too impressed).

So far this month I've read "Silver Girl" by Elin Hilderbrand, "This is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Tropper, "Citizens of the Green Room" by Mark Leibovich and am currently reading "Coming Out to Play" by Robbie Rogers. The last two were ARCs given to me through Penguin's First To Read program. I highly recommend the program!

Matthew wrote: "Kris wrote: "Of the 3 John Green books I've read this year, the book I like best was Paper Towns."

FYI - if you are Thinking of reading An Abundance of Katherines, I almost felt like it was just a..."

An Abundance of Katherines is the only John Green book I haven't read yet. I'm on the hold list for the ebook at my library!

I started grad school in the fall so I have only winter break to look to for fun reading. Please help me maximize my reading ;)I just looked at a USA Today story on the best mysteries and wondered what you, my fellow readers, thought of this Best of list:
A Study in Scarlet Arthur Conan Doyle 1887
And Then There Were None Agatha Christie 1939
The Moving Target Ross Macdonald 1949
Strangers on a TrainPatricia Highsmith 1950
A Great Deliverance Elizabeth George 1988
Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguru 2005

On the way to the cabin for my vacation, we stopped at Hyde Brothers Booksellers in Ft. Wayne - 2 floors of floor to ceiling used books. Check it out - it's worth the trip.

Anyway...

Finished #24 - Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis
#25 - The Massacre at Fall Creek by Jessamyn West
#26 - The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by Rhonda Riley

Started #27 - Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis

Matthew wrote: "What are you reading in November? I am starting with Grave Peril by Jim Butcher, Fever by Robin Cook, and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I am also finishing Mistress of the Empire by Feist a..."

Our book club read the Night Circus last year - I thoroughly enjoyed it - certainly fed my imagination. I heard it was being adapted to film.... I hope not.

ADIOS, MUCHACHOS by Daniel Chavarria is número 116.

Number 117 is WE DON'T KNOW WE DON'T KNOW by Nick Lantz.

Stephen King's REVIVAL is 118.

#30 is in the books, as I finished Revival by Stephen King.

Finished #33 this month - The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness
Loved the first book, struggled to get through the second book and was happy to enjoy the third one.

My 119th book is R. J. Palacio's WONDER.

I am still finishing up some of the books I mentioned earlier, but now I am reading This is Where I Leave You by Johnathan Tropper for a book club and on my ride too and from work I am listening to Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. Too many books I need to finish! :)

Matthew wrote: "I am still finishing up some of the books I mentioned earlier, but now I am reading This is Where I Leave You by Johnathan Tropper for a book club and on my ride too and from work I ..."

Had you seen the movie first, Matthew?

Jaymie wrote: "Had you seen the movie first, Matthew?"

I have not seen the movie yet. I can say that I am a bit torn as to whether I want to or not at this point . . .

THE DOUBLE BIND by Chris Bohjallan is My 120th.

My 121st is Joan Didion's PLAY IT AS IT LAYS. Fantastic!

HOW TO GET FILTHY RICH IN RISING ASIA by Mohsin Hamid is 122.

FAST ANIMALS by Tim Seibles is 123.

My 124th book is Sherman Alexie's RESERVATION BLUES. Alexie is one of the hundreds of authors on my top ten list.

No. 47 a Thanksgiving travel break indulgence Philippa Gregory's The King's Curse

Vickie Weaver's BILLIE GIRL is #125.

My 126# is Catherine Barnett's INTO SUCH PERFECT SPHERES SUCH HOLES ARE PIERCED.

Mark Turcotte's EXPLODING CHIPPEWA is #127.

The All of It, by Jeanette Haien. Beautifully-told story that is full of meaning.