Sunday's Weekly Book Recap #11

Here's my recap of books that I am reading or have acquired this week, which I am sharing on the following blogs:
 Sunday Post, hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where bloggers share weekly book recaps and other news.
 Stacking the Shelves, hosted by the team at Tynga's Reviews, where bloggers share the books they are adding to their shelves.

  Showcase Sunday, hosted by Vicky at  Books, Biscuits, and Tea, where bloggers show off their most recently acquired books.   

My Week in Books . . . March 24-March 30, 2013

Finished reading...

The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill

Still reading...

 

Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy

Started reading...

 

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Downloaded on my Kindle iPad app:

                    

Armed & Fabulous by Camilla Chafer, Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith, Chattanooga by Chet Raymo and Dan Raymo, Fifth Avenue Box Set by Christopher Smith and Brandi Doane, In the Blood by Steve Robinson

Borrowed from the library...

     

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, Habits of the House by Fay Weldon

ARCs from publishers...

     

The Yonahlossee Riding for Girls by Anton Disclafani, The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood

Enjoy life with books...

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Sunday's Weekly Book Recap #11 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

 

Saturday Shorts: Weekend Words

"Love is the only gold."

--Alfred, Lord Tennyson, British poet (1809-1892)

Read this and other Lord Tennyson quotes online at Brainy Quote.

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One of Lord Tennyson's poems includes the line, "In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love."  The entire poem, Locksley Hall, can be read online on the Poetry Foundation website.

Enjoy life with books.

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Saturday Shorts: Weekend Words was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Friday Focus--Historical YA Fiction

 

It's no secret that young adult fiction is a highly popular genre for teens and adults these days.  Most bestseller lists and bookstore displays confirm this. Yet while the fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, contemporary, and dystopian novels capture the most attention, young adult historical novels can be equally appealing.

Earlier this year, The Atlantic Wire (the website of The Atlantic magazine) featured A Literary Tour of Historical Y.A., an article by Jen Doll, which lists young adult books set in bygone eras as well as novels about past events.  This informative piece highlights titles, most of which were published between 2011-2013, in the following categories:

Ancient Egypt (and Rome)

The Renaissance

The Victorian Era

The Titanic

The Western Frontier

Early America

World War I

The Roaring '20s

World War II

Post War

The 1950s

The 1960s

The 1970s

The 1980s

These suggested books are just the thing for readers craving nostalgia, a change of pace, or a break from futuristic-themed fare.

Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Friday Focus--Historical YA Fiction was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Thursday Thoughts--Spring Challenge

 

I decided to try a new approach to spring cleaning this season--one that I think will be more fun than cleaning windows, reorganizing closets, etc.  Yes, I will still have to do those mundane things. But what I have in mind as a more rewarding task is reading down some of my book piles.

With this in mind, I have joined the Spring Reading Thing 2013 hosted by Sandra at The Musings of a Book Addict.  The challenge began on March 20 and ends on June 20.  Here are the books I hope to read in just under two months:

Books to Finish:
                                                                         

New Books to Read:
            

If I manage to finish these books, I'll add another one or two before the challenge ends.  Stay tuned!                                                        

Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Thursday Thoughts--Spring Challenge was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Waiting on Wednesday--New Kate Atkinson Novel

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to share information about a forthcoming book that is on my radar screen with other readers.

 

This week's anticipated book:

 

 Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

 Publication date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books

Preorder now from online and bricks and mortar bookstores

 

From barnesandnoble.com:

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born, the third child of a wealthy English banker and his wife. Sadly, she dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in any number of ways. Clearly history (and Kate Atkinson) have plans for her: In Ursula rests nothing less than the fate of civilization.

Wildly inventive, darkly comic, startlingly poignant — this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best, playing with time and history, telling a story that is breathtaking for both its audacity and its endless satisfactions.

My thoughts:  Kate Atkinson is an award-winning British author who has written a collection of short stories and several bestselling novels, including Case Histories and Started Early, Took My Dog (the first and most recent in the Jackson Brodie Series respectively).  Her highly anticipated new novel has an interesting theme, and is sure to thrill her many fans.

Enjoy life with books.  

 

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Waiting on Wednesday--New Kate Atkinson Novel was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #6 and Tuesday Teaser

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros is a weekly meme hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea.  The idea is to share the first paragraph or two of a book I am currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

This week I'm featuring the opening paragraphs of a recent purchase.  Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly is a cozy mystery set in a small Irish village, and the first book in the brand-new A County Cork Mystery series.

 

Published by Berkley Prime Crime/Penguin Group

February 5, 2013

Chapter 1

"Maura Donovan checked her watch again.  If she had it right, she had been traveling for over fourteen hours; she wasn't going to reset it for the right time zone until she got where she was going, which she hoped would be any minute now.  First the red-eye flight from Boston to Dublin; the cheapest she could find; then a bus from Dublin to Cork, then another, slower bus from Cork to Leap, a flyspeck on the map on the south coast of Ireland.  But she was finding that in Ireland nobody ever hurried, especially on the local bus.  The creaking vehicle would pull over at a location with no obvious markings, and people miraculously appeared.  They greeted the driver by name; they greeted each other as well.  Her they nodded at, wary of a stranger in their midst.

She tried to smile politely in return, but she was exhausted.  She didn't know where she was or what she was doing.  She was on this rattletrap bus only because Gran had asked her to make the trip--just before she died, worn down from half a century of scrabbling to make a living and keep a roof over her granddaughter's head in South Boston.  Now that she thought about it, Gran had probably been planning this trip for her for quite a while.  She had insisted that Maura get a passport, and not just any passport, but an Irish one, which was possible only because Gran had filed for an Irish Certificate of Foreign Birth for her when she was a child.  What else had Gran not told her?"

What do you think?  Would you keep reading?  I am a cozy mystery fan and enjoy the chance to start a new series soon after publication of the first novel.  This series is particularly appealing to me because of the setting.  I have traveled to Dublin and Cork several times to sightsee and to visit family, so any chance I get to read about the area is a welcome experience.

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  Teaser Tuesdays, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, is a weekly event where bloggers open to a random page of their current reads and share a teaser from somewhere on that page--no spoilers allowed.

 

Here's my teaser from Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly:

 

"After a couple of miles of silence, Maura realized Mick hadn't said anything.  She was the visitor, the guest.  Where was the Irish charm she'd heard about?  Wasn't he supposed to be entertaining her?"  --page 25

Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #6 and Tuesday Teaser was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Monday, Monday...Flannery O'Connor

Photo Source: biography.com

"The basis of art is truth, both in matter and in mode."

--Flannery O'Connor, 1925-1964

Read this and other Flannery O'Connor quotes online at Brainy Quote.

Today is the birthday of American author Flannery O'Connor, born on March 25, 1925 in Savannah, Georgia, who is best known for her short stories.  Information about O'Connor's life and work can be found online at The New Georgia Encyclopedia and Media Specialist, which contains a Flannery O'Connor Repository with links to book information, online essays, and audio and video clips.

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Monday, Monday...Flannery O'Connor was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Sunday's Weekly Book Recap #10

Here's my weekly recap of books that I am reading or have acquired this week, which I am sharing on the following blogs:

Sunday Post, hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where bloggers share weekly book recaps and other news.

 

Stacking the Shelves, hosted by the team at Tynga's Reviews, where bloggers share the books they are adding to their shelves.

 

Showcase Sunday, hosted by Vicky at  Books, Biscuits, and Tea, where bloggers show off their most recently acquired books.  

My Week in Books . . . March 17 -March 23, 2013

 

 Still reading:  

                                     

Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy and The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill

 

Downloaded on my Nook:

                 

Not Today, But Someday by Lori L. Otto, Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal by Grace Burrowes, and Georgiana Darcy's Diary: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Continued by Anna Elliott

Downloaded on my Kindle iPad app:

                                                      

                                

The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, Swan Loch by Randy Mixter, Seventy-Two Hours by C.P. Stringham, and Mrs. Tuesday's Departure by Suzanne Anderson, Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

 

ARCs from publishers:

                                                                  

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire (e-galley from Simon and Schuster via NetGalley) and Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw (print copy courtesy of  Spiegel & Grau)

 

 

Enjoy life with books...

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Sunday's Weekly Book Recap #10 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

 

Saturday Shorts--Weekend Words

 

"A little Madness in the Spring Is wholesome even for the King."

--Emily Dickinson, American poet (1830-1886)

Read this and other Emily Dickinson quotes online at The Quotations Page.

Enjoy life with books.

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Saturday Shorts: Weekend Words was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Friday Focus--Book Movement

Book Movement

There's an excellent resource for book clubs just a mouse click away.  Book Movement is a comprehensive website where readers can sign up for free individual membership and, if they want to, create a web page for their book club.

Book Movement compiles lists of book recommendations based on the feedback of more than 32,000 book clubs.  But you don't have to be a member of a book club to appreciate the variety of information included on the website.  It's a great source of next read suggestions for individuals, too.

Other features include a free newsletter, live author chats, weekly top picks, book giveaways, book reviews, and reading guides.

Book Movement is the brainchild of Pauline Hubert.  I highly recommend this website to both individuals and book clubs as a go-to place for extensive book information.

Enjoy life with books . . .

 

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

 

Friday Focus--Book Movement was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Thursday Thoughts--Welcome Spring

According to the calendar, it is officially spring.  What better way to usher in this lovely season than with this poem that appears on The Poetry Foundation website . . .

Lines Written in Early Spring

 by William Wordsworth

I heard a thousand blended notes,

While in a grove I sat reclined,

In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts

Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link

The human soul that through me ran;

And much it grieved my heart to think

What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,

The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;

And 'tis my faith that every flower

Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,

Their thought I cannot measure: --

But the least motion which they made

It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,

To catch the breezy air;

And I must think, do all I can,

That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,

If such be Nature's holy plan,

Have I not reason to lament

What man has made of man?

Source:  The Longman Anthology of Poetry (Pearson, 2006)

Enjoy the season . . .

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Thursday Thoughts--Welcome Spring was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Waiting on Wednesday--The Witch of Little Italy

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to share information about a forthcoming book that is on my radar screen with other readers.

This week's anticipated book:

 

 The Witch of Little Italy by Suzanne Palmieri

 Publication date: March 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Preorder now from online and bricks and mortar bookstores

From barnesandnoble.com:

In Suzanne Palmieri’s charming debut, The Witch of Little Italy, you will be bewitched by the Amore women. When young Eleanor Amore finds herself pregnant, she returns home to her estranged family in the Bronx, called by “The Sight” they share now growing strong within her. She has only been back once before when she was ten years old during a wonder-filled summer of sun-drenched beaches, laughter and cartwheels. But everyone remembers that summer except her. Eleanor can’t remember anything from before she left the house on her last day there. With her past now coming back to her in flashes, she becomes obsessed with recapturing those memories. Aided by her childhood sweetheart, she learns the secrets still haunting her magical family, secrets buried so deep they no longer know how they began. And, in the process, unlocks a mystery over fifty years old—The Day the Amores Died—and reveals, once and for all, a truth that will either heal or shatter the Amore clan.

My thoughts:  This sounds like an enchanting story centered around a quirky family with strong bonds and an interesting history.  The perfect novel to welcome in spring.

Enjoy life with books.  

 

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Waiting on Wednesday--The Witch of Little Italy was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.