What are you reading the week of November 22, 2009

[DUgosh]

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

pre holiday mind candy
I must begin to numb myself for the onset of family

[Guilded Lilly]

1. OPEN

Andre Agassi...finished it already.
I adore this man.

[juno jones]

2. Dark Alliance

by Gary Webb. 20-odd pages in and I'm getting creeped out by the irony.

First page. On the subject of 'The Big One' (aka the ultimate story that would catapult one to fame):

The Big One, I believed, would be like a bullet with your name on it. You'd never hear it coming.

I'm hooked. It's well written, fills in some background for BCCI and dammit, this man gave his life for the story. Since I liked his articles, I feel like I owe the guy a hearing.

As far as newer stuff, I just finished "Bonnie and Clyde:The Lives Behind the Legend" by Paul Schnieder. Very good; entertaining, arty, retelling of the B&C saga. Would reccommend it highly

[Onceuponalife]

3. Hidden Empire by Kevin J. Anderson

Book 1 of The Saga of Seven Suns

[InternalDialogue]

4. Conspiracy of Paper, by David Liss

I was tempted by seeing The Devil's Company at the library but held back until I came home to Google him. I saw that his novels followed some of the same characters and decided to start at the beginning. So far, it's a good read. I'm enjoying the history and his characterizations. Pleasant, educational, and easy reading for the most part. Great diversion.

[JDPriestly]

5. I've ordered Legacy of Secrecy from my library.

I don't think it will be the latest edition, but still it is appropriate for the week of Nov. 22, and I hope it arrives to my local library for me. I'm also reading books about the Mafia and Italian history.

[JDPriestly]

6. I've ordered Legacy of Secrecy from my library.

I don't think it will be the latest edition, but still it is appropriate for the week of Nov. 22, and I hope it arrives to my local library for me. I'm also reading books about the Mafia and Italian history.

I'm interested in how corruption and power work.

[MaineDem]

7. "True Blue" still

By David Baldacci.

I agree about the mind candy. But I always enjoy my trips to Stephanie-Land.

[LWolf]

8. Ways To Live Forever

by Sally Nichols.

It's a kids' novel; I'm reading a stack of them before including them in my classroom library.

I am hesitant to include this one. It's a beautiful piece of fiction about an 11 yo boy dying of leukemia, set during the last months of his life.

I literally sobbed through the entire second half of the book, and am still tearing up just thinking about it. If I, as an adult, find it so heart-rending, it may be too strong for my students, at least, coming from a classroom. It almost needs to be read with an adult for support. Then again, the quote given on the back of the book, from author Mal Peet, says,

"....This is an elegant, intelligent, moving and sometimes even funny book. Young readers (and brave parents and teachers) will love it."

Perhaps young people ARE braver than parents and teachers.

[noel711]

9. The Annotated Christmas Carol by Dickens

Dickens didn't annotate it, rather it was amended by
Michael Patrick Hearn.

But the introduction, the notes, and footnotes are amazing.
This book changed the view of Christmas at that time,
and has only grown in popularity thru time.

Dickens was quite the social critic of his time;
he particulary spoke out against the treatment of the poor,
and their children, victims of the barons of industry of
the industrial revolution in Britain (see "Oliver Twist"
among others). Apparently when he was a child, he lived
in severe poverty, even spent time in a debtor's prison
because his father spent over his income. Yes, the whole
family usually went to prison, not only to stay together,
but where else would they go? Everything was taken from them
to pay off the debts.

When Dickens came to the USA, he was quite the rock star,
but went home disillusioned... especially at slavery.

this is all prep for my Christmas Eve sermon...
most folks haven't a notion how this all started.

[hippywife]

10. I finished two Elizabeth Berg books this week.

Open House and Home Safe. They were both easy reads and the pages under 300 so they went pretty fast. She was recommended by someone on my happy, uplifting fiction thread. :hi: