Miranda’s Comments (group member since Sep 23, 2011)

Miranda’s comments from the Topeka & Shawnee Co. Public Library group.

Riley wrote: "A giant dome made of gray unbreakable material goes over a 20 mile radius in California. It centers on the Nuclear power plant and ends right outside of town. Everyone inside the dome over 15 disap..."

Sounds very interesting! I will definitely put it on my list.

Peg and Cat love to solve problems, which comes in handy when 100 chickens get loose and run wild just as they're about to have a perfect picnic with a pig. Will the two friends figure out how to solve their problem so that they can enjoy their pie?
The Chicken Problem features super cute illustrations that integrate math symbols and numbers, and a fun story that gets kids counting. My 4-year-old daughter wanted to read it again...right away.

I started off the month with Nothing Gold Can Stay, short stories by Ron Rash. It's an excellent collection of stories set in the Appalachian region, with gorgeous poetic prose and strong vivid scenes. The New York Times published a great review here if you want to know more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/28/boo...
I'm turning it back in tomorrow, and I recommend that you get your hands on it!

I just finished We Need to Talk About Kevin. My review: I hated this book. That said, I have to concede that it is one of the most powerful novels that I have ever read, and it is burned into my brain. It made me cry, it repulsed me, it made me think. I don't know if I would recommend it to most of my friends, but having read it I can only give it its due as a superbly crafted work.
I've moved on to The Group, by Mary McCarthy. I saw a review of this 1963 book in a feminist publication from 1971, and thought that it looked like a bold look at women's lives, especially given the constraints of the time. 50 pages in, I'll say that I like the writer's style, but the characters aren't growing on me. Has anyone else read this one?

My first book for December was Son, by Lois Lowry, the conclusion to The Giver series. It was fascinating and thought provoking, though I didn't feel as much closure as I'd hoped for.
I am re-reading The Hobbit with my ten-year-old,and am working on Tales from Earthsea,the fourth Earthsea book, by Ursula LeGuin.
A good month in books, so far! :)

Catya wrote: "Hi! so my planned reading for december is to finish the Matched trilogy (I'm almost done with Crossed now) and then re-read The Handmaid's Tale. I'll possibly throw in some Austen as well :)"

The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favorites! I'm guessing that you enjoy it as well, since you are re-reading. Austen is definitely a favorite too, so your December list looks great to me. :)

Today I picked up Barbara Kingsolver's new novel, Flight Behavior, and Mary Oliver's new poetry collection, A Thousand Mornings . Both are true favorites, so I'm sure I'll have some good words to follow up with later on in the week. :)
I hope the rest of you Kingsolver fans out there have gotten a copy in your hands, too!

Sideways Tales from Wayside School is a zany collection of stories that can be read together or as separate little humor nuggets. My ten-year-old son and I both love it!

This anthology is a truly fantastic read.
The collection opens with "Ponies," by Kij Johnson, a piercing story about pretty girls with ponies. It was a stunning and heartbreaking take on the dark side of friendship and acceptance.
The book goes on to soar through many other memorable topics, including: a romantic adventure in the cloud cities of Venus, a future where death begins at birth, a Naga romance, a twentieth century Aztec society, a book with a mind of its own, and a Merman in the Midwest.

Count me in, sounds like fun! :)

Kara wrote: "Recently, I needed suggestions for good YA reading so I looked up the ALA Top 10 Books of 2011 and began requesting them. Right now I'm in the middle of "Finnikin of the Rock" which I expected to b..."

I'll have to put that one on my list, sounds good!
I have just finished the first of the Shadow Grail series for YA readers, Legacies. It pulled me in right away and left me with so many unresolved questions that I can't wait to get to the next one! It's magical, action-packed, and the characters are interesting and likable. Good reading! :)

Some of my favorites from the list are:

The Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell
RASCAL by Sterling North
THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE by Beverly Cleary
THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN bv Elwyn Brooks White
MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Robert O'Brien
HATCHET by Gary Paulsen
SHILOH by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
THE GIVER by Lois Lowry
and BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE by Kate DiCamillo

I have read all of these with my son, who is 9 (with the exception of Island of the Blue Dolphins, which I'll have to be sure to do soon), so I've had a chance to revisit some of my childhood favorites. Great list! :)

I have also read some Jean Plaidy, Kelli. I think she does a great job of bringing the stories of the queens to life.
I have also read all of her titles under the pseudonym Philippa Carr, a series of historical fiction that follows the women of a family generation after generation, starting with the time of King Henry VIII. Have you ever read them?

Kara wrote: "I'm currently entertaining a book called "The Magician" in the "Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel" series. It's got a cliche premise but it involves a lot of folklore and mythology from a myr..."

Sounds like another good magical read...I have such a great list of titles growing right now, with magic and myth as the common theme. :)

Nathan wrote: "Kelli wrote: "Miranda wrote: "I'm about halfway through The Lost Gate, by Orson Scott Card, and it's so good that the story has been in the back of my mind while I do everything else for the last t..."

I haven't read that one, I'll definitely check it out!

Kelli wrote: "Miranda wrote: "I'm about halfway through The Lost Gate, by Orson Scott Card, and it's so good that the story has been in the back of my mind while I do everything else for the last two days. The ..."

I have really enjoyed reading Card's science fiction; Ender's Game is one of my all-time favorites. This book has the superb wordsmithing and imagination that made the Ender series so good, but it's sparkling with magic! Another that he wrote in the fantasty category is Enchantment, and I recommend it as a romantic and magical story that kept me captivated until the end. :)

I'm about halfway through The Lost Gate, by Orson Scott Card, and it's so good that the story has been in the back of my mind while I do everything else for the last two days. The story is rooted in Norse mythology, so it's filled with magic. It also has the vivid imagery and resounding characters that have made Card's books a hit with me in the past. I'll post an update after I've finished, but I think I can highly recommend it already!
Update: I definitely ended the book feeling really excited about the next release in the series. There was some interesting character development near the end of the book that has me wondering what he's going to do with the "cast" as he continues the story...I'm looking forward to finding out!