READ 100+ BOOKS A YEAR discussion
2018 challenges
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April challenge
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Mod
4/9, 6 books
1. Read a book whose author's surname starts with K.
2. Arbor Day is this month so read a book with a tree on the cover. Final Chapter--Pam Stucky--finished 4/21/18
3. It's supposed to be spring (when will the snow end?), read a book with a pastel colored cover. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Stinston--finished 4/24/18
4. Flowers are starting to blossom so read a book with flowers on the cover.
5. Read a non-fiction book.--Give Me Everything You Have: On Being Stalked by James Lasden--finished 4/16/18
6. I was in Disney World in March so read a book about a place where you want to vacation.
7. Car Cruises will soon be beginning so read a book with a car on the cover.
8. The baseball season just started so read a book about baseball.
9. Your choice--The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl--finished 4/7/18
Bonus:
Mr.Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan--finished 4/14/18
The Necklace by Claire McMillan--finished 4/27/18
For me I am trying to go on a bit of a Buddhist binge for the first half of April. I have already read Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body. I am planning on finishing up the following books soon: After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age, Food for the Heart: The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, Buddhist Sutras: The ULTIMATE Collected Works of 10 Famous Sutras, The Bodhisattva's Brain : Buddhism Naturalized, and The Zen Experience.
Mod
That's interesting. Do you find that it helps you to keep a balanced life when you do that? Is there a reason you choose April? I could use some balance and peace.
Sheila wrote: "MJD wrote: "For me I am trying to go on a bit of a Buddhist binge for the first half of April. I have already read Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and..."</i>I find secular-Buddhist philosophy and and mindfulness meditation helpful. If you are interested in the subject but don't have the time to read about it much at this time you could listen to this 90 minute podcast of the authors [book:Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body talking about their work: https://samharris.org/podcasts/111-sc...
As for why April, well I have recently purchased Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body after hearing about it from the podcast, and thought that I should go ahead and read several other books as supplementary reading (most of the books on my list come as recommendations from the host of the podcast on his site).
And here are April's reviews, so far.
-Sarah Addison Allen 4-1-18So far, I have loved every book that I have read by Sarah Addison Allen, and this book is no exception. The novel was well written and interesting with fully drawn characters; it was about family, friendship, and love with a mystery thrown into the mix making up the whole of this book belonging to the genre called "magical realism." I truly enjoyed reading this book, and it has earned its place on my favorites list.
-Sarah Addison Allen 4-5-18This novel by Sarah Addison Allen, belonging to the genre called magical realism, was brilliant as usual; it was well written, and the characters breathed on the page. The plot was mainly a coming-of-age story for Josey, our main character, despite the fact that she was already in her 20s; as she discovers the secrets that her parents kept from her, it changes the course of her life in amazing ways, as she comes into her own as a person. I loved this book, and it has earned its place on my favorites list.
-Margaret Brownley 4-7-18I think the best adjective to describe this Christian mystery is "cute." The story focused on Pinkerton detective Jennifer Layne posing as a "lady of the night" while investigating a case had many hilarious scenes as well as some truly thought-provoking dialogue. Obviously, there was a lot of innuendo being as the story is set mainly in a bordello, but I felt that the author handled everything as tastefully as possible while being truthful to her setting. Anyway, the novel was well written for its genre, and the character development was good, and I liked how Jennifer found love while wrestling with some mistaken prejudices as well as the fact that her profession as a detective who works undercover not only outs her into dangerous situations but requires that she lie all the time to almost everyone she meets while on a case. I really enjoyed how she grew as a character, and I thought it was a cute, fun read over all.
-Julia Spencer-Fleming 4-10-18I really enjoyed this starting novel in what I think will be a truly interesting mystery series. It was written well, and the characters were fully portrayed. From the time that the new priest in town, Reverend Clare, finds an abandoned baby outside her church, and starts working with Russ, the sheriff as the case escalates from finding the parents to finding a murder, the novel tells an intense, fast-paced story with crazy twists and turns, and I was stunned when we finally learned who the murderer was and how he had justified his actions. I will definitely be reading more of this series.
-Carolly Erickson 4-18-18This was a well written historical novel focusing on the adult years of Jane Seymour when she was a maid of honor first to Catherine of Aragon and then to Anne Boleyn and then finally becomes the 3rd wife of Henry VIII, ultimately dying from complications following childbirth when she produced the son that Henry had desired so badly. It was an interesting but slow read although I did enjoy the book overall.
Mod
-Sarah Addison Allen 4-1-18So far, I have loved every book that I have read by Sarah Addison Allen, and t..."
I've been wanting to read Margaret Brownley. So which of her books should I start with?
Mod
How did your reading go this month?
Here's the rest of April's reads, finally:
-Daphne Kolotay 4-23-18This was an interesting novel with both a contemporary and a historical setting woven together into a plot, which focuses on an interesting history about two famous ballerinas in Soviet Russia, their friendship, their spouses, and, ultimately, how a particular set of jewelry and the birth of a child leads to a decades long misunderstanding that is finally unraveled by the end of the book. It was well written, and the characters were well drawn.
-Doris Gates 4-29-18During the Great Depression, a migrant family and their daughter, the protagonist, finally finds a place where they can stay as long as they want to instead of having their destiny controlled by others.
-Liz Tolsma 4-29-18This was a beautiful historical Christian romance set mainly in Nazi Germany. It tells the story of how one Christian Jewish woman and her grandmother survive and escape the Nazis with help coming from various and unexpected sources. The novel was well written, and the main characters grew and changed throughout the unexpected twists and turns of the plot. I truly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of the series as they become available.
READ 100+ BOOKS A YEAR
Books mentioned in this topic
Blue Willow (other topics)The Melody of the Soul (other topics)
Russian Winter (other topics)
The Necklace (other topics)
Give Me Everything You Have: On Being Stalked (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Sarah Addison Allen (other topics)Sarah Addison Allen (other topics)
Now for April's books.
1. Read a book whose author's surname starts with K.
2. Arbor Day is this month so read a book with a tree on the cover.
3. It's supposed to be spring (when will the snow end?), read a book with a pastel colored cover.
4. Flowers are starting to blossom so read a book with flowers on the cover.
5. Read a non-fiction book.
6. I was in Disney World in March so read a book about a place where you want to vacation.
7. Car Cruises will soon be beginning so read a book with a car on the cover.
8. The baseball season just started so read a book about baseball.
9. Your choice