Week 14: Progress Post

[Zaz, Mood Minion]

We are halfway done with Week 14, a week without fiction.

This discussion thread is solely for your progress (book discussions go in individual threads).


What did you read this week?

What was the subject of your book?

Did you enjoy the book?

Would you recommend it?

[goldberry]

What did you read this week?
The Fall of Berlin 1945 by Antony Beevor

What was the subject of your book?
History

Did you enjoy the book?
Yes! Amazing book - one of the best I read in a while. This book is very well written, informative and pleasurable to read.

Would you recommend it?
Yes!

[Zaz, Mood Minion]

What did you read this week?
Chernobyl: Confessions of a Reporter

What was the subject of your book?
It's a photography book (with texts), written by a reporter who did pictures just after the accident and during the weeks, months and years which followed.

Did you enjoy the book?
Yes, it's a really interesting subject, moving and sad, about one of the important things well hidden by governments (in France, the radioactive cloud "stopped at the frontier"...). It's my 2nd book on the subject.

Would you recommend it?
Yes, it's short and give a good insight in few words, with good photographies from a lost world. For something deeper, I recommend Voices from Chernobyl.

[Grace Meredith]

I unfortunately was not able to receive my book in time, but hopefully I'll be able to catch up on it in time...

[EllenZReads]

What did you read this week? I'm listening to the audiobook for A Walk in the Woods (Bill Bryson).

What was the subject of your book? the author's account of hiking the Appalachian Trail, with lots of history of the trail and humor thrown in.

Did you enjoy the book? Yes--almost done listening to it.

Would you recommend it? Yes--funny and good information.

[Karen Michele]

What did you read this week?

A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle

What was the subject of your book?

A British couple buys a house and spends their first year in Provence, France.

Did you enjoy the book?

Very much

Would you recommend it?

Yes, especially to those interested in France. It's engaging , funny and full of descriptions of delicious food!

[Jessica]

What did you read this week? As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

What was the subject of your book? It was the making of the movie The Princess Bride.

Did you enjoy the book? Tremendously! :D This book is very much like the movie: laugh-out-loud moments, but mostly heartfelt and sincere. There are many stories I hadn't heard about before, and reading this just made me want to watch it again (though, really, I would do that anyways ;) ).

Would you recommend it? I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves The Princess Bride.

[Nicole]

What did you read this week?
I read What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

What was the subject of your book?
Science

Did you enjoy the book?
Yes this was a great book. Basically a funny & interesting science lesson

Would you recommend it?
Definitely. Even if you know nothing about science, it's still interesting

[Deanna]

What did you read this week?
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

What was the subject of your book?
How the role of food has changed in our American culture over the past 50ish years. Gradual shifts towards convenience and a focus on nutrients rather than foods as a whole has opened up a mass market for the food industry to profit not only on what they can convince us to buy but also the medicines we will need to survive when we’re sick (diabetes, cholesterol issues, etc).

Did you enjoy the book?
Yes.

Would you recommend it?
Yes. This book definitely has a point of view so take it with a grain of salt, but if you’re thinking about changing the way you eat, than this book is for you. I really enjoyed it and for myself, I can see how his points of view make sense but I have already been thinking that way for years.

[Joann]

What did you read this week?
You Are Here. Around the World in 92 minutes by Chris Hadfield

What was the subject of your book?
Photos from Space

Did you enjoy the book?
Very much

Would you recommend it?
Definitely

[Cait]

What did you read this week? Sherlock: Chronicles by Steve Tribe

What was the subject of your book? The making of the BBC Sherlock series.

Did you enjoy the book? Very much so. My husband and I have just started rewatching Sherlock recently and are about halfway through at the moment. I realised just how much I'd missed or forgotten on my first viewings of the second and third series. It was also fascinating to read about all the things that went into the making of the series.

Would you recommend it? Definitely! It's a must-read for any fan of the Sherlock series.

[Biana]

I am reading I am Malala for this challenge. It’s the story of Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban about 3 years ago. It’s a phenomenal story…one that gives us a real glimpse into what the world is like for people in other parts of the world. Here this girl was just trying to get an education and she was hunted down. However, I feel that the story (the tale behind the book) is so good that they didn’t need a great author. I find myself struggling to finish the chapter because it’s bogged down with details and detours and not enough story. I’m NOT enjoying it and I doubt I will recommend it. But I will finish it. Eventually.

[Ed]

What did you read this week?

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

What was the subject of your book?

An essay arguing that women writers need and deserve the same access to experiences and education and publishers as men. A Room of One's own is needed because women (at the time of the essay's publication) would not be taken seriously as writers and would have to conceal that they were pursuing that art.

Did you enjoy the book? Yes, very thought provoking.

Would you recommend it?

Yes

[Krysta]

What did you read this week? American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History

What was the subject of your book? The war in Iraq

Did you enjoy the book? Yes.

Would you recommend it? Yes.

[Emily]

What did you read this week? Proof: The Science of Booze by Adam Rogers

What was the subject of your book? Alcohol. Specifically, the science and history of making and drinking it.

Did you enjoy the book? I did. But I'm a big ol' science nerd. :)

Would you recommend it? If you're also a science nerd, and you like a nice drink now and again, yes, it's a really good read. Check out my review here.

[Bana AZ]

What did you read this week?
--How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

What was the subject of your book?
--Human relationships

Did you enjoy the book?
--At times, yes, but it gets a bit repetitive.

Would you recommend it?
--Yeah, especially for business people. For non-business people, too, if you're very interested in human relationships.

[Jody]

What did you read this week? The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help

What was the subject of your book? Funnily enough, I don't feel that the subject was really about how she learned to ask for help - it was more of a memoir.

Did you enjoy the book? Parts I loved, parts I hated, but all up I do think it was a very good book & worth reading. Some parts really touched me & got me quite emotional. I knew nothing about her before I read this book (least of all that she is married to Neil Gaiman!), and I've since found that she's incredibly polarising - but she certainly has a gift of being able to communicate & engage.

Would you recommend it? Yes, and writing this reminds me that I still need to watch her TED talk that inspired this book.

[Jean]

What did you read this week? Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior by Leonard Mlodinow

What was the subject of your book? See title. :) It wasn't about how the time you got trapped in a closet is the reason you're afraid of the dark today. It was about how your brain "fills in" information for you without you realizing it as you go about your day.

Did you enjoy the book? Yes I did.

Would you recommend it? Yes. It's kind of a narrow subject of interest, but it was very easy to read and I'd like to read more by Mlodinow.

[Michelle]

What did you read this week? The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are

What was the subject of your book? Self-help, Psychology

Did you enjoy the book? Yes

Would you recommend it? Yes. I'm a therapist and I recommended it to some of my clients.

[Silvia]

What did you read this week?
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

What was the subject of your book?
Writting techniques, most of them based on the personal experiencies of the author.

Did you enjoy the book? A lot!

Would you recommend it? Definitely