November's Reading List

  Well after a fairly slow start to October I did manage to finish the month with a better sense of accomplishment.  I still don't think I read as many books as I normally do in a month, but I felt I got my reading "mojo" back.  Let's hope it continues through November, where the cooler weather makes curling up with a book the ideal form of relaxation.

  What will I be reading in November?

  For Reading Groups:

• A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
• The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

 For Review:

• Hamlet's BlackBerry:  Building a Good Life in the Digital Age by William Powers (I did finally start this one and will have it done & reviewed in November - I promise!)
• Falling for Me:  How I Learned French, Hung Curtains, Travelled to Seville and Fell in Love by Anna David
• Stasiland:  Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall by Anna Funder

Readers' Poll:

• Fiction:  When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
• Non-Fiction:  Would you believe there was a 3-way tie?  I think I'll start with In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson, and if I have time I'll pick up Mennonite in a Little Black Dress and The Checklist Manifesto

I'm starting to look out for challenges for 2012 -- if you see any that sound interesting please let me know!

What will you be reading in November?

October's Reading List

*sigh* 

  I have a lot on my reading plate for October.  Thankfully, the weather is getting cooler and it's an ideal time to curl up on the couch with a blanket, a cup of coffee, and a great book or two.  I just wish I had more hours in the day (at least during the week) to do said curling up.  

  My first "What Should I Read Next" poll resulted in the following choices:

• Fiction:  Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese 
• Non-fiction (a very close race!):  Carrots 'N' Cake:  Healthy Living One Carrot and Cupcake at a Time by Tina Haupert

  My two book groups are reading The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove by Susan Gregg Gilmore (which I've already read and loved) and The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

  For review, I still am working my way through Grand Pursuit:  A History of Economic Genius by Sylvia Nasar; and I have these books to read as well:

• Hamlet's Blackberry:  Building a Good Life in the Digital Age by William Powers
• You are Not so Smart by David McRaney
• Falling for Me:  How I Hung Curtains, Learned to Cook, Traveled to Seville, and Fell in Love by Anna David

  I also plan to attempt (for the third time) To the End of the Land by David Grossman as I will be seeing him in Chicago in November as part of the Chicago Humanities Festival.  I will also be seeing Umberto Eco, who will be talking about his soon-to-be released novel (which sounds fascinating) The Prague Cemetery; I've not read any of his novels yet but I do have In the Name of the Rose on my shelf and I would like to start it by the end of the month.

  And if (IF) I have time I want to read a book or two for a few of the challenges in which I'm participating.

 

  Anyone care to write a note to my boss excusing me from work?

  Have a great October -- and keep an eye out later in the month for my November poll!

September Reading List

Upon returning from my visit with my nieces and nephew, I had grand ambitions of catching up with posts I wanted/needed to write and in general get more serious with my blog.  Then all the child germs I was exposed to over the week hit me all at once and I've come down with a nasty cold and fever.  So in an effort to at least keep some of my momentum I will post what books are on tap for me in September:

For Reading Groups:

• Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley
• Germinal by Emile Zola

For Reading Challenges:

• The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain De Botton
• Far to Go by Alison Pick
• The Most Beautiful Book in the World by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt

For Review:

• Grand Pursuit:  The Story of Economic Genius by Sylvia Nasar
• Hamlet's Blackberry:  Building a Good Life in the Digital Age by William Powers

What do you plan to read this month?

August's Reading List

  Ok, I know I am in the minority here, but I am glad summer is on its way out.  I am no fan of the extreme heat we've been enduring here in Chicagoland and combine that with the record rainfall in July I am ready for the cooler temperatures of the fall.  That's not to say August won't be hot as well, but at least the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer.

  August is my birthday month, but at my age it isn't such a big deal for me anymore.  My niece, Ryane, however, will be turning 5 on the same day as I'm turning xx and that is a big deal.  I won't be able to celebrate with her on the day itself, but later in the month I will be conducting Auntie Sue's Whirlwind Rugrat Spoiling Tour and visiting her and her brother and sister in Winnipeg for a few days after spending a few days in Toronto with my 20-month old nieces.  It is going to be a lot of fun.

  In between my travels and work (yeah, I still gotta work) -- I am looking forward to reading the following books:

•  For Reading Groups:
• Still Alice by Lisa Genova
• Candide by Voltaire
• Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch (I saw that one of the book groups at my library will be discussing this on Sept.1, and since it's been sitting on my shelf for a few months I thought this would be a good opportunity to read it)
• For Reading Challenges:
• Ornament of the World by Maria Rosa Menocal
• Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
• The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
• For Review:
• An Accident in August by Laurence Cosse
• The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison
• Just My Type by Simon Garfield

   And I'll probably be reading some kids' books to my favorite listeners :-)

   Have a great month!

July Reading List

  I'm a little late in posting my to-read list for July.  I took a few days off work to make an extra long holiday weekend and the laziness was just too enjoyable to interrupt; alas, since I must return to the grind on Tuesday I thought I'd bring back some discipline and let you know what's on my reading agenda for July:

  For Reading Groups:

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (a re-read)
• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

  For Reading Challenges:

• Fabulous Small Jews:  Stories by Joseph Epstein (I know -- this has been on my list for a few months now.  I PROMISE I will read it in July)
• The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston
• The Factory Voice by Jeanette Lynes
• Hygiene and the Assassin by Amelie Nothomb

  For Review:

• The Most Beautiful Walk in the World:  A Pedestrian in Paris by John Baxter
• The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff

  What's on your reading agenda for July?

June Reading List

Bookish things of note for June:

• I will be attending The Printers' Row Lit Fest in downtown Chicago on Saturday June 4. The schedule arrived this week and I've already circled a few panels I'm looking forward to (and put aside a few $ for some new books!)
• I will once again be participating in the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop,  hosted by Judith at leeswammes that will run from June 25-29. I still haven't figured out what I will be offering, but be sure to stay tuned!

In the meantime, here is what I have on the reading agenda for the month:

For Reading Groups:

• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (who will be calling in to our discussion!)
• Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

For Reading Challenges:

• The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston
• Fabulous Small Jews, stories by Joseph Epstein

For Review:

• French Lessons by Ellen Sussman
• The Most Beautiful Walk in the World by John Baxter
• Quarantine:  Stories by Rahul Mehta

What are your June reading plans?

May's Reading List

  April was definitely a month of reading highs and lows for me.  Early in the month, I spent the most amazing weekend at the Books on the Nightstand Reading Retreat and then at the end of the month I got sick where I couldn't read anything for a few days. 
   So let's hope May is a little more balanced (though I wouldn't give away my time at the Retreat for anything.  It.Was.Awesome.)  My reading list:

For Reading Groups:

• Garlic and Sapphires:  The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl
• Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (I'm going to TRY and read some of this in French)

For Reading Challenges:

• Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
• The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (re-read)
• East of the Sun by Julia Gregson
• Finn by Jon Clinch

For Review:

• The Reservoir by John Milliken Thompson
• Feeding on Dreams:  Confessions of an Unrepentant Exile by Ariel Dorfman
• Jerusalem Maiden by Talia Carner
• The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy

This should keep me busy for the month!  What will you be reading?

  

April's Reading List

  Ok, April is going to be a great reading month.  Why?  Because I'm going to the Books on the Nightstand Readers' Retreat April 8-10  in Manchester, Vermont.   I cannot tell you how excited I am about this -- not only for the time away from the office (yay!) but also for the opportunity to meet like-minded bibliophiles and learn about some new-to-me authors.  Full report to follow upon my return (that is, if I return -- The Northshire Bookstore is a place I may not want to leave!).

  Anyways, before I load up on books at the retreat, here is what my reading plans are for April:

  For book groups:

•  Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Edith Grossman
• Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (I've read this already -- and loved it -- but I might try to re-read it before my group meets)

  For reading challenges:

• The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (a re-read)
• Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
• The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre
• Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga

 
 For those who celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful Easter celebration and/or a joyous Passover this month.

March Reading List

  Spring is almost here!  Yay!  I actually don't mind winter so much (I'm Canadian, eh?) but at this time of year I'm quite ready for the warmer weather.

  I was able to get a fair amount of reading done in February, and I hope I will be able to keep up the pace in March:

  For Reading Groups:

• A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

  For Reading Challenges:

• The High Road by Terry Fallis
• The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle
• Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden
• Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo
• Finn by Jon Clinch

Just Because:

• Private Life by Jane Smiley
• Heart of Lies by M.L. Malcolm (I felt embarassed when she commented on this post so I think I should move this one near the top of the pile!)
• Any number of other books off my tbr shelves

What do you plan on reading in March?

February Reading List

  February started in Chicagoland with a blizzard -- my neighborhood got about 15 inches of snow; on the bright side, my office was closed for the day and after my husband and I dug out our driveway and sidewalk to the front door, I had some extra reading time!
 
  It's a short one, but here is what's on my reading agenda for the month:

          For book groups:

• The Quickening by Michelle Hoover
• Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

          For Reading Challenges:

• Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
• The Gathering by Anne Enright
• Of Hockey and Hijab:  Reflections of a Canadian Muslim Woman by Sheema Khan
• The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian

          Just Because:

• A Corner in the Marais:  Memoir of a Paris Neighborhood by Alex Karmel
• The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
• The Emperor of All Maladies:  A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

      (plus a few more if I can squeeze them in)

  What are you reading this month?

January Reading List and 2011 Reading Resolutions

  Happy New Year everyone!  I hope that 2011 brings everyone health and happiness and many great books to read and discuss.

  Thanks in part to my blog, in 2010 I read more books than I ever have before - 128 - and I'm sure that my list of to-read books has increased by that much.  Of course I'd love to be able to read more, but I don't want to sacrifice quality for quantity; I'd rather read less books and enjoy them than read more books just to say I've read more and then not remember any of them.
  That said, I am resolving to read 11 more books in 2011.  I just found about a challenge on my favorite book blog/podcast -- Books on the Nightstand -- to read 11 more books in 2011 than you did in 2010 and I think that it is achievable.  Though to make it more challenging I am going to aim to read at  least some of these 11 books in French, especially as my ability in the language improves (oh yeah, and that is resolution #2).
  I am also resolving to whittle down my overwhelming to-read shelves.  Don't laugh -- I'm really going to try.  I have committed to three reading challenges for 2011 and with one exception (which I know I can get at the library) I will be able to complete all of them with books I already own.  I won't say that I will stop buying books, but I am definitely going to cut it down and I am going to use my closest indie bookseller as much as I can when I do splurge on a new book(s).
  For my blog, I am resolving to post three times a week.  The blog is a hobby for me, but I also feel that I need to work on it regularly in order to get the most enjoyment out of it and, since I mentioned before that I'm needy when it comes to comments, if I don't post enough people won't visit or comment.

 So to start 2011, this is my reading list for January:
       Book groups:     The Speed of Light by Elizabeth Rosner
                                 War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy (ok, a bit of a cheat since I started it in November in order to finish in time for our group discussion, but I will be reading it at least into the first week of January)
       Challenges:          The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon  for the Back to the Classics Challenge (Books on the Nightstand will also be hosting an online chat/discussion of this book in January so check out their site for the date and time)
                                  The Whole Five Feet by Christopher R. Beha for the What's in a Name 4 Challenge
                                  Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves for the 2011 TBR Pile Challenge
                                  The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis for the Canadian Book Challenge 4

 This list should keep me going through the long cold winter nights.

December's Reading List

 
  Oh sure, I'm probably going to read something else in the month as well, but I am giving this one the bulk of my attention in December. 

  I'm also going to spend some time planning my 2011 reading year.  There are a few challenges I plan on participating in and I am going to review my stupidly huge to-read shelves for books to meet them.  As soon as I have those figured out I will post my commitments to the challenges.

  Due to work and family commitments I won't be able to attend my book groups this month but their selections for December are  Half Broke Horses and The Man Who Loved Books Too Much.  I have them both on my shelf so I hope to read them sometime.

  I have a nice quiet Christmas planned -- no travelling this year -- so I hope to curl up on the couch and read the holiday away.

  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and that 2011 brings us a lot more great books to read!

November's Reading List

  It's hard to believe it is already November -- the weather is cooling off, the days are getting shorter, and the holidays are fast approaching, but there is always plenty of reading to be done!

  My book club reads for this month are:

• Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder
• Silas Marner by George Eliot
• Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya
• Michelangelo & the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King

 Blogger Recommendations this month are:

• Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach (recommended by leeswammes)
• Annexed by Sharon Dogar (recommended by see scoot read)

  I am also going to get started on War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, which is my Classics group's January book for discussion.  When I do begin I will post my progress.

  Aside from these books I will certainly work through my TBR piles (that thing I mentioned last month about not buying books?  yeah, didn't happen).  I have to spend some time organizing them so I can be reminded of what is there, but I'd really much rather spend the time reading .....

  Oh, and later this month will be my one year blogiversary!  I'm thinking of offering some sort of giveaway, so stay tuned!

October's Reading List

    For Reading Groups:
                 Emma by Jane Austen
                 Where Men Win Glory:  The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer (I've already read this, so I'm not sure if I will re-read)
                 The Island at the Center of the World by Russel Shorto

    Other:
                 Anton Chekhov:  Early Short Stories 1883-1888 (I received a book for review called Celebrity Chekhov by Ben Greenman and since I've not read any Chekhov stories I thought I'd better start with them)
                 Parrot & Olivier in America by Peter Carey
                 The Debba by Avner Mandelman

   I know I'm going to sound like a broken record, but I'm really going to try hard to not buy books this month.  I don't know when I'll have time to finish all of the books I already own, so I need to seriously work down that pile first.  People -- hold me accountable!
   

September's Reading List

For Reading Groups:

•   The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart
•   The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner (re-read)
•   The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

For thelittlereader's readalong:

•   Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

For Review:

• Everything Is Going to Be Great by Rachel Shukert

I should also be finishing up Ulysses this month!

Add a book or two for The Canadian Book Challenge 4 and a few more off of my ever growing to-read pile (I could say that I won't buy any more books, but I would be lying), and I have a very productive and interesting month ahead of me.  I hope yours is the same!

August's Reading List

  It's hard to believe that it's already August.  July seemed to fly past in a whirlwind (my work was crazy busy) and though I did complete everything on July's reading list (well I'm still slogging through Ulysses) and a few other books, I felt like I didn't get as much reading done as I would have liked. 

  But it's a new month, and here is what is on this month's reading list:
         For reading groups:        The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
                                               The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
                                               In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick

         For the little reader's readalong:  The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill (I'm also counting this one towards the Canadian Book Challenge 4)

   Mid-month I'm heading up to visit my family in Winnipeg and celebrate my birthday with Michael Buble (well, I'll be at his concert anyway) and since it's a 14-hour drive each way I suspect I will pick up a couple of audiobooks to keep me and the hubster entertained on the journey.   He is not a reader, but he says he will be interested in listening to books, so I have to search out some that we can both enjoy.

July's Reading List

It seems like July is going to be a "light" reading month for me, in that I don't have a lot of reading I "have" to do so I can see about tackling the massive Mount TBR on my bookshelves.

I am still working on Ulysses this month as my project book -- it's slow going, but I am impressed with my progress, though I still think it will be on the currently-reading shelf for a while yet.  It's one of those books where I need to isolate myself and concentrate.

For my reading groups:
    The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
    The Stranger by Albert Camus
    Both of these are re-reads

For thelittlereader's readalong:
    Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

I did just sign up for The Canadian Book Challenge 4 to celebrate the literature of my homeland, so I'll go through Mount TBR and see what books I already have before I make my shopping list for when I visit next month  (This is as good an excuse as any to pick up some books!)

Also in July I am eagerly anticipating the release of Jennifer Weiner's new novel, Fly Away Home, which I already pre-ordered at my local indie.  She is one of my favorite writers, so I'll likely start reading this as soon as I pick it up.

What will you be reading this month?

June's Reading List and Extended Giveaway

Ok, in my attempt to get slightly more organized with my reading and blogging habits I am going to post my monthly "required" reading (for book groups, challenges etc) so that I can be held publicly accountable for what I've committed to read!

My big "project" for June (and July, August, probably September....) is to read Ulysses by James Joyce, beginning on Bloomsday (June 16th).  I am going to read a little bit (at least 20 pages) every day and blog about my progress each week.  If anyone is crazy enough interested in joining me please do!  If I can figure out how one of those linky things work I will put one up on my first post; otherwise I'll just look forward to your comments on the posts. 

Here is the rest of June's reading list:

For Book Groups

The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle
Driftless by David Rhodes
Pere Goriot by Honore de Balzac

For littlereader's Readalong

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

I also am trying to find a book for June's World Party but this month's stop is in Liberia and the pickings are slim.  Any suggestions?

Of course I have several (hundred) books on my shelves to choose from in between all of these ones.

Now if I can only figure out a way to read while at my desk at work .....

Extended Giveaway
   In my post reviewing The Knife Sharpener's Bell (here), I offered to give away my copy of the book to a random commenter.  I kind of forgot that with BEA and the Memorial Day holiday those people with lives were not hovering around their computer so I am extending my offer to a random commenter to this or the original post (please include e-mail address) until June 7. 
  I was very excited to see that the lone commenter to the review post was the author herself so I did not feel too neglected .....