Lulu: My reading

Looks like we're all of the same mind here; I read The Help several months ago and loved it. The movie was really well-done, too. Recently I've read:

The Thirteenth Tale (Diane Setterfield) - I adored this book and didn't want to read anything else afterwards, because it was just too good. I recommended The Help to Liz and she recommended The Thirteenth Tale to me; we enjoyed several occasions of quiet, intent, tandem reading while I was at her house through the month of August.

Peace Like A River (Leif Enger) - Recommended to me by Abby and Aunt Beccy a couple of years ago, this was the book I read after The Thirteenth Tale. It was so beautiful! So I passed it on to Liz.

These Is My Words (Nancy E. Turner) - Recommended by Abby and Aunt Beccy, also a couple of years ago, I finally got around to reading it and I'm sad I'm done.

The Book Thief (Marcus Zusak) - I got 48 pages into this addictive book before it was lost in my floating-around-space suitcase that Delta still can't find. Very annoyed about that. I've requested it from our teeny-tiny branch library, so I'm just waiting. But I might end up buying it.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis) - I can't believe it took me so long to read this! I was really missing out. I read it to the kids out loud, after we had finished The Mysterious Benedict Society and were taking a break before diving into the second one. They loved it, Reed especially. I was so happy to read him something that is so richly symbolic of Christ, and written by someone who was a follower of Christ. Aslan makes me cry happy tears. Lucy and Susan make me think of my sisters. I'm really excited to read the first one (I hadn't realized that LWW was the second in the series) and the third! At the moment, we're finishing the Overlander series (Suzanne Collins); we're in the last book. And eventually we'll do the second Benedict book. It's nice to have a long queue of interesting books for their night-time reading. Makes me look forward to bedtime.

Reed is reading the first Harry Potter book! I am so pleased I could cry. While his vocal reading fluency isn't a strength YET, his comprehension is wonderful, and he gets zeroed in on Harry with intense interest when he's reading it to himself.

I'm also perusing several books on the art of writing, both the technical elements and the creative side of it.

In the process of moving and putting all my books on the shelves, I am re-realizing how many books I own that I haven't yet read. Furthermore, a lot of classics and "necessary" reads that I haven't touched....like....(oh, it shames me to admit this!)....To Kill A Mockingbird. Never read it. And too many others that I know I ought to read. I'm happy to have finally read These Is My Words and Peace Like A River, as those were on my shelves for a couple of years before I opened them. But I know, too, that it would be great if I'd read more of my own books!

Lulu: My addition to what Annie's read--

Though I'm not sure I'll be going "by the book" and reading a biography this month, I figured I'd follow in Annie's footsteps and list some of what I've read/am reading--it's a lot, or at least more than usual, which I'm happy about.

HAVE READ: The Mysterious Benedict Society (oh man, I LOVED this, and the kids are loving it--I finished it ahead of them because I couldn't stop myself from reading onward each night after reading to them...)
Gregor the Overlander, books 1 & 2. I love Suzanne Collins. Simple and straightforward writing style but always a good story to back it up!
The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me. I realized just how many Roald Dahl books have slipped under our radar. We're (me and the kids are) happy to find there are several we haven't read yet! This one was short and sweet.

READING:
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey
The Lacuna (the latest Barbara Kingsolver book; much about this book is new for me; I feel like it's one of those books that I read where I finish and feel like I was MEANT to read it and NEEDED to read it)

GOING TO READ:
Confronting the Myth of Self-Esteem - a recommendation from my therapist (no joke). The author uses gospel truths to take on the whole idea of self-esteem, etc.
Gregory the Overlander, book 3
Peace Like a River
These Is My Words
Mockingjay (again, love that Suzanne Collins...)

Rae: Booky comments

It's so wonderful to hear what y'all are reading!

Abby, I have tried to like Orson Scott Card, but have had a real difficult time finding stuff of his I really enjoy. I haven't read Ender's Game, but I know the junior high kids at the library couldn't get enough of that series. I did enjoy the Seventh Son series, but didn't finish it...I think I read the first four or five. I thought it was quite creative. I read Songmaster and a set of his short stories for a book club and hated it. So, I've pretty much given up on Card. Oh, and I also liked his Lost Boys, but it's kind of a downer.

Bill inhaled the Brisingr book. I also gave a copy to Curt for his birthday. Don't know if he has finished it yet. I haven't read any of them, but am glad that the story is absorbing enough to keep a teenage boy reading! He and I read Inkheart as well. I thought that book started out so well and had so much potential. Unfortunately, I didn't think the author kept it up to the end. I lost interest and never read the others in the series.

For what it's worth, I love Gerald Lund's early books. I like his church history series too, but got tired of the characters and drifted off into actual accounts of the early saints. I haven't read his New Testament series for the same reason. I prefer reading the Bible. But he does write well.

Liz and Lynness: Beccy and I absolutely LOVED These Is My Words, also. There is a sequel, which Beccy has read and I have not. But she liked it too...just not as much. Perhaps I can get her to post about the sequel. I thought Words was so well written. I almost forgot that what I was reading was fiction, since the author made it seem just like a real journal. I recommend that book to anyone looking for an uplifting novel. I'm so glad you took the time to read it! And Lynness, your precious time would be greatly rewarded with it...it will just make you feel good.

Happy reading! And thanks for posting...