Sunday, November 30, 2008

The Sunday Salon: Thanksgiving Reading and Christmas Buying


And so the long Thanksgiving weekend draws to a close. Tomorrow is December. I'm already feeling a panic. One day at a time, and I'm sure I'll make it!

I finished a book this morning! But that's only because it was so short and such easy reading. It was The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. I snagged it from the library awhile back because of all the rave reviews so many of you have been giving it. Now we can add mine to the list, rave review that is. What a cute, fun, thought-provoking little story! But I won't talk about that here, that will be in an official review post, of which this is definitely not.

I also finished The People of Sparks by Jeanne Duprau this past weekend... the sequel to The City of Ember. That was interesting commentary on war if there ever was one. But I totally enjoyed it too. Looking forward to book three, which I understand is totally different, so that could be interesting.

Now I'm working on one of my book fair grabs, Deep Down Popular by Phoebe Stone. A cute little middle grade book, which I'm enjoying okay. It's not out-of-this-world fabulous or anything. Just fun. Then, perhaps today I may work on... now hold on and don't drop dead or anything.... War and Peace! Remember that one? I haven't touched it for months. My goal to finish it by the end of the year, yeah, not going to happen. Should I extend the date to the end of NEXT year? I am only half way done, so that just may be a realistic idea. Two years to read War and Peace. How pathetic is that?

What the family is reading this Sunday afternoon:

The Mr: Whenever he finishes a book, he comes to me and says, "NOW what should I read next?" I was ready for him this time, and handed him The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I loved that book and thought it would be perfect for him too. He made a face when I said what it was about (vampires of course) but I explained that I really thought he should try it and see, it being an "intellectual" study and all. Well, guess what? He seems to not be able to put it down hardly. He reads even ... in the middle of the day! Now THAT is saying something.

Bud (19): I think he is still working on Obama's book. I haven't seen him reading much of anything lately.

JJ (17 almost): She finally finished The Scarlett Letter for school. However, this past break from school, she picked up New Moon and re-read the entire thing. (Blame that on the Twilight movie.)

Moder (13 1/2): He's going back and forth from Elantris by Brandon Sanderson and Paper Towns by John Green. I'm jealous about the Elantris one because I want to be reading it so bad myself, but I'm saving it for later when my book club reads it.

Toto (9 1/2): She is still working on the second in the unicorn series by Bruce Coville, The Song of the Wanderer. She giggles a lot and has to read me parts as she goes along. I'm taking this as a sign that she's really liking it.

Books I've bought so far for Christmas presents:

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
Pilage by Obert Skye
Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Farworld by J. Scott Savage

5 comments:

  1. My 11 yo son has been reading the City of Ember series last month. He just finished the 3rd and said it was ok, not as good. I think it's a prequel. I'm going to try and have him wait on the softcover edition of the last book.

    I am the book supplier to my husband too. He asked for a 'nice book' for Christmas, just trying to be a pain.

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  2. I love the family updates. We had some excitement, this weekend, when we got to see the new girlfriend's influence on the eldest son's bookshelves. They are crammed. She loans him books all the time. While we were there, she brought in a stack and said, "Here, these are for you," to the son and then handed me the rest of the bag and said, "Take whatever you'd like. I'm just going to get used bookstore credit and end up buying more." Har. Like that chick.

    I'm like raidergirl -- book supplier to the hubby. He's dyslexic, though, so I don't have to find books for him very often.

    Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

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  3. I'm also a book supplier to my husband! Seems to be a common thing around these parts.

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  4. I think I'm behind on shopping again.

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  5. I guess I can join the ranks of book supplier to the husband! I am trying to get him to explore a bit and find some authors on his own. He is pretty picky about genre though...hmm.. reminds me, I need to figure out what book/s I am getting him for Christmas.
    *smiles*
    Kim

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