I borrowed this one from my local library because one of the groups I'm in had decided to read it as the August book club pick. We were supposed to start 01/08, but I ended up not even getting to the library until 02/08. Yeah! It looks really....um....yeah. That's all I will say (I've already finished, look for my thoughts there).
My excuse is I have no self-control. At all. Ever. I was meandering around for a little bit and I saw this on the shelf. I decided to give it a go because I've heard of this on BookTube. People have been raving about it and I want to know what's up with it. I'm iffy so far, but I've been told to stick with it because it does get better.
Book #3: I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Nine of us came here.
We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not
you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of
having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen.
We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books--but we
are real. Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and
become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us
first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in
places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you
without you knowing. But they know. They caught Number One in
Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They
killed them all. I am Number Four. I am next.
I borrowed this because I've heard of it also, but I never managed to get to it before the time ran out on my library books. I'm trying to decide (now 19/08) if I want to renew this one or the two others that I borrowed. It looks interesting. I have heard decent things about this. Some people liked it because of the story, others didn't because of the author. I figure I'm not stepping on toes if I borrow it from my library.
Book #4: Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth by J.R.R. Tolkien
A New York Times bestseller for twenty-one weeks
upon publication, UNFINISHED TALES is a collection of narratives
ranging in time from the Elder Days of Middle-earth to the end of the
War of the Ring, and further relates events as told in THE
SILMARILLION and THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The book concentrates on
the lands of Middle-earth and comprises Gandalf's lively account of
how he came to send the Dwarves to the celebrated party at Bag-End,
the story of the emergence of the sea-god Ulmo before the eyes of
Tuor on the coast of Beleriand, and an exact description of the
military organization of the Riders of Rohan and the journey of the
Black Riders during the hunt for the Ring. UNFINISHED TALES also
contains the only surviving story about the long ages of Númenor
before its downfall, and all that is known about the Five Wizards
sent to Middle-earth as emissaries of the Valar, about the Seeing
Stones known as the Palantiri, and about the legend of
Amroth. Writing of the Appendices to THE LORD OF THE RINGS, J.R.R.
Tolkien said in 1955, "Those who enjoy the book as a 'heroic
romance' only, and find 'unexplained vistas' part of the literary
effect, will neglect the Appendices, very properly." UNFINISHED
TALES is avowedly for those who, to the contrary, have not yet
sufficiently explored Middle-earth, its languages, its legends, it
politics, and its kings.
I like Tolkien, and I haven't read this one yet. I'm going to definitely renew this and attempt to finish it. I have a hard time pronouncing the names. It's crazy.
Book #5: The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Children of Húrin
is the first complete book by J.R.R.Tolkien since the 1977
publication of The Silmarillion. Six thousand years before the One
Ring is destroyed, Middle-earth lies under the shadow of the Dark
Lord Morgoth. The greatest warriors among elves and men have
perished, and all is in darkness and despair. But a deadly new leader
rises, Túrin, son of Húrin, and with his grim band of outlaws
begins to turn the tide in the war for Middle-earth -- awaiting the
day he confronts his destiny and the deadly curse laid upon him. The
paperback edition of The Children of Húrin includes eight color
paintings by Alan Lee and a black-and-white map.
I have heard of this (and the The Tale of Beren and Luthien), and I wanted to read it. Yes, this story is also in Unfinished Tales, but it is not as complete in that book as it is here. I would need to renew all four books to get through them all. And that's only if I didn't read anything else for the month.
Book #6: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Cinder, the cyborg
mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the
bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of
prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s
most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s
grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street
fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s
whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably
drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery,
they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must
stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do
anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king,
her prisoner.
I have the first volume in this series, that I bought from BookOutlet and while I was over town a few days ago, I stopped at the local Free Little Library and they happened to have this one there. Since I put in three, I took this one so I could continue when I started the Lunar Chronicles.
Book #7: The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride
Upon her arrival in
London, an 18-year-old Irish girl begins anew as a drama student,
with all the hopes of any young actress searching for the fame she’s
always dreamed of. She struggles to fit in—she’s young and
unexotic, a naive new girl—but soon she forges friendships and
finds a place for herself in the big city. Then she meets an
attractive older man. He’s an established actor, 20 years older,
and the inevitable clamorous relationship that ensues is one that
will change her forever.
I got this one from Blogging for Books in return for a review. I tried to read it. I did. I couldn't get into it. It looked so good! This is why I don't like not being able to read a little of the inside of a book first. I really should have looked it up on Goodreads before I selected it from the list of available books. See my review for the rest.
Book #8: Contemporary Japanese Textbook (volume 1) by Eriko Yato
This Japanese language
book contains 61 short lessons grouped into 14 chapters—each of
which presents a wide variety of activities and exercises and yet is
designed to be covered in a single session. This "daily
multivitamin" approach to learning Japanese makes it easy to
track your progress and to review later! An audio CD comes free with
the book, providing native speaker recordings giving correct
pronunciations for the dialogs and vocabulary in each lesson.
Contemporary Japanese
is a textbook series for beginning students of Japanese at the
college or high school level. It is intended for classroom use as
well as self study. Each lesson in the book is very short and has a
single, clearly-defined objective. All lessons make use of the
"active discovery" approach which encourages rapid learning
through "guess and try" problem-solving and participation
as opposed to rote memorization. This highly effective method uses
real-life conversations that make learning fun by involving you in a
conversation with your peers. It also removes the fear of saying
something wrong!
My friend KS and I have been dying to learn Japanese together for quite a while. So we picked up this book while we were waiting to go to a friend's birthday dinner. I can't wait to actually get into it and learn more. It's so neat.
Book #9: Contemporary Japanese Workbook (volume 1) by Eriko Sato
This Japanese language
workbook was created as a supplementary material for Contemporary
Japanese. A workbook which is best used for reviewing and reinforcing
the concepts and learning materials introduced in the textbook, it is
also designed to function as a standalone comprehensive workbook.
Some of the features included for this purpose are (a) presentation
of a brief note on the concept tested before every question, (b)
providing of vocabulary and kanji glossaries on unfamiliar words, and
(c) an audio input by native speakers. This workbook also offers
materials in the business, traveling and daily life contexts, in
addition to the college life context featured greatly in the
textbook. Contemporary Japanese
Workbook
series comes in two volumes, consisting of 26
chapters (Chapter One to Fourteen in Volume 1 and Chapter Fifteen to
Twenty–Six in Volume Two) in all. It integrates all the information
provided in the textbook. Each chapter in the workbook has specific
objectives and includes the following six sections: Kanji and
vocabulary. Grammar. Conversation and Usage. Listening Comprehension.
Writing. New Vocabulary Reference List. Contemporary
Japanese Workbook
Volume One, hiragana characters are
introduced in Chapter One in the form of questions along with audio
recordings, and are used in subsequent chapters without ruby, in this
case in romaji. Katakana characters are introduced in Chapter Four,
also in the form of questions, and are used in subsequent chapters
without ruby. Kanji characters are introduced in the form of
questions, accompanied by detailed information such as meanings,
component equations, remembering guides, stroke order, and usage
examples. The required kanji characters in every chapter are
introduced without ruby. When they appear again in the following
chapters, ruby is sparingly provided, wherever it is thought to be
helpful, and the use of this pronunciation guide is gradually
reduced. Non–required kanji characters occasionally appear with
ruby to help learners get accustomed to kanji and thus, able to see
the phrase boundaries in a sentence easily.
We also got this as it goes along with the Textbook as a supplement. However, I have to get a new CD player though, because the one I have refuses to play the CD that came with this book. Oh well. I hope I can get to listen to it soon.
Book #10: Elementary Japanese (volume 1) by Yoko Hasegawa
This is an extensive
beginning level Japanese textbook and language learning program.
Elementary
Japanese
is designed for students who are just beginning their study of
Japanese at the first–:year college level or on their own. The
author and contributors have created a highly structured approach to
leaning Japanese that is based on learning the fundamental patters
and constructions of the language as well as the writing system
including basic kanji. Systematic grammatical explanations are
provided in enough detail for this book to be used as a reference
work as well as an introductory textbook. The accompanying MP3 audio
CD ensures correct pronunciation and helps to build listening
comprehension. After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Describe yourself,
your family and your friends.
-Talk about daily
events using basic vocabulary and grammatical constructions.
-Understand
conversations on these topics as well as classroom activities.
-Read simple articles
and write short and simple compositions and letters.
This was the third book we bought because it was also from Tuttle and we figured if we were going to spend money on Japanese language learning books anyway....may as well go all out and buy some. We didn't pick up a dictionary because I already have the one they had available at the store.
Book #11: The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin
In 1875, Sisi, the
Empress of Austria is the woman that every man desires and every
woman envies. Beautiful, athletic and intelligent, Sisi has
everything - except happiness. Bored with the stultifying etiquette
of the Hapsburg Court and her dutiful but unexciting husband, Franz
Joseph, Sisi comes to England to hunt. She comes looking for
excitement and she finds it in the dashing form of Captain Bay
Middleton, the only man in Europe who can outride her. Ten years
younger than her and engaged to the rich and devoted Charlotte, Bay
has everything to lose by falling for a woman who can never be his.
But Bay and the Empress are as reckless as each other, and their
mutual attraction is a force that cannot be denied. Full of passion
and drama, THE FORTUNE HUNTER tells the true story of a nineteenth
century Queen of Hearts and a cavalry captain, and the struggle
between love and duty.
I....yeah....terrible impulse control. It was pretty and I wanted to own it. I can afford it, so why not? Should I be spending my money responsibly (i.e. not buying frozen burritos and books)? Probably. Am I going to? Hell no. I love this era in novels and I've never really come across one about Austria. I'm like 80% sure I have family from there. I know I've got family (and royal blood) from like Prussia. This looks really good and I can't wait to get into it.
Book #12: 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
You can't stop the
future.
You can't rewind
the past.
The only way to
learn the secret . . . is to press play.
Clay Jensen returns
home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying
on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by
Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two
weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen
reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he
listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his
town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to
Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah's recorded words throughout
his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.
I've seen part of the show. I think....the first.....four or five episodes. I wanted to read the book and then finish the series. I prefer that if I know the television series was based on a book. It's the way that I am. I don't know. Anyway, I was at Walmart with my sister and she was looking for a card so I meandered over to the Books & Magazines section and they had this and I just couldn't resist. I had to own it. I've already read it, so look for my review in my August Book Wrap-Up.
Book #13: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Bell Jar
chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful,
enormously talented, and successful but slowly going under - maybe
for the last time. Sylvia Plath draws the reader into Esther's
breakdown with such intensity that Esther's insanity becomes
completely real and even rational, as probable and accessible an
experience as going to the movies. Such deep penetration into the
dark and harrowing corners of the psyche is an extraordinary
accomplishment and has made The
Bell Jar
an American classic.
Okay, I have this already (but I got it before I started my book blog) and I've never been able to read it. I have the Kindle edition and I had started it several times. So when I was meandering around in my local library, I saw this and thought, I can't get myself to actually read the Kindle version...maybe I'll do better with the print? So I borrowed this. I've already finished (yeah, I borrowed it on 22-August-2017, and finished it on 23-August-2017).
Book #14: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Taken from the poverty
of her parents' home, Fanny Price is brought up with her rich cousins
at Mansfield Park, acutely aware of her humble rank and with only her
cousin Edmund as an ally. When Fanny's uncle is absent in Antigua,
Mary Crawford and her brother Henry arrive in the neighbourhood,
bringing with them London glamour and a reckless taste for
flirtation. As her female cousins vie for Henry's attention, and even
Edmund falls for Mary's dazzling charms, only Fanny remains doubtful
about the Crawfords' influence and finds herself more isolated than
ever. A subtle examination of social position and moral integrity,
Mansfield Park
is one
of Jane Austen's most profound works.
I've read two other Jane Austen books all the way through, being Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. I didn't much care for Persuasion. I thought I'd give Mansfield Park a try because I've never read it and it wasn't among the books that I got from my sister in the Dalmatian Press romance collection. Here's hoping I like it.
Book #15: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Maybe it was a
grandparent, or a teacher or a colleague. Someone older, patient and
wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave
you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch
Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from
nearly twenty years ago. Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this
mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded. Wouldn't you
like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still
haunt you? Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie
in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying of
ALS - or motor neurone disease - Mitch visited Morrie in his study
every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled
relationship turned into one final 'class': lessons in how to live.
I was at the library and the librarian (at least one anyway, there were two on duty that day) asked what kind of books I liked. I laughed and just said "....yes?" because I had a wide range of genres in my arms that day. She then asked if I had ever read Tuesdays with Morrie and I said no. I do own The Five People You Meet in Heaven, but I don't know where it is. I ended up running (literally) back to get it. So now I have this to read with the seven other library books I borrowed.
Book #16: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
For years, Grace has
watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed
wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live
without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen
woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a
fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being
human...until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a
yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her
wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay
human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.
I have no explanation. I checked it out partly because I was a little angry with whomever put it back. They have Shiver, Linger, and Forever but they had them in the wrong order (they did the same thing to Veronica Roth's Divergent series). Now I've heard a lot of good things about this. The BookTubers who read a majority of YA books have gushed about the series. I figure hey it's free technically since it's the library so let's give it a try.
Book #17: Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah
Born in 1937 in a port
city a thousand miles north of Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah was the
youngest child of an affluent Chinese family who enjoyed rare
privileges during a time of political and cultural upheaval. But
wealth and position could not shield Adeline from a childhood of
appalling emotional abuse at the hands of a cruel and manipulative
Eurasian stepmother. Determined to survive through her enduring faith
in family unity, Adeline struggled for independence as she moved from
Hong Kong to England and eventually to the United States to become a
physician and writer. A compelling, painful, and ultimately
triumphant story of a girl's journey into adulthood, Adeline's story
is a testament to the most basic of human needs: acceptance, love,
and understanding. With a powerful voice that speaks of the harsh
realities of growing up female in a family and society that kept
girls in emotional chains, Falling
Leaves
is a work of heartfelt intimacy and a rare authentic
portrait of twentieth-century China.
Go figure. I normally dislike memoirs, and I'm just reading memoir after memoir after memoir. I even have a few that I now personally own. Anyway, I like learning about the Chinese culture and this book happens to be about a Chinese woman growing up in the mid to late 1900s. It sounds very interesting. I've already started it and I can't wait to continue.
Book #18: The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan
Set in San Francisco
and in a remote village of southern China, this is a tale of American
pragmatism shaken, and soothed, by Chinese ghosts. What proof of love
do we seek between mother and daughter, among sisters, lovers, and
friends? What are its boundaries and failings? Can love go beyond
'Until death do us part?' And if so, which aspects haunt us like
regretful ghosts? In 1962, Olivia, nearly six years old, meets Kwan,
her adult half sister from China, for the first time. Olivia's
neglectful mother, who in pursuing a new marriage can't provide the
attention her daughter needs, finds Kwan to be a handy caretaker. In
the bedroom the sisters share, Kwan whispers secrets about ghosts and
makes Olivia promise never to reveal them. Out of both fright and
resentment, Olivia betrays her sister -- with terrible consequences.
From then on she listens to Kwan's stories and pretends to believe
them. Thirty years pass, and Olivia is about to divorce her husband,
Simon, after a lengthy marriage. She is certain he has never given up
his love for a former girlfriend, who died years before. Kwan and her
ghosts believe otherwise, and they provide Olivia with ceaseless
advice and pleas to reconsider. But Olivia has long since dismissed
the ghosts of her childhood and the wacky counsel of her sister. Just
as Kwan anticipates, fate intervenes and takes her, Olivia, and Simon
to China. In the village where Kwan grew up, Olivia confronts the
tangible evidence of what she has always presumed to be her sister's
fantasy of the past. And there, she finds the proof that love
endures, and comes to understand what logic ignores, what you can
know only through the hundred secret senses.
There is an excerpt of this in the back of my copy of The Joy Luck Club and since I liked that and I remembered the excerpt, I thought I'd try this. I have been having a huge kick of China recently. I have no idea why.
Book #19: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
It's 1941 and
fifteen-year-old artist Lina Vilkas is on Stalin's extermination
list. Deported to a prison camp in Siberia, Lina fights for her life,
fearless, risking everything to save her family. It's a long and
harrowing journey and it is only their incredible strength, love, and
hope that pull Lina and her family through each day. But will love be
enough to keep them alive?
This was very popular a few weeks back on BookTube and Bookstagram. My library just got it in, so I grabbed it. I plan to read it next when I finish one of my other library books. I didn't know what it was about when I first picked it up, because no one would go into it because they didn't want to spoil the book for us who haven't read it yet. But finding out the very broad topic of it is surviving the Holocaust.....I think I will enjoy this. I like those stories, as I more than likely have family from both sides of the conflict. Whether they were indeed bad or otherwise is unknown.
Book #20: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
In their youth,
Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall passionately in love. When
Fermina eventually chooses to marry a wealthy, well-born doctor,
Florentino is devastated, but he is a romantic. As he rises in his
business career he whiles away the years in 622 affairs--yet he
reserves his heart for Fermina. Her husband dies at last, and
Florentino purposefully attends the funeral. Fifty years, nine
months, and four days after he first declared his love for Fermina,
he will do so again.
I had hoped to find
One Hundred Years of Solitude, his most famous book, but they didn't have it on the shelf when I went in. They did have this and I have heard many good things about it. I figure I may as well give this a try. It looks pretty good to me. It's my first M
árquez book, and I hope I like it. Who knows? It is amazingly floppy.
Book #21: The Devil's Company by David Liss
The year is 1722.
Ruffian for hire, ex-boxer, and master of disguise, Weaver finds
himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, pitted against
Jerome Cobb, a wealthy and mysterious schemer who needs Weaver’s
strength and guile for his own treacherous plans. Weaver is
blackmailed into stealing documents from England’s most heavily
guarded estate, the headquarters of the ruthless British East India
Company, but the theft of corporate secrets is only the first move in
a daring conspiracy within the eighteenth century’s most powerful
corporation. To save his friends and family from Cobb’s reach,
Weaver must infiltrate the Company, navigate its warring factions,
and uncover a secret plot of corporate rivals, foreign spies, and
government operatives. With millions of pounds and the security of
the nation at stake, Weaver will find himself in a labyrinth of
hidden agendas, daring enemies, and unexpected allies.
I was looking for new (i.e. more) books at the Dollar General up the street from me and I stumbled across this thing. I like historical fiction, one of my favorite time frames is the early 1700s (I don't know why), and pirates are awesome. It doesn't mention it, but it's I mean mastermind and the East India Company? Pirates. Totally pirates. When I grabbed this, however, I was not aware that it is actually not volume one....or even volume two...no. This is volume three in the series. Which means, that despite best efforts to avoid it. I will have to go on Amazon and get volumes one and two. Oh well.
