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April's List
May. 2nd, 2010 06:36 pmI picked up the pace this month. It felt good.
7. Ten Commandments Twice Removed, Danny Shelton/Shelley Quinn. 126pp
Although I agree with the Sabbath doctrine presented in this book, I was NOT keen on the presentation. I found it to be very verbose, somewhat repetitive, and not very friendly. I much prefer Joe Crews' "Why God Said Remember" as far as the Sabbath topic goes, and if someone asked me for something to read about the Sabbath, I'd much sooner recommend that.
8. Airs Above the Ground, Mary Stewart. 286pp
After![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
eattheolives posted about another book she read and liked by this author I decided to check our library. They didn't have Nine Coaches Waiting, but they did have this and probably around seven other titles by her. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found the characters realistic and engaging, the plot twists kept me guessing and in suspense, and... dude. Lipizzanner. Seriously. I saw those horses once as a little thing and wish I could remember better.
9. A Walk Across America, Peter Jenkins. 288pp
I remember my dad reading this book years ago when I was a teenager. From the minute the dog entered the story I knew the dog was going to die at some point. Whether that is something that stuck in my subconscious or not from my dad having read the book I have no idea, but it was there. *sigh* I'm not a dog person, but come on. The poor guy, losing his furry friend. I dreaded the page where that would come along, and then when I got to it I cried.
That aside, it was an excellent read, and there is a lot I could say about it. I particularly enjoy the concept of a narrow-minded individual giving people a chance and finding out that there is a whole world of people of all kinds, and learning what makes them tick and just seeing how they live is seriously fascinating.
10. The Walk West, Peter and Barbara Jenkins. 350pp
Definitely liked the first one better. It seemed this one rambled on interminably at times about cowboys, oil rigs, and cowboys. I did enjoy it though in spite of that.
I think my favourite aspect was the growth of both P and B as individuals. They were tough. They had to be to walk across the country. Amazing.
11. Rose Cottage, Mary Stewart. 186pp
This promised to be far more interesting than it actually was. There were a variety of things I didn't like about it - mostly, however, it boiled down to feeling like a quick job. It was only mildly engaging and seemed rushed and tired all at once. Also was not keen on the spiritist neighbour lady. Didn't find the characters came to life or that I really cared about them much.
12. Seven for a Secret, Victoria Holt. 326pp
Another author I keep hearing about from my LJ friends. I don't know if all her books are this rubbishy or if I just picked a bad one, but it read like the magnum opus of a fifteen-year-old who reads too many sordid newspaper articles. How else can you cram seduction, suicide, identity crises, divorce, deception, illegitimate children, and South Sea islands into just one story?
Also, the NAMES. Tamarisk is bad... but Crispin?!?
I rest my case.
13. The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America, Bill Bryson. 299pp
During the "East" part of this book, I laughed almost uncontrollably many, many times. During the "West" part of the book, I felt the pace slowed and there was less entertainment value. I guess the West doesn't have as many amusing things to observe. It corresponded, though, to my "Walk Across America" reading: once they hit the west, my interest lagged more. I guess I am not a huge fan of sprawling open countryside. I like Oregon. I'll stay here, thanks.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I only wish he'd used fewer four-letter words. It seemed this particular book was peppered with a lot of those.
14. Girl in Hyacinth Blue, Susan Vreeland. 253pp
I saw this onruthette 's recent reads on Facebook and was intrigued, so I looked to see if our library had it and shock!awe they DID. It was good; that's about as excited as I can get about it. It felt a little bit patchy (the author wrote in the afterword thing that it was written in pieces, and to me it felt very much like it was). I did, however, like the idea of going backwards in time - a lot.
15. Alice Adams, Booth Tarkington. 434pp
I hated the movie with the burning passion of 999 burning suns. Kate or no Kate. Decided to see if the book was any better, and it really was not. Few things are more annoying to me than people who pretend to be something they are not, lying through their teeth, superficial, silly creatures. Mother was the worst offender: nagging, shallow, and... nagging. In the end it seemed that Alice got her act together, though I am not so sure about the mother. At any rate, this was a terribly irritating read.
16. The Music of Silence, Andrea Bocelli. 243pp
I've had this book for years, bought for me as a gift at some point during my Bocellimania years. I started to read it a long time ago and found it a bit dull and didn't finish it. Decided that before I would bring home any more library books I must read a book in my own house I haven't read yet, and chose this one. I got all the way to the end. It was marginally less dull. I can't really pinpoint what about it seemed dull to me - perhaps his referring to himself in third person or perhaps he's just not the best writer in the world? Oh well. At least now I have read it.
17. The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way, Bill Bryson. 245pp
This was very good, obviously well-researched. Not as exciting a read as, say, Walk in the Woods or Lost Continent, but very educational. I learned a lot about our language and other languages that I never would have known otherwise. I learned that poppycock comes from an old Dutch word meaning "soft dung". I made the mistake of sharing this factoid with my brother.
I think the most interesting concept I picked up, however, was this: English is in a constant state of change. The rules we use are often absolutely ridiculous. So, while it's important to speak and communicate clearly, we shouldn't be so uptight about things like using "hopefully" in a non-adverbial way or ending a sentence with a preposition.
7. Ten Commandments Twice Removed, Danny Shelton/Shelley Quinn. 126pp
Although I agree with the Sabbath doctrine presented in this book, I was NOT keen on the presentation. I found it to be very verbose, somewhat repetitive, and not very friendly. I much prefer Joe Crews' "Why God Said Remember" as far as the Sabbath topic goes, and if someone asked me for something to read about the Sabbath, I'd much sooner recommend that.
8. Airs Above the Ground, Mary Stewart. 286pp
After
eattheolives posted about another book she read and liked by this author I decided to check our library. They didn't have Nine Coaches Waiting, but they did have this and probably around seven other titles by her. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found the characters realistic and engaging, the plot twists kept me guessing and in suspense, and... dude. Lipizzanner. Seriously. I saw those horses once as a little thing and wish I could remember better.9. A Walk Across America, Peter Jenkins. 288pp
I remember my dad reading this book years ago when I was a teenager. From the minute the dog entered the story I knew the dog was going to die at some point. Whether that is something that stuck in my subconscious or not from my dad having read the book I have no idea, but it was there. *sigh* I'm not a dog person, but come on. The poor guy, losing his furry friend. I dreaded the page where that would come along, and then when I got to it I cried.
That aside, it was an excellent read, and there is a lot I could say about it. I particularly enjoy the concept of a narrow-minded individual giving people a chance and finding out that there is a whole world of people of all kinds, and learning what makes them tick and just seeing how they live is seriously fascinating.
10. The Walk West, Peter and Barbara Jenkins. 350pp
Definitely liked the first one better. It seemed this one rambled on interminably at times about cowboys, oil rigs, and cowboys. I did enjoy it though in spite of that.
I think my favourite aspect was the growth of both P and B as individuals. They were tough. They had to be to walk across the country. Amazing.
11. Rose Cottage, Mary Stewart. 186pp
This promised to be far more interesting than it actually was. There were a variety of things I didn't like about it - mostly, however, it boiled down to feeling like a quick job. It was only mildly engaging and seemed rushed and tired all at once. Also was not keen on the spiritist neighbour lady. Didn't find the characters came to life or that I really cared about them much.
12. Seven for a Secret, Victoria Holt. 326pp
Another author I keep hearing about from my LJ friends. I don't know if all her books are this rubbishy or if I just picked a bad one, but it read like the magnum opus of a fifteen-year-old who reads too many sordid newspaper articles. How else can you cram seduction, suicide, identity crises, divorce, deception, illegitimate children, and South Sea islands into just one story?
Also, the NAMES. Tamarisk is bad... but Crispin?!?
I rest my case.
13. The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America, Bill Bryson. 299pp
During the "East" part of this book, I laughed almost uncontrollably many, many times. During the "West" part of the book, I felt the pace slowed and there was less entertainment value. I guess the West doesn't have as many amusing things to observe. It corresponded, though, to my "Walk Across America" reading: once they hit the west, my interest lagged more. I guess I am not a huge fan of sprawling open countryside. I like Oregon. I'll stay here, thanks.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I only wish he'd used fewer four-letter words. It seemed this particular book was peppered with a lot of those.
14. Girl in Hyacinth Blue, Susan Vreeland. 253pp
I saw this on
ruthette 's recent reads on Facebook and was intrigued, so I looked to see if our library had it and shock!awe they DID. It was good; that's about as excited as I can get about it. It felt a little bit patchy (the author wrote in the afterword thing that it was written in pieces, and to me it felt very much like it was). I did, however, like the idea of going backwards in time - a lot.15. Alice Adams, Booth Tarkington. 434pp
I hated the movie with the burning passion of 999 burning suns. Kate or no Kate. Decided to see if the book was any better, and it really was not. Few things are more annoying to me than people who pretend to be something they are not, lying through their teeth, superficial, silly creatures. Mother was the worst offender: nagging, shallow, and... nagging. In the end it seemed that Alice got her act together, though I am not so sure about the mother. At any rate, this was a terribly irritating read.
16. The Music of Silence, Andrea Bocelli. 243pp
I've had this book for years, bought for me as a gift at some point during my Bocellimania years. I started to read it a long time ago and found it a bit dull and didn't finish it. Decided that before I would bring home any more library books I must read a book in my own house I haven't read yet, and chose this one. I got all the way to the end. It was marginally less dull. I can't really pinpoint what about it seemed dull to me - perhaps his referring to himself in third person or perhaps he's just not the best writer in the world? Oh well. At least now I have read it.
17. The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way, Bill Bryson. 245pp
This was very good, obviously well-researched. Not as exciting a read as, say, Walk in the Woods or Lost Continent, but very educational. I learned a lot about our language and other languages that I never would have known otherwise. I learned that poppycock comes from an old Dutch word meaning "soft dung". I made the mistake of sharing this factoid with my brother.
I think the most interesting concept I picked up, however, was this: English is in a constant state of change. The rules we use are often absolutely ridiculous. So, while it's important to speak and communicate clearly, we shouldn't be so uptight about things like using "hopefully" in a non-adverbial way or ending a sentence with a preposition.
