Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks



My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. At first glance, a book about the Plague sounds as though it would be depressing, but what I liked about it was that the girl we were following kept going. She suffered numerous losses of her own as well as losing many members of her community, but she investigated various plants to find remedies for the victims and she never lost her spirit. She also found a calling to midwifery and medicine because of the things she had to endure. I recommend this book to any historical fiction fan.



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Black: the Birth of Evil by Ted Dekker

Black Graphic Novel: The Birth of Evil by Ted Dekker



My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've never read a graphic novel before. I liked the story and the moving from one reality to the other, but I really didn't like the portrayal of the characters in their pictures. I guess I like making up my own visual interpretations in my mind.



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4MC Challenge III

The Four Month Challenge Part Three is also done today. I did okay on this one. I have never actually completed all the requirements for these challenges, but I really like participating in them. Here are my selections:

5-point category: An author I had never read: "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein; one-word title: "Black" by Ted Dekker; Fantasy: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J. K. Rowling.

10-point category: Two-word title: "Lost Horizon" by James Hilton; Part of a series: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling; Mystery: "A Noble Radiance" by Donna Leon.

15-point category: Three-word Title: "Line of Sight" by Sharen Skylar.

Didn't complete any selections in the 20-point category.

Thanks again for hosting these challenges. I'm off to do the next one!

The Rainbow Connection Challenge

Well, the Reading Connection Challenge ends today and these are the books I read for it:

R - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
O - Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (didn't get this one read)
Y - Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
G - An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
B - Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos (didn't get any of the following read...so sad)
I - Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
V - Villette by Charlotte Bronte

I'm just not reading as much as I predicted last December...still enjoying it though and I'm really grateful to the folks that host all of these challenges.

What are YOU reading today?

Today, I am reading "Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks. When you read the synopsis on the cover, you think it is going to be a really depressing book, but it really isn't. I mean bad things happen right and left, but I'm interested in finding out what happens. I actually feel addicted to this book because I keep putting it down and picking it up again 5 minutes later. It is very good - and not too long, so I should be done with it in a few days.

I'm also continuing to read "Fortunata and Jacinta" by Benito Perez Galdos. This volume (800+ pages) is also getting more and more interesting. My DD#1 told me that would happen - and she was RIGHT! I like that the chapters are divided into smaller sections so you can read a bit and feel as though you have accomplished something if you complete a section. Galdos' characters are very distinct, however, he uses different names for the same character which gets a bit confusing. I really like this book so I'm going to keep plugging away at it even though I only get 5-10 pages read at a time.

So what are you reading???

Reading My Name Challenge

Well, I have completed another challenge - well, nearly completed. I chose two books to read for the "Reading My Name Challenge" - "Line of Sight" by Sharen Skylar and "The Alleluia Files" by Sharon Shinn.

I chose "Line of Sight" because my first name is Sharen which is fairly uncommon and I was very excited to find an author with the same first name. I've only met 3 other people who spelled their names as I do. My last name also starts with an "S", so I thought it was a double win. However, I really didn't like the book. There was too much sex - violent or potentially violent sex - and it made me very uncomfortable to read it. The cover was pretty though - it was red, one of my favorite colors.

"The Alleluia Files" on the other hand is very good. I'm almost done with it and I like it very much. As you will note, the author's name is also "Sharon" though spelled differently, and her last name also starts with an "S". Sharon Shinn has written a series of books with "The Alleluia Files" being the third one. I chose it because my screenname is Alleluialu. This book stands on its own as well as being part of the series. The story is about a world where angels and humans exist together with the angels as upperclass because they can pray to their "god" and get results. There are two different groups of beliefs about the origin of their world and, of course, the factions go against one another. One family spans the gap having two daughters - one angel and one human, but they don't know about each other. The angel daughter was raised in isolation and is just experiencing the "real world" and the human daughter has struggled in the "real world" all her life. She is looking for "The Alleluia Files" left by an Archangel named "Alleluia" which explains how the original settlers got to their planet and the existence of god as they know it. She is aided by an angel, Jared, who some folks think is in line to be the next Archangel. I can't tell you what happens because, as I said above, I'm nearly done, but not yet. I do recommend this book. I give it 4 stars. I would like to read the rest of the series if I can find the time, but...so many books, so little time...

A Noble Radiance by Donna Leon

This tale from Donna Leon (Uniform Justice, etc.) finds Inspector Guido Brunetti investigating an aristocratic family with a shady past. When a rural landowner discovers the body of Roberto Lorenzoni, who was kidnapped two years earlier, Brunetti immediately suspects the victim's family. The Lorenzoni clan bears the legacy of betraying the Jews of Venice during World War II, and from these ashes, its members have created a thriving enterprise. Roberto's cousin Maurizio, who's next in line to inherit the family fortune and business, is the logical suspect, but Brunetti senses something more insidious at play. As he works his way through Italian three-course meals and family crises, he uncovers disturbing details about the Lorenzoni family.

Inspector Brunetti is intelligent and resourceful. He is also a sensitive husband and a father who will eat child-made ravioli and ask for seconds. I enjoyed this book and especially the solution of this crime found by Inspector Brunetti. I recommend it to mystery-lovers who also love Italy and anything Italian.

The Second book in the Harry Potter series

Well, I have finished the second book in the Harry Potter series. It took my a little while because of all the other things happening around here. I know that I am probably one of the last people on the planet to read this book and the series, so I won't go into to the story too much. I thought the segment about the spiders was written very well. I got chills reading it because, like Ron, I don't like spiders much either. And I liked that Harry outsmarted Lucius and freed Dobby. That was very clever.

Soon I will be starting the third book. I really don't think I will have them all read before July 31st, but I am going to try to read as many as I can. My daughter says I'm not allowed to read the 7th book until after I have seen the movie. She wants an opinion from me without being influenced by the book. So, we'll see...

Kissing the Countess by Susan King

So, I needed a break from the other books I've been reading and sought out a novel set in the Highlands. This was definitely the correct balm. You just knew from the beginning that you were going to fall for Evan Mackenzie. An Earl who doesn't really want to be an earl. He has great compassion for the people of the Highlands - especially the displaced people his nasty old father sent away. Then there's Catriona - don't you just love that name? - she's the picture of a Highland lass: tall and strong with a heart of gold. She risks her life to save Evan from a sudden snow storm after he fell while mountain-climbing. She drags him to a rundown hut nearby and they are forced to stay there together overnight by the storm. You can imagine what happened. Catriona's father, the local minister, and her aunt threaten to send Catriona away in disgrace, but Evan saves the day!!! Of course. Anyway, Catriona makes an excellent Countess. I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who loves the Highlands!

Yay! It's Monday...I'm thinking not many people say that, but...

This Monday, I am reading "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling. Every time I write her name, I think I really don't have to because everyone should know who wrote the Harry Potter books. I am relatively late in reading this series, but I have wanted to read it for a while now. I've seen all the movies that are out there with my daughter - several times in fact. So, when I came across the "Harry Potter" reading challenge, I had to join. Joining a challenge worked to get me to read all of the Narnia books last year, so I'm hoping it will work with Harry. I listened to the first book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" on CD. That was interesting. Of course, I already knew the story so when the CD tracks skipped around I knew I wasn't in the right place. I listened to it on my laptop while I was doing other things. The rendition with the British accent was just delightful. I loved it. I took it in to my local library and donated it after I was finished listening to it. They were surprised and happy to have it.

I opted to actually read the book for this one. I'm only on page 33 but I just started it. It moves along quickly and I find myself reading in a British accent! Is that weird? It's fun. Harry was just picked up by Ron and his brothers and is on his was back to Hogwarts. Can't wait to get back to reading, so...