You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Jami AttenbergThe Middlesteins

Here are the rest of my books and authors.

Erica BauermeisterThe School of Essential Ingredients
Wiley Cash A Land More Kind Than Home: A Novel
Dan Dye Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale
Blake Fontenay The Politics of Barbecue
Matthew Goodman Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World
Beth Harbison When in Doubt, Add Butter
Walter Isaacson Steve Jobs: A Biography
Alan Jacobson Inmate 1577
Barbara Kingsolver Flight Behavior
Penelope LivelyHow it All Began
Simon Sebag Montefiore book:Jerusalem: The Biography|9477628]
Rachel Ann NunesA Heartbeat Away
Michael Ondaatje The Cat's Table
Ann Patchett State Of Wonder
Matthew Quirk The 500
Terry Ryan The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less
Will SchwalbeThe End of Your Life Book Club
Dawn Tripp Game of Secrets: A Novel
Leon UrisExodus
Kurt Vonnegut Breakfast of ChampionsHilma WolitzerAn Available Man: A Novel
XinranSky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet
Mo Yan, Howard GoldblattThe Garlic Ballads
Carlos Ruiz Zafón The Shadow of the Wind

I probably will change some along the way.

I've seen the Montefiore book on Jerusalem, and considered it, so be good to see what you think. I watched his series on Jerusalem last year (on BBC4) and it was really good. There's one on Rome on at the moment - recorded it but not yet had a chance to watch it. He was both excited to be there and very down to earth, I thought it worked well on screen - be interesting to see if it works as well in print.

Looks like you have the hang of it!

Tick tock. tick tick. Time running way too slow. I want to start the challenge now.

Let the games begin. Just finished watching Rose Parade, now it's time to get acquainted with the Middlesteins.

Finished my first book. It was a very melancholic read.

Fantastic list! Good luck! : )

Good job in finishing your first book. :)

I finished my second book. I give it four stars. though there are many characters, food is the big star and everyone else are the pinches of spices and herbs.

WOW! You are really buzzing along! Congratulations! ; )

I will be stating next bookA Land More Kind Than Home hopefully later this evening. I have to finish read a couple of my magazine subscriptions first.

I just finished my C book. I give it five stars. It has strong writing and is very emotional. The book can be hard to read in places because of subjects it deals with. This book is really worth the read.

I have heard that about A Land More Kind Than Home. I have it on my wishlist.

I have decided not to readAmazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale, instead I will readThe Language of Flowers.

The beauty of this challenge is that you can change your mind. No book choice is carved in stone.

Beverly, A Land More Kind Than Home was one of my favorite reads of 2012. I am glad you enjoyed it.

Janice, I am glad it is on your wish list. ; )

Finished my D book.

For my E book. I'm reading The Plague of Doves.

Beverly wrote: "For my E book. I'm reading The Plague of Doves."

That book looks intriguing! I may have to add it to my wishlist.

Janice wrote: "Beverly wrote: "For my E book. I'm reading The Plague of Doves."

That book looks intriguing! I may have to add it to my wishlist."

This is a very good book. It is well written and the story is moving along.

I couldn't get intoThe Plague of Dovesso I'm switching toHigh Five. It'll be a easier read after all that reading I did for the February Toppler.

Good plan, Beverly. The Topplers can leave you with a bit of a Toppler hangover. :)

Finished High Five and starting The Politics of Barbecue.

Finished The Politics of Barbecueand it was one of the most predictable books I've read. I gave it 3 stars but I may be too generous. Starting Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World by Mathew
Goodman.

Beverly wrote: "I have decided not to readAmazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale, instead I will readThe Language of Flowers."

I loved Amazing Gracie. What did you think of The Language of Flowers? I'll admit I'm one of the minority that couldn't stand it :) I kept ranting about Victoria and what a horrid person she was.

jaxnsmom wrote: "Beverly wrote: "I have decided not to readAmazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale, instead I will readThe Language of Flowers."

I loved Amazing Gracie. What did you think of The Language of Flowers? I'll a..."

I really enjoyed the book. The part about the baby was hard for me to read, but it made since to me. Otherwise I loved it.

Finished Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World. Starting The Thin Man. Eighty Days was not the page turner I expected it to be. There were several places the narrative bogged down and he went out of his way to make Nellie Bly unlikable. Yet there were many chapters where you lose yourself in the joy of the narrative. The pages came alive when described the lands being visited. I gave it 4 stars overall.

Finished the The Thin Man and now I'm going to read a couple of other books not for the challenge.

Oh, I love The Thin Manor most anything by Dashiell Hammett. I'm glad you found him, too. : )

You are making fabulous progress, Beverly!

Connie wrote: "Oh, I love The Thin Manor most anything by Dashiell Hammett. I'm glad you found him, too. : )

You are making fabulous progress, Beverly!"

Thank you, Connie. I've always liked the Nick and Nora movies, but I never read any of his books.

I have always known who Nick and Nora were from the movies, but never that they were from books. I have added Mr. Hammett to my reading list, thanks to you, Beverly and Connie. :)

Cherie wrote: "I have always known who Nick and Nora were from the movies, but never that they were from books. I have added Mr. Hammett to my reading list, thanks to you, Beverly and Connie. :)"

Thanks. I've only read the Thin Man. I don't think all his books are Nick and Mora books. He seems to be a good writer.

Starting my I book Steve Jobs.

My daughter read the Steve Jobs book. She said it was good.

Cherie wrote: "My daughter read the Steve Jobs book. She said it was good."

I've read two other biographies by Issacson and really enjoyed them.

He is on my list for someday. :D

I finished Steve Jobs. There are many fascinating parts in the book, but for me it was hard to get through because I found I didn't like Jobs.

Starting Inmate 1577.

Beverly- you have some books on your list I've never heard of and have added to my TBR. Great list. Inmate 1577 sounds like a thrilling ride- can't wait to read what you think of it.

Marnie wrote: "Beverly- you have some books on your list I've never heard of and have added to my TBR. Great list. Inmate 1577 sounds like a thrilling ride- can't wait to read what you think of it."

Inmate 1577 is moving very fast. I'll let you know what I think.

Finished Inmate 1577. It was a mixed read and I would have given it 3 stars except the ending really surprised me, so I'll give it a four.

Starting Flight Behavior

Finished Flight Behavior and now I'm reading Turn of Mind.

You're doing great on knocking off the books on your list Beverly!

Did you like Flight Behaviour? I've loved the two Barbara Kingsolver's I have read

Finished Turn of Mind. Now I'm going to read something light.

Back from camp and ready to read a book for the alphabet challenge. Going to read Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.

Rusalka wrote: "Did you like Flight Behaviour? I've loved the two Barbara Kingsolver's I have read"

Really liked Flight Behavior. Thought it is depressing at times because of the subject matter, but her writing is wonderful. The story held my interest but the ending made me wonder. I didn't really understand it.