Redskins Read discussion

I just thought it would be fun to share what we're reading and what we're thinking about it. :)

I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns. Couldn't put it down... really. I kept trying to find a stopping point but every time I turned off my iPad and tried to go to sleep, I kept worrying about Mariam and Leila. Finally, after 1 AM, I could relax enough about their situations that I could sleep.

Just started The Silver Linings Playbook. So far, it's a complete departure from Splendid Suns (it's making me laugh), and I think that's probably a good thing. Maybe I'll get more sleep. :)

I recently finished Where'd You Go, Bernadette? Love it! The outrageous situations are laugh out loud, I can't believe this is happening satire, but the shifting narration, especially from mother to daughter, is very real and delightful. Check it out!

At the recommendation of a student I am reading the City of Bones in the Mortal Instruments series. It's definitely a YA book in the way the relationships are portrayed but it has an interesting story line if you like the fantasy genre.
City of Bones

I'm reading the first Percy Jackson book. I'm really liking it and intend on reading the rest of the series this summer.

I'm trying to finish One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It's been a struggle to get into it but I'm nearing the end and I'm hoping for something to grab my attention in the end. We shall see!

I just finished Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. It took a while for all the threads to come together, but the wait and the journey were worth it!

I'm currently reading The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith. It's part of a series, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, set in Botswana and following the adventures of Mma Precious Ramotswe, the founder of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.

I have always found these books to be just delightful. The characters are engaging and sweet. The author is a longtime resident of Botswana and gives glimpses into the culture and way of life that are really interesting. The tone is gentle and fun.

This isn't high adventure. The mysteries Mma Ramotswe solves are not grisly murders and there aren't a million twists and turns. But the stories are always intriguing and I genuinely care how they turn out. At this time of year, when I'm busy and distracted, this book is perfect.

I have been reading "Not in time" by Shawna Seed (Gaye Coburn's sister) I have stopped reading it because I want to take it with me to China on my students trip. I want to find a nice scenic view on the Great Wall, find a nice hard step and read, while everyone else is climbing around the Wall.

Reading a mystery for a brain break before diving into reading more memoir and book club book.

Marc, Be sure to take a photo for me to share with Shawna!

Kathy, what's your book club book?

What mystery are you reading?

The Lost Ones by Ace Atkins. Couldn't remember earlier...and did not have book within reach!

Gaye wrote: "I'm currently reading The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith. It's part of a series, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, set in Botswana and following the adventures of Mma Prec..."
I read some of this series years ago... Adding it to my summer shelf. :) Thanks for reminding me of these fun reads!

Just finished Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. Wow what a story. It was engrossing, endearing, heart breaking, inspiring and educational. HIGHLY recommend!

Today I start reading
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

I finally started Divergent. Probably should have waited until school was out--it's a page turner, and I really need the sleep!

I started reading Gone Girl yesterday and now all I want to do is read it! It's absolutely engrossing.

Lara wrote: "I started reading Gone Girl yesterday and now all I want to do is read it! It's absolutely engrossing."

Oh, yeah. Gone Girl blew me away. Completely original. JUST WAIT.

Just finished The Silver Lining Playbook. I really enjoyed the narrative, told from the point of view of a man just released from a mental hospital. The story stems from sadness, yet it remains quirky, hopeful and lighthearted, with lots of humor throughout. I really appreciated the honest way it portrayed the struggle of his family as they dealt with his illness. I'd recommend it.

I'm reading Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. I'm really enjoying it. The book has two narrators who alternate every few chapters. One is a modern teenage girl in foster care in Maine. The other is a 10 year old girl who loses her family in a tenement fire in New York City in 1929 and ends up on the orphan train. Both characters are well done, and it's interesting to see the similarities between their stories and eventually how they intersect. I'm enjoying it a great deal and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I think most teens would enjoy it too as the modern teen character is pretty interesting. She tries to come across as a badass, but finds when she is in a semi-stable situation that she actually enjoys school. My only warning is that there is a rape scene that is a little graphic.

I am currently reading The Famtasy Life by Matthew Berry. If you are a fantasy sports player this is a great read. I and am going to start ESPN: Those guys have all the fun. Looking forward to reading how ESPN was started and the people who make it what it is today.

Still reading the Ace Atkins, but now that school is out let the real reading begin!!!!

Finished Divergent, and thinking I need to see the movie now.
I decided it was a holiday weekend, so I'm relaxing with Nevada Barr--The Rope, about her first assignment as a National Park employee. It's a nail biter already, and looks like we will see more about how she moved from NY City married lady to tough park ranger.

I finished Gone Girl today! It was so good that I neglected the boxes stacked around me and read, instead. The author's construction of the different voices was particularly well done.

Gaye you should be proud of me! I just finished my 1st book of the summer! One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest had me grappling with why I even picked it up at the beginning but the ending made me want to back track and reread it!
I'm excited to start reading Marina Keegan's essays and short stories in The Opposite of Loneliness while also reading Across a Hundred Mountains. Hopefully I can work the latter book into my freshmen curriculum!

I'm reading Between Shades of Gray. It's about a Lithuanian family deported from their home by the Soviets in 1941. So far it is extremely depressing/sad. I'm not devouring it the way I did Orphan Train, which at least was a mixture of happy & sad. I'm hoping for some kindness soon . . . I will say the characters are well done, very real & believable.

I finished Olive Kitteridge and am now working on Bag of Bones. I am determined to finish the books I gave started before cracking open a new one. I still don't care for Stephen King. He could tell his stories in half the pages. This was his last chance with me and he blew it.

I finished Between Shades of Gray. It is extremely sad, & a much less heard story than what we typically hear or read from the WWII era. I really didn't know about the things the Russians did to the people from the Balkan States. It's well written but SAD.

Brooke wrote: "Gaye you should be proud of me! I just finished my 1st book of the summer! One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest had me grappling with why I even picked it up at the beginning but the ending made me want..."

I AM proud of you, Brooke!

Mrs.T wrote: "I finished Between Shades of Gray. It is extremely sad, & a much less heard story than what we typically hear or read from the WWII era. I really didn't know about the things the Russians did to ..."

I read a couple of books about Russia during WWII last year. Very sad.

Finally finished Bag of Bones by Stephen King. I liked it but it is not on my recommend list. On to the next started but not finished book. Two more to go before I can start something brand new! Yea!

I think I'm going to give up on In the Land of Invisible Women . . . I just feel like the author is whining . . . It may get better, but this is my reading for pleasure time . . . and this isn't pleasurable!

Mrs.T wrote: "I think I'm going to give up on In the Land of Invisible Women . . . I just feel like the author is whining . . . It may get better, but this is my reading for pleasure time . . . and this isn't pl..."

I did give up on it . . . I'm now reading Red Rooster by Michael Wallace. It's a WWII spy novel. It's not the best thing I've read, not the worst. interesting enough to keep me going. The plot skips around a lot between different characters and what not. I'm waiting to see how it will all come together in the end . . .

In case anyone else has World Cup fever I thought I'd share my latest read. Pele: Why Soccer Matters. I'm loving this inside look to Pele's life as one of Brazil's most talented players but also his views on how politics along with economics influence the sport at a deeper level & vice versa. Shhhh it's also a Father's Day gift for my dad. Can you blame me for taking a sneak peak by previewing my gift to him?

I finished Red Rooster last night. I'll be starting either Angela's Ashes or A Million Little Pieces next . ..

Jules wrote: "Finally finished Bag of Bones by Stephen King. I liked it but it is not on my recommend list. On to the next started but not finished book. Two more to go before I can start something brand new! Yea!"
Shannon gave my husband and Alex a copy of 11/22/63 by Stephen King to read. It's a historical fiction/sci-fi novel revolving around the assassination of JFK. Apparently there is time travel involved as well. . . the guys are going to read it first . . . I don't normally do sci-fi or Stephen King . . . so I'm not sure if I'll tackle it or not (the JFK part intrigues me only). I'll wait and see what they think. It is thicker than my fattest Bible . . . true King fashion. So, it would be an undertaking.

Finished Ace Atkins book, read Olive Kitteridge, which was quiet but pretty powerful. I keep thinking about her. Now reading a quick James Patterson--Alex Cross, Run--it is fun and fast paced but i don't like how many parts are from the pov of the killers....

Finished the Patterson and reading "The Art Forger" by B.A. Shapiro. Really, really fun. Marcus, you would love it!

So, I've fallen behind, but had some great reading time traveling to & from Louisville! Just now I finished Not in Time by Shawna Seed, Gaye's sister! Great combo of suspense, history, att,and romance! I really enjoyed it, and kept skipping things I should be doing to read it.
In Louisville I read a cool YA title, Streetlights Like Fireworks, which, like Not in Time, had some fantastic elements, and is a quest novel with nods to The Odyssey.

On the way to Louisville, I read another YA book, Killing Ruby Rose. It was fun; Ruby is kind of a Stephanie Plum for teens.

I just finished ESPN: Those guys have all the fun. It was quite possibly the longest book I've ever read...nearly 800 pages. I would recommend it for people who grew up watching ESPN to see how the company was created into what it is today. There are parts that I skimmed because I wasn't interested in the production side of things. However, there were plenty of stories that I didn't know and I appreciated that the book had interviewed nearly every member of the compnay, past and present.

Finished Angela's Ashes. Now I'm reading White Oleander. It's a bit faster paced. It's another sad one though. After this I must read something funny!

Paper Towns--my favorite John Green YA novel! It's laugh-out-loud funny, it's deeply thoughtful and philosophical, it uses Leaves of Grass as a central part of the plot, and the characters are real, smart, conflicted and insightful! Check it out!

I just finished "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn, I would recommend it... it was different than what I expected. More twisted.
I also finished "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon which I would recommend if you like historical fiction/romance although it was too long. I love long books but this one felt unnecessarily long.
Both will be converted to film/television so I look forward to seeing how those turn out.

I've been reading a collection of Curious George stories to Kya. He's an ornery little thing. LOL

Starting Gone Girl and having a really hard time getting into it.

I finished White Oleander, which I found hard to put down, sad & fascinating. I picked up Where'd You Go Bernadette & Gone Girl at the library yesterday. I've started Bernadette, and find the way it's written as a series of correspondence w/ commentary from the girl interesting.

Sarah--Bernadette is one of my favorites of the past year! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Funny with underlying serious bits.

I finished Women Without Men: A Novel of Modern Iran. Strong female characters in a repressive environment. It was an interesting look at the Iranian culture in recent decades. I always find it shocking to see how little value is given to a woman's life in that culture. Though the story dealt with very heavy themes, the interweaving of humor and magic realism left me feeling hopeful for their futures. The ending left me breathless. I may not have loved the entire book, but I LOVED the ending.