Challenge: 50 Books discussion

1. Green Eagle Score. I have been making my way through the entire Parker series. I love these books, most of which can be read in an afternoon. They a brilliantly done, fascinating and often have unbelievably good opening lines.


2. Sour Lemon Score


3. Where the Dark and Light Folks Meet.Written by one of the best trumpeters in the world. An interesting book which sheds light on racism in the jazz world, and corrects a lot of misconceptions.



4. Audiobook: Read by author Rory Stewart, who did a great job. This is a very interesting read.



5. Audiobook: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I liked it, but not as good as the hype. The Swedish movie was good as well.


6. The 13 Clocks. I read aloud to my 10 yo son. He found it creepy.


7. Are All the Giants Dead? Very imaginative book that I read aloud to my 10 yo son who was mesmerized.


8. The Black Ice Score


9. Bednob and Broomstick, read aloud to my 10 yo son who liked it.


10. White Fang: Read aloud to my 10 yo son who loved it.

11. The Penderwicks. I read this aloud to my son. We loved it. Some very funny chapters.


12. Black Cherry Blues. I am revisiting the Dave Robicheaux crime fiction series by James Lee Burke as audiobooks. These are some of the best crime novels I've ever read.

13 I read this series to my son. He loves the research guides and likes the stories.
Magic Tree House Research Guide #19: Leonardo da Vinci

14. Sabertooths and the Ice Age

15. Dark Day in the Deep Sea
16. Magic Tree House #45: A Crazy Day with
Cobras
17. Magic Tree House #44: A Ghost Tale for Christmas TimeMoonlight on the Magic Flute
18. Eve of the emperor penguin
Magic Tree House #40: Eve of the Emperor Penguin
19. Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters
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27.Araminta Spookie 10c Mix Ctr

28.Jazz Singers: The Top 500

28.The Memory Book: The Classic Guide to Improving Your Memory at Work, at School, and at Play
29 Super Memory - Super Student: How to Raise Your Grades in 30 Days Harry Lorayne

30.The Piano Shop on the Left Bank: Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier
Anyone who plays or has played the piano will like this one.

Garret, I have listed 'The Jazz Singers...' as a TBR, thanks for the heads-up, and keep reading!

Carol wrote: "Garret, I have listed 'The Jazz Singers...' as a TBR, thanks for the heads-up, and keep reading!"

Carol, I don't know if you've seen this book or not but it is best used as a reference or for browsing through. If you have an online music account, e.g with Rhapsody, you can explore his recommendations as you go.

31. Through the Looking-glass: And What Alice Found There: Rangers 3Audiobook narrated by David Horovich. Listened to with family in a car trip to New Mexico.

32 The Neon RainThis is a re read, this time by audio book.

33. The Tin Roof BlowdownAudiobook

34. Three To Get DeadlyAudiobook.

35. Audiobook Two for the Dough

36. Pegasus Descending: A Dave Robicheaux NovelAudiobook.

37.Audiobook
Swan Peak

38. The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World

39. A Brief History Of The World

40 London: A Short History of the Greatest City in the Western World DVD

41 War, Peace, and Power: Diplomatic History of Europe, 1500–2000 Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius

42 Deadly Edge: A Parker Novel Richard Stark

43 Composed: A Memoir Rosanne Cash
I listened to the author read this, which works well as this is such a personal book.

I read this on the recommendation of Terry Teachout on his blog, About Last Night. His site is a great source for all things cultural.

Garret Hi my name is Sharon I see that you have used some of the courses from the Teaching Company, are they worth the price? I just received another catalog and found a few I would like to use but just need a recommendation. I am interested in history and the religions.
hope to see your reply from one book lover to another.

Some of the courses are great, some are mediocre and a few have been quite disappointing. The ones with really bad lecturers don't last in the list long. Overall I can highly recommend you give them a try. Their web site includes customer reviews.

I did the Great Religions course. The content was good, but I was disappointed in the delivery. They have changed it since I did that one.

Some of the History courses have been excellent. I enjoyed the London course recently, as well as some courses on Hitler and WWII.


They constantly have sales and rotate which courses go on sale. The sales are huge discounts so there is no need to pay full price for any course. Right now a lot of courses are on sale.

You can download most of the courses that wouldn't require DVD (like an art course, for example)

Best,
GG

Thanks for the input about the great courses. I was also delighted to see that you read to your 10yo son, most parents think at 10 they should be reading on their own and so don't read to them any more.

44James Lee Burke and the Soul of Dave Robicheaux Barbara Bogue

sharon wrote: "Thanks for the input about the great courses. I was also delighted to see that you read to your 10yo son, most parents think at 10 they should be reading on their own and so don't read to them an..."

How right you are. I think it is very important. I will continue to do it as long as he still loves it.

Garret, I must have missed the entry in which you said (I presume) that you are reading to your son and that he is 10 years old...or did I surmise wrongly? I just wanted to say that when my own son was just a little younger I started reading to him at bedtime, from some of the popular books that I had not had a chance to read when I was younger. We didn't get around to Winnie The Pooh, but we did get all the way through Mary Poppins and several books about Dr. Doolittle, by Hugh Lofting, a chapter at a time...with previews of tomorrow's chapter. My son is now 45, and still remembers that experience...and now I get to read to HIS son, who is almost 8, the same age as his dad was when I read to him. I don't know who enjoys it more...I think I got the best end of the deal.

Thanks for your comments. I often feel like I am getting more out of it than my son. But we both love it. It is a great way to spend time with your child.

45 How to Write for Money Jack Woodford

46.The Saturdays Elizabeth Enright
The audible edition is brilliantly read by Pamela Dillman. My whole family, my 10 yo son and my wife all loved this one.

47. Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft
by Brooks Landon

The author gives a very enthusiastic reading and his love for writing comes through loud and clear. The problem is this badly needs editing. The first 3 lectures (first 2 discs)could have served just as well as a 5 minute introduction. This proves maddening. There are some great lectures. But good insights are buried in overlong explanations filled with technical jargon that brought back my worst memories of grammar lessons in elementary school, and were unnecessary. I was very disappointed. Only for the seriously dedicated student of writing who has not been exposed to this material before.

48. Rick Riordan

Well read audio edition enjoyed by my 10 yo son and me.

Garret, I've heard very good things about the 39 Clues Series. I don't know what this makes me, but I enjoy children's books (as well as YA lit)...maybe I'm just a kid at heart. What age(s) would you say this series would be best for? My grandson is almost 8.

Carol wrote: "Garret, I've heard very good things about the 39 Clues Series. I don't know what this makes me, but I enjoy children's books (as well as YA lit)...maybe I'm just a kid at heart. What age(s) would..."

The target audience is 9-12 yo. I would think most 10 or 11 yo would be best audience. As always depends on the child. Probably would not have been appropriate for my son @ 8yo.

Some of it could be too scary or perhaps topics and language somewhat inappropriate for younger ones. The author lapses into cliches and the characters are a bit flat. But for all that my son wants to listen to the next one in the series and I am having fun listening to it with him.

49. The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough

This was fun and educational historical fiction. Long but didn't seem so!

Loved her first book "The Thorn Birds"...

Carol wrote: "Loved her first book "The Thorn Birds"..."

I missed that one and the miniseries!

The miniseries was pretty long and it still didn't cover everything. I have wondered how long it took McCullough to write that epic, there are so many things covered. I have to confess, though, that I skipped most of the long chapter about Luke, a character that comes in about a third of the way through the book and marries the young female protagonist, Meggie, then goes off and leaves her to work in the sugar cane fields with his 'mates'. I didn't much like him.

For a first book, it was unusually good, and long too. Perhaps the miniseries is available somewhere, maybe from Netflix...I don't know if they do miniseries or not, but if they do, they'd be the first to ask. Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward, and Barbara Stanwyck. Easy to picture them while reading the book.

50. One False Note Gordon Korman

Yay on 50!

Connie wrote: "Yay on 50!"

Thanks!

51 Master and Commander Patrick O'Brian

52 Death by Darjeeling Laura Childs

53.The Borrowers Afloat Mary Norton

54.The Ninja Eric Van Lustbader

55.Death on Demand Carolyn Hart

56. A History of Sicily M.I. Finley

57. The Sword Thief Peter Lerangis