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Friday, August 29, 2008

Friday Finds 08/29/08


What with all the great blogs out there, I'm finding more and more amazing books each week. I've even been finding some great books for kiddo. So this week I'm sharing TWO lists - additions to my personal TBR list, and a new TBR list for kiddo & I. Check out my lists, then visit Friday Finds for more!

New Finds for ME:
  1. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett - I hear that even though it's part of the Discworld series, it can be read as a standalone novel. That's good b/c there are over 30 Discworld books and I'm just not that interested in reading all of them.
  2. Gulag: A History, by Anne Applebaum - in college I double majored in History and Political Science with a concentration in Russian history. My senior project was a 80+ page paper on women in the Soviet Dissident Movement. Because of that, this book is a MUST READ for me.
  3. The Rise & Fall of the Great Powers - I read about this in an essay in The Book That Changed My Life, but I've been unable to find out more about it yet (as in, who wrote it?!). It's supposed to be a history of all the great powers between 1500-2000AD.
  4. Teacher Man, by Frank McCourt - The author of Angela's Ashes write about his 30 years teaching English in New York City - this should be great!
  5. Popular Music from Vittula, by Mikael Niemi - I would never in a million years have been interested in this book ... but then I read this review. Now I can't wait to get my hands on it.
  6. Here There Be Dragons, by James Owen - I'm really in the mood for a good Fantasy book and this would fit the bill. Not only does it sound fun and original, it also incorporates many other "well-known" characters and stories into the plot.
  7. Casanova in Bolzano, by Sandor Marai - the story of Cassanova after his imprisonment ... ahh, the romance! the adventure!
And now, here are the books I've found for kiddo and I to read together:
  1. Wild Tracks! A Guide to Nature's Footprints, by Jim Arnosky - Since kiddo and I love camping, this would be the perfect companion for our next trip. Plus kiddo starts Cub Scouts next week - yeah!
  2. Wave, by Suzy Lee - PLEASE click here to watch the video of this book (it's near the bottom of the post) - it is absolutely adorable! I want to "read" this one with kiddo so I can get him to interpret what's going on in each picture, what he thinks will happen next, and what he thinks about a book without words.
  3. Sir Reginald's Logbook, by Matt Hammill - the wild adventures of an armchair explorer - this one sounds like a lot of fun!
  4. Frankenstein Takes the Cake, by Adam Rex - Ok, I don't know if this is actually appropriate for kiddo or not, but I think he'd find it VERY funny. Here's a link to a great review/interview/preview of the book. I think much of the humor would be over his head (hopefully not below the belt!) but kiddo would LOVE the characters and the amazing illustrations, as well as the poetry (not b/c he's a poetic 6 yr old, but b/c it's really funny!). Here's a trailer for the book - what do YOU think of it?!

7 comments:

Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba) said...

Oh, oh, oh! I've read "Teacher Man"! And I LOVED it!

Kathleen Gilligan said...

Haven't read "Teacher man" but it looks good :)

The Bookworm said...

sounds like some good books, happy reading :)
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

Anna said...

I really enjoyed "Teacher Man!" Have you read "Angela's Ashes" and "Tis?"

--Anna (Diary of an Eccentric)

Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours said...

Anna - I did read Angela's Ashes, but not 'Tis ... should I read that one before Teacher Man?

Anna said...

Tis just picks up where Angela's Ashes left off. I read it a long time ago, but I believe he talks about his marriage and stuff. Teacher Man is primarily about his experiences as a teacher, so I don't think you need to read Tis first. Actually, I don't remember liking Tis as much as the other two.

--Diary of an Eccentric

Anna said...

Tis just picks up where Angela's Ashes left off. I read it a long time ago, but I believe he talks about his marriage and stuff. Teacher Man is primarily about his experiences as a teacher, so I don't think you need to read Tis first. Actually, I don't remember liking Tis as much as the other two.

--Diary of an Eccentric

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