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Friday, September 12, 2008

Friday Finds 09/12/08


As usual, my TBR list grew exponentially this week ...
  1. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore - I loved this movie and figured why not read the book? Plus it's a graphic novel so it shouldn't take to long to get through.
  2. The Oyster Wars by David Faulkner - set in Maryland during the time that young men were kidnapped to work on ships on the Chesapeake Bay, this one sounds exciting, and it's set right here in Maryland.
  3. Nation by Terry Pratchett - a new take on the flood story, this time set on an island - this book will be released at the end of this month
  4. Gossamer by Lois Lowry - I've never read any of her books but I've heard good things about all of them - I might start with this one since it's so short (I've been getting bogged down with huge books lately) and it sounds fascinating
  5. The Triumph of Deborah by Eva Etzioni-Halevy - I read the Biblical women trilogy by Marek Halter (the first two weren't bad, the last one was awful) and also The Red Tent and I'm intrigued by new looks at Biblical figures - I'd love to see what the author has to say about Deborah!
  6. Broken by Megan Hart - this reviewer says it's a mix of romance and erotica set to an emotionally challenging plot - how does a wife deal with her husband when he becomes paralyzed and wants nothing to do with life anymore? It's not a book I would have picked up in the store but the review was quite intriguing.
  7. Treasure in the Cellar: A Tale of Gold in Depression-Era Baltimore by Leonard Augsburger - doesn't that just sound cool?! It's the true story of two boys who find gold coins buried in a basement and the subsequent fight over who it really belongs to.
  8. Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher - I'm not sure about this one ... it's not the type of book I'd usually read but this reviewer couldn't praise it highly enough (you'll have to scroll WAY to the bottom to find her review - it's the last on the page). I'll admit, I really want to WANT to read it, but I'm not sure that I ever really will. Do you have any books on your list like that, or is it just me?
  9. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - I've heard about this one for months now but wasn't interested. But since I read (and LOVED!) Bram Stoker's Dracula, I've decided I really might like this one.
  10. The Minotaur by Barbara Vine - Raych says "I read Jane Eyre and I'm all, Why does no one write like this anymore? And then I weep for an era lost. But Vine did!" I'd read this book based on that comment alone!
  11. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko - a look at the life of the kids who lived on Alcatraz (families of the workers, etc.)
  12. The Complete I Ching - just go read this review and tell me you're not intrigued
  13. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell - six different characters from six different time periods tell their stories in six different and distinct styles, all of which cut off in the middle - the final story connects them all together by starting with the most recent and moving backwards through time until they are all linked into one story

And I found some interesting ones for kiddo and I to read together:
  1. The Call to Shakabaz by Amy Wachspress - kiddo is just like me ... we both LOVE a good romp in fantasy land - so when I saw this review I knew this would be a great book for us!
  2. Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow (Book 1 of The Codebearers Series) by Chrisotopher and Allan Miller - I first heard about this in a Christian magazine, then I read some reviews somewhere ... both say it's pretty good. Like I said, kiddo and I enjoy things that get us imagining new things so this will likely be a hit. Plus it's part of a new series so we can look forward to more adventures with Hunter Brown!

Head on over to Should be Reading to check out more Friday Finds!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

One great list!

Check out my finds!

Anonymous said...

Great list, Heather.

I've read The Triumph of Deborah and Al Capone Does My Shirts. Both are excellent.

Nation is waiting on the bookshelf and The Historian has been catching my eye for a while.

You might want to check out Number the Stars, also by Lois Lowry (also a short, quick read). Very good book, and a Newbery winner.

Susan Elliott said...

My son read the Al Capone book prior to our trip to Alcatraz this Summer. He really liked it. Funny, I didn't read it myself though. Maybe I will now.

Carl Benjamin said...

Five Minutes till Race Time

A good book that can be found at Amazon, Borders, and Barnes & Noble web sites. The ISBN is 1-60563-730-0

raych said...

Oh I do hope you like The Minotaur, and if you don't like Cloud Atlas then we can't be friends anymore. If you DO like Cloud Atlas, then you need to read Black Swan Green. NEED to. In my top ten of all books.

Anonymous said...

Ooh, the Historian sounds good!

Amy at Woza Books said...

Thanks for giving people a heads up about my kid's book, The Call to Shakabaz. Just want to mention that it just came out in audio book for those of you who like to listen in to a tape. Happy journeys in the magical land of Faracadar!
Amy
www.wozabooks.com

Stephanie said...

"I'll admit, I really want to WANT to read it, but I'm not sure that I ever really will. Do you have any books on your list like that, or is it just me?"

LOL That's why I'm plowing through my TBR list right now- otherwise, there's a ton of stuff on there that I'll never get read, that will just eat away at me. Crutcher's a great writer- some of his stuff is a little more sports-oriented than I usually care for, but his writing makes up for the fact that I'm not a sports fan. :)

Beth A. said...

Ooh, I hadn't realized the latest Terry Pratchett was so close to coming out - thanks for the reminder! I didn't know it isn't a Discworld book. It should be an interesting read, particularly since it's literally been decades since he's written a book outside of Discworld.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is definitely worth reading - I thought it was a lot better than the movie.

Anonymous said...

Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow is an amazing book is filled with action, love, adventure, and an evil force that’s trying to take over the amazing work of the code of life. Once you take one fateful look at this book you will be drawn into the magical realm called Solandria as if you were actually there. In a Quest to help his friends, Hunter Brown has to save the world from the evil monster called the Shadow. With the help of three friends, he goes off to take out Venator , an evil Shadow warrior with the power to command an army of vile creatures. Will Hunter succeed, or will he fail? The only way to find out is to read it for yourself. –CW Small

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