November Library Checkout

November 2015

A great monthly check-in about Library reading by Shannon of River City Reading!

This has been a good month for my reading goals! Time off from the 5-day work week is likely to blame for my increased reading productivity this month! :) My December reading goal consists of "catching up" on the two read-alongs I've yet to complete and various blog posts to be composed and posted on some of my absolutely favorite reads from 2015. I want these done before launching into the Little House Read-Along with Bex and all the other readers who will participate with us beginning in January! YAY!! Cannot wait! 

Books Read: 

(**Reviews/blog posts can be viewed by clicking on the title. If I have not yet completed a blog post, it will link to my Goodreads review.)
1) Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt

A mystery and first in a series! I loved this book and series, especially Rosenfelt's writing style. I have placed a reserve on the second in the series! I would love to be able to sit and inhale all of them, but work and life disrupt! :) 

2) Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively

Man Booker Prize winner in 1987. Wow. I loved Lively's writing style. This book really made me think and consider. Although I would classify it as historical fiction (?) it included so many aspects of life. And, frankly, this is the first I can remember reading of an incestuous relationship (between siblings), ever. Amazingly, I felt as if I could understand that concept with these two people, though it still seems a bit creepy, if you're basically raised in an isolated situation...well, life can be different. I will post a review and hopefully soon, but this is definitely a thought-provoking book on many levels. (12/28/15--The above link now directs you to the blog posting, and please also check out some of the quotes I listed on my "Others' Words of Wisdom" page!) So glad I read it and I want to read others she has written.

3) Andrea Martin's Lady Parts by Andrea Martin

Looked like it might be humorous and enjoyable--a break from some more intense reads. And...it was enjoyable, and perhaps not as humorous as I had expected. Martin definitely is heroic in revealing her own battles with 'demons' such as an eating disorder. This was an intimate portrait of a character actor/comedienne, etc. She has certainly had a varied life with many experiences! A review to come soon, hopefully! :)  (12/15/15 Above link now directs you to my blog posting!)

4) Last Wool and Testament (A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery) by Molly MacRae

I'm certain this is what most would call a "cosy." I cannot remember how I got onto this author/series/book, but it didn't prove to be as enjoyable to me as I might have hoped. It was enjoyable but definitely not my favorite of writing styles. MacRae's characterization is a bit too 'surface' for me, I prefer more in-depth characterization overall. Though I am definitely in the minority. This book has won the 2013 Lovey Award for Best Paranormal/Sci-fi Novel and was listed in the Suspense Magazine's Best of 2012. 

5) Jam on the Vine, Part 1, Part 2 by LaShonda K. Barnett

Read this for a campus book club meeting on November 13 and absolutely loved it! It was a fantastic discussion-starter as well! This is amazing historical fiction! Must post a review and return the book! :)

6) Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson

I am still listening to this in the car! I really want to keep it, but will relinquish it this week. Perhaps Santa will gift it to me! :)

7) Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

I am planning to actually read this book so I can provide some quotes in a review, but it was a wonderful audio experience, too! 

Currently Reading: 

There are three awaiting my attention (see below), but am trying to concentrate on blog posts/reviews today! :)

Checked Out, TBR:

Although I have yet to start reading any of these, there are three books I'm previewing in preparation for the Little House Series Read-Along, cohosted by myself and Bex of An Armchair By The Sea, beginning this coming January! :) I have NEVER read a Wilder book and after participating in Reeder Reads' Green Gables Read-Along last year, I decided reading one of the Wilder books per month would be a great way to read them all during 2016! Then both Bex and I posted on the Classics Club site that we planned to host the same read-along, and a cohosting team was born! Bex's introductory post is here and mine is here! Be sure to register using the link on either of these posts! It is going to be fun! There are already five of us committed to this monthly project! And, please, if you wish to only follow along with the reviews/comments, that is also fine. Or if you only wish to read of few of these books and participate for only those months, that is also fine! Whatever works for you, works for us! :)

1) West from Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder to Almanzo Wilder, San Francisco 1915 by Laura Ingalls Wilder, edited by Roger Lea MacBride.

2) On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894 by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

3) A Wilder Rose by Susan Wittig Albert.

Returned Unread:

None. One huge perk to serving on the Board of Trustees is that I never accumulate or owe fines! So I can keep books as long as no one else places a hold on them, with no penalty. :) However, in all fairness I have only taken advantage of this a few times over the past few years! :)

On Hold: 

I did relent and place a hold on First Degree by David Rosenfelt, the second in his Andy Carpenter series. :)