Julie -2012 Book List

[julie]

My 2012 Book List

1-Plainsong -Haruf 4/5

2-If Jack's In Love- 5/5

3-Broadmoor Revealed 3/5

4-Haunted Ground : Ghost Photos from the Battlefield of Gettysburg 2/5

5-Unsolved Disappearances in the Great Smoky Mountains 3/5

6-Mail Order Murder : The Sensational Trial of Mary Crumroy 2/5

7-Last Statements and Case Files of Executed Death Row Inmates 1/5

8-Palaces 2/5

9-A Killing in Iowa -Rachel Corbett 2/5

10-Haunted - Willow Cross (?) 2/5

11-Gillespie and I by Jane Harris 4/5

12-Cold Water Crossing - David Faxon 3/5

13- The Sinking of the Titanic -- Bruce Caplan 3/5

14-The World of Downton Abbey by Julian & Jessica Fellowes 4/5

15-Clair de Lune by Jetta Carleton 4/5

16-Moonlight Murder on Lover's Lane --K. Ramsland 4/5

17-The Lost Girls -- Caitlyn Rother ---2/5

18- Captured : A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier by Scott Zesch 3/5

19-An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill ( Colonel W.F. Cody ) --Buffalo Bill ,1847-1917---------3/5

20-Winnie & Gurley :The Best Kept Family Secret -by Robert Hewitt- 2.5 / 5

 

Continued list post # 2 ----

Edited July 27, 2012 by julie

[julie]

_{21 - No Instructions Needed -An American Boyhood in the 1950's ----Robert Hewitt-4/5}

_{22- I Had Seen Castles by Cynthia Rylant ------4/5}

_{23- Ghosty Men : The Strange but True story of the Collyer Brothers, New York's Greatest Hoarders --}

_{--By Franz Lidz ...............2/5}

_{24- States of Confusion : My 19,000-Mile Detour to Find Direction -by Paul Jury 3/5}

_{25 -Baby Boomer by Kate Everson 1/5}

_{26- Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa by Mark Seal 4/5 ..}

_27-An Idiot Abroad : The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington 5/5

28- In the Kingdom of Men - Kim Barnes 4/5

29-The Color of Night -- T. Timmerman 3/5

30- Post Secret :Extraordinary Confessions From Ordinary Lives --- Frank Warren 5/5

31-A Lifetime of Secrets - Frank Warren 5/5

32-Odd Jobs :Portraits of Unusual Occupations ----Nancy Schiff 4/5

33-Miss Rena and Me --Hyacinth Andersen 1/5

34 -In the Sanctuary of Outcasts ----Neil White 4/5

35-The Story and Trials of Adolph Julius Weber -Lewis Swindle 1/5

36 - Beyond Downton Abbey - A guide to 25 Great Houses -- Deb Hosey White & David Stewart White 3/5

37-A Wilderness of Error: The Trials of Jeffrey MacDonald 3/5

38-The Year We Disappeared -A Father-Daughter Memoir --- Cylin and John Busby 5/5

39-Who Killed Betsy ? Uncovering Penn State University's Most Notorious Unsolved Crime --- 4/5

 

40-The Further Adventures of an Ididot Abroad - 4/5

41-Burn Down the Ground: A Memoir --Kambi crews 4/5

42-The Color of Night : A Young Mother, A Missing Child ,and a Cold Blooded Killer 3/5

43-Talking Pictures -Ransom Riggs 4/5

44- Conversations With Capote - Lawrence Grobel 5/5

45- The Sisters Brothers --- 5/5 -- Ijust noticed this wanst listed,but I read it earlier this year. I think my review is someplace below .

46- Born on the Night of the Living Dead: Growing Up With Talking apes, Killer Sharks, and Flesh Eating Zombies ---David Young --- 3/5

47- Daughters of Zion:A Family's Conversion to Polygamy ---Kim Taylor 4/5

48-Two Egg, Florida --Dale Cox 2/5

49. Medicine Men : Extreme Appalachian Doctoring --- Carolyn Jourdan ----3/5

50-The Chronicles of Downton Abbey : A New Era ----Jessica Fellowes, Matthew Sturgis, Julian Fellowes 4/5

 

I'm stopping for the year and will continue in my 2013 thread with the next book ..

I hit my 50 for the year

 

 

Edited December 23, 2012 by julie

[julie]

Quickie Book Reviews:

 

Plainsong takes place in a small Colorado town ,It has very short chapters, each one telling a small piece of someone's life,then moves on to another person . They are all from this town,of all ageas and all situations in life .Most of them have some type of personal crisis they are dealing withv.In the beginning, you wonder why these people are all main characters and what they all have in common ,but the author is able to tie them all together in the end and it makes an absolutely beautiful story . Definitely worth reading !

Edited January 4, 2012 by julie

[julie]

Will leave this spot for me to YAK about something once in awhile .Possibly questions that I think about as I read a book .

Edited January 4, 2012 by julie

[pontalba]

Great theme Julie, and great idea for curtailing book buying! lol

Now, if I could get hubby to go along with that method. He is as bad as I am, or is it I am as bad as he is??

 

The deal breaker would be this...what do you get for said points? A hot fudge sundae? A new book [sorry, couldn't resist!]. When I first saw that post, I misread and thought you said for every pound lost...must be the way my brain is working. A diet is forecast around here starting next week. But I'm ready! /fingers crossed/

[poppyshake]

Wishing you the very best of luck with your reading goals in 2012 Julie we're all rooting for you to come out on the plus side ... Go Julie Go Julie Love the theme too and can't wait to see your book choices.

[julie]

Hi Pontalba

Thanks -- I don't really have a prize for winning the book buying/not buying contest, other than to get some of the shelves cleared off . I'm not sure how good I will do with this ..

The Hot Fudge sundae sounds pretty doggone good though .

 

Hi there Miss Poppy

Thanks for the backup . And the contest to NOT buy any more books is going to be a really hard one .I keep on dragging home more books.

It's a sickness, I tell you ...

[chaliepud]

For me, having a load of books on my TBR pile is like having loads of food in at Christmas, I just don't want any of it! My best friend reads a book then buys a book, only ever having 2 in the house, unless I give her a pile, in which case she reads them then starts again, what self-control!! And, she always gets to buy and read the book she really wants to read! I find that I generally just read the books that I've bought more recently and the older ones languish in the TBR pile. Buying books for others over Xmas has helped me not buy any for myself, now I just need to continue that through this next year, what are my chances? Especially as I have a book voucher to spend!! Good luck Julie, I'll be checking back regularly to make sure you are behaving!!

 

[julie]

Hi Chalie

Yep, I definitely know the feeling. I don't know why I do this. You'd think at my age I'd learn . I guess with me, it's either Feast or Famine .

I either get so many books that I am totally overwhelmed by the number, or I get rid of them all so they are not cluttering up the place .

I'm not sure what a person is called who is the opposite of a HOARDER ,but that is what my natural tendency is .I hate clutter, having things laying around which are not needed THAT day . I keep it well controlled in every other area of my life ,like clothes, shoes, necessities. I have enough ,but not too many .

With books, it's honestly like an addiction . I buy ONE, then the race is on ..... then I get so many , it bothers me, because I think they are cluttering up the place . I keep them all neatly put away ,and my hubster even made me a database online to keep track of how many I have and what shelf they are on .

I guess maybe it's because I am FIDGETY . I need to know there are things here to do since I don't work and I spend long hours alone. The family almost all live really far away and the hubster works long hours,so it's just me here all day . I tend to get antsy if there is nothing to do .

With only 2 people living here, and my husband being very neat and always picking up after himself, it leaves me with very little I HAVE to do .

I don't know... it's a vicious cycle ....

When I was still able to crochet and knit, I did the same with yarn . I had a closet FILLED with it, but kept buying more . Now that I can't do that, I have replaced my yarn with books .

I currently have 427 paper books and 233 kindle books . 660 books . Ridiculous . I'll betcha I buy some more this weekend before the 2012 Book Freeze sets in .

( My self-imposed freeze )

 

Something tells me that even THEN, I will buy 'em faster than I read 'em .

[poppyshake]

Now Julie ... you're stressing too much (that's my department lol) .. the more you try and fight this thing the more it will kick against you. Relax .. take a deep breath ... books maketh a home .. they look beautiful .. even piled up roughly on the side (don't take any notice of me .. I am the last person in the world to pile them up roughly on the side .. I will at the very least colour and size grade them )

 

I am like you in that there is only me here, Alan works shifts and my family live in far, far away land. Books are my refuge too. And I know that panicky feeling of buying too many and feeling overwhelmed (and guilty) .. it can become an obssession but it's not the worst thing in the world is it to have a home stuffed full of books? ... you could collect car engines (imagine the mess!) or cabbage patch dolls (freak you out having boxes full of those.) Books are stimulating and a good way, nay a great way, to pass your time. You are taking steps to curb your book buying and all you need to do now is steadily chip away at your TBR pile ... it will come down like this years Chrissy decorations and there is nothing better than feeding yourself on other people's imaginations .. if I didn't do that I'd be sitting in my dressing gown watching stuff with sub-titles like 'dump that zero and get yourself a hero' (and of course, a la Bridget Jones ... eventually I'd die fat and alone and be found three weeks later having been half eaten by alsatians )

 

You're doing the right thing by setting yourself some achievable challenges, you'll feel more positive when you see some good results but don't beat yourself up Reading is the best thing in the world .. next to men

(I just need to copy and paste this into my own book blog now )

[dawnbirduk]

Reading is the best thing in the world .. next to men

 

 

Sorry this is brilliant, I may have to pinch it lol

[julie]

Poppy

You are such a hoot. What fun it'd be to hang out with you .You are so funny and can always make me laugh .

Yes, collecting car engines would be a pretty greasy item to keep in your house,and yes, books are a good thing to collect and are wonderful entertainment .

You are definitely right on all counts,and I will try to stick with the program and chip away at this ever growing pile. I feel kinda like I'm trying to carve an added face onto Mount Rushmore with a toothpick . I doubt I'll make much progress,but I can still try til the toothpick breaks,anyhow .

It sounds as if we share a lot in common regarding our lives .( although I DO enjoy sitting in my pj's watching some tv shows that wouldn't really be considered National Geographic documentaries. )

I draw the line at the "Bachelor dating shows " and nonsense like that ,though .

Thanks for the pep talk .I agree,men are ok too . Not that I'm on the lookout for a new one .I've been married since birth or so it seems like,so I'm not shopping for a new model when the old one works just fine .

 

Sorry this is brilliant, I may have to pinch it lol

 

Dawn

Right you are -- Poppy has quite a bit of wisdom and really good quotable sayings, doesn't she ?

[poppyshake]

Poppy

You are such a hoot. What fun it'd be to hang out with you .You are so funny and can always make me laugh .

Yes, collecting car engines would be a pretty greasy item to keep in your house,and yes, books are a good thing to collect and are wonderful entertainment .

You are definitely right on all counts,and I will try to stick with the program and chip away at this ever growing pile. I feel kinda like I'm trying to carve an added face onto Mount Rushmore with a toothpick . I doubt I'll make much progress,but I can still try til the toothpick breaks,anyhow .

It sounds as if we share a lot in common regarding our lives .( although I DO enjoy sitting in my pj's watching some tv shows that wouldn't really be considered National Geographic documentaries. )

I draw the line at the "Bachelor dating shows " and nonsense like that ,though .

Thanks for the pep talk .I agree,men are ok too . Not that I'm on the lookout for a new one .I've been married since birth or so it seems like,so I'm not shopping for a new model when the old one works just fine .

Right you are -- Poppy has quite a bit of wisdom and really good quotable sayings, doesn't she ?

Poppy is not at all wise and I'd advise you against quoting her ... that way lies madness

Hehe .. my old model works very well too .. wouldn't swap him for the world (though for a full set of Vintage classics .. I'd be tempted )

You'll be fine I know, you've got the January jellywobbles (slightly early) .. I always get them .. I always want to start clearing up stuff and sorting my life out in January. It's a natural reaction to Christmas excess. This forum will help you, yes it encourages you to buy more books but it also inspires you to read them, we'll help you to take chunks out of your TBR .. rely on us

[julie]

Thank you Miss Poppy

I will rely on your good advice and try to sit back and enjoy the show .

[frankie]

Happy New Year Julie, and have fun with your new 2012 reading log!

 

 

So, in order to enjoy the coming year's reading ,I'd like to try something new to challenge myself ,instead of staying on a structured system . I plan on choosing a monthly theme ,leaving the choices a lot more varied that could fit into that month's category .

 

My 2012 challenge will be more of a Scavenger Hunt Type Challenge .

 

I love this idea of a theme-based month of reading! And I can't wait to see what types of themes you pick throughout the year. The first one is already a really intriguing one

 

January's Theme :

 

The Five Senses ........................................

 

Book One - Sound --- Plainsong by Kent Haruf .

Book Two -Sight ----

Book Three --Touch-----

Book Four --Taste -----

Book Five - Smell-----

??Book Six ---The 6th Sense-----??

 

Do you need/want any suggestions or recommendations of which books might suit this you this month? I immediately thought of Patrick Süskind's Perfume for Smell. It would be perfect for that, and it's also an excellent read in my opinion

 

And I know that panicky feeling of buying too many and feeling overwhelmed (and guilty) .. it can become an obssession but it's not the worst thing in the world is it to have a home stuffed full of books? ... you could collect car engines (imagine the mess!) or cabbage patch dolls (freak you out having boxes full of those.) Books are stimulating and a good way, nay a great way, to pass your time. You are taking steps to curb your book buying and all you need to do now is steadily chip away at your TBR pile ... it will come down like this years Chrissy decorations and there is nothing better than feeding yourself on other people's imaginations .. if I didn't do that I'd be sitting in my dressing gown watching stuff with sub-titles like 'dump that zero and get yourself a hero' (and of course, a la Bridget Jones ... eventually I'd die fat and alone and be found three weeks later having been half eaten by alsatians )

 

Some wise words from poppyshake there! I'm very familiar with buying (too?) many books myself, and how I sometimes get panicky about the fact that with the rate I'm going, it will take 5 years to read all of my books on TBR, and that's if I don't buy any more books from here on out! However, you will always have plenty of great reads to choose from. I would hate it just to have a few books lying around, and then not fancying reading any of them at the moment. And like poppyshake said, you could be collecting far more worse things! Or you could be shooting all that money to your veins or eating it up. This way you at least have something to show for it: books!

 

So try and let go of the stressing, and just enjoy the flow and go with it

[julie]

Hi Frankie

Thank you kindly for the new year's wishes,and same to you .

I'm glad you like my theme idea . I sat here the other day and wrote out 1 for each month, then just kept thinking of more and more ,so I added a bunch to the list in case I want to pick a different one than the one I wrote out for that month .

I already have books picked out for the January theme ,but I'd always welcome extra input and suggestions . I have a copy of Perfume,so I'm glad it's a good book . I think you'd be a great help in suggesting books for any of the themes, because you have so many of you own ,you'd be able to glance through your shelves and see ideas .

You are also right about it being good to have more books to choose from . Several years ago, I usually just went to the library ,and back then,they weren't open on Sundays and only a few hours on Saturday. so if you'd end up with a lazy Sunday and nothing to do, you'd want something to read .So, I guess there are good and bad sides to everything .

Thank you kindly for your words of encouragement ,and any help you'd like to offer will be appreciated .

[chesilbeach]

Hope you don't mind me jumping in here julie, but I've come up with a couple of suggestions for your January theme.

 

For sight, Blindness by Jose Saramago was excellent, although his style of writing requires a lot of effort (no written dialogue and very long paragraphs) but in my opinion, worth it.

For taste, I can recommend The Food of Love by Anthony Capella which I enjoyed, and he's also written The Various Flavours of Coffee and The Empress of Ice Cream which are both on my wishlist, or you could try Chocolat by Joanne Harris

[julie]

Hi Chesil

Welcome , and nope, I don't mind at all if you'd like to come on in and visit. The more ,the merrier . Thank you for the suggestions. I did read Chocolat a few years back and enjoyed it ,but haven't read the others.

I think I'll make added notes in the back of my little notebook I am writing themes in,with book titles that you all mention,that way I'll also have a running tally of book suggestions.

I'm glad to know someone wrote a book about me,but wish they would have TOLD me they were writing it . I thought I was The Empress of Ice Cream ,since there are very few flavors I would turn down . In fact, I have probably tried most of them .

Thank you kindly for stopping by and come back any time . The door is always open .

[Kidsmum]

.

 

 

 

 

 

I'll betcha I buy some more this weekend before the 2012 Book Freeze sets in .

( My self-imposed freeze )

 

 

That made me laugh Julie as it's exactly what I did, I must have bought at least 10 books in the run up to the new year but I'm determined to stay out of the charity shops this year it's the only way I'll manage to reduce my TBR mountain. Happy reading in 2012 Julie

[lauraloves]

I like your points system its a really good idea. I know what you mean about getting stressed out with the huge tbr piles! I'm trying to cut back this year aswell, good luck with all your reading this year

[julie]

That made me laugh Julie as it's exactly what I did, I must have bought at least 10 books in the run up to the new year but I'm determined to stay out of the charity shops this year it's the only way I'll manage to reduce my TBR mountain. Happy reading in 2012 Julie

 

Kidsmum & Laura

You sound exactly like me. I have bought so many books in the used bookstore next town over. It's a much bigger town than ours,so lots of new books come in there all the time. I could easily go in there every single day and come out with a pile . So what did I do today to try to keep from BUYING anymore books ? Went to amazon and picked out TWENTY SEVEN free kindle books.

THEN I went to the library and checked out 6 ,

What in the BLEEP am I trying to prove here ? I only have TWO eyeballs ,and at the rate I'm dragging more books in, even if I live past my life expectancy rate, I will have to leave 187,423 books to charity .

Good grief .... I think it'd be easier to buy Budweiser .I can drink it faster than I read,then I can toss out the cans,so I wouldnt have it stacked up in every square corner of the house .

Happy Reading to you both ,and may the Willpower Fairy sprinkle more dust on you than she has on me. I am already slipping and I have about 363 days to go....

Edited January 2, 2012 by julie

[vodkafan]

You could become a rival to Kylie if you buy any more....

[chaliepud]

Keep going Julie, you can do it!!!!!

[julie]

Thanks for the posts and cheerleading, VF and Chalie ~

[poppyshake]

Yeah ... you go girl you're doing just fine. Free downloads and library loans don't count as book spending (or hoarding.) I love the title 'If Jack's in Love' .. hope it's as good as it sounds