@Jo, The Volunteer sounds hard to read but the story well worth it! And ditto Mel's comment - the Kathryn Butler book sounds interesting and in-line with a couple other books I read over the last couple of years (Mel already mentioned one - the other is Departing in Peace by Bill Davis, which sounds like it covers some of the same topics as Dr. Butler's book, which could be an interesting comparison). The library doesn't have it, but it looks like I might be able to get it via inter-library loan; however, it looks like the author has also written some children's fantasy, which the library does have (intriguing mix of topics!).

@SnowAngel, it did look like you had a good selection of books to read. That's unfortunate about the library collection and booksale pickings! The L. M. Montgomery collection is Against the Odds. I finished it and found it a mixed bag still, but worth reading.

Congrats on the eleven books so far this year, @Silverlily (and welcome to NW)! It's been a while but I've also read and enjoyed Entwined; however, I didn't realise copies had been printed/updated with her married name, so that was fun to see.

Probably not the series for me then, @Mel.

Diving into a friendly acquaintance's newly published baby. <3 It's a nice chunky fantasy, and supposed to be the first in a trilogy. I am both eager to see how it goes, and a little bit reminding myself to be extra nice to it because she is still getting her sea-legs as a writer. 

[Edit]

Oh, my brain is really full right now. It took a couple of chapters for me to really get into it, but I'm enjoying it a lot now it's properly underway. Still a couple of questions as to the internal logic, but I Want to see it play out.

[Edit]

I am getting really attached to this but it is so unknown I have nobody to chatter to except maybe the author.

@Silverlily, I'm glad you're enjoying the new book. But it's hard to be a fan of such an unknown book, so my sympathies! Is it traditionally published or independently published?

I'm currently finishing a book about the Argonauts and other Greek myths (some of which have been familiar, others less so), and am trying to decide if I'm going to start next: a book I got for Christmas or a book on my to-read list...

@valiantarcher Traditionally! Kind of a small publisher, but still cool.

That's neat, @Silverlily! Have you finished the book by now and, if so, did it finish strong?

I decided to tackle a book on my to-read list next - it hasn't gone well. I'd read Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake a couple years ago and found it odd and dark but somehow engaging; after running across an omnibus containing the rest of the series last year, I thought I would try to finish it this year. I'm 100 pages into Gormenghast and am about 95% sure I won't finish, even though I don't like giving up on a book in general. It's been very hard to get into and make progress in; I actually looked ahead in the book to try to give myself a reason to continue reading, but it's backfired - I don't like the direction it's going or the events that look to be in store (some reviews online confirmed some details, along with the idea that it doesn't improve in the last book). I'm disappointed not just because the first book had some promise, but particularly because it was a series well-regarded by some old NWebbers (and I spent years trying to track down the series, finding the first and third at different times before coming across the omnibus) - it's just doesn't seem worth my time, though.

That said, it means I can clear a few books off my shelves and move on to hopefully more interesting books, so it's not all bad.

@valiantarcher afraid I haven't finished it yet. My head's been off kilter most of this week and it's been hard to focus. At least I still have stuff to look forward to?

Posted by: @mel

@snowangel that sounds like a lovely copy of _Jane of Lantern Hill_-that's one of my favorites! 

I've only had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook, which I enjoyed, so I am delighted she bought it. It seems to be a favorite for a lot of people, I am kind of surprised it's not more readily available. 

I'm almost finished with War As I Knew It, it doesn't move real fast, but totally worth reading. Patton's opinions are surprisingly funny at times.

I did finish Immanuel, it was good. Fans of Michael Card's albums that were released in the '80s will probably know all of the songs, I haven't listened to all of those albums and so some of the songs were unfamiliar to me. 

Finally got my hands on a copy of Wraith by James R. Hannibal via interlibrary loan, only there is slight problem it's over 300 pages, most of the siblings want to read it, and it's due back at the library in just over two weeks with no chance of renewing it. So I buzzed through the first 90 pages last night, I want to finish it by tomorrow night and be able to pass it off to the next reader before starting into the week. 

SnowAngel

OK, I may get in trouble for this but I'm going to write about a movie in the Books thread. The reason I'm doing it is because I want this to be read by people who like to read books and I don't know if they pay attention to the Movies thread. 

You see I recently wrote a blog post about Ramona and Beezus, the 2010 movie adaptation of the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. I remember the marketing campaign for that movie focused on the parts that were most likely to alienate fans of the books, but it's really not a terrible adaptation. It's not an ideal one either but it's worth checking out for nostalgic reasons if you grew up reading about Ramona. 

To somewhat justify posting this in the Books thread, here's a quote from my blog post that describes the literary source material. 

I wasn't the biggest fan of children's author Beverly Clearly growing up. She has accurately been described as a pioneer of realism in juvenile fiction and I had little or no use for realism. As you can probably discern from the stories about which I choose to blog, my taste runs toward the comedic, the fantastic and the melodramatic. I saw no point in reading books about modern day middle class American kids like me dealing with parents, teachers, siblings, peers, etc. Why read about what I could experience every day?

Yet for all that, I kept returning to Cleary's series about young Ramona Quimby. I think even then, I was impressed by the psychological believability of fiery, gung-ho Ramona and her more practical older sister, Beezus (Beatrice.) (Though, of course, I wouldn't have used the phrase "psychological believability" at the age I first read the books.) And as an adult and a would-be author myself, I've developed a respect for realism, though it still isn't my favorite thing to read. To write something that feels exactly like it could happen in real life is an awesome balancing act, one I could never do.

And here's a link to the whole thing. Ramona and Beezus: A Surprisingly Good Adaptation | The Adaptation Station.com

....it's sorta topical but I kinda suspect books versus movies deserves a thread of its own...

Still working on my friendly acquaintance's fantasy tome (I've seen a few editing missteps but I'm really liking the characters), and a book of self-published poetry (a lot of bits I feel have a good core but are overworked, a few really nice ones, and *truly painful* formatting errors).

@Silverlily, that's too bad (but relatable, alas)! Have you been able to get any reading in this last week?

@SnowAngel, how did things go with getting Wraith read? Hope everyone makes it through that wants to before it goes back!

@Col-Klink, I know I read some (most?) of the Ramona books growing up because they were around, but Ramona tended to annoy me more than anything. I think I have a little better understanding of her now as an adult, but still don't think they'll ever be my favourites.

@valiantarcher

Yep, I have. Still plugging away on the new fantasy tome, and finished the poetry volume and moved on to a different poetry book (which is significantly less amateur, I liked some of the first one and understood that the poet was young at time of publication but it is *so nice* to read something polished).

I just finished reading Compelling Reason: Essays on Theology and Ethics by C. S. Lewis. If you like reading some thoughtful essays this is the book for you. it is harder to read than Lewis’ fantasy, but I think it is just as good for the mind.  Many of Lewis’ essays and scholarly works are available in other collections such as Present Concerns and Selected Literary Essays.  I think they are well worth checking out even if you are just an average reader. 🙂

Slapdash update post time ... 

So i finally finished the fourth Mysterious Benedict Society book, The Riddle of Ages. Took me long enough, not because i didn't like it, but just because my free time gets eaten up by all kinds of things these days. I think the cold weather isn't helping. Anyway, it was fine. The series as a whole doesn't stand out to me, and i don't know that i'll re-read any of them any time soon, but i'd rate them on the positive side of average, if that makes sense. 

The electronic version of the first Brandon Sanderson "secret novels", Tress of the Emerald Sea, got released, and i finally got around to charging up my Kindle to read it. I really enjoyed it -- the setting is inventive, the characters were great, and it was fun having Hoid as a narrator. This is the only secret novel i knew anything about going into it, and i think it's going to stay that way. I like surprises (very specific kinds, in very specific ways, in very specific settings).

I also read the last Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians book, Bastille Versus the Evil Librarians, which was co-written with Janci Patterson. It was fine. That sounds a bit "cursed by faint praise", so i would like to say it's on the positive side of fine, if that makes sense. The "Evil Librarians" series has never been my favorite, and this wasn't a particularly standout addition, but it matched the tone and resolved the story pretty well, so i wouldn't say i'm complaining. 

The Lost Metal is sitting on my bookshelf, waiting. For what, i don't know, but it's definitely waiting. I'll get to it someday.

I'm still trying to get through all the library books i've borrowed before they're returned, but progress is slow. I flipped through the two Agatha Christie re-reads -- Toward Zero, which i quickly dropped, and also realized i already have a copy of at home, whoops, and The Seven Dials Mystery, which i remembered the culprit of and so was less than engaged in even before i realized it was one of Christie's stories that dabbles in political intrigue, which i've never considered her strong point. 

Posted by: @arin

It was fine. That sounds a bit "cursed by faint praise", so i would like to say it's on the positive side of fine, if that makes sense. The "Evil Librarians" series has never been my favorite, and this wasn't a particularly standout addition, but it matched the tone and resolved the story pretty well, so i wouldn't say i'm complaining. 

I'm not familiar with those books, but I know what you mean. I can see myself using those exact words when reviewing entries in certain series. 

Posted by: @valiantarcher

@SnowAngel, how did things go with getting Wraith read? Hope everyone makes it through that wants to before it goes back!

I finished it in three days and it was pretty good. I didn't enjoy it as much as the sequels, and I'm actually glad it wasn't great...because I have a habit to wanting to run out and buy books I really enjoy when they are by a favorite author or a part of a favorite series even though I just finished reading it and probably won't read the book again for at least a year.   The siblings are doing well keeping the book moving, I think just one more is going to read it.

I finished War As I Knew It, it was really good. I am definitely interested in reading The Patton Papers now.

I'm still reading The Wound of Words and enjoying it, but I have been really distracted recently and so I haven't finished it.

SnowAngel