What are you reading this year? 2012

[ellyphant]

The "Thrush Green" series sounds like just the kind of books I like. Don't know how I missed those all these years.

Just finished "Women of the Bible" and have started "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp.

[lucylee]

Still reading Some Assembly Required...
plus also reading The Hatfields and the McCoys, by Virgil Carrington Jones...
and re-reading A Legacy of Love, by Ruth Graham (daughter, not wife, of Billy Graham). I LOVE this book, and HIGHLY recommend it to all young women & new mothers, especially. I think I've already given ddil a copy.

I've been thinking (again) about getting a Kindle Fire, but I just don't know. If I have a dozen books piled on the floor beside my bed, waiting to be read, I probably do NOT need to add to my book list, do I?
The thing about the Kindle, though, is that I bet classics like Around the World in 80 Days would be available free on it.
AS IF I have time to read more. * sigh *
So many books, so little time.

[helia]

Right now I am reading:
1. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. I know his stories are somewhat controversial, but he writes very well, and I find this story funny and the characters compelling. This is a book club book from last month.

2. [b]Rules of Civility[/b] by Amor Towles, another book club book - but for next month, so I'm on time with this one. Also well-written, a bit in the spirit of F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby.

3. Introverts in the Church by Adam S. McHugh. Haven't picked it up for a while; sort of interesting, probably not anything really new. Perhaps most useful for those who work with introverts rather than for those who are introverts, since introverts probably already understand the issues.

4. Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper. This is more like a set of 13 devotional readings.

I also would like to finally read Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and perhaps get into Goethe's Faust. . . . Also on my to read list is a small book called Prayer by Ole Hallesby. It was a church summer read a couple summers ago.

There are others I'd like to get to also, but this is enough for now! How's that for an eclectic mix?

[BookSaver]

I did tough it out through Stephen King's Dreamcatcher. The tv miniseries changed the ending of the story, and I think I like the tv ending better than the book's. I do think that Stephen King is a good writer, I'm just rarely in the mood for reading such dark and serious stories.

Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle (book 3 in the Looking Glass trilogy) -- fun sci fi / paranormal romance. I've read all of the books in her "world of Harmony" series, and this one was ok. However, since there are so many back stories by now, you'd be lost in this one if you haven't read any of the others.

In past summers, I would have read a lot more books by now. However, we have high-speed internet now and it's a whole new world! I've been meandering around various blogs about 1930s-1940s-1950s cooking and housekeeping.

Also watching on YouTube a series of British food histories called "The Supersizers ..." -- In each one, the 2 hosts spend a week dressed in costume and eating food of a particular time period, usually in England although they did do 1 in France and ended in Rome. First in the series was "The Edwardian Supersizers" for 1907ish, then moving on to feature
WWII 1940s rationing,
Restoration 1660s over-indulgence,
Victorian 1860s,
1970s,
Elizabethan 1590s,
Regency early 1800s,
1980s,
Medieval,
French Revolution 1780s,
1920s,
1950s, and
finally Ancient Rome.
They take a very light-hearted approach and have just enough history lesson to give some context about why people ate the foods they did back then. There are professional chefs preparing the food from the recipes of the time, and the hosts are not shy about giving honest opinions whether good or bad. I would NOT eat the majority of the food selections, but it sure is fun to watch them try to do it!

Currently reading The Hollow by Agatha Christie. I didn't like the Hercule Poirot mysteries when I was younger, preferring Miss Marple. However, now I'm picking up the Poirots at book sales for less than $1 and finding that I appreciate them for relaxing reading.

[ellyphant]

Now reading "Laced", by Carol Higgins Clark. It's a "Regan Reilly Mystery", the first one of those I have ever read. It's quick and easy reading--not bad for something I got off the "free" shelf at library.

[Harriet]

I mostly read non-fiction, of course, the habit of a lifetime.
Have turned my attention back to health books lately, specifically research on what would be termed "metabolism".

The Youth Effect by Ronald Brown, MD
The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife, CN, ND
The Alternate Day Diet by Robert Johnson, MD
The Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program by Rachael Heller, MD

[ellyphant]

Now reading "One Part Angel" by George Shaffner. Small town...quirky characters...my kind of book!

[Harriet]

I've added
Dropping Acid by J. Koufman, MD and J. Stern, MD
(subtitled The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure)
which is an eye-popping book, full of research, an "Aha" read

and
The Acid Reflux Solution by J. Rodriguez, MD
which is not as profound, but has common-sense discussion,
blunt talk about meds, practical TMI help about entire digestive tract

Both of these have recipe sections. The ones in "Dropping Acid" (by a French Culinary Institute Chef) avoid acid PH levels. The ones in "Solution" avoid fat and frying but add extra fiber. Both recipe sections are for those who have more time than my family, but they're helpful.

[BookSaver]

I've been reading a lot of sewing pattern instructions ... and cookbooks.

Oh, I did enjoy book 1 in a mystery series about Chief Inspector Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. Still Life by Louise Penny. It's set in a small village in Canada which, according to the number of books in the series, appears to be a rather dangerous place to live, sort of like Jessica Fletcher's Cabot Cove. This first book was dated 2008 so the series has been out awhile, and now I have the fun of tracking down the sequels. I'll probably wait until after the library book sale, because I might be able to pick up some of them for a quarter.

[ellyphant]

Harriet has me reading non-fiction. Just got these books at library: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Digestive Health (which has a section on acid reflux) and Eating for Acid Reflux (which claims to have 100 low-fat, low-acid recipes). First book is from 2010. The other one is 2003. Hope to glean something new from these.

Booksaver's reference to Jessica Fletcher reminded me of the British TV series "Rosemary and Thyme." The 2 main characters were always finding a dead body when they would show up to do landscaping/gardening. They would then proceed to solve the crime. Beautiful scenery in that show.