Avidmom's Reading Garden Part II

"And mixed with these were splashes of California poppies. These too are of a burning color - not orange,
not gold, but if pure gold were liquid and could raise a cream, that golden cream might be like the color of
the poppies."
John Steinbeck in East of Eden

The crop so far:

1. My Rescue: A Lucky Cat's Short Memoir by Rick E. McBride
2. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
3. I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
4. Testimony: The Legacy of Schindler's List and the USC Shoah Foundation
5. Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright
6. Cat Daddy by Jackson Galaxy
7. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
8. Jon Stewart: Beyond the Moments of Zen by Bruce Watson
9. The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant
10. So Long and Thanks for All The Fish by Douglas Adams
11. American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson
12. Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams
13. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
14. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
15. Hedy's Folly by Richard Rhodes
16. Between a Heart and a Rock Place by Pat Benatar
17. The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum
18. I Am Malala by Mulala Yousafzai
19. The Snowden Files by Luke Harding
20. The Handsome Man's Deluxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith
21. The Boom Boom Retreat by Tayla Lewis
22. Jesus Himself by Andrew Murray
23. Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
24. Bossypants by Tina Fey
25. Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov
26. The Martian by Andy Weir
27. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
28. Scout, Atticus and Boo by Mary Murphy
29. Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now by Maya Angelou
30. Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man by Steve Harvey
31. Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die by Willie Nelson
32. Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. by Sam Wasson
33. Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie
34. Breakfast At Tiffany's by Truman Capote
35. The Complete Guide to Personal Finance: For Teenagers
36. The Universe Doesn't Give A Flying Fuck About You by Johnny Truant
37. Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
38. Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
39. Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light by Carlos Santana
40. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
41. The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck
42. Can't Wait to Get To Heaven by Fannie Flagg
43. Drama: An Actor's Education by John Lithgow (Audio)
44. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
45. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
46. In the Mountains by Elizabeth Von Arnim
47. I Must Say: My Life As A Humble Comedy Legend by Martin Short
48. The Paris Wife by Paula McClain
49. The Christmas Pearl by Dorothea Benton Frank
50. In The Dark Streets Shineth by David McCollough
51. Walking In The Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg
52. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
53. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

for Bible reading...


NEW TESTAMENT
The Book of Matthew
The Book of Mark (finished March 4, 2015)
The Book of Luke
The Book of John
The Book of Acts
The Book of Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
First Thessalonians
Second Thessalonians
First Timothy
Second Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude (May 15, 2015)
Revelation

Woo hoo I did it! Read the NT from start to finish. :)
***********************************************
So, back to the front of the Big Book.


Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zachariah
Malachi

A spot to keep track of those Classic Literature Reads...


The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum
Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie
Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck
East of Eden by John Steinbeck

A spot to keep track of those Musical Reads...


Between A Heart and a Rock Place by Pat Benatar
Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die by Willie Nelson
Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light by Carlos Santana

A spot for those History reads...


Hedy's Folly by Richard Rhodes

A spot for those SciFi reads...


1. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (free Kindle edition)
2. So Long and Thanks for All The Fish by Douglas Adams
3. Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams
4. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
6. Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov
7. Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

A new category, "Critterature," for NF books about animals, books whose main character is an animal or a book where animals feature heavily in the story.


Critterature:
Cat Daddy by Jackson Galaxy
The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

Self Help:
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
The Complete Guide to Personal Finance For Teenagers by Tamsen Butler
The Universe Doesn't Give A Flying Fuck About You by Johnny Truant

Funny Stuff

Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
Bossypants by Tina Fey

A spot for those autobiographies/biographies:

Jon Stewart: Beyond the Moments of Zen by Bruce Watson
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
The Snowden Files by Luke Harding
Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now by Maya Angelou
Drama: An Actor's Education by John Lithgow
I Must Say: My Humble Life As A Comedy Legend by Martin Short

Critterature - teehehehe, I like that one.

>11 janemarieprice: It was a category on "Jeopardy" a few weeks ago. Um, oops .... I mean "What was a category on Jeopardy?" ;)

Good start to your new thread

>13 baswood: Thank you.

I just noticed you finished the NT...apparently about 5 months ago...and that you are quietly cruising through the OT. You'll lap me soon.

>15 dchaikin: Quietly and slowly!

Just got back from seeing this and I have to say I'm impressed on how they translated the book to the screen. Thumbs up and definitely worth seeing on the big screen.

Yesterday a portion of Highway 101 running through Salinas, CA was officially named the "John Steinbeck Highway."

http://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/2015/10/26/john-steinbeck-highway-signs...

Oh man, childhood memories. Espinoza Road was the back way to get from our house in Salinas to my grandmother's in Castroville.

>19 ursula: That is such pretty country! I've only been to Salinas/Soledad a few times. When I was younger, my cousin and her family lived there and we visited once or twice. Being a bit familiar with that part of California makes reading Steinbeck all that more enjoyable.

(And is it Salinas or Soledad that is the "Artichoke Capital of the World"?)

>20 avidmom: Castroville is the artichoke capital! There is a restaurant there, just a block off the intersection of the freeways leading to Monterey and Salinas, which is called the Giant Artichoke. For obvious reasons.

Bring on the melted butter!!!!!

I don't remember seeing that, but it was such a long time ago (more than 30 years!). What I remember is seeing a sign hanging over the road saying "Artichoke Capital of the World" while we were driving around and us sitting around eating artichokes dipped in melted butter, of course.

I did learn, thanks to Turner Classic Movies, that Norma Jean Baker (aka Marilyn Monroe) had a connection there. She was crowned "Artichoke Queen" in 1947! (That I had to look up.)

(My book cover is the incredibly boring Kindle freebie nondescript one ... this one is so much better.)

This is just a beautiful little book about one women's journey to healing. The unknown apparently English woman narrator, at the end of the first World War, finds herself heartbroken beyond measure and finds nothing to do for it but to crawl up the side of the mountain back to her mountain retreat in the Swiss alps. There, in her almost total solitude, she takes to writing in her diary (which we read. ) Not a whole lot happens. It's so slow moving as to be boring, yet it kept me hooked from the first sentence to the last. Maybe it's because I can understand wanting to do nothing but sit somewhere and stare into space when life has just ripped the rug from under you. More than anything though, I really wanted our narrator to get back to her happy self. After months of being alone in her little Swiss chalet, our narrator makes unexpected friends and longs to know them in a more intimate manner if only they would quit being so darn properly English. It is certainly unexpectedly funny in spots; very moving in others and generally just an absolute delightful read.

I think if I ever find myself feeling like a "..sick ant" and can't get to a mountain retreat of my own, I'll re-read this and feel better. :)

(I think I owe NanaCC thanks for this one.)

I really enjoyed von Arnim's The Enchanted April, much to my surprise, and this sounds delightful too, especially because I love mountains.

>23 avidmom: I'm so glad you liked this one. It was so quiet and peaceful.

>25 NanaCC: I liked it so much I'm thinking of gifting it to someone. :)

I love a book that makes you feel that way.

>27 NanaCC: It wouldn't be the first time LT has helped me with my Christmas and/or birthday shopping!

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

If you're a chocolate lover like myself, you'll understand why this 602 page Steinbeck tome reminded me of one particular Christmas when I was a teenager and the neighbor I babysat for gave me a giant Hershey Kiss. It was so big I never thought I'd get through it, but once I started I couldn't stop. I enjoyed every bite. It took me a while, of course, to eat all of that giant Kiss (I had a little help with that). This book took me a while too and I enjoyed every little sentence and paragraph. East of Eden had all the things I love about Steinbeck's writing. All those delicious Steinbeck prose describing the beautiful Northern California scenery, the subtle dry Steinbeck wit, the small town setting full of characters, and the study of the human psyche and spirit and how we relate to one another are all here.

East of Eden has to be his most ambitious work and is his most epic. It spans three generations of two families, the Hamiltons and the Trasks, who find themselves settling in the Salinas Valley at the turn of the century. It is a modern retelling of the Cain and Abel story. At its heart it's an examination of the inward struggle we all have of our "good vs. evil" nature. It seems rather simple, the way I'm describing it here, but the story is anything but simple.

I was so thoroughly impressed by this book that a few things happened. 1.) I thoroughly resented having to take it back to the library; 2) I've decided that I need to own it because I will need to read it a few more times (it seems that people who love this book are never satisfied with a one-time reading), and - this is huge - 3) It has replaced Cannery Row as my favorite book of all time!

Enjoyed your enthusiasm for East of Eden. A book I want to get to.

That is the best kind of reading experience!

>29 avidmom: I'm so pleased to read that! It's one of my favorites of all time.

>30 baswood: I hope you do, baswood. I think you would enjoy it. I would love to know your thoughts on it.

>31 RidgewayGirl: Yes! It is quite a dilemma: "I can't wait to finish it; I don't want to finish it!"

>32 ursula: It's definitely one I'll buy and read over and over! Even my aunt, who claims not to be a big Steinbeck fan, says she has read East of Eden multiple times.

As you remember, there was a Steinbeck theme read in one of the groups a few years ago. I had hoped to tackle The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden which were and still are on my tbr. Instead, I bought and read several shorter novels, and discovered there was a much more interesting Steinbeck than the author of Burning Bright.

>34 edwinbcn: Yes. I have the 75ers Steinbeckathon to thank for my love of Steinbeck. It's funny you mention Burning Bright; I read it last year and did not like it.

Which Steinbeck novels have you read and liked?

O yes, it was the 75ers Steinbeckathon! and, wow, 2012 feels like just around the corner.

I read and loved The acts of King Arthur and his noble knights, which i gave 4.5 stars, The wayward bus, four stars.

I was a bit less unenthusiastic about The winter of our discontent (3 stars) and liked The moon is down more than i expected (4 stars).

I bought most of these books for the read-a-thon, but failed to read the big novels, as they were sheduled for the summer months, when I often travel.

>36 edwinbcn: As much as I love Steinbeck, and even consider him my favorite author, I don't love all his stuff. I didn't really like The Red Pony and Burning Bright too much.

I don't remember The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights as being a part of the group read. I would like to read it one day. I remember picking East of Eden off the shelf at my local library with every intention of reading it for the "Steinbeckathon." But when I saw how big it was, I immediately put it back down. I was intimidated by the sheer size of it! Glad I got over that!

2012 does feel like yesterday! Time goes by way too fast.
*sigh*

There is a film version of The Wayward Bus that I have never seen (and probably won't) but the trailer for the movie cracks me up....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dmdOvonXRA

I certainly have fallen behind on reviews around here! Too busy lurking about and occasionally actually reading!

So, here are some bite size reviews for now.... just so they will be in order when I get around to an actual review.

Loved this one, but then again I love Ed Grimley, I must say, and love Martin Short.

I love this video, I must say ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkDXWtETy4U

The Paris Wife by Paula McClain

I wasn't planning to read this but my aunt sent it to me as a gift. Once I got around to reading it, I really found myself liking the main character and enjoying the story. This is one of those I understand why people really like it ..... and why people don't like it.

The Christmas Pearl by Dorothea Benton Frank

I was looking for a Christmas read and this was cheap through one of those Kindle sales, (a whopping 2 bucks). The premise seemed a good one - an elderly lady (93!) living in her family's mansion with her daughter and her husband, is chagrined to find that when her extended family shows up for the holidays, that they are a "truculent" bunch of jerks. She spends the first part of the book whining about how too modern they all are, how spineless or mean or etc. each one is. We meet them and find she's right; they are a bunch of ungrateful spoiled jerks who are very mean to each other. None of the characters are developed enough for us to really care. Being the hoaky Christmas story it is, a Christmas miracle happens! (Didn't see that coming, did you?) And then, surprise! surprise!, everybody is wonderful to each other and all the problems are fixed (or are on their way to being fixed.)

It's a good idea for a hoaky Christmas story. I did like the main character(s) and was charmed by her description of the work and love and care that went into the traditional Southern Christmases of her childhood, but on a whole, the book was just too poorly written and undeveloped for me to get excited about it.

There is one thing that saves this book, though, and it's the traditional Southern recipes at the end.

On to more traditional Christmas reads......

>42 ChaChatheSkimasaur: Yes. :)

The San Bernardino attacks hit way too close for home here; someone from the city where I work (and used to live) was killed in the attack; my cousin works for the neighboring county and could very well have been there at that party that day (she wasn't, thank God!); , and another friend of mine actually worked with the mother of one of the victims (as I understand it, after having to undergo surgery, she is fine and expected to recover 100%). The last time I read this book I read it for the history. This time I found some comfort here as now, I think, more than ever, I could relate in a more visceral way to how the people might have been feeling.


In The Dark Streets Shineth: A 1941 Christmas Eve Story by David McCollough

A link to my old review: https://www.librarything.com/topic/161111#4396279

I'm so sorry you were closely affected. A terrible thing. I'm sure your reading of In the Dark Streets Shineth was an experience unique to you and quite intense.

>45 dchaikin: It certainly was a different experience reading this time around. The words hit home a little more.

>46 avidmom: avidmom: I'd tell you about Nikki Giovanni's Bicycles, because it's also relatable in this sense, but it's one of those "pillow books." You know, the ones Nathan put who-knows-where.

>47 ChaChatheSkimasaur: MMm hmmm.....

Walking In The Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg

This was another Kindle book sale and I'm glad I spent the few $ to read it. I really liked it. I know a bit about Jewish tradition (a small bit) having gone to a church where the pastor read Hebrew and Greek and actually taught pretty extensively on Christianity's Hebrew roots. I was hoping I would find some new insights here and I did. It's a well written interesting book which seemed to focus on certain parables of Jesus and why they would have had a little bit of a deeper meaning to Jesus' 1st century Jewish disciples' thinking than to our Western way of thought.

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

Such a sweet little Christmas story. :)

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

"It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself..."

Another Christmas classic. I love the Patrick Stewart movie-version, a must see here every year around Christmas. :)

Picking out my favorite fiction reads for this past year wasn't too hard, but picking out my favorite NF books was quite impossible. I read 53 books this year - a record for me!

FICTION
East of Eden by John Steinbeck Another Steinbeck tops my list, no surprise there.

Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories by Truman Capote I especially loved A Christmas Memory and think I read it at least 2 or 3 times before having to send it back to the library.

In The Mountains by Elizabeth Von Arnim An incredibly slow moving story of one's woman transition from heartbreak and loss to life again. There's something very healing about it. (But maybe not for the easily bored.)

The Paris Wife by Paula McClain My big surprise of the year. It really wasn't on my list of things to read but my aunt loved it and sent it to me as a gift.

One of my goals this year was to read SF, a genre I had most definitely stayed away from (with the exception of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series - which is more humour than sci fi). I had to kind of "force" myself into reading SF, but I'm glad I did because I discovered a real love of the genre.

The Martian by Andy Weir OK. Not being a science geek, the science-y spots of this book bored me (maybe if I had read this is a kid I would have been more awake during science class) but I loved the main character's snark. It's a surprisingly funny book. Also, any book whose opening line is "I'm pretty much f****ed." has my vote.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov I loved the way Asimov wove small, short stories into one big picture here.

NONFICTION
I Must Say, My Life As A Humble Comedy Legend by Martin Short Absolutely loved every minute here, I must say! Short has such a great attitude toward life and he's had some major heartbreaks to get through. I also loved introducing my kids to Ed Grimley via YouTube don't you know?

Cat Daddy by Jackson Galaxy After being inundated with cats and more cats in our neighborhood, I started watching "My Cat From Hell" on Animal Planet. The bald, tattooed, bespectacled, rock n roll/hippy cat guru grabbed my attention right away. Somebody like that has to have quite a story to tell and he tells it well.

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai Probably the most important book I read all year.

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. by Sam Wasson During my Breakfast At Tiffany's/Audrey Hepburn phase. This is about the making of the movie. Loved it.

Favorite musical autobios: Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Life by Carlos Santana and Between A Rock and A Hard Place by Pat Benatar

Favorite self-help: The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown (Probably the only self help book I've found worth the time it took to read it!)

Favorite humour: Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan