November Book List on a Snowy Day
Nov. 30th, 2006 04:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eleneariel(Aside: soooo glad I didn't try going to work today. I had a hard enough time making it to the mailbox and back without falling over and sliding half way into town.)
So! November's books were as follows:
1) The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis
Not much to say about this one. It was a reread for a discussion I never got around to. Agreed some, disagreed some; that's Lewis.
2) Green Darkness, Anya Seton
Er..."interesting." Ms. Seton wrote Avalon, which was also "interesting", but it was Arthurian and therefore a different and better type of interesting. This book combines historical fiction with reincarnation and other rather mystic elements.
Or something. It was kind of confusing.
3) Peter and the Starcatchers, Dave Barry and somebody who's name I've forgotten but who writes chidren's books and is, I've heard, pretty good
although I have no first-hand knowledge of his particular work.
Yes! Dave Barry! It's not as good as his columns, but pretty darn good book for children's pirate fiction.
4) The Stinky Cheese Man and other fairly stupid tales, Jon Scieszka
I add Mr. Scieszka to my list of Favorite Picture Book Authors, second only to Mo Williams. I don't usually list picture books on my reading lists (and I don't read that many picture books, honest!), but this one Counts because it was a) long (as far as picture books go) and b) brilliant.
What other book can you find on the title page the inscription
Here's a sample fairly stupid tale:
Once upon a time there was a mother duck and a father duck who had seven baby ducklings. Six of them were regular-looking ducklings. The seventh was a really ugly duckling. Everybody used to say, "What a nice-looking bunch of ducklings -- all except that one. Boy, he's really ugly." The really ugly duckling heard these people, but he didn't care. He knew that one day he would probably grow up to be a swan and be bigger and look better than anything in the pond.
WELL, AS IT TURNED OUT HE WAS JUST A REALLY UGLY DUCKLING. AND HE GREW UP TO BE JUST A REALLY UGLY DUCK.
THE END.
5) You're Wearing THAT?, Deborah Tannen
This is a book about communication between mothers and daughters. Since I am a daughter and I have a mother, I thought it might be interesting. It wasn't very. Also, I was reading it while waiting for the doctor to come into the Tiny Room Of Intimidation and so that made it even harder to find it interesting.
6) Gluten-free for a Healthy Life, Kimberly Tessmer
Heh heh heh. (If it looked slightly used when I gave it to you![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
savetheolives, that's why)
7) Don't Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's uninhibited commentaries on love and life, Tyler Perry
Eh. Amusing in parts. I wouldn't bother reading it again.
8) Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett
OMG SO TOTALLY THE BEST BOOK EVAH! *clears throat* *looks pointedly atpatrick___ *
Er, this was a re-re-re-re-re-read. It's still good. Brilliant, in fact.
9) The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton
I always hate her books when I'm in the middle of them and like them once I reach the end. Powerful...sad...beautifully written. Oh, and depressing. Remember that, dears, and don't read them when you're already thinking black thoughts.
So! November's books were as follows:
1) The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis
Not much to say about this one. It was a reread for a discussion I never got around to. Agreed some, disagreed some; that's Lewis.
2) Green Darkness, Anya Seton
Er..."interesting." Ms. Seton wrote Avalon, which was also "interesting", but it was Arthurian and therefore a different and better type of interesting. This book combines historical fiction with reincarnation and other rather mystic elements.
Or something. It was kind of confusing.
3) Peter and the Starcatchers, Dave Barry and somebody who's name I've forgotten but who writes chidren's books and is, I've heard, pretty good
although I have no first-hand knowledge of his particular work.
Yes! Dave Barry! It's not as good as his columns, but pretty darn good book for children's pirate fiction.
4) The Stinky Cheese Man and other fairly stupid tales, Jon Scieszka
I add Mr. Scieszka to my list of Favorite Picture Book Authors, second only to Mo Williams. I don't usually list picture books on my reading lists (and I don't read that many picture books, honest!), but this one Counts because it was a) long (as far as picture books go) and b) brilliant.
What other book can you find on the title page the inscription
Here's a sample fairly stupid tale:
Once upon a time there was a mother duck and a father duck who had seven baby ducklings. Six of them were regular-looking ducklings. The seventh was a really ugly duckling. Everybody used to say, "What a nice-looking bunch of ducklings -- all except that one. Boy, he's really ugly." The really ugly duckling heard these people, but he didn't care. He knew that one day he would probably grow up to be a swan and be bigger and look better than anything in the pond.
WELL, AS IT TURNED OUT HE WAS JUST A REALLY UGLY DUCKLING. AND HE GREW UP TO BE JUST A REALLY UGLY DUCK.
THE END.
5) You're Wearing THAT?, Deborah Tannen
This is a book about communication between mothers and daughters. Since I am a daughter and I have a mother, I thought it might be interesting. It wasn't very. Also, I was reading it while waiting for the doctor to come into the Tiny Room Of Intimidation and so that made it even harder to find it interesting.
6) Gluten-free for a Healthy Life, Kimberly Tessmer
Heh heh heh. (If it looked slightly used when I gave it to you
savetheolives, that's why)7) Don't Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's uninhibited commentaries on love and life, Tyler Perry
Eh. Amusing in parts. I wouldn't bother reading it again.
8) Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett
OMG SO TOTALLY THE BEST BOOK EVAH! *clears throat* *looks pointedly at
patrick___ *Er, this was a re-re-re-re-re-read. It's still good. Brilliant, in fact.
9) The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton
I always hate her books when I'm in the middle of them and like them once I reach the end. Powerful...sad...beautifully written. Oh, and depressing. Remember that, dears, and don't read them when you're already thinking black thoughts.
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no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 11:26 pm (UTC)I told the story of the Stinky Cheese man to a group of 4- and 5-year olds in church this past Sunday, because they were eating gingerbread men (and who wants to hear the boring Gingerbread Man story? No one.)
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 01:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 11:43 pm (UTC)So good. :-) I was thinking about it yesterday and quoting it today. Thanks again for introducing me to the wonderful world of Pratchett. :-)
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 01:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 12:47 am (UTC)LOL, the duck story cracked me up. It reminds me of one of the stories from the book my friend has called (I'm not making this up) Chicken Poop for the Soul. *shakes his head*
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 01:18 am (UTC)Hahahaha! I've got to see that book someday.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 01:36 am (UTC)Yup, that's my experience with Lewis, too. He'll say utterly brilliant things that make perfect sense theologically... but then he says other things that cause me to raise my eyebrows a little.