Fall Into Reading Wrap-Up

I'm a little late posting, it has been a busy, bittersweet December! But I am ready to wrap up Fall Into Reading hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days. You can see all the wrap-up posts if you click on the button.

Katrina asked a few questions ...
Did you finish reading all the books on your fall reading list? If not, why not? No, I got 6 of the 8 done so 75%, C! Why not? Just too many books in the world - my reading eyes are always bigger than my reading stomache!
Did you stick to your original goals or did you change your list as you went along?
I stuck with my list for challenge purposes. I did read other books but I didn't reinvent my list every week like I did in the Spring!
What was your favorite book that you read this spring? Least favorite? Why?
My favorite was the Guernsey book, I really wanted to run away and live with those people. My least favorite was The Brothers Boswell, it just didn't live up to my expectations.
Did you discover a new author or genre this fall? Did you love them? Not love them?
With the exception of Dan Brown, these were all new authors for me. I loved a couple of them!
Did you learn something new because of Fall Into Reading 2009 – something about reading, about yourself, or about a topic you read about?
I had never read a book set in Egypt before I read The Heretic Queen so I did learn a little bit about Egyptian history.
What was your favorite thing about the challenge?
My favorite thing is seeing what everybody else is reading and finding new books. I didn't do nearly as much visiting as I wanted. I had the goal of visiting every sign up post but didn't make it. With the reviews I just clicked on ones that caught my eye - there were too many to even think about trying to read them all!

Big THANK YOU to Katrina for hosting! The time you put in to making this a fun event for all of us is much appreciated.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

There is a plot summary and such on the author's website but in a nutshell, it's Langdon again from Brown's other popular books, The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. He's doing the same thing, using symbols to crack a conspiracy, but this time the setting is Washington, D.C. Langdon getting embroiled in these mysteries has become the Dan Brown formula and this time around it's just not as good. It lacks the fresh feeling of his earlier works but also, D.C. even with the awe-inspiring monuments just didn't hold my interest like Italy and the art did. I thought because I have thoroughly enjoyed all of his other books that a "not as good" Dan Brown would still be great compared to other books but it really wasn't - it was just OK.

This is one of the books on my list for Fall Into Reading 2009. Click on the logo to see my progress.

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

From the author's website: In ancient Egypt, a forgotten princess must overcome her family’s past and remake history.

The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the Eighteenth Dynasty’s royal family—all with the exception of Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen, Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. A relic of a previous reign, Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But this changes when she is taken under the wing of the Pharaoh’s aunt, then brought to the Temple of Hathor, where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the Crown Prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful Pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history.

I think Michelle Moran did a great job bringing this story to life. It is the first book about this time period that I can remember reading and yet I was able to follow the story with little difficulty. The history needed to make the story work was included in such a way that it didn't seem heavy-handed. She made Nefertari an interesting, sympathetic character. I was rooting for her and so proud when she matured and won the people's respect through her hard work. The shenanigans at the Egyptian palace were as manipulative and self-serving as any Tudor court - I guess some things never change!



This was the November 2009 selection for the Facebook Historical Fiction book club led by Jennifer over at The Literate Housewife.

This is one of the books on my list for Fall Into Reading 2009. Click on the logo to see my progress.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

From the book website: January 1946: writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.








What a delightful book. I am not the only one enchanted by the folk of the Channel Islands; I had two different friends pass this book on to me and it has been all over the blogs. the site that is linked above has all sorts of good stuff to explore if you are interested.

This period of history, World War II, has fascinated me since I was about eleven or twelve and read both The Diary of Anne Frank and Corrie ten Boom's The Hiding Place. But as I get older, I realise that there is still more for me to discover about the time period. I didn't know about the part the Channel Islands played in the war. The residents evacuation of their children, the occupation by the Germans, and their near starvation as a result were all new information. The story is balanced by the romance and friendships of the main character Juliet so that it is both sad and joyful at times. The humor throughout was delightful. I loved the people and was sad to have the book end.

This is one of the books on my list for Fall Into Reading 2009. Click on the logo to see my progress.

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

From Amazon's product description: From the moment of its publication in 1961, Revolutionary Road was hailed as a masterpiece of realistic fiction and as the most evocative portrayal of the opulent desolation of the American suburbs. It's the story of Frank and April Wheeler, a bright, beautiful, and talented couple who have lived on the assumption that greatness is only just around the corner. With heartbreaking compassion and remorseless clarity, Richard Yates shows how Frank and April mortgage their spiritual birthright, betraying not only each other, but their best selves.

Wow, what a sad book, and it's not even an Oprah pick. This story was sad but thinking back, I'm not even sure if I cried. I didn't fall in love with this couple. Yates shows us in great detail the breakdown of their marriage but I didn't really care enough about the marriage to be affected by it. There were some glimpses into their pasts that may have made me more sympathetic to them if there had been more of it but the glimpses weren't enough for me to justify their behavior. Now, I'm not made of stone, the ending got to me, not because of April but because of what April does - that was terrible. Now that I have read it, I understand why when I asked my practically perfect friend, Mary Poppins, if she liked it, she said, "Well, it's hard to say." It's not a book you "like" because the subject matter doesn't fit with "like" but it is a satisfying read and I'm glad I read it.

The Nurse in my office says the movie was great so I'll have to add this title to the list of movies I ought to watch!

This book is my "R" for the A-Z Reading Challenge and ..drum roll please...I've completed it! Click on the logo to see all the books I read.





This is one of the books on my list for Fall Into Reading 2009. Click on the logo to see my progress.

The Brothers Boswell by Philip Baruth

From Barnes and Noble: The year is 1763.Twenty-two-year-old James Boswell of Edinburgh is eager to advance himself in London society. Today his sights are set on furthering his acquaintance with Dr. Samuel Johnson, famed for his Dictionary; they are going to take a boat across the Thames to Greenwich Palace. Watching them secretly is John Boswell,James’ younger brother. He has stalked his older brother for days. Consumed with envy, John is planning to take revenge on his brother and Johnson for presumed slights. He carries a pair of miniature pistols that fire a single golden bullet each, and there is murder in his heart.

This was the September selection for the Facebook Historical Fiction Book Club. It started out great - the descriptions were lovely, the set-up of two brothers at odds was engaging but then the book faltered. Neither of the brothers ever captured my heart. For the story to work, you really needed to care about one of them but they never came to life or gained my sympathy enough for me to do that. I had to force myself to finish the book. I found parts confusing - the one brother had mental health issues so there were things that I was never certain if they were true as part of the story or if they were his imagination. I went back and reread the last third of the book hoping it would gel for me and I would come away more satisfied but it still didn't work.

This is one of the books on my list for Fall Into Reading 2009. Click on the logo to see my progress.

Fall Into Reading 2009

Hooray, it's Fall! That means time for Fall Into Reading hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days. Last year I entered the challenge a complete novice and it completely took over my blog. I've neglected all my aspirations for recording my children's' development and reflecting on my personal goals - the blog has become just books, books, books. So, one year later, I'm back with a bigger TBR pile than ever!

When I did Spring Reading Thing, I MANGLED my list and later felt somewhat guilty. So I'm making this list and I'm sticking to it!

The Brothers Boswell by Philip Baruth This is the September pick for the Facebook Historical fiction book club moderated by Jennifer at the Literate Housewife.









The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon This is the October pick for the Facebook Historical Fiction book club.









The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran This is the November pick for the Facebook Historical Fiction book club.









Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by by Seth Grahame-Smith I selected this one for the Everything Austen Challenge hosted by Stephanie at Stephanie's Written Word.









The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows This was from one of my friends in the No Stress Book Club. And, it's been all over the blogs so I have wanted to read it.









John Adams by David McCullough I started John Adams last January for the US Presidents Reading Project hosted here by Lezlie. By taking it on my vacation last month, I actually made some progress on it; I am almost done! I'm going to need a sleection for Jefferson next if anyone has any ideas - maybe somethign I can finish in under eleven months!









Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates This one will be my "R" book for the A-Z Reading Challenge.









The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown This one is just for fun! But, unfortunately, my DD Bookworm already read it and said it was not as good as his others. I'm hopeful that a "not as good" Dan Brown will still entertain me because I have thoroughly enjoyed all his other books. And, you know, my standards are pretty low!