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Of Books and Travels Part II

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cropped-book-stack-1a.jpgI returned from my week long work trip and after sleeping most of the weekend away to recover from the red-eye flight and several long conference days, I thought I would do a wrap-up of last week’s reading.

 

 

Here’s the list of books I took with me:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

A Highlander’s Temptation by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Covenant with the Vampire by Jeanne Kalogridis

Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Bridal Wreath by Sigrid Undset

Kristin Lavransdatter II: The Mistress of Husaby by Sigrid Undset

Here’s what I read:

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Covenant with the Vampire by Jeanne Kalogridis

A Highlander’s Temptation by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Bridal Wreath by Sigrid Undset

I started Nefertiti on the plane home and I’ll probably finish it today since I’m really enjoying it. I waffled between Fallen and Nefertiti for the trip home and I’m glad I went with Nefertiti but Fallen is next. The more I think about it the more I want to read it.

Now, if only I can get those reviews written…

Of Books and Travels

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cropped-book-stack-1a.jpgI’m off on a long work trip and after tossing a random assortment of clothes into a suitcase carelessly, I now find myself worrying about what books to take with me.

I raided the library, the bookstore, and my shelves and 8 have made the cut. I’m learning towards taking them all right now. It’s a cross-country plane ride and I am going to a city I don’t much care for. I won’t name it as I don’t want to offend anyone who happens to live there. Let’s just say gambling is not my thing. 😉 So, what am I to do? Well, break out the backpack of course! Yes, my husband was correct when he said we needed a second one for traveling. He was thinking of hiking, but I find they are a great way for me to carry a large number of books on trips.

Here’s the reading list for next week. We’ll see how many I get through after working a few 15 hour days.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I’ve read a few pages but I keep putting it off knowing I have a long flight in my future. It’s a chunkster and so perfect for a long trip.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. I can’t wait to start this book!

Fallen by Lauren Kate. This is an advanced reader’s copy but it looks interesting.

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran. I broke down and bought it since I enjoyed Cleopatra’s Daughter and The Heretic Queen so much.

A Highlander’s Temptation by Sue-Ellen Welfonder. I don’t ever read books like this but I thought it would be a great distraction on the plane when The Pillars of the Earth gets too heavy to hold.

Covenant with the Vampire by Jeanne Kalogridis. The library didn’t have The Borgia Bride so picked up this one. It’s supposedly her first novel. I liked The Devil’s Queen and I’m looking forward to this one.

Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Bridal Wreath and II: The Mistress of Husaby.

On average, I read about 3 books a week. I know I won’t be getting through many on the list but at least I’ll have a lot of choose from.

October 2009 Reading List

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cropped-book-stack-1e.jpgIt’s hard to believe that November is here already. I feel like October just started and now I’m doing a wrap-up of my month’s reading already. Oh well, at least I can look back on October as a good month of reading. :-)

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Dracula The Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt

Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell

Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

The King’s Favorite by Susan Holloway Scott

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal

The Killing Way by Tony Hays

The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch

The Devil’s Queen: A Novel of Catherine de Medici by Jeanne Kalogridis

Vooks?

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Yes, vooks and no, it’s not a typo.  According to a story in The New York Times on Wednesday, publishers are trying out a new form of the book which includes video.

It looks interesting but I don’t know if it’s for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I read a lot online, but there is something very visceral about a book.  You can hold it in your hands, carry it in your bag, and share it with others.  Now, yes, I know all of this sharing can be done easily online but for me I think I would rather the paper version.  There is really just something about a book that make me happy and I don’t know if adding video would do much for me.  I like being able to imagine each scene and character without outside input.

Then again, maybe I’m wrong.  I also thought the Snuggie was an odd idea (Really, do you need a blanket with sleeves?) but look how many people own them now.

Thoughts?

September 2009 Reading List

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cropped-book-stack-1e.jpg1. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

2. The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell

3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

4. Drood by Dan Simmons (did not finish)

5. Sense & Sensibility & Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben F. Winters

6. Century: Book 1 of the Ring of Fire by P.D. Baccalario

7. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

8. An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

There were so many books I wanted to read this month and, suddenly it’s over. Here’s what I have to show for it. Actually, after looking at the list, I think I had a pretty entertaining month of September! How about you? Any thoughts on the books you read in September.

Banned Books Week 2009

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Yep, it’s Banned Books Week! I took a look at this year’s list of challenged books, classics anyway since I seem to going through many on my shelves these days, and one of my all time favorites is once again on the list — To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Maybe I should pull that one off the shelf for a glance in the next few days.

Any of your favorites on the list?

Happy reading!  Thanks to the American Library Association (ALA) for the lovely artwork below.  The ALA website is a great resource for everything Banned Books if you’re interested.

Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week