Talk Healthy

Aack! I can't believe it's December!

I'm still reading The Working Poor by David Shipler.

I'm reading In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje. It may be one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read.

I'm also reading No Logo. Is anyone else reading this for the book club? It's interesting, but it reads very slowly, like a textbook.

I'm reading Son of Witch. We got it for my MIL for Christmas, but I'm reading it first.

I'm also in the middle of the Chronicles of Narnia. I forget which book - the third or fourth. It's really good. Is it supposed to be a childrens book?

mellenhead wrote:
I'm also in the middle of the Chronicles of Narnia. I forget which book - the third or fourth. It's really good. Is it supposed to be a childrens book?

I don't know . . . I've never heard of this series (but I have heard of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe). The filmmakers are heavily marketing the movie to churches and religious groups. There is a big poster for it at my church bookstore. Does the book explore a lot of Christian themes? I know C.S. Lewis wrote many great Christian books that were non-fiction.

LB some people think the books are Christian Allegory which is why they are being marketed to/at churches. (I think CS Lewis and his family have said, that while his faith obviously is in the books it was not meant to be allegory).

Crystal Meth wrote:I'm reading In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje. It may be one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read.

I'm also reading No Logo. Is anyone else reading this for the book club? It's interesting, but it reads very slowly, like a textbook.

I just started No Logo - and I agree!

Has anyone read the painted drum?

Eye of the Albatross by Carl Safina. Safina kicks ass

I keep forgetting to read No Logo... it's buried at the back of our bookshelf, so I keep picking up books from my stack of library books instead.

I'm finishing up The Pilot's Wife today. I thought it was pretty good.

I totally lost track of book club. I'd like to start doing that again. I think if we have one book per month it would be easier than working with a list of 3. We could announce the book 2 weeks ahead of the month. IE announce December's book in mid-November. Then people can get it, and read it during the specified month, and discuss it as we go along or in January. Anyways.

I am reading "A Royal Duty" which is an autobiography by a guy who used to be Princess Diana's butler. It's pretty interesting to read about the ins and outs of royal life. I liked it better when he was the Queen's butler, though, but what can you do. I got it in the remaindered section which is why I have it. I'll buy just about any book from the remaindered section.

Lady Bug wrote:

mellenhead wrote:
I'm also in the middle of the Chronicles of Narnia. I forget which book - the third or fourth. It's really good. Is it supposed to be a childrens book?

I don't know . . . I've never heard of this series (but I have heard of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe). The filmmakers are heavily marketing the movie to churches and religious groups. There is a big poster for it at my church bookstore. Does the book explore a lot of Christian themes? I know C.S. Lewis wrote many great Christian books that were non-fiction.

I haven't noticed anything really blatant. It's more like the battle between good and evil and making choices. There are some allusions to Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, but I didn't feel like I was getting hit over the head with it, you know?

BTW, The Lion, Witch, etc are part of the Chronicles of Naria.

Spudd wrote:I totally lost track of book club. I'd like to start doing that again. I think if we have one book per month it would be easier than working with a list of 3. We could announce the book 2 weeks ahead of the month. IE announce December's book in mid-November. Then people can get it, and read it during the specified month, and discuss it as we go along or in January. Anyways.

I am reading "A Royal Duty" which is an autobiography by a guy who used to be Princess Diana's butler. It's pretty interesting to read about the ins and outs of royal life. I liked it better when he was the Queen's butler, though, but what can you do. I got it in the remaindered section which is why I have it. I'll buy just about any book from the remaindered section.

Spudd - we're only doing one book per month. I set them up 3 in advance so that those that buy through Amazon can get free shipping. If you'd like to add to the list, let me know!

Our next books are:

No logo (read by January 7)
Wind Up Bird (read by February 7)
The Color Purple (read by March 7)

I just finished Children of God, which is absolutely amazing. I urge you to read that and the one that comes before - The Sparrow.

On the list are: Skull Mantra, The Hungry Ocean, and the 13th Juror.

I'm having trouble getting into No Logo.

I'm finishing Name All the Animals by Alison Smith. I think I'm enjoying it, though her family is so religious it's hard for me to relate to some things (as you guys know, I'm an atheist). But it's an ok book overall. Just ok.

I just started Everyone Worth Knowing by the same author as The Devil Wears Prada.

I'm listening to Memoirs of a Geisha on audiobook.

Aly wrote:I just started Everyone Worth Knowing by the same author as The Devil Wears Prada.

How do you like it?

So far it's okay! I'm only 20 pages in, so I'll let you know more when I get further.

And scratch Memoirs of a Geisha, I'm listening to The Lovely Bones on audio because the library had Memoirs on hold for me but when I went to pick it up they couldn't locate it. So I'm on the second CD of The Lovely Bones...so far pretty good! Sad though.

I started The Kite Runner yesterday. I'm only on page 45, and I don't have an opinion yet. It'd better be good!

Oh, it's good. Trust me.

Sílvia wrote:I started The Kite Runner yesterday. I'm only on page 45, and I don't have an opinion yet. It'd better be good!

I had a tough time with that book at first, but by the end I was totally blown away - stick with it!!!

Read over the holidays:

Lovelock by Orson Scott Card and Kathryn H. Kidd: An easy sci fi read about an engineered/enhanced monkey who leaves Earth with his master and finds out he is closer to human than he ever knew.

Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben: Junk food mystery /thriller for the brain. Quick plot and an easy read.

The Evolving Self by Mihaly Csikszentmihali: This book links biological and cultural revolution and urges us to resist genetic determinism. It challenges the reader to think of their future and what it means to be fulfilled.

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou: A wonderful collection of poems. I’ll admit – I didn’t get them all.

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler: I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It weaves the stories of Jane Austen into the stories of the people who participate in the book club.

Three Junes by Julia Glass: This book is hard to describe. It follows a Scottish family through their trials and tribulations. It is a wonderful read. It won the National Book Award and I can see why!

On my list now:

Animal Farm