What Are You Reading: August 22, 2011: 08/22/11

School starts this week for all of us. While on our road trip, the kids and I got back in the habit of reading bedtime stories together. Those bedtime stories are inflating my numbers in the Finished List.

I finished two review books: Clementine and the Family Meeting by Sara Pennypacker and Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier. I finished one novel: Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder, and one non-fiction: The Wrong House by Stephen Jacobs.

We are still listening to Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale in the car. It was our audio book for the return journey but it ran longer than the drive. We have one and a half discs left, or roughly an hour and a half. I am enjoying the story but the narrator (Dashti) is seriously getting on my nerves. She's so earnest about everything (Ancestors forgive me!).

The weirdest and most memorable book I read last week was Monkey Food. I'm a little younger than the author but I do still remember the 1970s. My daughter, though, is turning out to be precocious in her reading. I caught her reading over my shoulder. Although it's a memoir of childhood, there's pot smoking, frank talk of sex, nudity and so forth. I told her to wait until she's a teenager. She was disappointed but agreed to wait.

My upcoming reads will be text books. I also want to finish Fullmetal Alchemist volume 24, The Ghost and the Goth and get started on Dreaming in Hindi. There will also be lots and lots of bedtime stories.

Comments (30)

Comment #1: Monday, August, 22, 2011 at 18:29:17

Mari (Bookworm with a View)

Thanks for the recommendation for Inside Out.

Have a wonderful week!

Comment #2: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 11:34:22

Pussreboots

You're welcome. Happy reading.

Comment #3: Monday, August, 22, 2011 at 19:06:14

Lisav@ Lost in Literature

Wow, now that's a lot of books!! Great week!

Here's my "It's Monday"

Comment #4: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 11:34:22

Pussreboots

Take away the picture books and it's four books and an audio book (which we mostly listened to two weeks ago but just finished).

Comment #5: Monday, August, 22, 2011 at 19:35:44

Joy Weese Moll

I just put Book of a Thousand Days higher on my reading stack. I've been thinking a lot about earnestness in relation to reading Watching the English by Kate Fox. She considers anti-earnestness to be an English characteristic. I'm so steeped in Midwestern earnestness that I don't think I even recognize it! It will be fun to see if I can spot it in Hale's book.

Comment #6: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 11:41:33

Pussreboots

My comment about the earnestness of Dashti's narration is about how her part is performed in the audio book. Hale's writing throughout is flowery in an attempt to give Dashti a rural voice but the excess of emotion when perhaps it's not there in the text is a problem with the audio book, not with Hale's writing.

Comment #7: Monday, August, 22, 2011 at 19:39:33

Dead Trees and Silver Screens

Wow! You have so much reading planned!

Comment #8: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 11:44:33

Pussreboots

The text books are required reading. Everything else is seat of the pants reading. I'm not really planning — just doing wishful thinking.

Comment #9: Monday, August, 22, 2011 at 21:13:59

Christin

I am amazed at how many books you get through! Inside Out is on my to-read list - I'll look forward to seeing what you thought about it!

Thanks for stopping by my blog :)

Comment #10: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 14:14:14

Pussreboots

Most of the books are picture books. I'm reading two or three of them a night with my children.

Comment #11: Monday, August, 22, 2011 at 21:17:43

Julie @ My Book Retreat

Interesting. On our road trip last week, we got away from bedtime stories. We were up extra late most nights so the kids just collapsed in bed at night without reading!

Comment #12: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 14:15:16

Pussreboots

We were up late too but the kids insisted on bedtime stories.

Comment #13: Monday, August, 22, 2011 at 22:30:24

IntrovertedJen

I loved Book of a Thousand Days. Maybe it's just the audio? I really need to read A Princess of Landover. I loved the first books in this series but I haven't gotten to that one yet. Enjoy your week!

Comment #14: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 14:16:18

Pussreboots

I think it's just the audio. The words themselves don't seem to have the same urgency that the actress sometimes puts into them. A Princess of Landover is fun. It reminds me of the earliest books in the series.

Comment #15: Monday, August, 22, 2011 at 22:56:15

Jason

Wow, you sure are a prolific reader. Very impressive. I should read something by Mieville sometime soon. Great site! Happy reading week. :)

Comment #16: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 14:22:25

Pussreboots

It is very easy to be a prolific reader when the vast majority of what you read is in the form of picture books.

Comment #17: Monday, August, 22, 2011 at 23:23:50

Esme

Unbelievable that there are so many books out there. I have only heard of The Shipping News.

Comment #18: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 14:31:32

Pussreboots

Most of the picture books we read are relatively recent publications (this year or within the last year or so).

Comment #19: Tuesday, August, 23, 2011 at 00:17:23

Maria (bookchilla)

Inside Out is one of my faves, definitely one of the best dystopian/sci-fi read i've had. hopping back :)

Comment #20: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 14:32:01

Pussreboots

Thank you for the return hop. Inside Out is a nice retelling of Metropolis but with a great twist to it.

Comment #21: Tuesday, August, 23, 2011 at 08:41:44

Aths

I've been hearing some wonderful things about Inside Out. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Comment #22: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 14:34:24

Pussreboots

Inside Out, for me, lived up to the hype.

Comment #23: Tuesday, August, 23, 2011 at 08:51:34

Mars

Great Monday!
I really want to read Inside Out, it looks great, and I love Maria V. Snyder.
And that story about your daughter reading over your shoulder was hilarious. It's sweet knowing that she'll want to read anything that she comes in contact with. :)
Happy reading this week! :)

Comment #24: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 14:35:25

Pussreboots

I will learn (eventually) to keep an eye out for her when I'm reading. She has a knack for showing up right when I'm getting to a juicy part.

Comment #25: Tuesday, August, 23, 2011 at 14:49:48

FHC

well done! great lists + audios - YAY!
thanks for the FHC visit

Comment #26: Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 16:58:44

Pussreboots

You're welcome. I have a new audio going. I'll include it in the next list.

Comment #27: Thursday, August, 25, 2011 at 15:03:21

Louisa

Sounds like an excellent week! Inside Out is amazing, don't you agree? I loved it!

Comment #28: Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 16:59:50

Pussreboots

Inside Out was very good.

Comment #29: Friday, August, 26, 2011 at 12:38:01

MarthaE

Hi-
Hmmm - Ghost and Goth sounds like an interesting one. I always like to check one or two of your reviews. :-) Hope this has been a good week.

Comment #30: Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 17:00:23

Pussreboots

I'm almost done with the Ghost and the Goth. It's a fun read.