Monday, November 26, 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A few months ago, I made myself an account on Goodreads. I'm finding it an excellent way to keep tabs on the ever-growing list of books I want to read, as well as books I've read and liked. Plus, you can see what your friends are reading and whether they liked the books, and then pile those books on top of you to-read pile as well. I noticed that a couple of my friends had read and given high ratings to Room by Emma Donoghue so I picked up the book this morning at the library. I'm already halfway through it! It is a page-turner for sure.

I also brought home Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier. A couple of weeks ago, I really enjoyed Rebecca and several of you suggested this other book by the same author, so I'm looking forward to another good read.

I finished reading Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson; he has an interesting life story and the book is worth a read. There are many thought-provoking issues that come up in the book, and there are also luscious descriptions of the home cooking in his grandmother's kitchen. I don't know much about Swedish cooking at all (apart from meatballs and lingonberry sauce thanks to IKEA!) so that was fun to read.

I'm very appreciative of the reading suggestions that I get here in the comments. Several months ago, Anu recommended that I read this parenting book: Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn. Since then, I've borrowed it twice and read it twice cover to cover. I don't agree with everything this author says, but that's not the point of reading books anyway. The important thing is that the book is very thought provoking and questions the very foundation of how we as parents think. I would recommend it to everyone who is raising a child.

I'm sending this post to the It's Monday! What Are You Reading? meme over at Book Journey.

So, what are you reading?

35 comments:

  1. My book club is doing What Alice Forgot for our December meeting - when we try to do something that really makes us think. This book qualifies!

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    1. Hi Alanna- What Alice Forgot is on my to-read list!!

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  2. I started reading Alfie Kohn's Unconditional Parenting a year ago but I had to return it before I could finish it. I borrowed it from the library again a few months ago and read it. I was blown away by it that i borrowed his "Punished by Rewards". I read about 75% of it, it wasn't as quick a read as UP, with lots of scholarly references and extensive footnotes. I hope to finish the remaining chapters sometime soon. It was thought-provoking too.

    Mamatha

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    1. Yeah- he definitely makes some good points. I'll have to re-read it in a couple years I'm sure.

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  3. A long time ago I read a really good called the Marriage Sabbatical by Cheryl Jarvis. It was an innovative suggestion for those of us who have long and strong marriages to make them stronger.

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    1. Very interesting! I totally get how time away for oneself can help make one stronger.

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  4. My son and I are reading Mollie Katzen's very charming Salad People. Parenting + food in one go :)

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    1. I adore Katzen's cookbooks for kids! I've given them as gifts so many times. Hope your little chef can take over the kitchen soon ;) then you can take early retirement from dinner duties.

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  5. Hope you enjoy Frenchman's Creek.
    It is an all time favourite of mine.
    I'm finishing up Shourd for a Nightingale by P. D. James. I really enjoy her writing style.

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    1. I really enjoy PD James too. I should look for that one.

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  6. Can you please share your goodreads username? Would love to see your shelf! :)

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  7. I just finished Life of Pi.It's a good book..very nice language.The plot is not that unusual.It is like the Hatchet- but set in the sea.
    Another book that I thoroughly enjoyed is "Funny in Parsi".It is a quick read, and the author's sense of humor is great!The author is Firoozeh Dumas.This is a lighthearted memoir of an Iranian growing up in U.S.A.Give it a try.
    Talking about Parenting books, I stumbled upon this blog http://www.handsfreemama.com/ .It has made me rethink my priorities many times.My kids are older- 11 and 9 and life can get crazy sometimes.
    Enjoy!
    GKB

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    1. Thanks for the book recommendation and also the blog link! I think I'll enjoy both very much.

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  8. Reading A Tiger in the Kitchen: A memoir of food and family by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan. It is about Cheryl - a fashion journalist who has nostalgia about her family's Singaporean food and how she goes about learning it.

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    1. A food memoir? I generally like those- thanks!

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  9. So glad you thought UP was a good read. I need to re-read it too. Right now I'm simultaneously reading "Life of Pi" and "Nursing mother, working mother" Ha! I will revisit your reading lists when I go on maternity leave and will hopefully have more time to catch up on reading.
    Hope Dale's doing better. Much love to him and Lila.

    -Anu

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    1. Anu- thanks, Dale is much better with the meds. Back to his usual self for now and we're taking it one day at a time.

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  10. I just finished BEATEN, SEARED, AND SAUCED: ON BECOMING A CHEF AT THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA by Dixon, Jonathan -- non-fiction, follows his journey through the CIA. For me it was a page turner. At your suggestion, I've put in a request for "Yes, Chef" at the the library and I'm #9 on the list.
    I'm about the start a novel called "The Cookbook Collector". How could I resist that title? I don't know much about it but I've heard good things. Anyone else read it?

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    1. Oh good- I'll put Beaten... on my reading list for sure. The Cookbook Collector sounds very alluring :) Thanks for sharing your list!

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  11. Hi Nupur, I was revisiting your blog and appriciating the wonderful collection of recipes. I would like to read Unconditional Parenting but have not yet got a chance. I like to read your book reviews.

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  12. I am reading and enjoying books from my son's reading list as of now. Enjoying solving cases of Encyclopedia Brown series, Magic tree House series, Cam Jansen... We have got a huge reading list in his 3rd grade, trying to introduce him to classic books of different genre..

    Waiting to read Unconditional Parenting once I get it from my library...Thanks for the book recommendations.

    -Dee

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    1. Dee- what fun!!! Oh those are the best books!

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  13. I love your book question! I have been a member of Goodreads for about 4 years now, and it's a great way to keep track of what you have read, what you want to read, and what your friends are reading. I just finished "Crow Lake," by Mary Lawson, for my book group; it's a beautifully written and heartbreaking/loving story of a family dealing with a seminal moment in its past.

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    1. I resisted joining Goodreads for a long time, thinking I did not have time for yet another social media type thing. Well, I don't :D but love goodreads for all the reasons you mentioned! I'll have to look up Crow Lake.

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  14. I have started reading 44 Scotland Street. I do not find it as entertaining as the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency but still it is a light read. I also recently read 50 shades of Grey. As I started reading it, I lost interest and finished the book in less than an hour by skipping pages. I can't believe that it is a No 1 best seller - no story and poor prose!
    I recently read Sold by Patricia McCormick and found it very interesting . Never knew that so much was happening between Calcutta and Nepal.

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    1. 50 shades of grey is that book with lots of kinky sex, right? Well, there you go- that's why it is a bestseller!
      On the other hand, Sold sounds very interesting. I share your feelings about 44 Scotland Street, BTW.

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  15. Oh, I love, love loved Room! Glad you are enjoying it.

    And I keep hearing good things about Rebecca - must get to Du Maurier one of these days.

    Enjoy your books this week -

    Sue

    Book By Book

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    1. I think you'll enjoy Rebecca very much!

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  16. Nupur, hope you enjoy Frenchmans creek. Jamaica Inn has more swashbuckling adventure if you would like more du Maurier. Most of her books are quite readable.
    I am dabbling in the Miss Silverr series of Patricia Wentworth. I started with the Grey mAsk. I find the storytelling wonderful. I feel I have walked into a black and white movie.
    I have abandoned Jill mansell- too floozy.
    Bought a lt of Dorothy Sayers e books recently from a salle and James Herriot whom I love to death.
    So I guess that's me for now.

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    1. I read Patricia Wentworth a few years ago and quite enjoyed them! My library only had 2 or 3 though. I'm a huge Herriot fan too. Dorothy Sayers I tried reading once and did not get into it.

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  17. Putting Yes, Chef on my Goodreads list....

    You might like American Grown by Michelle Obama about the White House garden and the food that is made from it. It's a beautiful book. I reviewed it here: Book Review: American Grown

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    1. I'll definitely put American Grown on my reading list!

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  18. Hi , Just joined Goodreads, added you as a friend :)

    Shubha

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