Weekly Round-Up 1/6

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

Right now I'm reading Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan.
I started my son on the Harry Potter books when school started last year so we are listening to Order of the Phoenix (performed by Jim Dale). And I'm listening to The Martian by Andy Weir, narrated by R.C. Bray

Weekly Round-Up 5/18

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson. I'm listening to The Interrupted Tale by Maryrose Wood, read by Katharine Kellgren and, with my son, Peter and Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, read by Jim Dale.

Weekly Round-Up 5/4

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot, the last book, I think, in the Heather Wells series. I'm listening to The Interrupted Tale by Maryrose Wood, read by Katharine Kellgren and, with my son, Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.

Last week I reviewed Boston Jacky by L.A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren.

Weekly Round-Up 4/27

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm not sure what I'm reading because I keep switching between Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Steifvator and The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson. So it's one of those at any given time. Maybe one day I'll finish one of them. I'm still in a reading slump though my own weirdness and not because I can't find a good book. It's all me. Anyway. I'm listening to Wild Rover No More by L.A. Meyer, the last Jacky Faber book and, with my son, Peter and the Shadow Thieves. He immensely enjoyed Peter and the Starcatchers so we are following along with that series.

Weekly Round-Up 2/2

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

Hey y'all!
Right now I'm listening (again for the 4th or 5th time) To Say Nothing of the Dog, Or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump At Last by Connie Willis. Some books are just worth reading over and over again. I plan on getting to The Blood of Olympus after. My son and I are getting ready to start Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstien, a recommendation by a co-worker. 

As for reading, it's hit or miss with me right now. I started Blue Lily, Lily Blue but didn't get very far. I'm trying, but reading is just not happening for me right now. So reviews are going to continue to be scattered and may become more like "micro-reviews" than anything I've written thus far.  

Weekly Round-Up 9/22

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading Landline by Rainbow Rowll. I'm listening to The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer, read by Katharine Kellgren.

Last week I reviewed The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer, read by Katharine Kellgren.

Weekly Round-Up 9/15

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith. I'm listening to The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer, read by Katharine Kellgren.

Weekly Round-Up 8/18

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty. I'm listening to 4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie, read by Joan Hickson.

Weekly Round-Up 8/4

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty plus All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie, read by Rosemary Leach.

Last week I reviewed Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, narrated by David Suchet and The Stones of Ravenglass by Jenny Nimmo, read by John Keating.

This week on Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy, narrated by Andrew Eiden (Scholastic Audio) and The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, narrated by Frank Muller (Recorded Books). Downloads are free till Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are Living a Life that Matters by Ben Lesser, narrated by Jonathan Silverman and Ben Lesser (Remembrance Publishing) and The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick, narrated by Yelena Shmulenson (HighBridge Audio).

Weekly Round-Up 7/29

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I forgot to get this posted yesterday.

I'm reading The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty plus All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie, read by Rosemary Leach.

This week on Headstrong by Patrick Link, performed by Deidrie Henry, Ernie Hudson, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine and Scott Wolf (L.A. Theatre Works) and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, narrated by Scott Brick. Downloads are free till Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy, narrated by Andrew Eiden (Scholastic Audio) and The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, narrated by Frank Muller (Recorded Books).

Weekly Round-Up 7/21

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty plus All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, read by David Suchet.

This week on Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose, narrated by Channie Waites (Brilliance Audio) and While the World Watched by Carolyn Maull McKinstry with Denise George, narrated by Felicia Bullock (Oasis Audio). Downloads are free till Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are Headstrong by Patrick Link, performed by Deidrie Henry, Ernie Hudson, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine and Scott Wolf (L.A. Theatre Works) and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, narrated by Scott Brick.

Weekly Round-Up 7/14

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty plus All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to Chronicles of the Red King: The Stones of Ravenglass by Jenny Nimmo, read by John Keating.

Last week I reviewed The Secret Kingdom by Jenny Nimmo and Once Upon a Thriller by Carolyn Keene.

This week on Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose, narrated by Channie Waites (Brilliance Audio) and While the World Watched by Carolyn Maull McKinstry with Denise George, narrated by Felicia Bullock (Oasis Audio). Downloads are free till Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer, narrated by Katherine Kellgren (Recorded Books) and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes II by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by David Timson (Naxos AudioBooks).

The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

Confidence. We want it. We need it. But it can be maddeningly enigmatic and out of reach. The authors of the New York Times bestseller Womenomics deconstruct this essential, elusive, and misunderstood quality and offer a blueprint for bringing more of it into our lives.

Is confidence hardwired into the DNA of a lucky few—or can anyone learn it? Is it best expressed by bravado, or is there another way to show confidence? Which is more important: confidence or competence? Why do so many women, even the most successful, struggle with feelings of self-doubt? Is there a secret to channeling our inner confidence?

In The Confidence Code, journalists Katty Kay and Claire Shipman travel to the frontiers of neuroscience on a hunt for the confidence gene and reveal surprising new research on its roots in our brains. They visit the world's leading psychologists who explain how we can all chose to become more confident simply by taking action and courting risk, and how those actions change our physical wiring. They interview women leaders from the worlds of politics, sports, the military, and the arts to learn how they have tapped into this elemental resource. They examine how a lack of confidence impacts our leadership, success, and fulfillment.

Ultimately, they argue, while confidence is partly influenced by genetics, it is not a fixed psychological state. That's the good news. You won't discover it by thinking positive thoughts or by telling yourself (or your children) that you are perfect as you are. You also won't find it by simply squaring your shoulders and faking it. But it does require a choice: less people pleasing and perfectionism and more action, risk taking, and fast failure.

Inspiring, insightful, and persuasive, The Confidence Code shows that by acting on our best instincts and by daring to be authentic, women can feel the transformative power of a life on confidence.

The Stones of Ravenglass by Jenny Nimmo (Chronicles of the Red King #2), read by John Keating

The second book in NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author Jenny Nimmo's new series chronicling the origin and the adventures of Charlie Bone's magical ancestor, the Red King!
Timoken, a magician king, has found a new home in a castle in Britain. But when an evil steward takes control of the castle, he imprisons Timoken and wreaks havoc on surrounding villages. With the help of Gabar, the talking camel, Timoken escapes and embarks on a quest to find and rescue his friends, and build himself a kingdom to call home for good.
In this brand-new series, bestselling author Jenny Nimmo takes readers on an extraordinary quest with one of her most powerful and mysterious characters, the one who started it all for Charlie Bone. 

Weekly Round-Up 7/7

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading Once Upon a Thriller by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Diaries) and The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty plus All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to Chronicles of the Red King: The Secret Kingdom by Jenny Nimmo, read by John Keating.

This week on SYNC you can download Torn from Troy by Patrick Bowman, narrated by Gerard Doyle (Post Hypnotic Press) and Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, narrated by Jim Dale (Brilliance Audio). Downloads are free till Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose, narrated by Channie Waites (Brilliance Audio) and While the World Watched by Carolyn Maull McKinstry with Denise George, narrated by Felicia Bullock (Oasis Audio).

Weekly Round-Up 6/30

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading Once Upon a Thriller by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Diaries) and All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to Chronicles of the Red King: The Secret Kingdom by Jenny Nimmo, read by John Keating.

Last week I reviewed The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie, narrated by Richard E. Grant. 

This week on SYNC you can download Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick, narrated by Noah Galvin (Hachette Audio) and October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Lesléa Newman, narrated by Emily Beresford, Luke Daniels, Tom Parks, Nick Podehl, Kate Rudd, Christina Traister (Brilliance Audio). Downloads are free till Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are Torn from Troy by Patrick Bowman, narrated by Gerard Doyle (Post Hypnotic Press) and Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, narrated by Jim Dale (Brilliance Audio)

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, read by Full Cast. 6 hours, 54 minutes

An international cast of suspects, all passengers on the crowded train, are speeding through the snowy European landscape when a bizarre and terrible murder brings them to an abrupt halt. One of their glittering number lies dead in his cabin, stabbed a mysterious twelve times. There is no lack of clues for Poirot - but which clue is real and which is a clever plant?  

Chronicles of the Red King: The Secret Kingdom by Jenny Nimmo, read by John Keating. 5 hours, 43 minutes.

An extraordinary quest, a magician’s powers, and the journey to find a kingdom.... Timoken is a prince from a secret kingdom. Before his birth, a forest-jinni bestowed upon him two magical gifts: a cloak made from the web of the last moon spider, and a potion called Alixir, the water of eternal life. Yet in exchange for the protection of these gifts, Timoken will always have one foot in the world of men and the other in the strange world of magic. When his peaceful kingdom is suddenly attacked, Timoken, and his sister, Zobayda, flee in search of a new land to call home, with only the jinni’s gifts and a talking camel. But the journey is wrought with danger, as Timoken and Zobayda are being hunted by viridees - evil creatures from the realm of enchantments that desperately seek the moon cloak. If Timoken ever hopes to escape the viridees and find a new kingdom, he must learn to harness his powers, and trust those he meets along the way. 

The Private School Murders by James Patterons and Maxine Paetro (Confessions series #2), read by Emma Galvin. 7 hours, 36 minutes.

Tandy Angel may have played the hero when she solved the case of her magnificently wealthy parents' mysterious deaths, but she isn't done yet. Her brother, Matthew, stands trial for homicide, young girls are found murdered all around New York's Upper West side, and Tandy is determined to use her piercing intellect to get to the bottom of both cases. But the biggest mystery of all may be what actually happened to James Rampling, the handsome son of a family enemy, whom Tandy fell in love and ran away with - though most of her memories of the affair are disturbingly absent....
The confessions keep coming as Tandy delves even deeper into her own tumultuous history and the skeletons in the Angel family closet.

Once Upon a Thriller by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Diaries #4)

Nancy and her friends need more than book smarts to get to the bottom of a literary mystery in this fourth book of the Nancy Drew Diaries, a new take on the classic series.

A rash of crimes in a neighboring town—a blazing fire at a bookstore, a boat that sinks in the harbor, and a valuable dog’s dognapping—are eerily similar to the plots from famous mystery writer Lacey O’Brien’s popular books. So who’s behind the crimes? Could it be Lacey looking for publicity? One of Lacey’s superfans? Or maybe it’s Paige Samuels, owner of the bookstore that burned. Nancy, Bess, and George will have to read between the lines as they dig deep into a dangerous mystery.

 

Weekly Round-Up 6/23

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading  All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie, narrated by Richard E. Grant.

Last week I reviewed Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, narrated by Emma Galvin.

This week on SYNC you can download I’d Tell You I Love You, But THen I’d Have To Kill You by Ally Carter, narrated by Renée Raudman (Brilliance Audio) and Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, narrated by Colleen Winton (Post Hypnotic Press).  Downloads are free till Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are  Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick, narrated by Noah Galvin (Hachette Audio) and October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Lesléa Newman, narrated by Emily Beresford, Luke Daniels, Tom Parks, Nick Podehl, Kate Rudd, Christina Traister (Brilliance Audio).

Weekly Round-Up 6/16

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading  All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, narrated by Emma Galvin.

Last week I reviewed The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer, read by Maxwell Caulfied.

This week on SYNC you can download Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, narrated by Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell (Bolinda Audio) and The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, John Sherrill, Elizabeth Sherrill, narrated by Bernadette Dunne. Downloads are free til Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are I’d Tell You I Love You, But THen I’d Have To Kill You by Ally Carter, narrated by Renée Raudman (Brilliance Audio) and Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, narrated by Colleen Winton (Post Hypnotic Press). 

Weekly Round-Up 6/2

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading  All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to WARP: The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer, narrated by Maxwell Caulfield.

This week on SYNC you can download Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, narrated by Emma Galvin (Hachette Audio) and The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie, narrated by Richard E. Grant (Harper Audio). Downloads are free til Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, narrated by Meredith Mitchell (Tantor Audio) and Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, performed by Richard Dreyfuss, JoBeth Williams, Stacy Keach, Kelsey Grammer, and a full cast (L.A. Theatre Works)

Weekly Round-Up 5/19

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling and All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, read by Charlie McWade.

Last week I reviewed Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket, read by Liam Aiken.

 This week on SYNC you can download WARP: The Reluctatn Assassin by Eoin Colfer, narrated by Maxwell Caulfield (Listening Library) and The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, narrated by Derek Jacobi (Listening Library). Downloads are free til Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden (Harper Audio) and Oedipus the King by Sophocles, performed by Michael Sheen and a full cast (Naxos AudioBooks).

And today is my birthday! We already celebrated this weekend so I'm not anticipating much today. Just lunch with my co-workers.

Weekly Round-Up 5/12

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling and All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket, read by Liam Aiken.

Last week I reviewed Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel and We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior

Thousands of books have examined the effects of parents on their children. Award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior now asks: what are the effects of children on their parents?

"All Joy and No Fun is an indispensable map for a journey that most of us take without one. Brilliant, funny, and brimming with insight, this is an important book that every parent should read, and then read again. Jennifer Senior is surely one of the best writers on the planet."-Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness

In All Joy and No Fun, award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior isolates and analyzes the many ways in which children reshape their parents' lives, whether it's their marriages, their jobs, their habits, their hobbies, their friendships, or their internal senses of self. She argues that changes in the last half century have radically altered the roles of today's mothers and fathers, making their mandates at once more complex and far less clear. Recruiting from a wide variety of sources-in history, sociology, economics, psychology, philosophy, and anthropology-she dissects both the timeless strains of parenting and the ones that are brand new, and then brings her research to life in the homes of ordinary parents around the country. The result is an unforgettable series of family portraits, starting with parents of young children and progressing to parents of teens. Through lively and accessible storytelling, Senior follows these mothers and fathers as they wrestle with some of parenthood's deepest vexations-and luxuriate in some of its finest rewards.

Meticulously researched yet imbued with emotional intelligence, All Joy and No Fun makes us reconsider some of our culture's most basic beliefs about parenthood, all while illuminating the profound ways children deepen and add purpose to our lives. By focusing on parenthood, rather than parenting, the book is original and essential reading for mothers and fathers of today-and tomorrow.

When Did You See Her Last? (audio) by Lemony Snicket, read by Liam Aiken. 4 hours, 22 minutes.

I should have asked the question "How could someone who was missing be in two places at once?" Instead, I asked the wrong question -- four wrong questions, more or less. This is the account of the second.

In the fading town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea, young apprentice Lemony Snicket has a new case to solve when he and his chaperone are hired to find a missing girl. Is the girl a runaway? Or was she kidnapped? Was she seen last at the grocery store? Or could she have stopped at the diner? Is it really any of your business? These are All The Wrong Questions.

Weekly Round-Up 5/5

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

I'm reading The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling. I'm listening to Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, read by Khristine Hvam.

Last week I reviewed Dorthy Must Die by Danielle Paige.