Well, the holiday season is now in full swing! We were relaxing on the beach a little more than a week ago, and now it’s cold and almost Christmas. Very weird. We went to our favorite tree farm this weekend and picked out a tree, then decorated it on Sunday (one of our favorite parts of the season). I've been scrambling to order gifts (I've ordered lots of books!), make our annual photo calendars, and manage other tasks. This week's big project is the annual DVD of family photos I put together every year. I'm sort of our family's unofficial photographer and memory-keeper!
So, Holiday preparations are keeping us very busy, but we did find time for some good books:
- I read a new teen novel, Empty by Suzanne Weyn, a cautionary tale about what could happen when the world runs out of fossil fuels and how a group of teens cope. It was frightening but compelling – review to come this week.
- I’m in the middle of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee for my book group this week. It’s the 50th Anniversary of this classic, and I’m enjoying it just as much as I did the first time I read it, a few years ago. It’s one of the best books ever written, in my opinion.
- I finished listening to the audio of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, a middle-grade steampunk novel. Jamie read the book ages ago and told me it was excellent. He was right! Now I’m motivated to read the sequel, Behemoth, which was recently released.
- Jamie, 16, finished his vacation reading and returned to The Stand by Stephen King, though school work is keeping him pretty busy.
- Craig, 12, is not only reading but happy about it! His English class is reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, which is a perennial favorite at our house. We usually listen to one of the many audio versions each season at this time. Last year, we enjoyed the one read by Patrick Stewart. Craig said this weekend, “It’s such a great book!” I’m thrilled to see him enthusiastic about reading for a change.
- My husband, Ken, is reading The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd, a thriller paperback.
Last week, I posted reviews of The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton at Book By Book and Brixton Brothers and the Case of the Case of the Mistaken Identity, a humorous middle-grade mystery, here. I also posted a summary of all the books I read in November.
What are you and your family reading this week?
4 comments:
I use to love going and getting our tree when I was young. Now I just unpack it and it isn't as much fun.
I have heard good things about Empty and would love to read it look forward to your review.
Have a great week.
I'm listening to A Christmas Carol read by Jim Dale. He is such a great narrator though I'd like to hear Patrick Stewart read it too!
Andrea -
We haven't heard the Jim Dale version yet! I agree - he's amazing. We'll have to check it out.
I haven't introduced the kids to A Christmas Carol yet. I'm concerned they'll be scared of the ghosts at their age. But I may have to get the book to read myself!
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