What We Are Reading: June 2014

I have not done a book update in a little while, so that seemed like a fun thing to do. One of the benefit of being a mom of teens is finally having regular time to read again.

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

Just got this a couple of days ago and it is perfect timing and a break from my traditional fantasy. Not too far into it, but so far I am enjoying the playful tone. It feels like a book to be savored, rather than raced through. Perfect for a before bedtime treat. For some reason, I wanted to get this one in hard copy...I am still working out which books I want in hard copy and which I want in ebook form. No hard and fast rules, but I am still not quite ready to get rid of my actual books, though I adore the convenience of audio books. I think part of this attachment to hard copy books is the joy I get from having them in bookcases throughout my house.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Just finished this book. I have been on a major Brandon Sanderson spree as of late and I have to admit that I can't get enough of his books. His world building is fantastic and I am always amazed at how varied his worlds and magic systems are. I believe that Elantris was his first book, and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I did feel that the ending kind of came together too quickly and smoothly.  While it started a bit slowly for me, with the characters and storyline seeming a bit less rich than I have come to expect from a Sanderson book, I did find myself drawn into it and by the end was very attached to the characters.

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Another Brandon Sanderson book. I started this over Memorial Day and could not put it down. I especially enjoyed watching the characters of Siri and Vivenna grow and evolve as they begin to question heartfelt beliefs and learn the world is a bit messier than they had been taught. Sanderson provides a few twists that catch you a bit off guard...thoroughly enjoyable. You can download a pdf version free from his website (which is a neat window into his process and where you can read deleted scenes that did not make it into the books) which is how I read it, though I enjoyed it enough that I will probably buy either a hard copy or kindle version to make the re-reading more enjoyable (I don't really like reading on my iPad).

The Hero of Ages (Mistborn Series #3) by Brandon Sanderson

Yes, another Brandon Sanderson book, though I am listening to this one on audio. The boys and I started listening to this series, but they decided to take a break and I decided that I did not want to wait for them, so I am listening on my own. I highly recommend the audio version of this series...it is very meaty and the narrator Michael Kramer does a fantastic job of bringing this world to life. Even though this is book 3 and each book has been more than 25 hours each, I am still enthralled and engaged with the characters and how the story is going to play out.

Jason

 Jason has been in a bit of a non-fiction jag lately, in both history and linguistics.

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester

Jason has just started reading this (and I want to steal it after him). Looks to be very interesting about the making of the Oxford Dictionary which was begun in 1857. Turns out that as they were accepting definitions, one man, Dr. W.C. Minor, contributed more than 10,000. Dr. Minor, it turns out was an American Civil War veteran who was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane. Yes, we are geeks. 

The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson

Jason just finished this book and I am hoping to read this one too (did I mention that we are geeks?) He really enjoyed it and found it fascinating. It "explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language".

The Viking World - Stefan Brink, Editor

This book has been taking up most of Jason's reading time and I have a feeling it will keep him quite busy for awhile. The thing is a brick! He learned about it on the AskHistorians subreddit as it was recommended as one of the best ways to learn about Viking history. Since that is an area he is really interested in, he was not daunted by the description:

"Bringing together today’s leading scholars, both established seniors and younger, cutting-edge academics, Stefan Brink and Neil Price have constructed the first single work to gather innovative research from a spectrum of disciplines (including archaeology, history, philology, comparative religion, numismatics and cultural geography) to create the most comprehensive Viking Age book of its kind ever attempted.”

Kyle

The Royal Ranger (Book 12 in the Ranger’s Apprentice series) by John Flanagan

Kyle and I listened to this in the car and found it to be a wonderful conclusion to the Ranger's Apprentice series that we both enjoyed.  

All Of Us

The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus Book 5) by Rick Riordan

Just started this on audiobook. So far so good and pretty typical Rick Riordan.

Don't forget that I also have a great compilation of some of our favorite books (you can also find a link under Explore on the menu.

Happy Reading!