Bout of Books Read a Thon wrap up

          

         

Books Finished During the Read a Thon:

Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4) by Naomi Novik Finished 8/19/2013
White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz Finished 8/21/2013
Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz  Finished 8/22/2013
Imager's Intrigue by L.E. Modessit Jr. Finished 8/24/2013

The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett Finished 8/255/2013


Read but not finished during the Read a Thon:
Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Across the World by Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman Read 148 pages
The Imperator Plot by Steven Spruill  Read 43 pages

Total pages Read during the Read a Thon:

1779 physical pages read

Hours Listened during the Read a Thon:

12.5 hours listened to an audiobook during the read a thon.

Bout of Books Read a Thon day 7

          

The last day of the read a Thon. I have been productive today already and finished The Voyage of the Narwhale. This was a very moving book.

Currently Reading:

Long Way Round by Ewan McGregor and  Charley Boorman stopped at 148 for the night.

Books Finished Today:

The Voyage of the Narwhale. 

Bout of Books Read a Thon day 6

         

       My goals for this read a thon can be found over here.

Not sure how much reading will get done as Saturdays are usually hectic. Will hopefully finish the audio we have been listening to all week.

Currently Reading:

The Voyage of the Narwhale - stopped at  167 (67 pages read today).

Books finished Today:

Imager's Intrigue by L.e. Modessit Jr. 

Bout of Book Read a Thon Day 5

My goals for this read a thon can be found over here.

Slow start today. I'm having a rough time concentrating on The Imperator Plot, So may take a Break we'll see.

Ok, there are pros and cons to having a friends of the library sponsored take a book/leave a book shelf nearby.

Pros: :* A convenient place to release books I have read that I don't plan on keeping.
         * Located in a great local coffee shop with friendly staff and comfortable seating, and yummy drinks and snacks.
Cons: * I can never leave books without finding one or more books I am interested in reading
          * I seem to always find parts of series case in point. Today there was an ARC for the newest Jacky Faber (Bloody Jack) book which is released next month. I haven't read all of the books (I stopped at book 6 this is book 12) I know, I could probably read this without the prior 5 books, but i'm also a complete-ist.

I also picked up:Clockwork princess by Casandra Clare of which I also am missing books in the series.

I have a feeling a trip to the library will be in the plans once I figure out how crazy my coursework will be next week.

Currently Reading:

breaking at page 50, and trying something else. I usually love this type of sci-fi mystery but today I'm just not in the mood.

The Voyage of the Narwal by Andrea Barrett

- I am stopping on page 100 for the night .

Listened to 30 min of Imager's Intruigue by L. E. Modessit Jr.

Books Finished Today:

Bout of Books Read a Thon day 4

My goals for this read a thon can be found over here.

A very late night, combined with a very early morning and not being able to go back to sleep this morning has left me feeling rather cranky and unfocused... I spent the morning curled up on the couch reading, but I think I might need to try and nap at some point.

Currently Reading:

The Imperator Plot bySteven Spruill

Books Finished Today:

Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz

Book Review: Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik

Title: Empire of Ivory
Author Naomi Novik
Series: Book 4 of the Temeraire books
Publication date: September 25, 2007
Publisher: Del Ray


It starts with tragic event:. As Captain Lawrence and Temeraire return to England with the rescued Prussian soldiers they discover that tragedy has struck the dragons of the country. An unknown illness, first thought to be a cold has been introduced by a Native American dragon and has turned deadly. Temeraire however, does not contract the illness and in fact is discovered to have had the cold and been cured during his previous trip to China.

Lawrence and Temeraire set off with the ill members of their formation on a journey to Africa to try and find the mushroom that the Imperial chefs  made into a tasty stew while they were in Cape Town that might have been a cure for the mystery illness. They are accompanied by a former slave turned missionary and his family who are bound for Africa to try and bring the Christian faith to the people in their former homeland. However, when they get to Cape Town, they find that the mushroom they are seeking is  considered bad as it makes the cattle ill and is destroyed by both European settlers and the  cattle raising tribes in the area. Their search takes them further into the interior, where they are captured by members of an African tribe that has ancestor ties to the dragons of the land. Worse, the mushrooms that they found are considered property of the King of the tribe.

Will Laurence and Temeraire be able to get back to England with the medicine they require? or will their African captors do them harm before  they can trade for  the medicines.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I found it captivating. As well I enjoyed the fact that it delved into the issues of slavery and slave trade both for humans as well as dragons. This book also allows for another break from the War being fought by Napoleon (although the end  brings us back to the conflict), and allows the reader to explore another part of the world. Africa at the time was being divided up between the Dutch, Portuguese, British and French without any thought for the people already living there. In modern times there are still repercussions to  colonization. I enjoyed seeing this alternate look at what might happen if 1. there were dragons to help protect these people and 2. what would happen is they decided enough was enough.

Bout of Books Read a Thon Day 3

My goals for this read a thon can be found over here.

Wednesday already. My sister is coming over tonight to hang out and play video games, so I expect my reading to be just during the day today


Currently Reading:

Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz. - Stopped with 50 pages read today.

Books Finished Today:
* White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz.

Bout of Books Read a Thon Day 2

Day 2 of the Bout of Books Read a Thon.

My goals for this read a thon can be found over here.

Elengil has the day off work, so we listened to our audiobook and relaxed most of the day.

Currently reading:

Listening to the audio of Imager's Intrigue by l.e. Modessit Jr. - listened to 9 hours (all of part 2 and most of part 3). We have 2 1/2 hours left in the book.

White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz - broke at page 58 for the night. 

Books Finished:

None today.

Bout of Books Read a Thon Day 1

So, a bit of a later start than intended for setting up this post.

Today is Monday: Day one of the Read a Thon.

My goals for this read a thon can be found over here.

I am starting the day reading:

Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
. - this is the fourth book in a series I have been reading all summer. I'm finding it a little hard to get into, as I have been in a short story mode for the last week or so.

Update: 6:30PM Read to page 275, and am now listening to Imager's Intrigue: The Third Book of the Imager Portfolio by L. E. Modesitt Jr. with Elengil.
Update: Finished reading Empire of Ivory & listened to 7 chapters of Imager's Intruige


Books Read:

Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik Finished
Imager's Intrigue: The Third Book of the Imager Portfolio by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Bout of Books 8.0 Read a Thon Goals

Time Devoted to Reading

I am off one more week before the semester starts,so I will be reading all day/ evening for the whole week depending on what pops up during the week.

My Goals

I have been working on older book trades through bookcrossing.com for the last year. So, I would like to try and focus on the bookcrossing books in my to be read pile that I personally registered. However, as last week was my birthday I have a few new books looking very interesting sitting on my dining room table as well.

Books to Read (planned)

Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4) by Naomi Novik Finished 8/19/2013
Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card
Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Across the World by Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman Reading Now
The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea. Barrett Finished 8/255/2013
Battle Royale: The Novel by Koushun Takami - I had started this book at the start of the summer, and set it down. I misplaced the book, but if I can locate it I want to read it this week.
The Imperator Plot (Doubleday Science Fiction) by Steven Spruill reading now
Dark Curse (Carpathian) by Christine Feehan
White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz Finished 8/21/2013
Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz ; Finished 8/22/2013

Plus i want to finish the book I am currently reading if I don't finish it tonight:

Westward Weird by Martin H. Greenberg, Kerrie Hughes  Finished 8/18/2013


I think that's a good list, seeing as a few of these are weighty tomes which is why I keep picking up other books :)

Books Read in July 2013:

Print Copy:

1.) Seraphim by Michele Hauf
2.) Death Drops by Chrystle Fiedler

3.) Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson

4.) His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

5.) Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

6.) Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

7.) Isis by Douglas Clegg

8.) Treasure Box by Orson Scott Card

9.) Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples

10.) Star of Wonder by  Jo Beverley, Alice Alfonsi, Tess Farraday, Kate Freiman

11.) One Wish by Linda Lael Miller
 

Audio Books:

1.) Hunted by Kevin Hearne

2.)The Grimoire of the Lamb by Kevin Hearne

3.) Imager by L.E. Modesitt Jr.4.) Imager's Challange by L.E. Modesitt Jr.

E-Books:

1.) xkcd: volume 0 by Randall Munroe

Books Wild Released in July 2013:

1.)    The Celery Stalks At Midnight  by James Howe on 7/3/2013

2.)    Seraphim  by Michele Hauf on 7/3/2013

3.)    The Fallen Man  by Tony Hillerman on 7/9/2013

4.)    Sam's letters to Jennifer  by James Patterson  on 7/10/2013

5.)    Shoot the Moon  by Billie Letts  on 7/10/2013

6.)    October Song  by Beverly Lewis on 7/13/2013

7.)    Thinner  by Richard Bachman on 7/16/2013

8.)    The Bridge of Peace  by Cindy Woodsmall on 7/16/2013

9.)    Star: A Novel   by Pamela Anderson  on 7/18/2013

10.)  Sarah's Key  by Tatiana de Rosnay on 7/23/2013

11.)   The Poisonwood Bible  by Barbara Kingsolver  on 7/23/2013 Caught!

12.)   The Templar Legacy: A Novel  by Steve Berry on 7/23/2013

13.)    Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest  on 7/23/2013

Bout of Books Read a Thon

I have decided to try and take part in the Bout of Books Read a thon from 19 August - 25 August 2013. As this is the last free week I will have before classes start for the semester I am going to spend it reading!

About the Read a Thon:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Book Review: The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy

The sushi book is divided into 4 parts. First is an exploration of sushi. How the first Atlantic bluefin tuna were shipped to Japan fresh, how sushi evolved from its fermented origins as a way to preserve rice to the popular forms it is enjoyed in now: futomaki, nigiri, sashimi, and the box sushi which is still a regional fermented delicacy. The second portion of the book looks at the expansion of sushi from a Japanese delicacy into the well loved globally enjoyed delicacy it is today. The book focuses on the introduction of sushi into Los Angeles, and the spread of sushi as a food for first the rich to becoming widely available across the US and into the rest of the world. The third portion of the book focuses on the fishing industry in different ports where tuna is a primary catch crop. How over fishing has decimated wild tuna populations, and how farming tuna has become a profitable option that still depends largely on wild fish. The book ends with a look at the future of sushi. How changes in tastes in other Asian powers such as China may change the purchasing pattern of tuna (both fresh and frozen, wild and farmed), the tuna pirating that is occurring in the Mediteranian, and the effects of trying to propigate tuna in farms rather than catching wild tuna and fattening them on fish farms.

I thought this was an interesting look at the complexities of the tuna fishing trade specifically, and how sushi has increased the demand for this fish worldwide. Since it was written using 2005 and 2006 statistics as the most recent I was left wanting to know more about how what I was reading about was current now in 2013.

Books Read in June 2013

Print copy:

1.) Something to Hide by Patricia Robinson
2.) Samurai Game by Christine Feehan
3.) Deadly Safari by Karin McQuillan
4.) The Ill-Made Mute by Cecilia Dart-Thorton
5.) Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
6.) Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
7.) Lily's Crossing y Patricia Reilly Giff
8.) Beyond Sanctuary by Janet E. Morris

E-Book:

1.) Vesper by Jeff Sampson
2.) The Tale of The Wicked by john Scalzi (short story)

Audiobook:

none finished this month

Books Wild Released in June 2013:

1.) Samurai Game (Game/Ghostwalker) by Christine Feehan on 6/13/2013
2.) War on the Middle Class: How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups Are Waging War on the American Dream and How to Fight Back by Lou Dobbs on 6/13/2013
3.) Something to hide by Patricia Robinson on 6/13/2013
4.) Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume 3: Superman by Michael Fleischer on 6/20/2013
5.) Man of Steel: Superman's Superpowers (I Can Read Book 2) by Lucy Rosen on 6/20/2013
6.) Happy Graduation! (Ready-to-Read, Level 1) by Margaret McNamara on 6/20/2013
7.) Deadly Safari by Karin Mcquillan on 6/22/2013
8.) Where the Heart Is (Oprah's Book Club) by Billie Letts on 6/24/2013
9.) Lily's Crossing by PATRICIA REILLY GIFF on 6/30/2013
10.) The Shape-Changer's Wife by Sharon Shinn on 6/30/2013

Books Read in May 2013

Print:
1.) The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son by Rupert Isaacson
2.) Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner by Lisa Wingate
3.) Lint by Steve Aylett
4.) Champions of the Sidhe by Kenneth C. Flint
5.) Kingdom of Cages by Sarah Zettel
6.) The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy by Sasha Issenberg
7.) Spring Moon: A Novel of China by Bette Lord
8.) The Buried Pyramid by Jane Lindskold
9.) Still Waters by Tami Hoag
10.) Ghost of a Chance by Yasmine Galenorn
11.) Whirlwind by Charles L. Grant

Audiobook:

E-book:
1.) Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn
2.) Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls by Jane Lindskold
3.) Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn
4.) Sense and Sensibility by Nancy Butler, Sonny Liew, Jane Austen (Marvel Graphic Novel Adaptation)
5.) Kitty Steals the Show by Carrie Vaughn
6.) The Girl Who Sang Rose Madder by Elizabeth Bear (short story)
7.) Kitty Rock's the House by Carrie Vaughn
8.) The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson

Books wild Released in May 2013

1.) Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson on 5/1/2013
2.) Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel on 5/1/2013
3.) A Stranger is Watching by Mary Higgins Clark on 5/1/2013
4.) The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son by Rupert Isaacson on /7/2013
5.) Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson on 5/7/2013
6.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 5/7/2013
7.) Riders of the Sidhe, The by Kenneth Flint on 5/14/2013
8.) Champions of the Sidhe by Kenneth C. Flint on 5/14/2/13
9.) Time Flies by Bill Cosby on 5/14/2013
10.) World Without End by Sean Russell on 5/22/2013
11.) Spring Moon: A Novel of China by Bette Lord on 5/23/2013
12.) Julius Caesar (The New Folger Library Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare on 5/23/2013

Books Wild Released in April 2013

1.) Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal by Ann Rule on 4/3/2013
2.) The Innocent Man by John Grisham on 4/3/2013
3.) Beloved by Toni Morrison on 4/3/2013
4.) Kill the Messenger by Squire on 4/8/2013
5.) Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare on 4/8/2013
6.) The Life and Loves of a She Devil by Fay Weldon on 4/8/2013
7.) Barefoot: A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand on 4/15/2013
8.) The Pelican Brief: A Novel by John Grisham on 4/15/2013 CAUGHT!
9.) One Hot Summer (harlequin Romance #1818) by Norrey Ford on 4/15/2013
10.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
11.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
12.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
13.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
14.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
15.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
16.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
17.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
18.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
19.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
20.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
21.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
22.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
23.) The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013

Books Read in April 2013

Print Copies:

1.) Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Caughn
2.) The Thirteenth House by Sharon Shinn
3.) Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn
4.) Steel Town by Jonah Winter, Terry Widener (Illustrator)
5.) Duck On A Bike by David Shannon
6.) A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, Cooper Edens (Compililation)
7.) Sing a Song of Piglets: A Calendar in Verse by Eve Bunting, Emily Arnold McCully (Illustrator)
8.) Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, Patrick Benson (Illustrator)
9.) Blackout by John Rocco
10.) Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn
11.) Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Greg Call (Illustrations)
12.) The Princess and the Goblins by George MacDonald, Arthur Hughes (Illustrations)
13.) Oz: Road to Oz by Eric Shanower (Goodreads Author) (Text), Skottie Young (Illustrations)


E-books:

1.) Wolf Moon by Patricia Rosemoor
2.) Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente
3.) Kitty Takes a Holiday by Carrie Vaughn
4.) Kitty and the Silver Bullet by Carrie Vaughn
5.) Kitty Raises Hell by Carriie Vaughn
6.) Kitty's House of Horrors by Carrie Vaughn

Audiobooks:

1.) The Honor of the Queen by David Weber
2.) The Short Victorious War by David Weber
3.) Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
4.) Field of Dishonor by David Weber

Last month was finishing up the children's lit course, and concentrating on some of the series I've been wanting to read. I finished the original 4 books of the Twelve Houses Series by Sharon Shinn (Fantastic), got 4 books into the Honor Harrington Series (Unpredictable and good sci-fi), and took a big chunk out of the Kitty Norville series.