New Moon

This was a nice, quick read.  I read Twilight, the first novel in this series about a year and a half ago and wasn't sure I'd read the others.  But, my thirteen-year-old niece, Michelle, loves the series and convinced me that I should download the others.  So, I did.

Quite a few of my students didn't care too much for this second book and even Michelle said it was her least favorite so it took me a while to start it.  But, you know what?  I like it!  I guess I'm more of a Jacob fan than an Edward groupie so this one appealed to me. 

And, I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I enjoyed Bella's suffering!  There is something wrong with me, I know. 

Now, I'm 35% of the way through Eclipse and am bored with it.  I'll keep plugging away through it, though, so Michelle and I can discuss it.

Here's where I read most of this book!

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Good morning, fellow readers.  My husband just left to go fishing for the day so I have hours of uninterrupted reading ahead of me.  It's starting to get busy around this seaside area so I've been biking to the beach in the morning and staying until it gets too crowded around noon.  I'm not a normal beachgoer.  I usually just wear my clothes and sit and write a letter and read.  There is something about the waves that is like a magnet to me.  I find it so peaceful and relaxing to be there.

I finished this book a couple days ago and enjoyed my couple of weeks with these characters.  I know there won't be any more in the series because the author died before publication so my reading was bittersweet. 

Of the three I think my favorite is the middle book because it focuses more on Lizbeth Salander than on Mikael Bloomqvist but I still really like all three.  This last one has just a tiny bit more politics than I care for but the trial scene is excellent.

The only thing that might put people off about this series is the hard-to-pronounce Sweedish names.  I think he mentions every street in Stockholm!  And many of the characters have similar names and that gets a little confusing.  For example, there is a Holm and a Malm and lots of Bs: Berger, Blomqvist, Bjork, Bjurman, etc.  Then there is Neimenen and Neiderman.

But those quibbles are minor.  Overall, a great series with believable characters and a sophisticated plot.

Now, time for me to get dressed and head to the beach!

Red Sox Game

This is part of the reason why I'm still reading the same book!  Our son treated us to a game at Fenway for our 39th anniversary.  We took Amtrak out of Saco into Boston.  It was my husband's first time on a train.  And it was his first live major league baseball game, too.  We had great seats and loads of junk food and fun.

I actually took my Kindle with me and mananged to read a bit on the train but that was it.

This week I plan on making it to the beach a couple times and I always read there so, hopefully, will finish The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.  I'm over half way, now.

Have a great reading week!

Plugging Away

Another rainy Sunday here in New England.  We're at camp but will be heading home this afternoon for three more days of school before summer vacation begins.  Can't wait!

I'm still reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and enjoying it.  It's a long book and I'm only 29% of the way through.  Seems like it's taking me forever.

I'm liking it, though.  Lisbeth Salander is in the hospital recovering from bullet wounds and Michael Blomqvist is doing everything he can to keep her out of jail and prove her innocence.

This is the third novel in the trilogy and I'm glad it's taking so long to read because I'll miss these characters when I'm done.  So, I'll continue poking along savoring every minute.

I won't have much time for pleasure reading today, though, because I have to read and correct 30 journal writing projects.  Each one contains 12 poems written by my kids.  So, I guess I'd better get my you-know-what in gear and begin.

Happy reading! 

The Horse Boy

My friend Regina recommended this book and I'm so glad she did. It was amazing what this dad was determined to do to heal his son. Rowan suffers from severe autism. The only times he seemed to come out of it were when he was near horses and one time when he met with a shaman. With this in mind, his father decides to take him to Mongolia where they will ride horses deep into Siberia to meet with shamens.


Their tale is filled with humor, trials, mytical events, and lots of poop. It had me cheering.