I decided to participate in Jenn’s Thankfully Reading weekend by doing what comes naturally–reading the books with which God has blessed me, with thanksgiving in my heart. In this kick-off post, I thought I’d share what the Semicolon family is reading this weekend.
Grandma G, who lives in a little apartment behind our house, is reading Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto. I read Bel Canto a couple of years ago and reviewed it here.
Engineer Husband is reading I and II Thessalonians and Has Christianity Failed You? by Ravi Zacharias. He’s been listening to Mr. Zacharias on the radio a lot lately, and he’s finding the book a little scattered, but thought-provoking.
Eldest Daughter, age 27, is reading With Love From Karen by Marie Killilea, the sequel to her best-selling book, Karen, about raising a child with cerebral palsy. Eldest Daughter is in the midst of preparing to be received into the Catholic Church, and she likes the Catholicism and the family-ness of the Killilea books.
Computer Guru Son, age 25, says he’s trying to read my copy of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express in Spanish, Asesinato en el Orient Express, but I find it hard to believe since I’m the one who taught his high school Spanish class. He was not the best student in spite of being the only student in the class.
Artiste Daughter, age 23, asked for a mystery to read when she arrived today for Thanksgiving dinner. She’s already read and enjoyed all of my Agatha Christie novels, so I gave her Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers. Artiste Daughter is nursing a cold, and a good mystery is the best medicine we can prescribe here at Semicolon library and book depository.
Organizer/Drama Daughter, age 21, is reading JK Rowling’s new adult novel, The Casual Vacancy. She says it’s about English rural village life and politics, and so far, so good. Very different from Harry Potter, though.
Brown Bear Daughter, age 17, is supposed to be reading Vanity Fair by Thackeray. She finished the first six chapters last week, but she hasn’t made any progress this week with all the holiday distractions. She asked me for something lighter than Vanity Fair to read on Monday, and she ended up with P.G. Wodehouse, one of the Jeeves books. I’ll have to ask her how that’s going.
Dancer Daughter II, age 13, fell asleep the other night re-reading one of Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls spy novels. I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You is the first in a series of good, clean fun for middle grade and young adult readers.
Z-baby, age 11, doesn’t read for fun, at least not too often. I’m reading A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence: Gonzales, Texas, 1836 (Dear America Series) to her for her Texas history class, and we’re enjoying the story of Lucinda, a young teen in early Texas just before and during the Texas Revolution.
And, of course, I am reading copious amounts of middle grade science fictiona and fantasy for the Cybils Awards. Scroll down to read some of my reviews.
What will you be reading this weekend?
That is a lot of reading going on at your house! Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m reading “Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman”, by Robert K. Massie. It’s very good, and it reads like a well written novel, but I sometimes stop and wonder what his sources are, and how he could possibly know this, and why is he so reliant on sources like her – exceptionally frank – memoirs.
*le sigh* Grad school has ruined me for reading, but I’d still recommend it if you’re not an academic.
What a great variety. I read another review today of The Casual Vacancy, and now here it is in your post. I’m curious.
My husband was an engineer and he has had a terrible time reading Ravi, I think his brain doesn’t work the way Ravi Z. writes.
My favorite Ravi Z. book is Walking East to West, which is his autobiography. It is fascinating, I gave it to one of my son’s best friends whose family came from India. I’m still praying for that young man!