Saturday, May 26, 2012

TBR Intervention (14)



I know it has been a while since I participated--but I wanted you to tell you all that I have missed being part of the intervention (and my TBR pile has grown exponentially too).  So I am not back and ready to get down to business!

But I also have a class that started last week and goes on for the next six weeks--so I won't be able to read as much as I used to in a week.  But even a little bit will make progress on my TBR, right?

Books I Am Committed To Read

My friends have been talking about this series so much that I just had to join in.  It has become our literary soap opera.

Summary (from Amazon):
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.


My friend read this book and said that it may help me as I am learning to move forward (if you do not know what I am referring to please read taking a break).  I also saw that this book is full of shorter stories which means I do not need to focus on reading the whole thing straight through but can pick through the stories.

Summary (from Amazon):
This Is Not the Life I Ordered is for anyone who has ever felt overworked, overwhelmed, or just plain unlucky (and, who hasn't?!). Through this collection of stories, wisdom, and practical advice, readers will meet four ordinary women who have faced extraordinary life challenges. Together, they have a history of six marriages, ten children, four stepchildren, six dogs, two miscarriages, two cats, a failed adoption, and foster parenthood. Two have lived through the death of their spouses and one was shot and left for dead on a tarmac in Guyana -- which is documented in "Jonestown" airing on PBS' American Experience. T

his book started simply with four friends getting together for "kitchen-table coaching sessions" to talk about their lives. Week by week and story by story, they realized their great advice to each other could help other women struggling with life's myriad issues of work, family, and love, as well as the big questions of life and death. For over a decade, the power and strength of their collective friendship enabled these women not only to survive but to thrive. They invite readers to join them to learn how they, too, can turn "misfortunate" events into joy-filled opportunities. Readers will want to share this book with every woman in their lives!



I got out of the habit of listening to my audiobooks and I have missed them, so I am going to make it a goal to get back into the habit again.  And what is better than Jim Dale to get me back?

Summary (from Amazon):
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des RĂªves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

Now I cannot wait to see what you are reading this week!

13 comments:

  1. Wow. That's a lot of books especially considering the page count of George R.R.R.R.R.R. Martin books! Been very curious about that series, but it looks like a HUGE reading commitment... the whole series, I mean. The Night Circus is another book that I've been kinda wondering if I should pick up :) It looks very interesting. I hope you find This Is Not the Life I Ordered helpful, it sounds like an interesting take on how to respond when life doesn't quite go your way. And my condolences on your husband's passing Shanan.

    I hope you have an extremely productive week of reading this week! :)

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    1. Thank you for your condolences. I appreciate it.

      I think I picked This is Not the Life I Ordered because it is short stories and thoughts--I thought it may be a good balance to the very long Game of Thrones. But I have to say that I cannot put the Game of Thrones book down!

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  2. I've heard a lot of good things about Night circus. I have it, but honestly I didn't want to read it cause it was sooo long!
    Anyway. Hope you enjoy it. Same for Game of thrones, lately everyone is talking about this book.
    Happy reading!!

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    1. LOL--at least as an audiobook I cannot see how long it is in pages and I get Jim Dale reading to me. I think I can handle that for a longer period of time. :)

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  3. Can't wait to hear what you think of Game of Thrones. You like fantasy more than I do, but if you love it, I might give it a try!!

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    1. So far I would compare it to a soap opera (and I mean that as a compliment). It is full of intrigues. It has so many characters all with their own agendas. I am so enthralled I almost miss my stop on the way to work (LOL).

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  4. The Games of Thrones series is how many books already? My classmate said that it was worth reading it and if you're a fan of high-fantasy books then you should read it. But despite my love for the TV series I can't see myself reading it in the future.

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    1. Five I think with two more planned. I haven't watched the show yet because I want to read the book first.

      I will say that even though it is long it moves quickly and so far seems very well thought out and plotted.

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  5. Game of Thrones! Wow! One of the best fantasies, ever! I can't wait to hear what you think about it... I hope you'll enjoy the series!

    Good luck this week!

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    1. I can't wait to get further into the series--my friends have been talking of nothing else! :)

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  6. Games of Thrones sounds really good for those fans of fantasy.. the summary itself is overwhelming! I don't know if this is my kind of story but those who have read it seemed to really loved it. I'm also hoping to read Night Circus because it's very well recommended by friends... I've heard it's really good! Good luck with your books, and I hope that whatever it that you're going through will soon be okay, and of course you too... and you will always be a part of the TBRIC :)

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    1. I waited for so long to get Night Circus as an audiobook because Jim Dale is reading it! I am so excited about that one. :)

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  7. I bought the game of thrones a while back and it sits on my shelf. I need to read it before I start watching the series. The book is pretty intimidating. Sits on the shelf and picks on other smaller skinnier books. Poor things. I just need to find more time to read. ha ha!

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