Book a Week in 2013 - week forty five

[Lady Florida.]

The latest Thug Notes episode is up on YouTube. This time it's Heart of Darkness.

[Kareni]

  In the romance category, Beautiful B*stard is a Twilight fanfic turned published novel.  The fanfic was ok.  My favorite fanfic turned published novel is Gabriel's Inferno, by Sylvian Reynard.  Reynard's Gabriel, aka Edward, is a tortured soul, but not near as messed up as 50 Shade's Christian, aka Edward.

 

Why do I suddenly feel embarrassed that I know these things...?   :leaving:

 

Well, don't feel embarrassed as I have read those books too.  (Though funnily enough, I never read beyond the first Twilight book!)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

I was planning to start either The Luminaries or The Goldfinch, but I had a library notice waiting for me this morning telling me The Kitchen God's Wife was available. The one thing I don't care for about library ebooks is that they have only a 14 day checkout period with no renewals.That's usually more than enough time for me to finish a book, but if I get busy or another book distracts me, I feel a bit stressed about the library loan. I downloaded it and started it, and so far I'm liking it. Amy Tan is a glaring hole on my already-read list, though she seems to be one of those authors people either love or hate.

[trinchick]

I was planning to start either The Luminaries or The Goldfinch, but I had a library notice waiting for me this morning telling me The Kitchen God's Wife was available. The one thing I don't care for about library ebooks is that they have only a 14 day checkout period with no renewals.That's usually more than enough time for me to finish a book, but if I get busy or another book distracts me, I feel a bit stressed about the library loan. 

 

I feel exactly the same way! As soon as an ebook becomes available, I drop whatever else I'm reading to make sure I finish within the two weeks. It becomes like a mini reading emergency.

[Lady Florida.]

 It becomes like a mini reading emergency.

 

Yes. You can't just choose to hold on to it and pay the fine either. The best you can do is just keep wifi turned off, which then limits your ability to get other books (I'm looking at you mlbuchina and welovetoread  :lol: ).

[Stacia]

I love to read but I find it hard to get time with work and kids. I try to scroll few pages...Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting

 

Its a great book.

Welcome. Everyone is on her own reading journey -- join in when you can.

Voting for your favorite books of 2013 is available now on Goodreads. I just voted and found some interesting books that are not in my stack on the list. Just put some library requests in. :) I thought some of you might enjoy taking a look.

 

Golem and the Jinni is going well. Very curious about how it will all end.

Thanks. Hadn't noticed the voting going on over there.... (And, remember you can always write in your own vote too.)

I only did really well in the mystery/thriller category fot the 2013 Goodreads voting where I had read more than half of them. That probably surprises no one here. :lol: The obvious choice was the Flavia book for me there. I had not read a single fiction one. That I found a bit surprising but I was on waitlists for two of them even before I read the list with another in my stack. I did find a couple more "fun" type of books to request that I am looking forward too.

I voted for Flavia too. (Of course, of the posted selections, that was the only one I had read in the mystery category anyway.)

Hmmm....Maybe we need our own Best of 2013 poll. Suggested categories: "Favorite Dead Author", "Favorite Dusty Book", "Well, I Finally Read It and Can't Quite Figure Out the Fuss", etc.

Love this idea. How fun!

I am reading Memoirs of a Geisha and finished The Invisible Wall. Like them both!

I remember enjoying Memoirs when I read it so long ago.

48. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - So much fun. I love books where I can feel clever when I pick up on the allusions and get the jokes. I'm sure there were many that went over my head, too... I've started the next Flavia book; what a great character she is. Worth noting that this one is available for only $2 on the kindle.

I totally love Flavia too & she's one of my favorite characters. Ds adores her too (along with Tiffany Aching in Terry Pratchett's books).

[Stacia]

.

[Stacia]

The latest Thug Notes episode is up on YouTube. This time it's Heart of Darkness.

That's hilarious. I will have to watch more of his book reviews later....

 

Speaking of Heart of Darkness, there's a new version out illustrated by Matt Kish (who did a drawing of Moby Dick for each page):

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Darkness-Matt-Kish/dp/1935639668/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1OX7ZXIA6GEUV&coliid=I3GAGZBWQKUUO8

 

http://flavorwire.com/421836/matt-kishs-brilliant-illustrations-for-joseph-conrads-heart-of-darkness/view-all/

[mlbuchina]

I was planning to start either The Luminaries or The Goldfinch, but I had a library notice waiting for me this morning telling me The Kitchen God's Wife was available. The one thing I don't care for about library ebooks is that they have only a 14 day checkout period with no renewals.That's usually more than enough time for me to finish a book, but if I get busy or another book distracts me, I feel a bit stressed about the library loan. I downloaded it and started it, and so far I'm liking it. Amy Tan is a glaring hole on my already-read list, though she seems to be one of those authors people either love or hate.

 

Hence, no wi-fi on my Kindle.  LOL

 

I feel exactly the same way! As soon as an ebook becomes available, I drop whatever else I'm reading to make sure I finish within the two weeks. It becomes like a mini reading emergency.

 

 

Yes. You can't just choose to hold on to it and pay the fine either. The best you can do is just keep wifi turned off, which then limits your ability to get other books (I'm looking at you mlbuchina and welovetoread  :lol: ).

 

:lol:

 

[edited to remove picture]

 

(Just agreeing with what you said, Jenn. Plus, I figured nobody would mind a little bit of Liam Neeson in the BaW thread. :lol: )

 

 

[edited to remove picture]

 

(A little Johnny Depp never hurts either. ;) :D )

 

I think it's kind of cool you know all that embarrassing stuff. :p

 

Nope, a little Neeson or Depp never hurt anyone.   :drool:

 

Well, in that case, I can recommend a couple more Twi-fanfics that got published.   :coolgleamA:  (Former Twihard, that really just morphed into a RPatz addiction that I don't plan on recovering from.)

 

 

[edited to remove picture]

 

 

:smilielol5:

[Kareni]

Well, in that case, I can recommend a couple more Twi-fanfics that got published. 

 

Recommend away!

 

 

 (Former Twihard, that really just morphed into a RPatz addiction that I don't plan on recovering from.)

 

 

I'll admit ignorance.  What is RPatz?

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Stacia]

.

[mumto2]

It is always so stressful knowing that you can't turn the wifi on. I love ebooks but hate that part!

[Mom-ninja.]

Finished Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

[Stacia]

.

[mlbuchina]

Recommend away!

 

 

 

I'll admit ignorance.  What is RPatz?

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

These two I know for sure are Twilight fanfiction:  Poughkeepsie and The Unidentified Redhead.

 

I think Stacia defined RPatz quite well, actually.   :thumbup:

 

 

 

 

Just for you, girl...

 

[edited to remove picture]

 

:lol:

 

FYI, I know the No! refers to his cigarette but I thought it was appropriate because my reaction to Twilight was...

 

[edited to remove picture]

 

and

 

[edited to remove picture]

 

and

 

[edited to remove picture]

 

(Twilight -- the book I love to hate. Just had to rib 'ya.... ;) :001_tt2: !)

 

 

 

 

RPatz = Robert Pattinson, aka character Edward from the movie version of Twilight.

 

[edited to remove picture] = [edited to remove picture]

 

FYI, I consider him much cuter when in HP....

[edited to remove picture]

 

 

I love Cedric!  I hated that he got killed off.   :sad:

 

Twilight doesn't bother me.  I enjoyed them, but I do think The Host was much better written (the movie did not do the story justice).  I got caught up more in the excitement of all the people than in the books themselves.  It was a fun time.

 

:svengo:  for the pics of Pattinson!  LOL  I believe your reaction to the book is the same as his.  It is well known in the fandom that he hates them.  Personally, my favorite movies with him in it are 

, (a very cute book), and

, (also a wonderful book).   I like Remember Me, as well, but I find it very hard to watch.

 

Oh, and here is the original Christian Grey (50 Shades)   :tongue_smilie: :

 

[edited to remove picture]

[Stacia]

Btw, if you are interested in all the recent changes/censorship/issues that have been going on over at Goodreads lately, it looks like someone has put together a book about it: Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt.

 

You can download a free .pdf of it here.

 

I guess between starting this & reading Washington Irving's musings & notes about his stay at the Alhambra, I *am* actually participating in Non-fiction November, whether or not I really intended to spend time reading non-fiction.

 

:tongue_smilie: :lol:

[Stacia]

I think Stacia defined RPatz quite well, actually.   :thumbup:

 

I love Cedric!  I hated that he got killed off.   :sad:

 

Twilight doesn't bother me.  I enjoyed them, but I do think The Host was much better written (the movie did not do the story justice).  I got caught up more in the excitement of all the people than in the books themselves.  It was a fun time.

 

:svengo:  for the pics of Pattinson!  LOL  I believe your reaction to the book is the same as his.  It is well known in the fandom that he hates them.  Personally, my favorite movies with him in it are 

, (a very cute book), and

, (also a wonderful book).   I like Remember Me, as well, but I find it very hard to watch.

 

I was sorry to see Cedric killed off in the movie too! Wah!

 

I read trashy news (??) magazines, so I know all the 'movie star' antics, which is why I'm pretty well-versed in RPatz & am able to define him. :lol:  (I never saw the Twilight movies, just :cursing:  over the book until Edward started shimmering in a field & that was the end of an already hate-hate relationship I had w/ the book. :ack2: ) I might have gone to see the movie version had it been a mash-up where Buffy & Dracula teamed up & stormed the Twilight movie set to kick some glittering vampire & vapid girlfriend you-know-what.... :biggrinjester:

 

 

[mlbuchina]

Btw, if you are interested in all the recent changes/censorship/issues that have been going on over at Goodreads lately, it looks like someone has put together a book about it: Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt.

 

[edited to remove picture]

 

You can download a free .pdf of it here.

 

 

This looks fascinating.  I have only heard some low grumbling about censorship on Goodreads, but haven't been subjected to it myself, yet.  I look forward to reading your review of this.

[Kareni]

These two I know for sure are Twilight fanfiction:  Poughkeepsie and The Unidentified Redhead.

 

 

Thanks for the titles and the pictures!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mlbuchina]

:o  :o  :o

 

So, I was going through my Kindle library on Amazon, and noticed something.  I OWN The Scottish Prisoner!  LOL  I don't have to read it now, as it is not a library book.   :smilielol5:

 

This means, of course, that I can move on to something I'm more interested in right now.  Yay!  Unfortunately, my illustrated copy of The Princess Bride (it's beautiful!!), was delivered today, too, and I don't know what I want to read first.  I think I am going to try and stay with cleaning out my Kindle, and then read The Princess Bride.  Maybe.  I will read Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales, by Randy Singer on my Kindle.  Just the title is exciting to me.   :D

[Negin]

 

 

 

 

:tongue_smilie:  :lol:

nm

[mumto2]

Floridamom -- Just watched Thug notes :lol:

 

Stacia -- I have been looking at some of the Goodreads revolt info. Not the book just googling. I had no clue. I just go in and log my books, use the lists, read reviews.

 

I also read about the qualifications for a successful write in vote for the goodreads awards. They have to be published in 2013, be on your read shelf, and rated highly by many good reads readers. I had thought Angelmaker would be a good one since many of us read it and enjoyed it but it was published in 2012. Any other ideas?

[Mom-ninja.]

I also didn't know about the Goodreads scandal.

[ladydusk]

Stacia -- I have been looking at some of the Goodreads revolt info. Not the book just googling. I had no clue. I just go in and log my books, use the lists, read reviews.

 

I also read about the qualifications for a successful write in vote for the goodreads awards. They have to be published in 2013, be on your read shelf, and rated highly by many good reads readers. I had thought Angelmaker would be a good one since many of us read it and enjoyed it but it was published in 2012. Any other ideas?

 

I had no idea, either.  Interesting. 

 

I wrote in The Little Way of Ruthie Leming by Rod Dreher  in the Memoir category. 

 

I'm surprised they don't have a Inspirational category.  I'd totally submit Holy is the Day by Carolyn Weber, but I'm not sure it fits there.  I haven't read anything else published in 2013, though LOL.

 

[ladydusk]

We finished Man of the Family by Ralph Moody last night. This is the second book in the Little Britches series. It was excellent.  My son was bawling by the end.  It was a sad ending.  Moody's writing is descriptive and emotive.  We love these books.  That was book 40.  I'm way behind ...

 

I think we'll read Barbara RAiney's Thanksgiving, A Time To Remember next.

 

I'm reading Wolf Hall, through Part One, and it is amazing so far.  I see why people love it!

 

Book Reviews

 

1. The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great by Benjamin Merkle

2. Publish and Perish by Sally S Wright

3. Pride and Predator by Sally S Wright

4. Pursuit and Persuasion by Sally S Wright

5. Out of the Ruins by Sally S Wright

6. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

7. Watches of the Night by Sally S Wright

8. Code of Silence by Sally S Wright

9. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

10. The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield (excellent)

11. Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers

12. Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner

13.The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers

14. The Devil on Lammas Night by Susan Howatch

15. The Pemberley Chronicles by Rebecca Ann Collins

16. The Little Way of Ruthie Leming by Rod Dreher (very very good)

17. The Exact Place: a memoir by Margie L Haack

18. Lord Peter Views The Body by Dorothy L Sayers

19. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers

20. Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym

21. Men of Iron by Howard Pyle (audio book)

22. Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary (audio book)

23. No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym

24. How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig

25. Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey

26. Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian

27. Covenant Child by Terri Blackstock

28. Shadow in Serenity by Terri Blackstock

29. The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L Sayers

30. Alexander and the Wonderful, Marvelous, Excellent, Terrific Ninety Days by Judith Viorst

31. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard

32. Have His Carcase by Dorothy L Sayers

33. Leonardo and the Last Supper by Ross King

34. Hangman's Holiday by Dorothy L Sayers

35. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann R Wyss (audio book)

36. Holy is the Day by Carolyn Weber (Book of the year. Fantastic)

37. The Tanglewoods' Secret by Patricia St. John (Audio Book)

38. Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L Sayers

39. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card 

40. Man of the Family by Ralph Moody (Family Read Aloud)

[Lady Florida.]

I was sorry to see Cedric killed off in the movie too! Wah!

 

I read trashy news (??) magazines, so I know all the 'movie star' antics, which is why I'm pretty well-versed in RPatz & am able to define him. :lol:  (I never saw the Twilight movies, just :cursing:  over the book until Edward started shimmering in a field & that was the end of an already hate-hate relationship I had w/ the book. :ack2: ) I might have gone to see the movie version had it been a mash-up where Buffy & Dracula teamed up & stormed the Twilight movie set to kick some glittering vampire & vapid girlfriend you-know-what.... :biggrinjester:

 

I read all the books though to this day I don't know why I kept going.  :lol: After seeing the first movie, I decided I was done with the franchise. I like Ginny better. 

 

 

This looks fascinating.  I have only heard some low grumbling about censorship on Goodreads, but haven't been subjected to it myself, yet.  I look forward to reading your review of this.

 

That's mostly how I use Goodreads too. Like you I heard about the censorship but it hasn't affected me. I do belong to a few groups there, but I'm not very active. In one of the groups a person recently changed her name to include "censored by goodreads".

 

That's hilarious. I will have to watch more of his book reviews later....

 

 

 

 

Floridamom -- Just watched Thug notes :lol:

 

 

 

I couldn't remember if it was mentioned here or not. I don't recall how I first heard of it, but I love it. Here's a little about Sparky Sweets and his inspiration for Thug Notes.

 

 

 

I'm reading Wolf Hall, through Part One, and it is amazing so far.  I see why people love it!

 

 

 

That's on my to read list for next year.

[Kareni]

I read and enjoyed Midnight Scandals a compilation of three historical romance novellas by Courtney Milan, Carolyn Jewel, and Sherry Thomas.  The stories were all set at the same location but were separated in time (early to late 1800s England).

 

Reading that book had me rereading the historical romance novella The Governess Affair (The Brothers Sinister) by Courtney Milan.  I recommend it.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[-M-]

Speaking of Heart of Darkness, there's a new version out illustrated by Matt Kish (who did a drawing of Moby Dick for each page):

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Darkness-Matt-Kish/dp/1935639668/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1OX7ZXIA6GEUV&coliid=I3GAGZBWQKUUO8

 

http://flavorwire.com/421836/matt-kishs-brilliant-illustrations-for-joseph-conrads-heart-of-darkness/view-all/

 

The Misses and I ♥ Kish's MD book. Must look into the new work.

 

Speaking of Moby Dick, we will see the sculpture I mentioned in a previous post later this week. (*smile*)

 

I read Divergent (Veronica Roth) in two sittings last week, and I can't help but ask, Really? Why? [insert a shrug and a "Meh."] I may need to set aside my affection for YA lit, although Neal Shusterman's UnSouled was delivered last week. Hmmmm. We'll see.

 

As I mentioned elsewhere on these forums, the Misses and I are knee-deep in Stephen Mitchell's translation of The Iliad, a work we decided to revisit when the Court Theatre announced its intent to restage An Iliad with award-winning Timothy Edward Kane reprising his role in the one-man show. (Can you hear the geek Squeeee! coming from our house?)

 

I am also actively reading Alice Munroe's 1974 collection, Something I've Been Meaning to Tell You, among other books in progress. Oh, and Diane Setterfield's Bellman & Black arrived in today's post.

[Stacia]

I believe your reaction to the book is the same as his. It is well known in the fandom that he hates them. Personally, my favorite movies with him in it are The Bad Mother's Handbook, (a very cute book), and Water For Elephants, (also a wonderful book). I like Remember Me, as well, but I find it very hard to watch.

Well, I wasn't against RPatz in the first place (just against Twilight), but knowing he hates the book too makes him go up in my estimation! Lol.

 

Stacia, how do you find all your fabulously hilarious gifs? Where do you search? How do you go about it? Teach me, teach me, please, when and if you have the time. :)

I begged Michele (mlbuchina) for this info too. Turns out it's super-easy. Google Images is your friend. Just search for whatever emotion or topic you're wanting & add 'gif' on the search. So, something like 'laughing gif' or 'clapping gif' or 'slapping head gif'. I can't see what the images actually do in the Google preview box, so I have to click on/go to the actual page to see them. Once I'm there on the page, I just copy the image, then paste it here. Have fun googling! Looking forward to you joining the gif party too, lol.

 

I also didn't know about the Goodreads scandal.

I've known about it for awhile now because some of the people I'm friends with &/or people I follow over there have been affected. Lots of GR readers are leaving & setting up over at BookLikes, I think as a back-up to see how the GR mess will eventually fall out. I created a page over at BookLikes too, though I've done little over there except import all my book files from GR.

I'm reading Wolf Hall, through Part One, and it is amazing so far. I see why people love it!

I started reading that a couple of years ago & quite enjoyed it. I couldn't renew it from the library, though, & ended up not finishing it in time. The indefinite pronoun references drove me crazy ("he" was used way too many times in the book & at time was so confusing because almost every character is a "he"). I would like to read it someday, but would need to start over from the beginning....

I read all the books though to this day I don't know why I kept going. :lol: After seeing the first movie, I decided I was done with the franchise. I like Ginny better.

 

That's mostly how I use Goodreads too. Like you I heard about the censorship but it hasn't affected me. I do belong to a few groups there, but I'm not very active. In one of the groups a person recently changed her name to include "censored by goodreads".

Love the pics. LOL.

 

The censorship hasn't personally affected me either. But, I'm very anti-censorship in the first place (hence my siggy line) & think that amazon is treading in all the wrong places with the way they have handled this whole thing. (Yes, I realize that amazon is a corporation not a government, but the whole censorship thing raises my hackles anyway.)

 

I'm not usually into business case study/reading type stuff, but I find this a fascinating case of corporate policy/decisions (the wrong ones, imo) vs. the power of the internet.

 

I'll walk away from my soapbox now....

The Misses and I ♥ Kish's MD book. Must look into the new work.

 

...

 

Oh, and Diane Setterfield's Bellman & Black arrived in today's post.

I love Heart of Darkness & would love to get a copy of Kish's version....

 

Looking forward to reading what you think of Setterfield's new novel.

[ladydusk]

I started reading that a couple of years ago & quite enjoyed it. I couldn't renew it from the library, though, & ended up not finishing it in time. The indefinite pronoun references drove me crazy ("he" was used way too many times in the book & at time was so confusing because almost every character is a "he"). I would like to read it someday, but would need to start over from the beginning....

 

Antecedents to the pronoun are very helpful but I think the avoidance is on purpose, here.  I remembered there was some book you had problems with that, and that you had read part of Wolf Hall, but not that these were one and the same LOL. 

 

It is the next book for our library's reading group so they have a bunch of copies right now.  Shouldn't have any problems with renewals - yay!

[Lady Florida.]

 

 

 

I started reading that a couple of years ago & quite enjoyed it. I couldn't renew it from the library, though, & ended up not finishing it in time. The indefinite pronoun references drove me crazy ("he" was used way too many times in the book & at time was so confusing because almost every character is a "he"). I would like to read it someday, but would need to start over from the beginning....

 

 

 

 

I seem to remember reading somewhere that most people who didn't like it, listed the pronoun issue as one of the reasons.

[Jane in NC]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that most people who didn't like it, listed the pronoun issue as one of the reasons.

 

I liked it (gave it four stars) but the pronoun issue did annoy me. 

[Stacia]

Antecedents to the pronoun are very helpful but I think the avoidance is on purpose, here. I remembered there was some book you had problems with that, and that you had read part of Wolf Hall, but not that these were one and the same LOL.

 

It is the next book for our library's reading group so they have a bunch of copies right now. Shouldn't have any problems with renewals - yay!

Why would unclear antecedent references be used on purpose? :confused1:

 

Just wondering if I was missing something when reading or if the author was trying to do something w/ the unclear references & I missed it...?

 

I know when I was reading it, the sequel had recently come out & was getting lots of buzz (and the Booker prize). I think the library had quite a wait list on Wolf Hall because people wanted to read the second book but figured they had better read the original one first. I'd probably be ok getting it now. Nice that your library is doing it for the reading group. :thumbup1:

[Onceuponatime]

I just finished Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.  I was fascinated by the historical/cultural aspect, but I really don't know how I feel about the story. I'm still trying to process it.

 

I'm almost done with The Universe in a Single Atom. The Dalai Lama again pulls in the history of Buddhist philosophy and science, and trys to show how it is open ended enough to engage with modern science without being dogmatic. He discusses his own science education and how he has spent time meeting with and learning from top minds in the field. The last part is addressing the consciousness, where he believes science can benefit by also being open minded and examining religious traditions of meditation and mindfulness and how they physically affect the body, mind, and behavior.

[ladydusk]

Why would unclear antecedent references be used on purpose?  :confused1:

 

 

Just wondering if I was missing something when reading or if the author was trying to do something w/ the unclear references & I missed it...?

 

I know when I was reading it, the sequel had recently come out & was getting lots of buzz (and the Booker prize). I think the library had quite a wait list on Wolf Hall because people wanted to read the second book but figured they had better read the original one first. I'd probably be ok getting it now. Nice that your library is doing it for the reading group. :thumbup1:

 

I wondered, in the conversation between Thomas Cromwell and Archbishop Wolsey if she wasn't trying to make them seem so close, so on the same thought-pattern, that it didn't really matter which of them said it.  Maybe? I'm not very far into the story, though.

 

[Lady Florida.]

Simple Pleasures:

 

My bluetooth headset came this afternoon. I got a few gift cards for my birthday, and combined them for the one item. I wanted it so I can listen to my audio books without the cord getting caught on everything. Just to try it out, I mopped the kitchen floor (which needed mopping anyway). I love the difference it makes!

[melmichigan]

So far this week I've read:

 

Archangel's Legion (Guild Hunter) by Nalini Singh. 
Take Me Home for Christmas (Whiskey Creek) by Brenda Novak.

Born Wild: Black Knights Inc. by Julie Ann Walker.  

 

I enjoyed each one. :)  Nalini Singh remains my favorite new author for the year.

 

[Luckymama]

Born Wild: Black Knights Inc. by Julie Ann Walker.

 

.

Is this her newest book in the series? If do, how did it compare to the others, assuming you read those?

[mlbuchina]

 

I've known about it for awhile now because some of the people I'm friends with &/or people I follow over there have been affected. Lots of GR readers are leaving & setting up over at BookLikes, I think as a back-up to see how the GR mess will eventually fall out. I created a page over at BookLikes too, though I've done little over there except import all my book files from GR.

 

 

The censorship hasn't personally affected me either. But, I'm very anti-censorship in the first place (hence my siggy line) & think that amazon is treading in all the wrong places with the way they have handled this whole thing. (Yes, I realize that amazon is a corporation not a government, but the whole censorship thing raises my hackles anyway.)

 

[edited to remove picture]

 

I'm not usually into business case study/reading type stuff, but I find this a fascinating case of corporate policy/decisions (the wrong ones, imo) vs. the power of the internet.

 

I'll walk away from my soapbox now....

 

 

Saw this on fb, and thought of you, Stacia.   :)

 

[edited to remove picture]

[melmichigan]

Is this her newest book in the series? If do, how did it compare to the others, assuming you read those?

 

Yes, this is the newest one, it came out yesterday.  It is Eve and Billy's story.   I'm not sure if it's because we already know these characters or why exactly, I can't quite narrow down specifics, but this one just isn't quite on par with the others for me.  I still read it in one sitting.   ;)

[melmichigan]

Going through the "Best of 2013" list, I found one I have read!  The only problem is, I read it when it was Twilight fanfic a couple of years ago.  I guess I shouldn't vote for it, as I haven't read the changed version, huh?   :tongue_smilie:   In the romance category, Beautiful B*stard is a Twilight fanfic turned published novel.  The fanfic was ok.  My favorite fanfic turned published novel is Gabriel's Inferno, by Sylvian Reynard.  Reynard's Gabriel, aka Edward, is a tortured soul, but not near as messed up as 50 Shade's Christian, aka Edward.

 

Why do I suddenly feel embarrassed that I know these things...?   :leaving:

The sample of Gabriel's Inferno has been sitting on my kindle forever.  I might just have to give it a try now.   :laugh:

[Shawneinfl]

Just finished Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. It was a quick read and I liked it so much I checked out Still Alice which I will read in the car this weekend. We are hoping to drive north far enough to see the leaves changing color. Fall has barely registered where I live.

[Stacia]

Just got notification (though one of my Goodreads groups) that Chronicle Books will be sending me a copy of The Clockwork Scarab. Yipee. Haven't ever won a book before!

 

Hopefully the book will turn out to be as fun as its description. Kirkus Reviews says:

A vampire slayer and a great detective (-in-training) fight baddies in a steam-powered London.

 

Alvermina “Mina†Holmes is thrilled when she’s invited to a secret rendezvous at the British Museum; she’ll finally prove herself a fitting successor to her famous uncle Sherlock. The mystery she finds is every bit as fascinating as she could have hoped: bloody murders, a secret society, even a time traveler. Along with pesky vampire slayer Evaline Stoker, Mina investigates the mysterious Society of Sekhmet. Mina deduces, while Evaline (ever ladylike in her split skirts) does violence to their enemies. Between attacking villains and questioning her own prowess, elegant Evaline develops warm feelings for a common thief named Pix. Meanwhile, Mina is troubled by her attraction to the almost-as-clever-as-she-is Inspector Grayling. Some elements fall flat: The time traveler’s Nikes and “egg mick-muffins†clash with the tone, and Pix’s over-the-top guttersnipe dialect—“No’ all of ’em ’re trueâ€â€”is pure distraction. Nonetheless, the budding friendship between the bickering girls brings heart into this gadget-laden mystery. While Pix and Inspector Grayling will clearly provide romantic interest in forthcoming volumes, it’s the snarky bromance between Stoker and Holmes that stands out.

 

The mishmash of popular tropes (steampunk! vampires! Sherlock Holmes!) will bring readers in, but it’s the friendship between the two girls that will keep them. (Steampunk/mystery. 12-16)

 

 

(Am I the only one who finds it weird to see videos promoting new book releases?)

 

If anyone is interested, the GR group posted a discount code if you want to order the book through the publisher....

Get 30% off + FREE ground shipping on THE CLOCKWORK SCARAB: A STOKER AND HOLMES NOVEL

Use code STEAMPUNK at Checkout.

Expires 11/15/13.

Go to chroniclebooks.com to use the code.

 

(Or, looking at the Chronicle Books website, it looks like they have the same deal posted there, using SCARAB as the code at checkout.)

[Stacia]

I just finished Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. I was fascinated by the historical/cultural aspect, but I really don't know how I feel about the story. I'm still trying to process it.

 

I'm almost done with The Universe in a Single Atom. The Dalai Lama again pulls in the history of Buddhist philosophy and science, and trys to show how it is open ended enough to engage with modern science without being dogmatic. He discusses his own science education and how he has spent time meeting with and learning from top minds in the field. The last part is addressing the consciousness, where he believes science can benefit by also being open minded and examining religious traditions of meditation and mindfulness and how they physically affect the body, mind, and behavior.

I loved Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. It's one of my favorite books.

 

Thanks for the info on The Universe in a Single Atom. It sounds great & I hope I can find a copy to read.

I wondered, in the conversation between Thomas Cromwell and Archbishop Wolsey if she wasn't trying to make them seem so close, so on the same thought-pattern, that it didn't really matter which of them said it. Maybe? I'm not very far into the story, though.

 

That's perhaps a way to look at it. Maybe that was a nuance I missed. If/when I read it, I will try to keep that in mind.... (I will be curious to see if you find that to be true the further along you get in the story.) From what I remember, the pronoun issue wasn't just in sections w/ Cromwell & Wolsey though, it was something that happened at different times with different character combos. (I know it must be hard to refrain from using "he" or "him" so much with numerous male characters, but I wish her editor would have done her the favor of dealing with that issue prior to publishing.)

Simple Pleasures:

 

My bluetooth headset came this afternoon. I got a few gift cards for my birthday, and combined them for the one item. I wanted it so I can listen to my audio books without the cord getting caught on everything. Just to try it out, I mopped the kitchen floor (which needed mopping anyway). I love the difference it makes!

Very cool!

[Stacia]

Just finished Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. It was a quick read and I liked it so much I checked out Still Alice which I will read in the car this weekend. We are hoping to drive north far enough to see the leaves changing color. Fall has barely registered where I live.

Shawne, good to see you in here again.

 

Hope you get to see some lovely autumn trees!

[mlbuchina]

Here's an interesting little blogpost about bestsellers that got their start during NaNoWriMo.  I had no idea some of these started out that way.  :)

[Kareni]

Here's an interesting little blogpost about bestsellers that got their start during NaNoWriMo.  I had no idea some of these started out that way.   :)

 

That is neat, Michele.  Thanks for sharing the link.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Lady Florida.]

Interesting. The Night Circus has been pretty popular hasn't it? I haven't read it and most likely won't but I know quite a few people who did. I read the Wool books, and will eventually read the rest of the series.

[mlbuchina]

Interesting. The Night Circus has been pretty popular hasn't it? I haven't read it and most likely won't but I know quite a few people who did. I read the Wool books, and will eventually read the rest of the series.

 

I really enjoyed The Night Circus, and I love Water for Elephants.  I remember staying up all night reading Water for Elephants.  I was at the end of the book around 5 in the morning, at the foot of my bed, on my knees, bouncing up and down, cheering Jacob on, and trying not to wake up my dh.   :lol:   I haven't read the other books, so my TBR pile grows ever larger.

 

Any particular reason why you think won't read The Night Circus?

[mlbuchina]

Kareni, here is another published fanfic that I found.  Wallbanger, by Alice Clayton.

 

Do/did you read a lot of fanfic?  I used to, but I don't anymore.  I remember there being some really good stories being written, as well as some really REALLY bad ones.  LOL