mumto2 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Stacia -- Looking forward to your review of " Clockwork Scarab". Sounds like a good one. I have never won a book either so it sounds like fun. Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 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. Stacia, thank you! :grouphug: This is so helpful. I wish that gifs would work on Facebook, but here and on Goodreads is fine with me :D. And my daughter and I LOVE Wednesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Regarding taking notes: Thank you, Ladydusk, Violet Crown, Mom-ninja and Eliana! I have been taking notes on Frankenstein in a notebook. I would never have thought about takking notes on index cards, but I'm going to try it while reading Poe! I finished The Immortal Life of Henriette Lacks . I had to really force myself to finish it. I found the idea of writing about the woman behind the most used cell line in medical science interesting, but the rest of the book was just too foreign to me. It was a weird mix of hero worship and constant references to how special Henrietta was by her family (without anything backing that up), coupled with their complete non-understanding about science. It made me go :blink: . I finished The Smartest Kids in the World - Amanda Ripley. It was an interesting read although I would have liked more information about Finnish educational practice. There were several confusing statements, about the Finnish not testing students except for an end-of-high-school test, while in another chapter it mentions that of course Finnish students get tested at the end of every term and course. Say huh? It made me better understand the state of education in America and made me realise that the Dutch educational system isn't so bad at all, at least at the higher tracks. Yesterday I finished Frankenstein! You were right, it was nothing like I had imagined. I had this idea in my head that it was about a monster in a dark laboratory with lots of creeping around :D. I found it interesting, especially the idea that you need to be happy to be virtous.... I'm starting the selections from Poe today. Are they scary??? :lol: ---------- 12. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley11. The Smartest Kids in the World - Amanda Ripley10. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot9. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll8. Dracula - Bram Stoker7. Balzac and the little Chinese Seamstress - Daj Sijie6. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath5. Shards of a Broken Crown (Serpentwar Saga book 4) - Raymond E. Feist4. Divergent - Veronica Roth3. The Pleasure of Reading in the Age of Distraction - Alan Jacobs (reread)2. Dream of Joy - Lisa See1. The Shallows - Nicholas Carr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Hi, this is Dd. Some of them are more along the lines of very creepy. I don't think they're above Dracula and Frankenstein. But there aren't any monsters. The Hawthorne isn't at all scary though. I think you'll be all right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Hi, this is Dd. Some of them are more along the lines of very creepy. I don't think they're above Dracula and Frankenstein. But there aren't any monsters. The Hawthorne isn't at all scary though. I think you'll be all right. Thank you! I appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I finished "The Golem and the Jinni" and enjoyed it quite a bit. I liked the way it all came together in the end. It was not at all what I expected from the description but satisfying none the less. It is going to disappear from my kindle in a couple of hours if wifi is on so relief at being done pretty high too! I am looking forward to getting back to "Frankenstein " now in order to compare with the Golem. :lol: Before I do that I have a CE Murphy called "Urban Shaman" that was recommended here to try. In 36 hours it will disappear..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 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, I found a few new books to add to my list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 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 Ah, I recently read and enjoyed Wallbanger; now I have the author's Redhead books on request at the library. I want to say that I've never read fanfiction, but that's not quite true. I have a number of favorite Star Trek novels that would have to be considered seventies and eighties era fanfic! (My just graduated from college daughter reads considerable fanfic though. And she liked those Star Trek novels, too.) I've just not read any online fanfiction. I am looking forward to getting back to "Frankenstein " now in order to compare with the Golem. :lol: Before I do that I have a CE Murphy called "Urban Shaman" that was recommended here to try. In 36 hours it will disappear..... I've enjoyed that CE Murphy book as well as others of hers. Have fun! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Finished listening to Lisa Lutz's screwball mystery The Spellman Files. The Spellmans are a dysfunctional family--and detectives. I wanted something lightweight to occupy me after my surgery a month ago. This one did the trick, I suppose. I fell asleep during both disks one and two--and never felt like I missed anything. With that less than stellar recommendation, I offer this book on CD to anyone who might need a distraction. No blood or gore in this mystery. Send me a PM if you are interested. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 The paperback is in my stack......not sure why I requested it but it must have been recommended somewhere. Finished listening to Lisa Lutz's screwball mystery The Spellman Files. The Spellmans are a dysfunctional family--and detectives. I wanted something lightweight to occupy me after my surgery a month ago. This one did the trick, I suppose. I fell asleep during both disks one and two--and never felt like I missed anything. With that less than stellar recommendation, I offer this book on CD to anyone who might need a distraction. No blood or gore in this mystery. Send me a PM if you are interested. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I have an entire board on her (and Daria) on Pinterest and I just added your GIF to it. :) OMGosh. Back in my pre-mom working life (tech writing/editing/publishing), my boss constantly & adamantly compared me to Daria. I had never seen Daria (still haven't, come to think of it, except for a short clip or two on Youtube), but she said Daria is *me*. Daria must have my same charming, atonal, dry wit. ;) :lol: Anyway, don't know if all that is good or bad, just is what it is. Such a trip to hear of Daria again. LOL. I finished The Immortal Life of Henriette Lacks . I had to really force myself to finish it. I found the idea of writing about the woman behind the most used cell line in medical science interesting, but the rest of the book was just too foreign to me. It was a weird mix of hero worship and constant references to how special Henrietta was by her family (without anything backing that up), coupled with their complete non-understanding about science. It made me go :blink: . Thanks for the review. I've heard so many recommend this book & I feel like I should read it, yet I just never really want to check it out from the library & actually read it. You make me feel ok about not checking it out, lol. I finished "The Golem and the Jinni" and enjoyed it quite a bit. I liked the way it all came together in the end. It was not at all what I expected from the description but satisfying none the less. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Maybe I'll get to this one in 2014. I've had this one on my TBR for a while. Our library system doesn't have it, though, so I've got to wait 6 months for ILL. The premise has a lot of potential; I hope the writing is good. YA can go either way, in my experience. Yeah, the premise of The Clockwork Scarab seems pretty good, but YA is not my genre of choice. We'll see. Even if it's not totally up my alley, dd might enjoy it. Middlemarch is one of my favorite books ever. I ration out my rereads so I don't overread it, but it is woven into my heart and mind, and shaped me in ways I can't even begin to articulate. I first read it at 14 or 15 and then once or twice a year for a while afterwards, and each time it has given me new insights, a deeper compassion, and a stronger awareness of the butterfly effect in human relations.... I think I must have completely missed the boat on Middlemarch. (Of course, that doesn't actually make me want to go back & try reading it again... :laugh: .) Your mention of the butterfly effect made me think of Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell: Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future. What an incredible book. When you've processed, I would be very interested to hear your reactions. This book has been sitting on my lists for a long time, but I keep setting it aside and not quite being in the right space for it... hearing more reactions might help clarify my intentions. (I just had a weird vision of an author looming over me querying my 'intentions' toward his/her progeny.... too many Regency books I think...) Still chiming in to highly recommend Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. It is a gem of a book; a book for lovers of books. I do believe there are different types of literature that serve different purposes, and which have different shelf lives, but the practically moral judgementalism about reading bothers me deeply. The last part of his quote made tears spring to my eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 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 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? I'm curious too, Kathy. :001_smile: (I loved The Night Circus for the lush descriptions. It made me think of Cirque du Soleil inside my brain.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Here's a post I found on the Tor site. Since it pertains to books, it may interest some here. Not to mention, the first sentence uses the phrase 'hive mind'. Literary Bastards of Magnificence by Leah Schnelbach Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Ah, and a link to Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 2013. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Here's a post I found on the Tor site. Since it pertains to books, it may interest some here. Not to mention, the first sentence uses the phrase 'hive mind'. Literary Bastards of Magnificence by Leah Schnelbach Regards, Kareni Even though I haven't read most of those books, it was fun to read all about the bad guys. Lol. Ah, and a link to Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 2013. Regards, Kareni Ah, more ideas for 2014 for me.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 About Twilight... I persisted past the glittering, because I wanted to so much for there to be some agency for Bella, some transformation, some growth, some at least slightly healthier approach to relationship. (I was foolish enough to start the second book, which infuriated me in a way books rarely do, skimmed through, glanced at a tiny bit of the third book & then read about the fourth online... all in the hopes that the crazy, dysfunctional messages to young women about relationships and romance would get countered, moved beyond, *something*. I feel guilty hating on a book... perhaps if I didn't have teen & pre-teen daughters... no, I think this would bother me anyway as something teens were imprinting on as 'romantic'. (I'm not proposing libraries censor it, or anything dreadful, though I would object to it as part of a literature course, and I chose not to allow it in our home...) As reading material for adults... well, whatever floats someone's boat! I haven't seen the movies, but I remember seeing a Twlight/Buffy mashup (I've never seen Buffy either) which paired Edward's stalking with Buffy's take no nonsense... and ends with her staking Edward. It might have been this. The first link is the mashup and it is BRILLIANT!! Love it. I read the books when they were all the craze among the teens I knew and worked with. They were thrilled I was reading them, and I confess to getting a guilty kick out of the first one. BUT, that second book infuriated me, too, and the last book "jumped the shark" as they say in pop culture. It was too bizarre. Buffy is a far cooler pop-culture role model, (if there have to be role models in pop culture). I saw a couple of the movies with my then college aged niece, and we'd have fun tearing it apart afterwards. I used to threaten my youngest son, who was a young teen when the first movies came out, that I would drag him to the movie theater, tie him in a chair and make him watch a Twilight movie if he didn't behave himself!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 OMGosh. Back in my pre-mom working life (tech writing/editing/publishing), my boss constantly & adamantly compared me to Daria. I had never seen Daria (still haven't, come to think of it, except for a short clip or two on Youtube), but she said Daria is *me*. Daria must have my same charming, atonal, dry wit. ;) :lol: Anyway, don't know if all that is good or bad, just is what it is. Such a trip to hear of Daria again. LOL. Yes, it's great :lol: ! We love Daria. Dd is so much like her also. I always knew that you are one of my favorite online friends and I wish so much that I knew you in real life. Still chiming in to highly recommend Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. It is a gem of a book; a book for lovers of books. :iagree: Fabulous book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Any particular reason why you think won't read The Night Circus? I'm curious too, Kathy. :001_smile: (I loved The Night Circus for the lush descriptions. It made me think of Cirque du Soleil inside my brain.) Where would you place it? Fantasy? Magic? Magical realism? Romance? All genres I will happily skip. I'm not sure why I enjoyed the Harry Potter series because that too falls in with genres I don't like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 When you've processed, I would be very interested to hear your reactions. This book has been sitting on my lists for a long time, but I keep setting it aside and not quite being in the right space for it... hearing more reactions might help clarify my intentions. (I just had a weird vision of an author looming over me querying my 'intentions' toward his/her progeny.... too many Regency books I think...) In spite of being a novel, it felt as though I had read a short story. The images were clear, vivid, and engaging. The ending had the abruptness of a short story with that feeling that we are being told something profound. I think my problem is I can't quite figure out what that is and if it has anything to do with me. I'm glad I read it, but it's not on my list of favorites. However, I can't explain why. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I have spent the last two and a half weeks reading Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. It took forever, there just didn't seem to be any time where I was reading and just couldn't stop turning the pages. The story was interesting enough, but overall the book was pretty dry. I liked the subject matter, India really interests me, but for some reason this just wasn't holding my attention. I've done quite a few pretty heady books in a row, so this week I'm indulging in some brain candy to hopefully clear the cobwebs and get me through the Thanksgiving and end of semester nuttiness. 1 - All The King's Men – Robert Penn Warren 27 - Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden 2 - A Stranger in a Strange Land – Robert Heinlein 28 - Selected Short Stories - William Faulkner3 - A Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood 29 - 100 Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez4 - Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger 30 - Dune - Frank Herbert5 - Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury 31 - Alchemist - Paulo Coelho6 - The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck 32 - One Day in the Life o Ivan Desinovich - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn7 – Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie 33 - Beloved - Toni Morrison8 – The Illustrated Man – Ray Bradbury 34 - Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh9 – The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald 35 - Dimanche - Irene Nemirovsky10 – The Hiding Place – Corrie Ten Boom 36 - Babbitt - Sinclair Lewis 11 – The Square Foot Garden – Mel Bartholomew 37 - Franny and Zooey - J.D. Salinger 12 - Catch-22- Joseph Heller 38 - A Death in Venice - Thomas Mann13 - Heart of Darkness- Joseph Conrad 39 - Sister Carrie - Theodore Drieser14 - Partners in Crime - Agatha Christie 40 - The Trial - Franz Kafka15 - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 41 - The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner16 -O, Pioneers!- Willa Cather 42 - Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera17 - Miss Marple - The Complete Short Story Collection - Agatha Christie 43 - Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie18 - Ringworld - Larry Niven19 - Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man- James Joyce20 - Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut21 - To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee22 - Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin23 - The Adventures of Augie March - Saul Bellow24 - The War of the Worlds- H.G Wells25 - The Girl with the Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier 26 - The Golden Ball and Other Stories - Agatha Christie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I finished The Universe in a Single Atom. He ended the book with a timely discussion of the need to come up with a universal ethic for the science of genetics. I find I like listening to the Dalai Lama's "voice." His brand of Buddhism is easy for me to connect with. I still don't get reincarnation though, and I don't expect that to change. I finished reading Journey to the River Sea aloud to my 9yo and since I had never read it before, I'm counting it in my book list. I'm currently reading The Name of This Book is Secret, to myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinchick Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 On The Night Circus: Where would you place it? Fantasy? Magic? Magical realism? Romance? All genres I will happily skip. I'm not sure why I enjoyed the Harry Potter series because that too falls in with genres I don't like. Normally this book wouldn't have been my thing, either, but I really enjoyed it. I tried to read it and didn't make it very far, but I gave it another shot on audio and loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I used to threaten my youngest son, who was a young teen when the first movies came out, that I would drag him to the movie theater, tie him in a chair and make him watch a Twilight movie if he didn't behave himself!! :lol: Yes, it's great :lol: ! We love Daria. Dd is so much like her also. I always knew that you are one of my favorite online friends and I wish so much that I knew you in real life. Aw! I wish I could meet you irl, Negin. I know we'd get along like a house on fire (to quote Miss Tick from Terry Pratchett)! :001_smile: :grouphug: In spite of being a novel, it felt as though I had read a short story. The images were clear, vivid, and engaging. The ending had the abruptness of a short story with that feeling that we are being told something profound. I think my problem is I can't quite figure out what that is and if it has anything to do with me. I'm glad I read it, but it's not on my list of favorites. However, I can't explain why. :) To me, it's like a little treat of a novella. And, I loved that the ending had a little bit of a bite or twist like a proper folktale. I finished The Universe in a Single Atom. He ended the book with a timely discussion of the need to come up with a universal ethic for the science of genetics. I find I like listening to the Dalai Lama's "voice." His brand of Buddhism is easy for me to connect with. I still don't get reincarnation though, and I don't expect that to change. I finished reading Journey to the River Sea aloud to my 9yo and since I had never read it before, I'm counting it in my book list. I'm currently reading The Name of This Book is Secret, to myself. The Dalai Lama book sounds great. Thanks again for mentioning it. Ds loves The Name of This Book is Secret (& the whole series). On The Night Circus: Normally this book wouldn't have been my thing, either, but I really enjoyed it. I tried to read it and didn't make it very far, but I gave it another shot on audio and loved it. :thumbup1: I think Jim Dale (who read the HP books) also did the audio version for The Night Circus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinchick Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 :thumbup1: I think Jim Dale (who read the HP books) also did the audio version for The Night Circus. Yes, that was him! Great reading. He has a cool accent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I've enjoyed that CE Murphy book as well as others of hers. Have fun! Regards, Kareni I also have a library paperback of "The Queen's Bastard" by C.E. Murphy. Pretty sure it is the first in a different series. Have you read that one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I also have a library paperback of "The Queen's Bastard" by C.E. Murphy. Pretty sure it is the first in a different series. Have you read that one? Yes, I have. It starts out as though it's historical fiction and then adds in a paranormal element. Also interesting is her Negotiator series which starts with Heart of Stone (The Negotiator Trilogy, Book 1) Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Also interesting is her Negotiator series which starts with Heart of Stone (The Negotiator Trilogy, Book 1) Regards, Kareni Just checked that one out too! Can't resist gargoyles. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 On The Night Circus: Normally this book wouldn't have been my thing, either, but I really enjoyed it. I tried to read it and didn't make it very far, but I gave it another shot on audio and loved it. It's true, there have been a number of books I didn't think I'd like but ended up being surprised. However, my TBR list is so long right now that I don't need to add something I normally-wouldn't-but-might-like. Maybe one day, but not anytime soon. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 "Knife of Dreams" by Robert Jordan "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" by C.S. Lewis "Crossroads of Twilight" by Robert Jordan "Prince Caspian" by C.S. Lewis "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis "Winter's Heart" by Robert Jordan "The Path of Daggers" by Robert Jordan "A Crown of Swords" by Robert Jordan "Lord of Chaos" by Robert Jordan "The Fires of Heaven" by Robert Jordan "The Shadow Rising" by Robert Jordan "The Dragon Reborn" by Robert Jordan "The Great Hunt" by Robert Jordan "The Eye of the World " by Robert Jordan I finished #11 in the Wheel of Time series, "Knife of Dreams" by Robert Jordan. The boring books (#9 & #10) are behind me. I am now eagerly reading in all my spare time to get through the rest of the series. I can't wait to get to the last book! I didn't think I was going to get through them by the end of the year (my goal) but now, maybe. I also read "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" this week. I'm teaching a co-op class on the Chronicles of Narnia, and we are reading a book a month :) My dd's and my dh are making the biggest "To Be Read" pile for me when I'm done with my Robert Jordan series. Dh has finally gotten back into reading and is anxious for me to read some of his books. On his list is "The Overton Window" by Glen Beck and "Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25" by Richard Paul Evans. Actually, he and dd13 have devoured the three books in the Michael Vey series in a matter of weeks. Dh says it is up there with Harry Potter (I'm skeptical LOL) and dd says it is better than "The Mysterious Benedict Society" (her current favorite series). It came at a good time for her, though, as the new Percy Jackson has had controversy and I now have to read it first. :mad: Not pleased with Rick Riordan at the moment. Dd19 has "Divergent" (thanks to you guys) on the top of her list for me to read. I don't know how long it will be before I can read anything in my own To Be Read pile ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I just finished Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux. "A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case. Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work after his case blows up in his face. He's cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does. But when he's paired with Special Agent Zane Garrett, it's hate at first sight. Garrett is the perfect image of an agent: serious, sober, and focused, which makes their partnership a classic cliché: total opposites, good cop-bad cop, the odd couple. They both know immediately that their partnership will pose more of an obstacle than the lack of evidence left by the murderer. Practically before their special assignment starts, the murderer strikes again – this time at them. Now on the run, trying to track down a man who has focused on killing his pursuers, Grady and Garrett will have to figure out how to work together before they become two more notches in the murderer's knife." I enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading more in this series. This is a book with definite adult content as the main characters have a physical relationship. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 8, 2013 Author Share Posted November 8, 2013 Exactly! Working on James Rollins Sand Storm. My, my! Y'all are having too much fun without me. Met with IRS yesterday for audit and it's far from over. Seems I've got a very complicated way of doing things. Will meet in another month. Meanwhile, was fighting a cold and made it through the day. I let go today, so being extremely lazy. sniff, sniff. And my brains too fuzzy to try and quote. My dad asked me what I wanted for my birthday which is still a couple weeks away and I drew a complete blank. Why can't I think of anything else other than books. :lol: I've spent a good two hours on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You are definitely helping make my wishlist huge. So far, I've added to my ebook library - C.E. Murphy's Heart of Stone, Andrews Magic Bites (thanks Karen and mum or mel, I don't remember - sorry), Mishani's The Missing File (only 1.99 good buy), and sqeee, Jennifer Estep's Heart of Venom, #9 in Elemental Assassin. I still have Robert Jordan's # 4 and # 5 in the Wheel of Time series. Working at it a bit more slowly than Angel. Awesome job, by the way, making it to number 11. As someone said up thread - The Novel challenge website is awesome! A tremendous asset as well as liability when it comes to wish listing books and challenges. :drool5:. 2014? I'm not quite ready to even think about it - however, yes, we will be continuing.... quietly....no grand announcement this time. There are plenty of mini challenges we didn't even get too this year, so some things will carry over. Back to shopping, err browsing! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 In Week Forty One, Stacia wrote: Finished The Finno-Ugrian Vampire by Noémi Szécsi today. I felt some sections were 3 star worthy, while others were 4 star, so overall I'd give it 3.5 stars.It's a sardonic, dark comedy (in the ancient Greek definition of comedy) of a vampire book, one of the few vampire stories written by a Hungarian author (& maybe one of the only ones then translated into English). Worth reading if you're a fan of vampire lit & also possibly for fans of Eastern European lit. In Week Forty Two, Eliana wrote: Stacia, I did read the Finno-Ugrian Vampire, and, you're right, I enjoyed the humorous tone, but not the book itself. I kept feeling I must be missing something, a layer of meaning, of character, some deeper feeling or thought, that it couldn't be as affect-less as it was, all on that one level... but I never found it, and without at least one other layer, that kind of humor is empty for me... when it contrasts with other layers, deeper feelings, then it is delightful, but by itself it is insubstantial and disappointing. I finished the book this evening and must confess that I rather enjoyed it. Despite its title and characters, I think the book has little to do with vampires. But, like Eliana, I too kept feeling like I was missing something. Is The Finno-Ugrian Vampire a commentary of some sort on modern society's contempt of the Literature major or Linguist, the person who loves ideas but is less concerned about the functioning of the "real world" (whatever that might be)? Is there some sort of political metaphor here for Hungary which never quite fit into the Soviet Bloc? Back in the day, Hungarians would easily stream in and out of Austria if they had the schillings. Economics more than politics kept that border in tact. When the Hungarians were overrun by Hapsburgs, did the average Hungarian feel a connection to their Austrian neighbors? Their language is so different, peculiar if I dare say so. Admittedly I haven't known many Hungarians, but most I have met have told me of their the connection between their language and Finnish. (I did not realize until reading The Finno-Ugrian Vampire that the Estonian language is related as well.) This seems to have been a defining point for the average Hungarian, particularly back in the Soviet days. They were not part of the West, not part of the East. They were a separate entity with a lingual tie to Finland. This was the message that they wanted me to hear. And I felt that was part of the message I was hearing in Noémi Szécsi's novel. Here is the country that doesn't quite fit in--much like the vampire in modern day Budapest. The author's sense of humor is delightful. Another missing connection for me: How does Oscar Wilde fit into all of this?? A couple of interesting things I found online. First about the Hungarian language. The italicized bit is a question posed to the author. Her response follows. Since Hungarian is a language without a grammatical gender, we never know if Jerne is male or female. This layer of ambiguity is completely lost in translation as in English the translator had to opt for one or the other, so he decided to make Jerne a woman. How did you feel about this? Jerne was a girl already in the 2005 Polish translation of the novel. So Peter Sherwood only followed this in his English translation, not as if he had countless alternatives. I remember reading a short story by Rosa Liksom, a Finnish writer where the gender of the narrator wasn’t clear until the very end, and I remember thinking ’well, it is fun’. It is much more difficult to create a whole novel based on this idea, but with the help of our language you can at least play with it. I like the notion is that Jerne is somehow ’above’ gender stereotypes, s/he is not a heterosexual man or woman, a lesbian girl or a gay boy, but a sexual being. I grew up in a world paralyzed by outdated stereotypes, but the generations I see growing into adulthood now are much more like Jerne. A short reflection by the English translator of the novel can be found here. Thanks Stacia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I enjoyed this article Tea with the Vicar, or the Pleasures of Light English Fiction and supposed some of you might enjoy it likewise. A number of authors to explore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 My, my! Y'all are having too much fun without me. Met with IRS yesterday for audit and it's far from over. Seems I've got a very complicated way of doing things. Will meet in another month. Meanwhile, was fighting a cold and made it through the day. I let go today, so being extremely lazy. sniff, sniff. And my brains too fuzzy to try and quote. :grouphug: , Robin, for going through an audit that's not even over & for having a cold. Hope you can take it easy & just chill. In Week Forty One, Stacia wrote: In Week Forty Two, Eliana wrote: I finished the book this evening and must confess that I rather enjoyed it. Despite its title and characters, I think the book has little to do with vampires. But, like Eliana, I too kept feeling like I was missing something. Is The Finno-Ugrian Vampire a commentary of some sort on modern society's contempt of the Literature major or Linguist, the person who loves ideas but is less concerned about the functioning of the "real world" (whatever that might be)? Is there some sort of political metaphor here for Hungary which never quite fit into the Soviet Bloc? Back in the day, Hungarians would easily stream in and out of Austria if they had the schillings. Economics more than politics kept that border in tact. When the Hungarians were overrun by Hapsburgs, did the average Hungarian feel a connection to their Austrian neighbors? Their language is so different, peculiar if I dare say so. Admittedly I haven't known many Hungarians, but most I have met have told me of their the connection between their language and Finnish. (I did not realize until reading The Finno-Ugrian Vampire that the Estonian language is related as well.) This seems to have been a defining point for the average Hungarian, particularly back in the Soviet days. They were not part of the West, not part of the East. They were a separate entity with a lingual tie to Finland. This was the message that they wanted me to hear. And I felt that was part of the message I was hearing in Noémi Szécsi's novel. Here is the country that doesn't quite fit in--much like the vampire in modern day Budapest. The author's sense of humor is delightful. Another missing connection for me: How does Oscar Wilde fit into all of this?? A couple of interesting things I found online. First about the Hungarian language. The italicized bit is a question posed to the author. Her response follows. A short reflection by the English translator of the novel can be found here. Thanks Stacia! I agree that I felt like I missed huge parts of the novel. When I read the translator's notes ahead of time, plus some reviews, I knew there would be plenty of cultural/political references that I just wouldn't get. So, I mostly stuck w/ enjoying it as a vampire story, knowing there was a deeper message (maybe part of which I understood, but much of which remains mysterious to me). I don't think I've ever actually known a Hungarian. (I must try to remedy that, I think.) I do find the linguistic families fascinating. I love linguistics in general. (Maybe that's part of the reason I love reading books from other places & also love reading the translators' notes, if any; I find it fascinating to see how the translator(s) approach the work. Reading Altazor earlier this year held the same type of translation/magnetic sway for me too.) Too bad there are no Hungarians on the BaW thread who could chime in about the linguistics, as well as perhaps some of the background/references of the story. I enjoyed her sense of humor too. There were a few times I laughed out loud (the grandmother & the angel were two characters that had me laughing). The sections that I thought were a '3' were probably things that I didn't entirely understand. Darkly funny & probably deeper than I am able to comprehend, even with knowing I'm fairly clueless about many of the references in the book. You've given me more to mull over, for sure.... Glad you enjoyed it, Jane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I enjoyed this article Tea with the Vicar, or the Pleasures of Light English Fiction and supposed some of you might enjoy it likewise. A number of authors to explore! :thumbup1: Glad to see mentions of Cold Comfort Farm & Zuleika Dobson because it reminded me that I've been wanting to read both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson: I wanted to like this book. I am a sucker for romance with the boy next door, to the dawning realization that this someone one has known for forever and enjoys working and playing with is the foundation stone of the universe, at the core of one's heart. And this book depicts that in a way I found very touching. But it wasn't enough to overcome the things I disliked (though it did keep me reading!). I get irked with books that make the protagonist(s) so very good, and everyone else so unbelievably despicable and so mean to our poor heroine. ..but only in the ways that forward the plot properly. And then I have a vague allergy to claustrophobic books, ones that (in my mind artificially) set up a narrow, oppressive atmosphere/situation and then press in on the protagonist. (This can happen in dreadful, shallow books or in vivid, otherwise well written books, but I hate it just as much in either manifestation... though the better written ones are more likely to be unreadable because they make it so real.) A minor irritation was the shallowness of the historical setting (and of the characterizations). Eliana, if you haven't read it, our own AggieAmy's scathing review of Julianne Donaldson's previous book, Edenbrooke, is good fun for reading. Sounds like Blackmoore suffers from similar problems as Edenbrooke did. Edited to fix the quote ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 :grouphug: Robin, both an IRS audit and a cold in the same week. Yuk! You deserve a day or two of curling up with a few fun books!!! Loved the book forecast......Urban Shaman is done. I can try and go back to sleep now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 ! I wish I could meet you irl, Negin. I know we'd get along like a house on fire (to quote Miss Tick from Terry Pratchett)! :001_smile: :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I enjoyed this article Tea with the Vicar, or the Pleasures of Light English Fiction and supposed some of you might enjoy it likewise. A number of authors to explore! Many of the books mentioned in the article have lived on my bookshelves for decades: Benson's Lucia novels, Nancy Mitford, Angela Thirkell, Barbara Pym, E.M. Delafield. I count them among my nearest and dearest friends, returning to them regularly. But I have not heard of Ronald Firbank. Hmmm...off to find his work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I had planned to include that Urban Shaman by CE Murphy reminded me of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series. In a side by side comparison they are not that alike but the style of the characters and the Celtic god character are very similar. Since many of you are Hearne fans....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Last night I finished Once a Rake (Drake's Rakes) by Eileen Dreyer. "All he wants is her help . . .Colonel Ian Ferguson may be a rake, but he's no traitor. Accused of trying to kill the Duke of Wellington, the disgraced Scotsman is now a fugitive-from the law, the army, and the cunning assassin who hunts him. Wounded and miles from his allies, Ian finds himself at the mercy of an impoverished country wife. The spirited woman is achingly beautiful . . . and hiding some dangerous secrets of her own.All she needs is his heart . . . She was a child nobody wanted. Now for Lady Sarah Clarke, holding on to her vanished husband's crumbling estate is her final chance to earn respectability. She knows that hiding the devastatingly handsome Ferguson will jeopardize her home. Common sense demands that she turn him in. But a single, delirious kiss shatters her resolve . . . and awakens a passion that neither of them can escape." It was an enjoyable read. It's first in a trilogy but fourth in a trio of trios. It can stand alone however. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Speaking of Moby Dick, we will see the sculpture I mentioned in a previous post later this week. (*smile*) Forgive how the self-quoting looks, please. Just wanted to establish thought continuity. Heh, heh, heh. Saw the sculpture on Thursday. Actually corresponded with the artist earlier in the week to see if the piece was intended to be interactive. One of the images of the work in progress included Jackson atop the whale, grimacing as one might expect Ahab would. The Misses were keen to bestride the beast, if it were permitted. No go, but his reply was delightful, and the work was splending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovetoread Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Lets talk about organizing kindles. I have a touch and am just curious how ya'll organize? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 10, 2013 Author Share Posted November 10, 2013 Link to week 46 - please continue conversation in new thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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