Book a Week in 2014 - BW 12

[ladydusk]

I'm reading super extra fluffy fluff with extra fluff. I am on my 5th Joan Smith title. I read a horribly edited self published romance novel on Kindle. Really needed some help, but it was an easy and quick read.

[Kareni]

Yesterday I read a book that I very much enjoyed.  It's a contemporary romance by Marilyn Pappano ~ A Man to Hold on To (A Tallgrass Novel).

 

One of the things that I admired about this book is the way it addresses the difficulty of being a parent/step-parent of a challenging child. 

 

"Therese Matheson doesn't know if she'll ever get over losing her husband in Afghanistan. Surviving Paul's death has been hard, but raising his sullen son and his thirteen-going-on-thirty daughter alone has been even harder. All they need is a fresh start, and Tallgrass, Oklahoma, could be the perfect new beginning . . . especially when Therese meets Sergeant Keegan Logan. The sexy combat medic and single dad soon awakens a desire she'd thought long buried.

Keegan always wanted to be a father . . . someday. So when his ex-girlfriend disappears, leaving her daughter in his care, Keegan's hands are tied. He has to find the girl's father. His search leads him to Tallgrass and to a beautiful brunette widow who has no idea her husband was ever unfaithful. What begins as a friendship soon ignites into something far more and gives him the courage to be the kind of man-and father-he always dreamt he could be. But his secret still stands between them. Can Keegan reveal the truth and convince Therese they share something too special to lose-a love that can bring two families together?"

 

This is the second in a series and the first book was also very good.  Do read in them in order starting with A Hero to Come Home To.  I'm looking forward to book three.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Heather in Neverland]

Started reading:

You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself by David McRaney

 

 

Still reading:

Follow Me by David Platt

The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman

 

 

Finished reading:

1. The Curiosity by Stephen Kiernan (AVERAGE)

2. The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene (GOOD)

3. Unwind by Neal Shusterman (EXCELLENT)

4. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (EXCELLENT)

5. The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith by Peter Hitchens (AMAZING)

6. Champion by Marie Lu (PRETTY GOOD)

7. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink (INCREDIBLE)

8. Cultivating Christian Character by Michael Zigarelli (HO-HUM)

9. Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff (um...WOW. So amazing and sad)

10. Pressure Points: Twelve Global Issues Shaping the Face of the Church by JD Payne (SO-SO)

11. The Happiness Project: Or Why I spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. by Gretchen Rubin (GOOD)

12. Reading and Writing Across Content Areas by Roberta Sejnost (SO-SO)

13. Winter of the World by Ken Follet (PRETTY GOOD)

14. The School Revolution: A New Answer for our Broken Education System by Ron Paul (GREAT)

15. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (LOVED IT)

16. Beyond the Hole in the Wall: Discover the Power of Self-Organized Learning by Sugata Mitra (GOOD)

17. Can Computers Keep Secrets? - How a Six-Year-Old's Curiosity Could Change the World by Tom Barrett (GOOD)

[marbel]

Well, this will teach me to miss a day and try to catch up all at once!   50+ posts all at once, whew!

 

It was another pretty good week for me.  First, I discovered that I'd omitted one book from my list for the year.  Happy to have my count increase by one more.  Our church book group read Till We Have Faces way back in January.   That was a re-read for me, from back in college days.  A good book, a bit baffling for me.  Great book to discuss!   And it's nice to have my book count match the week number, though I don't know how long that will last.

 

I also finished two books this week:  A Circle of Quiet and The Civilization of the Middle Ages. Both books took a long time.  Circle was so uneven for me.  Some of it was lovely and some had me going :confused1: .  Civ of MA was a homeschool book, very long, very dense, but very worth reading.  SWB recommended it for history, before her own books came out.  We used hers as well, a bit, but we always seem to be one step ahead of her. 

 

Still working on Wolf Hall (among a few others) which is getting more interesting though also a bit confusing as I lack depth in my knowledge of that period of history.  And I added The Prince to my list as I am reading that alongside my son.  I bought one translation at Barnes and Noble and then found this one by Tim Parks which I bought for the kindle and found I like better.  I hadn't planned to read it again, but I want to discuss with him so I need a refresher.  For some reason I also added a "popular history" book, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, as a readaloud because these kids do like that.  Not sure if we will really find the time for it though, as they are getting busier with their own work.   But even if I don't carry on with them, I will read it as one of my 5/5/5s!

 

Re: some books discussed upthread:

 

True Grit was great fun.  I saw the old John Wayne movie years ago and my family watched the newer version a few months ago.  All fun. 

 

Never could get into the Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books.   Couldn't even read the first one and wondered why they were so beloved.  Oh well, as we already knew and are learning daily from this thread, there are enough books for all tastes.

 

In process:

 

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling * readaloud, 5/5/5 Renaissance nonfiction

Wolf Hall

The Prince *

Smart but Scattered Teens

The Count of Monte Cristo

Basic Economics *

Bible reading plan - on track

 

Complete:

 

1.  Till We Have Faces

2.  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

3.  The Book Thief

4.  Have His Carcase

5.  And Then There Were None
6. The Middle Ages *

7. The Raphael Affair    (5/5/5, art, #1)
8.  Amazing Grace
9. The School of Essential Ingredients    (5/5/5, food #1)

10.  The Code of the Woosters (family readaloud)

11. The Civilization of the Middle Ages *
12.  A Circle of Quiet

 

*Homeschool books

 

 

 

 

 

[mumto2]

Her books are always good - I have read many of them!

 

Yesterday I read a book that I very much enjoyed.  It's a contemporary romance by Marilyn Pappano ~ A Man to Hold on To (A Tallgrass Novel).

 

One of the things that I admired about this book is the way it addresses the difficulty of being a parent/step-parent of a challenging child. 

 

"Therese Matheson doesn't know if she'll ever get over losing her husband in Afghanistan. Surviving Paul's death has been hard, but raising his sullen son and his thirteen-going-on-thirty daughter alone has been even harder. All they need is a fresh start, and Tallgrass, Oklahoma, could be the perfect new beginning . . . especially when Therese meets Sergeant Keegan Logan. The sexy combat medic and single dad soon awakens a desire she'd thought long buried.

 

Keegan always wanted to be a father . . . someday. So when his ex-girlfriend disappears, leaving her daughter in his care, Keegan's hands are tied. He has to find the girl's father. His search leads him to Tallgrass and to a beautiful brunette widow who has no idea her husband was ever unfaithful. What begins as a friendship soon ignites into something far more and gives him the courage to be the kind of man-and father-he always dreamt he could be. But his secret still stands between them. Can Keegan reveal the truth and convince Therese they share something too special to lose-a love that can bring two families together?"

 

This is the second in a series and the first book was also very good.  Do read in them in order starting with A Hero to Come Home To.  I'm looking forward to book three.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Aggieamy -- I just finished "Whom the Gods Love" by Kate Ross and enjoyed it immensely. I think I have to wait on the fourth due to time and I like the idea of stopping with a great one. I really want to finish Laurie R. Kings "The Moor" before we leave this library (can't find it elsewhere).

 

You really should try the CS Harris books I have been reading. The first in the series is "What Angels Fear". Sebastian St. Cyr is so similar to Julian Kestrel that I had to stop occasionally and untangle my thoughts about Julian while reading -- I kept mixing Sebastian into the story. I think you would really like the series.

[aggieamy]

I'm reading super extra fluffy fluff with extra fluff. I am on my 5th Joan Smith title. I read a horribly edited self published romance novel on Kindle. Really needed some help, but it was an easy and quick read.

 

*waves*  Hi, I'm Amy.  I'm also reading extra fluffy fluff with extra fluff.  I'm a Flufferton reader.  

 

I'm sure some day I'll pick up something serious but for now if the people aren't speaking with an upper-class English accent and either solving a murder or falling in love then I'm not interested.  

 

Well, this will teach me to miss a day and try to catch up all at once!   50+ posts all at once, whew!

 

It was another pretty good week for me.  First, I discovered that I'd omitted one book from my list for the year.  Happy to have my count increase by one more.  Our church book group read Till We Have Faces way back in January.   That was a re-read for me, from back in college days.  A good book, a bit baffling for me.  Great book to discuss!   And it's nice to have my book count match the week number, though I don't know how long that will last.

 

I also finished two books this week:  A Circle of Quiet and The Civilization of the Middle Ages. Both books took a long time.  Circle was so uneven for me.  Some of it was lovely and some had me going :confused1: .  Civ of MA was a homeschool book, very long, very dense, but very worth reading.  SWB recommended it for history, before her own books came out.  We used hers as well, a bit, but we always seem to be one step ahead of her. 

 

Still working on Wolf Hall (among a few others) which is getting more interesting though also a bit confusing as I lack depth in my knowledge of that period of history.  And I added The Prince to my list as I am reading that alongside my son.  I bought one translation at Barnes and Noble and then found this one by Tim Parks which I bought for the kindle and found I like better.  I hadn't planned to read it again, but I want to discuss with him so I need a refresher.  For some reason I also added a "popular history" book, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, as a readaloud because these kids do like that.  Not sure if we will really find the time for it though, as they are getting busier with their own work.   But even if I don't carry on with them, I will read it as one of my 5/5/5s!

 

Re: some books discussed upthread:

 

True Grit was great fun.  I saw the old John Wayne movie years ago and my family watched the newer version a few months ago.  All fun. 

 

Never could get into the Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books.   Couldn't even read the first one and wondered why they were so beloved.  Oh well, as we already knew and are learning daily from this thread, there are enough books for all tastes.

 

In process:

 

Smart but Scattered Teens

 

 

I finished the original Smart but Scattered book.  I'm really interested in your opinion.  Please put it on the top of your nightstand so it'll get finished and we can discuss.   :bigear:

 

And please forgive me for being bossy!

[shukriyya]

Yesterday during our commute to kathak class ds and I started listening to Love and Math : The Hidden Heart of Reality by Edward Frenkel. Ds is a math lover though leaning more towards the philosophy of math than of actually plugging in algorithms and working them so I thought this would make a nice switch from our audio fiction. He *loved* Dawkins's 'Magic of Reality' which we also listened to during home school commutes and he has since gone on to re-listen to that on his own numerous times. The material covered in this book is different from MoR, more dense and complex, but it's written in a similarly engaging and accessible manner. From the Amazon blurb ::

 

In Love and Math, renowned mathematician Edward Frenkel reveals a side of math we’ve never seen, suffused with all the beauty and elegance of a work of art. In this heartfelt and passionate book, Frenkel shows that mathematics, far from occupying a specialist niche, goes to the heart of all matter, uniting us across cultures, time, and space.

[aggieamy]

Aggieamy -- I just finished "Whom the Gods Love" by Kate Ross and enjoyed it immensely. I think I have to wait on the fourth due to time and I like the idea of stopping with a great one. I really want to finish Laurie R. Kings "The Moor" before we leave this library (can't find it elsewhere).

 

You really should try the CS Harris books I have been reading. The first in the series is "What Angels Fear". Sebastian St. Cyr is so similar to Julian Kestrel that I had to stop occasionally and untangle my thoughts about Julian while reading -- I kept mixing Sebastian into the story. I think you would really like the series.

 

I'm so glad you enjoyed it.  

 

Thank you for the recommendation.   That is going immediately on my library hold list.  I've been wanting another series that had Kestrel's charm and haven't been able to find one yet.  I probably should force myself to finish the books I have to read for book club before I pick it up from the library!

[Stacia]

To go back to Robin's original question of what do you think of when you think of Spring...?

 

Spring brings up thoughts of pain because of cat scratches on the thighs (wearing shorts again after a winter of pants) when the cats hop up into your lap. I'm sure other cat people can commiserate. :tongue_smilie: :laugh:  It takes awhile for the legs to toughen back up....

[ladydusk]

*waves* Hi, I'm Amy. I'm also reading extra fluffy fluff with extra fluff. I'm a Flufferton reader.

 

I'm sure some day I'll pick up something serious but for now if the people aren't speaking with an upper-class English accent and either solving a murder or falling in love then I'm not interested.

 

 

 

Preferably both ...

[Angel]

*waves*  Hi, I'm Amy.  I'm also reading extra fluffy fluff with extra fluff.  I'm a Flufferton reader.  

 

I'm sure some day I'll pick up something serious but for now if the people aren't speaking with an upper-class English accent and either solving a murder or falling in love then I'm not interested.  

 

 

:lol:  :lol:  I admit to feeling this way most of the time!  In fact, some days I wonder why I am not speaking with an upper-class English accent  :glare:

 

Aggieamy -- I just finished "Whom the Gods Love" by Kate Ross and enjoyed it immensely. I think I have to wait on the fourth due to time and I like the idea of stopping with a great one. I really want to finish Laurie R. Kings "The Moor" before we leave this library (can't find it elsewhere).

 

You really should try the CS Harris books I have been reading. The first in the series is "What Angels Fear". Sebastian St. Cyr is so similar to Julian Kestrel that I had to stop occasionally and untangle my thoughts about Julian while reading -- I kept mixing Sebastian into the story. I think you would really like the series.

I just added these to my TBR pile!  Thanks!  

 

I have been reading the whole thread trying to think of what I think of when I hear Spring.  I guess first would be changing the winter clothes out for the summer (though I'm beginning to wonder if that is ever going to happen here  :glare: ) and GREEN things.  Green is my favorite color because there is so much of it in summer!  Oh, and maybe SweetTart jellybeans.   :drool5:  because Easter is coming.

[mumto2]

 

To go back to Robin's original question of what do you think of when you think of Spring...?

 

Spring brings up thoughts of pain because of cat scratches on the thighs (wearing shorts again after a winter of pants) when the cats hop up into your lap. I'm sure other cat people can commiserate. :tongue_smilie: :laugh:  It takes awhile for the legs to toughen back up....

Not sure what an appropriate Spring title for cat scratches would be.......made me laugh!

[marbel]

Spring... trees in bloom.  There are a lot around here; it's just gorgeous. 

 

But then there is also the dread of summer because of the heat and humidity... ugh.   So spring is not a  completely happy concept for me.

[ChrisB]

I have found (so far, since I haven't read them all) that the Isabel Dalhousie ones are much better. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency began to seriously get on my nerves. 

 

This is good to know.  I'm open to trying it.

[-M-]

Wow. Week 12 already, eh? Well, I've completed twenty books, to date, so I'm a bit behind my two-per-week average, but I've really been enjoying my selections this year:

 

#20 People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo (Richard Lloyd Parry; 2012. 464 pages. Non-fiction.)
#19 The Troop (Nick Cutter; 2014. 368 pages. Fiction.)
#18 The Mayo Clinic Diet (2012. 254 pages. Non-fiction.)
#17 This Is Where I Leave You (Jonathan Trooper; 2009. 352 pages. Fiction.)
#16 Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck; 1937. 112 pages. Fiction.)
#15 Gideon’s Knot (Johanna Adams; DPS new acquisition / unbound. Drama.)
#14 The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2013 (ed. Siddhartha Mukherjee; 2013. 368 pages. Non-fiction.)
#13 Lexicon (Max Barry; Folger ed. 2013. 400 pages. Fiction.)
#12 The Circle (Dave Eggers; 2013. 504 pages. Fiction.)
#11 The Good Sister (Drusilla Campbell; 2010. 352 pages. Fiction.)
#10 The Two Gentlemen of Verona (William Shakespeare (1589/92); Folger ed. 2006. 304 pages. Drama.)
#9 Hedda Gabler (Henrik Ibsen; 1890. Drama.)
#8 Labor Day (Joyce Maynard; 2009. 256 pages. Fiction.)
#7 The Living (Matt De La Peña; 2013. 320 pages. Fiction.)
#6 Henry V (William Shakespeare (1599); Folger ed. 2004. 294 pages. Drama.)
#5 Henry IV, Part II (William Shakespeare (1599); Folger ed. 2006. 400 pages. Drama.)
#4 Henry IV, Part I (William Shakespeare (1597); Folger ed. 2005. 336 pages. Drama.)
#3 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum; 1895 / 2008. 224 pages. Juvenile fiction.)
#2 Cartwheel (Jennifer duBois; 2013. 384 pages. Fiction.)
#1 The Wicked Girls (Alex Marwood; 2013. 384 pages. Fiction.)

 

Sending warm regards to my fellow BaWers, and, as always, especially to Robin for finding the time to host each week.

[shukriyya]

To go back to Robin's original question of what do you think of when you think of Spring...?

 

Spring brings up thoughts of pain because of cat scratches on the thighs (wearing shorts again after a winter of pants) when the cats hop up into your lap. I'm sure other cat people can commiserate. :tongue_smilie: :laugh:  It takes awhile for the legs to toughen back up....

 

Not sure what an appropriate Spring title for cat scratches would be.......made me laugh!

 

~for Stacia, inspired by mumto2~

 

Winter has chosen now to pause--

 

the considerable cat retracting its claws.

 

Now is unfurling, stretching, prickling,

 

now is melting, softening, trickling.

 

And look, there's Stacia, in shorts,

 

her legs the prosody of feline sports.

 

Her skin a rapture

 

of flesh meeting claw,

 

earth meeting awe

 

as Spring is unwound

 

into hope, that wildly greening ground.

 

:lol: :smilielol5:

[JennW in SoCal]

~for Stacia, inspired by mumto2~

 

Winter has chosen now to pause--

 

the considerable cat retracting its claws.

 

Now is unfurling, stretching, prickling,

 

now is melting, softening, trickling.

 

And look, there's Stacia, in shorts,

 

her legs the prosody of feline sports.

 

Her skin a rapture

 

of flesh meeting claw,

 

earth meeting awe

 

as Spring is unwound

 

into hope, that wildly greening ground.

 

:lol: :smilielol5:

 

Love it.

 

Of course my planned comments in commiseration about claw meeting flesh seem now utterly banal.  It was dog claw that rent my tender flesh so that I couldn't even wear a dress in public in yesterday's 90 degree heat!

[JennW in SoCal]

By the way, did any of you see yesterday's Fox Trot comic strip?  "Beware the Jabberguac, my son"

[CAMom]

I finally finished The Goldfinch. I have mixed feelings. I really did like the overarching story and found parts of it lovely. At points in the book, I found myself thinking, "Get on with it already!" Just so much detail about things I didn't find germane to the story. 

 

I wasn't all that satisfied with the ending. I didn't hate the end, I just didn't feel like it was wrapped up enough for me. I didn't feel like I ended up actually really liking any of the characters. Sure, I felt sorry for Theo but I found myself wanting to just shake him and tell him that at some point he needed to start acting like an adult. :)

 

I am glad I read it and it gets 4 stars from me. :)

[shukriyya]

Love it.

 

Of course my planned comments in commiseration about claw meeting flesh seem now utterly banal.  It was dog claw that rent my tender flesh so that I couldn't even wear a dress in public in yesterday's 90 degree heat!

 

How could there be anything banal about :

 

"...dog claw rending tender flesh

so that I couldn't even wear a dress."

 

I offer you my :eek: to such an unpleasant and un-banal unfolding.

[Angel]

How could there be anything banal about :

 

"...dog claw rending tender flesh

so that I couldn't even wear a dress."

 

I offer you my :eek: to such an unpleasant and un-banal unfolding.

 

I should be  :eek:  but  I'm really just  :lol: at shukriyya's verse  :thumbup:

[Stacia]

Oh my! I do believe this is the first time I've been in a poem! :blushing: :lol:

[CAMom]

Something my dd just showed me the other day, and many of you probably already know. If you're on Good Reads and would like to see interesting graphics of books that you have in common with your friends:

 

1. Go to the left-hand side under "Edit Profile" and click "Friends".

2. Then you'll see a list of all your friends and you can click "compare books" for each friend on the left-hand side. 

 

I thought it was pretty cool. :)

 

I love Good Reads. I just wish that I could find more friends, but also more with similar tastes. 

 

You and I are 77% similar! :D

[Negin]

You and I are 77% similar! :D

Yes, dd who showed me this feature, noticed that also.  :grouphug: 

[Robin M]

Happy St. Patrick's day.  I want to clean my brain with bleach and I have President Obama to thank for teaching my son the N word and the phrase 'ignorant mother f''ers'. My autistic son, who idolizes the man, wanted to read Dreams of My Father. Little did I know.....didn't expect any of the crass and crudeness.    We started reading it together and it was so bad, I ended up throwing the book across the room in disgust. Oh, the power of suggestion....    We both need to clean our brains with bleach. The book is now gone, destroyed, never to see the light of day again. My husband shredded it.  A symbolic gesture for James to never ever repeat those words again.  I want to go hide because James likes to say words very close to swear words and other non acceptable words and now we have a new one - knickers - which he said he got from Wallace and Gromit. However, I know what he's trying to get away with.  Lord, give me patience. 

[mumto2]

Robin :grouphug:

 

 

[Angel]

Happy St. Patrick's day.  I want to clean my brain with bleach and I have President Obama to thank for teaching my son the N word and the phrase 'ignorant mother f''ers'. My autistic son, who idolizes the man, wanted to read Dreams of My Father. Little did I know.....didn't expect any of the crass and crudeness.    We started reading it together and it was so bad, I ended up throwing the book across the room in disgust. Oh, the power of suggestion....    We both need to clean our brains with bleach. The book is now gone, destroyed, never to see the light of day again. My husband shredded it.  A symbolic gesture for James to never ever repeat those words again.  I want to go hide because James likes to say words very close to swear words and other non acceptable words and now we have a new one - knickers - which he said he got from Wallace and Gromit. However, I know what he's trying to get away with.  Lord, give me patience. 

 

First  :grouphug:

 

Second - that is horrible!!  I am speechless.  I am glad to hear your shredded it!

 

Third - Dd19 is on the autism spectrum (Aspie) so more  :grouphug:  as I know how they can get fixated on things and those things are not always good.  

[Angel]

If you were a missing Apologia Science book where would you be?   :001_rolleyes:

 

Dd likes to clean up a little too well sometimes and puts things away where even she can't remember.  I have looked everywhere, well, except the place where the darn thing actually is!   :willy_nilly:

 

[Lady Florida.]

I'm so sorry Robin. I read it about 4 years ago and found it fascinating, but didn't think of what it would be like for a kid to read it.  :grouphug:

 

 

I'm having trouble finding an audio book that doesn't put me to sleep. My Overdrive app quit working and I can't figure it out, so I'm limited to my audible.com freebies and ones I already bought. The Time Machine is boring me to tears. I was listening to The Moral Animal (non-fiction) a while back and tried it again. It too is boring me. I suspect I would like to read it, but it's not a book to listen to. I'm going to give David Copperfield a try. I usually like listening to Dickens. Wish me luck. :)

[aggieamy]

Happy St. Patrick's day.  I want to clean my brain with bleach and I have President Obama to thank for teaching my son the N word and the phrase 'ignorant mother f''ers'. My autistic son, who idolizes the man, wanted to read Dreams of My Father. Little did I know.....didn't expect any of the crass and crudeness.    We started reading it together and it was so bad, I ended up throwing the book across the room in disgust. Oh, the power of suggestion....    We both need to clean our brains with bleach. The book is now gone, destroyed, never to see the light of day again. My husband shredded it.  A symbolic gesture for James to never ever repeat those words again.  I want to go hide because James likes to say words very close to swear words and other non acceptable words and now we have a new one - knickers - which he said he got from Wallace and Gromit. However, I know what he's trying to get away with.  Lord, give me patience. 

 

Ugh.  I hate when that happens.  Parenting is not for wimps ... good thing you're a parenting ninja.  

 

If you were a missing Apologia Science book where would you be?   :001_rolleyes:

 

Dd likes to clean up a little too well sometimes and puts things away where even she can't remember.  I have looked everywhere, well, except the place where the darn thing actually is!   :willy_nilly:

 

In the bag of library books ready to go back to the library?  In the loo?  Fallen between the bed and the wall?  (This is only a possibility if it is a loved book that she might have been reading in bed.)  Cleverly hidden between the bed and the wall?  (This is only a possibility if it is a hated book that your DD might have wanted to hide.)  

 

:lol:

 

I hope you aren't offended if I follow the Catholic tradition of asking St. Anthony to help find it.  It's usually very effective.  

[shukriyya]

Oh my! I do believe this is the first time I've been in a poem! :blushing: :lol:

 

 

Ok, with the imagery (plus my irl knowledge of this topic) made me see that last word not as 'ground' but as 'wound' (as in injury) -- a greening, gangrening wound. :mellow:  :ack2:  (Yeah, I've dealt with &/or treated one too many wounds -- either from cats or on cats -- in my days, methinks...). :leaving:

 

There's a certain amount of poetry in that image but I don't think I'll go there :lol:

[wendy not in HI]

This week I read three books in the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.  They were really fun.  They reminded me a little of the Goose Girl, only in the future.  I like the idea of smart prothetics.  And I like the robots...  I'm just not excited to wait a year to find out if Cinder can convince the Lunar people to follow her, and if Wolf with find Scarlet, and if Captain Thorn gets his sight back.. .  Fluff is what I'm all about... YA fluff, actually!  (must find another one to read while I wait....)

 

I just started reading This is the Story of a Happy marriage by Ann Prachett.  I'm really enjoying it.  I was reading the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, but my library ebook expired, and I'm not sure that i really want to finish it.

 

Happy Reading!

wendy

 

2014

16. Cress

15. Scarlet

14. Cinder

13. Summer of the Gypsy Moths

12. The Round House

11. Ready Player One

10. Goldfinch

9. Wonder

8. Lost Lake

7. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - Laura Hillenbrand

6. Champion, Marie Lu

5. Prodigy, Marie Lu

4. Legend, Marie Lu

3. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

2. Rapture, Lauren Kate

1. Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein

[shukriyya]

With all the talk about cats and their fiendish claws I thought this article about James Joyce's cat stories to his grandchildren might be of interest. Apparently he was quite a passionate cat fancier. An illustration from one of the books inspires the skin on my own thighs to cringe as I look at those claws...

 

 

 

[Mom-ninja.]

my bedtime read is Life of Prayer - St. Teresa of Avila (Victor classics version)

You should have no problem falling asleep then. :leaving:

 

 

Happy autumn to all on the southern side of the world. :D

[mumto2]

Jane and anyone else who knows about graphing calculators......

This post does not belong here in BaW and I know it but I know all of you  and my search on the main boards led me to our Jane as "knowing" something about them. Dd needs a graphing  calculator and we need to buy it tomorrow.  Very last minute.  She forgot and mom did too.  Much cheaper in US.  Please give me some idea of which to buy.  One that will see her through the AP and hopefully some university.  Any suggestions appreciated.  There are about 50 recommended by college board.  Help!!!  

[Ali in OR]

Jane and anyone else who knows about graphing calculators......

This post does not belong here in BaW and I know it but I know all of you  and my search on the main boards led me to our Jane as "knowing" something about them. Dd needs a graphing  calculator and we need to buy it tomorrow.  Very last minute.  She forgot and mom did too.  Much cheaper in US.  Please give me some idea of which to buy.  One that will see her through the AP and hopefully some university.  Any suggestions appreciated.  There are about 50 recommended by college board.  Help!!!  

 

My dd will be attending public high school next year and I just picked up their course catalog today. Most of the math classes say graphing calculator required, but the AP Statistics class actually specifies a brand: "TI-83+ family preferred." I taught math 20+ years ago when graphing calculators were brand new. Our math department had a set of HP calculators (good for hard-core math techie types into programming), a set of casios, and then the TI graphing calculators came out. They were by far the easiest to use and very sturdy--they quickly became the standard and we used grant money to get a couple of class sets.

[Pam in CT]

I'm still working on Looking at Philosophy. I've reached Locke so far. Of all the brief descriptions, Spinoza is the one I relate to the most. I might have to try an expanded version of him some time.

 

 

 

I loved Rebecca Goldstein's biography, Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity, which managed both to make him accessible and also be hilarious.  Highly recommended.

[Onceuponatime]

I loved Rebecca Goldstein's biography, Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity, which managed both to make him accessible and also be hilarious.  Highly recommended.

 

Thanks for the recommendation!

[Jane in NC]

Jane and anyone else who knows about graphing calculators......

This post does not belong here in BaW and I know it but I know all of you  and my search on the main boards led me to our Jane as "knowing" something about them. Dd needs a graphing  calculator and we need to buy it tomorrow.  Very last minute.  She forgot and mom did too.  Much cheaper in US.  Please give me some idea of which to buy.  One that will see her through the AP and hopefully some university.  Any suggestions appreciated.  There are about 50 recommended by college board.  Help!!!  

 

 

My dd will be attending public high school next year and I just picked up their course catalog today. Most of the math classes say graphing calculator required, but the AP Statistics class actually specifies a brand: "TI-83+ family preferred." I taught math 20+ years ago when graphing calculators were brand new. Our math department had a set of HP calculators (good for hard-core math techie types into programming), a set of casios, and then the TI graphing calculators came out. They were by far the easiest to use and very sturdy--they quickly became the standard and we used grant money to get a couple of class sets.

Yes, something in the TI 83/84 family will do ya.  There are some features that vary between calculators.  Is your daughter doing Calculus or a Stats class?

[Pam in CT]

Well I've had quite a day. This afternoon ds was in the woods near our house carving a stick with his smallest but sharpest knife, when it slipped and cut his thumb. I was at the grocery store when I got a text saying, "Help. I cut my hand really bad. I think it's deep." Imagine my fear when I read that. I felt better after I called and talked to him, but told him to call dh, who was at home. I left the grocery store but they had already left for ER when I got home. I followed shortly after, then sent dh home. It seemed unnecessary for both of us to be there.

 

We spent 3-1/2 hours at the ER. It looks like he cut the tendon and will probably need surgery to repair it. I have to call the orthopedic doctor tomorrow and we'll know more after he sees him. 

 

I'm ready to curl up with a book and pretend today never happened. 

 

Oh, how ghastly.  Did he end up needing surgery?   :grouphug:

[Jane in NC]

Reading Mr. Fox inspires me to think of Reynard in traditional tales.  Here is a great image:

 

 

[Rosie_0801]

You should have no problem falling asleep then. :leaving:

 

 

Happy autumn to all on the southern side of the world. :D

That's my opinion of St Teresa too.  :leaving:

 

No autumn at my place. I'd have to go into town for it!

[Pam in CT]

Well, I only actually finished two books: Divining Women by Kaye Gibbons (a fascinating portrait of a psychologically browbeaten wife who is ultimately redeemed when her own compassion and dignity is re-charged through connection with other women), and My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel by Ari Shavits.  This has generated a great deal of interest and controversy in many Jewish communities both in Israel and in the US; very well written and thought provoking.

 

I am nearly done with Robert Alter's translation and commentary of the biblical stories pertaining to David; I am nearly done with David Mitchell's The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet; my son and daughter and I are nearly done with Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass, and my daughter and I are nearly done with Elizabeth Wein's Rose Under Fire (this carries on with some of the characters and themes of Code Name Verity, and is equally powerful.... but goes into much greater detail about the camps, including the medical experiments... my daughter chose it, and she's quite committed to finishing it, but had I known just how far it was going to go, I wouldn't have chosen it for an 11 year old.  It's very good.  But.)   And, in a burst of madness, I started listening to David Grossman's To the End of the Land.  It is 26 hours long.  I have no idea what I was thinking.  Needless to say I am NOT nearly done with THAT one.

[Ali in OR]

Yes, something in the TI 83/84 family will do ya.  There are some features that vary between calculators.  Is your daughter doing Calculus or a Stats class?

 

Found a TI comparison chart--I'm thinking of going with the TI-84 plus. It covers more courses than the 83 plus. I don't think we'll need the memory of the higher-end units. Here's TI's chart.

 

http://education.ti.com/en/us/product-resources/graphing_course_comparision

[Jane in NC]

Found a TI comparison chart--I'm thinking of going with the TI-84 plus. It covers more courses than the 83 plus. I don't think we'll need the memory of the higher-end units. Here's TI's chart.

 

http://education.ti.com/en/us/product-resources/graphing_course_comparision

 

While the 83 would probably carry a student through, I too would go with the 84-plus for the long haul.

 

And a note to mumto2:   many of the HP calculators use Reverse Polish notation.  Geeks may love this, but it is not as student friendly--nor are the textbooks/student solution manuals written with HP algorithms.  They usually focus on TIs.

 

[mumto2]

Yes, something in the TI 83/84 family will do ya.  There are some features that vary between calculators.  Is your daughter doing Calculus or a Stats class?

Part way through calc and has been using an online one. Would like her own. Needs one really. Plans to do Statistics too. Looks like the TI84 plus is the one for her if dh can find it. Notice it is now his job...yeah!

 

Thank you so much Jane and Ali. Can't tell you how much I appreciated returning from other errands and seeing really helpful responses.

[Mom-ninja.]

Negin, we are 90% similar. I think we're about that in our exercise choices as well. :D

[Lady Florida.]

Oh, how ghastly.  Did he end up needing surgery?   :grouphug:

 

Yes. He saw the orthopedic doctor this morning. Surgery will be next Tuesday, the 25th. After the surgery he'll need to wear a splint for 4 weeks. 

 

He knows how to use a knife and he knows what he did wrong. Neither dh nor I said anything. No need to beat him while he's down. Hopefully he learned from something that wasn't as bad as it could have been.

[ariasmommy]

I finished reading The Confession of St. Patrick today. No snakes or floating altar stones, just a humble man motivated by love and gratitude to God. The Confession itself isn't very long, but my edition had a long intro and lots of footnotes, which I found helpful.

 

I also finished two other books in the past couple of weeks: A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley (audiobook), and Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott (read-aloud). Both ok books, but as my mom would say, nothing to write home about.

 

 

True Grit by Charles Portis. Even if you've seen the movie, you simply MUST read this book! I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I'd seen the movie version with John Wayne and thought the girl in it rather annoying. She is much more likeable in the book. In fact, the book reads as though you are visiting your rather stern, opinionated, old maiden auntie and she is telling you a bit about her life. Great read!

Dh loves the book and movie. I started listening to the audiobook, and so far I would concur with your description of Mattie. :D

 

I'm working on Gulliver's Travels and am surprised by his humor. It's not what I expected.

Yeah, I tried to read it a few years ago to dd. We got to the part where he puts out the fire in Lilliput, and I was, um, a bit surprised. Decided to put it off...