Stacia Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Favorite novella, The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye. Well, this is on my list too. Loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I wrote last week that I loved A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute. Didn't want it to end, even though I could see how it would end a mile away. I'm about half way through a Lord Peter mystery, Unnatural Death, and I've still working on Jo Walton's What Makes This Book so Great. Hoping for a quieter week this week, here in BaW land. I finished A Town Like Alice a few days ago - loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Oh, I love Magritte. And I would post a pic of his or two, if I could... < insert various white birds in the sky with blue clouds on their bodies...or faceless men in bowler hats with green apples for noses...or combine the two and get men in bowler hats with white birds for faces > :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 BaW has disappeared from my new content again. It does this frequently lately. :( No idea why. Posting generally brings it back, so.... For something bookish to say I am still reading The Supernatural Enhancements on my kindle. I passed the 50% point during the night. I am enjoying it but so do not understand. I hope it ties together somewhat in the end........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I just finished A Week in Winter - 4 Stars. This was published posthumously. I will miss her books. From time to time, I plan on re-reading them. Been reading and loving her books since I was 18. MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I'm almost through Jesus Interrupted by Bart Ehrman. The content is a little redundant for me, but I had never read it before. Next up is Half Magic. I've been meaning to read his books. Let me know what you think. I'm reading Why Students Don't Like School. You know so I can become smart and stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I am reading two of the books that Stacia gave me, Background to Danger, a classic Eric Ambler espionage from '37, and Decline of the English Murder, a book of Orwell essays from the thirties and forties. The former intrigues me since it involves European politics prior to WW II. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 For something bookish to say I am still reading The Supernatural Enhancements on my kindle. I passed the 50% point during the night. I am enjoying it but so do not understand. I hope it ties together somewhat in the end........ I wonder if the Kindle version is formatted correctly? The various 'chapters' are actually diary entries, newspaper clippings, receipts, ciphers, etc.... So, while I wouldn't call it an illustrated book, it does have some different formatting & a few drawings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Finished with The Good, The Bad, and The Undead. I started reading The Book Thief last night and it's not bad so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I wonder if the Kindle version is formatted correctly? The various 'chapters' are actually diary entries, newspaper clippings, receipts, ciphers, etc.... So, while I wouldn't call it an illustrated book, it does have some different formatting & a few drawings. I have been reading it on my fire mainly and I just compared it to the book, identical. Both the ebook and hardcover arrived the same day. The writing on the letters etc is small but can be made out. I haven't came to anything like the postcards on the reader but the ciphers are good on the reader, but the experience seems fine. I am more frustrated with the relationship between the aunt, the girl, and the man. Not even sure whose aunt she is......don't think girl and man involved romantically but why is a 17 year old with him if not romantic or related? Those questions are my main current issues. I keep reading pretty happily but am wondering if my middle of the night insomniac self has missed something major.......once again I was expecting vampires and they haven't appeared. Not sure where I read that there were vampires....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Adding yet another book to the current and active reading list...The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for our lit curric. Ds and I are reading it 'separately together' and then joining up for some discussion, writing and the like. I must say I rather like the opening chapter...full of vim and vigor and joy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Adding yet another book to the current and active reading list...The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for our lit curric. Ds and I are reading it 'separately together' and then joining up for some discussion, writing and the like. I must say I rather like the opening chapter...full of vim and vigor and joy. I bought the Robert Ingpen illustrated version of this recently. He's illustrated a bunch of unabridged classics...the kids and I just finished Alice in Wonderland this morning and a beautifully illustrated book just "makes" the experience. I have been on a bit of a binge collecting his books - I also got The Jungle Book, Treasure Island, and Around the World in 80 Days. Knowing your interest in illustrated works, I highly recommend him. ETA: Tom Sawyer is $9.89 on Amazon right now. When they are under $10, I think they are a steal - they are beautiful, hardback books! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I bought the Robert Ingpen illustrated version of this recently. He's illustrated a bunch of unabridged classics...the kids and I just finished Alice in Wonderland this morning and a beautifully illustrated book just "makes" the experience. I have been on a bit of a binge collecting his books - I also got The Jungle Book, Treasure Island, and Around the World in 80 Days. Knowing your interest in illustrated works, I highly recommend him. This is, in fact, the version we've got but alas the illustrations don't appear in the kindle version which we're both using :( This is where you're meant to insert gloriously evocative images :cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I am more frustrated with the relationship between the aunt, the girl, and the man. Not even sure whose aunt she is......don't think girl and man involved romantically but why is a 17 year old with him if not romantic or related? Those questions are my main current issues. I keep reading pretty happily but am wondering if my middle of the night insomniac self has missed something major.......once again I was expecting vampires and they haven't appeared. Not sure where I read that there were vampires....... The relationship will be answered by the end of the book. Be patient on that one & don't overthink it at this point. I think it said at the beginning that the girl was along to 'look out' for/protect the guy as far as explaining anything -- which is part of the reason she has the dog, etc.... But, it seems comical as she is young, small, and mute. Otoh, I think she definitely has more common sense & street smarts than A. Again, i would not overthink it -- you will find out by the end. No vampires that I remember. Mainly the ghost (whom I'm sure you've already encountered in your reading). And then various mysterious stuff, like the ciphers, the labyrinth, etc. You haven't missed anything, I don't think. My advice is to not over-think it & instead relax and enjoy the ride. All will be explained by the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I'm currently about half way through Dragon Seed by Pearl S. Buck which I'm reading for my book group. Initially I found it a challenging read due to a feeling of impending doom; now I find it easy to read but sad. The description of the content is incorrect in the above link; here's a wikipedia link for some information on the novel. Or there's this description from the audio book. "One of the more political novels from the pen of Pearl Buck, Dragon Seed brings to light the tragedy of the Japanese invasion and occupation of mainland China during WWII. Centering her story around the fictional family of Ling Tan, Buck recreates the heart wrenching devastation that war inflicted on these gentle innocent people. Ling Tan and his family were simple farmers living in peaceful isolation. Western technology, and likewise the machinery of war, were unknown in these outlying regions of China. And even though literacy was on the rise among the younger generations, the alarming reports of foreign aggression went largely ignored. For the peasants, the transition from one political ruler to another was virtually inconsequential; life revolved around their farms and their villages. Patriotism was not the concept of loving and defending a country; their land was their country. But as the invasion moves inland and the roads are jammed with survivors fleeing west, Ling Tan and his neighbors are forced to face the harsh realities of war. "Days passed and with the rulers gone the people held themselves the more steadfast knowing that they and they alone were left to stand against the enemy and upon each man himself now depended what would happen. So it had happened again and again in other times, for rulers anywhere are always the first to fly, and the people must stay behind to be steadfast."" Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Just finished A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute. Loved it! Thanks JennW, for the recommendation. It wasn't at all what I expected but a sweet and satisfying read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Today's Samuel Johnson twitterfeed: Johnson @Boswell There is nothing more likely to betray a man into absurdity, than condescension; when he seems to suppose his understanding too powerful for his company. Johnson @Boswell Every man has a right to utter what he thinks truth, and every other man has a right to knock him down for it. Johnson @Boswell A child should not be discouraged from reading anything that he takes a liking to, from a notion that it is above his reach. Johnson @Boswell Greek, Sir, is like lace; every man gets as much of it as he can. #upperclassof1780 ------------------ 1000 pages read! 200 to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 For the Borges fans... http://motherboard.vice.com/read/this-gigantic-word-search-contains-every-single-word-jorge-luis-borges-wrote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 For the Borges fans... http://motherboard.vice.com/read/this-gigantic-word-search-contains-every-single-word-jorge-luis-borges-wrote I like your little caution sign right by your profile pic :D! Makes me all nostalgic for your old profile picture. I need to come up with something witty and cool also, but those types of things always have me stumped. I'm not exactly the most creative person around :lol:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I finished The Supernatural Enhancements early this morning. As Stacia promised enough was explained at the end to make it a satisfying read. A large part of the story was dependent on the reader not knowing the connections that were driving me a bit nuts. It was good not a 5* top ten for my year but I plan to give it 4*. I would definitely recommend it to someone looking for a different spooky read. Not alot of reviews by newspapers but I found an Irish one. One of the main characters is Irish so it seemed appropriatehttp://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsfilmtv/books/book-review-the-supernatural-enhancements-279812.html. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I finished Pardonable Lies. Even though written as a mystery for the popular market, it was obviously intended to be a kind of tribute to the men and women lost, in more ways than one, to WWI. It made the war more personal to me in a way that I'd never felt before. "They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I finished Pardonable Lies. Even though written as a mystery for the popular market, it was obviously intended to be a kind of tribute to the men and women lost, in more ways than one, to WWI. It made the war more personal to me in a way that I'd never felt before. "They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." I have been working my way through this series very slowly. I totally agree that although mainstream they are very much a tribute. I learn something new and usually shed a few tears each time I finish one. The main character Maisie Dobbs is wonderful and very real. Her struggles and those of the other characters illustrate the tragedies big and small of WWI better than a pure factual history book ever could hope to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I've started reading The Girl Who Chased theMoon by Sarah Addison Allen. I'm surprised at how much I enjoy these books. They are so full of rich sensory detail, color, scent, taste, etc. I've never read anything quite like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Hello friends. I'm popping in to say that I missed you and I'm in the middle of craziness that is temporary. Work is super busy. We're moving in less than a month. We just had our annual three day game-a-thon. Dear friends of ours are going through a medical crisis. And DD is sick. Eek. Life will calm down again soon ... On Friday I packed up all our books and warned DD I was doing it. Guess who wandered in yesterday requesting a Horrible Histories book? She was warned that she would only have access to library book for the next few weeks so now we're trying to get a book we own and is packed from the library through ILL. I have been reading - DD and I are both currently (and separately) listening to the Graveyard Book. What fun! Our read aloud is Rascal. I finished Our Man in Havana - totally enjoyed it. Listened to Black Sheep as an audiobook - not my favorite but still liked it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I loved The Girl Who Chased the Moon! Not to mention the gorgeous cover art. :grouphug: Amy! I hope things settle down soon. Are you moving long distance or just near by? I want to look into The Graveyard Book for our October "spooky" reading ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I've started reading The Girl Who Chased theMoon by Sarah Addison Allen. I'm surprised at how much I enjoy these books. They are so full of rich sensory detail, color, scent, taste, etc. I've never read anything quite like them. I've got one or two of hers in my tbr list because they've been described as fitting the magical realism genre. Would you agree? I'm enjoying Edwige Danticat's, 'Claire of the Sea Light' but fear the book will come due before I finish as I'm plodding along with it despite my enjoyment of it. Same goes for 'The Ivy Tree', though I feel it's gotten off to a rather implausible start. So many other calls on my attention these days, reading is taking a bit of a back seat. Amy, sending :grouphug: your way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 We finished Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. My review is at GoodReads and will be on the blog tomorrow. I've been reading a bunch of Elizabeth Chapter books being a little afraid of St. Cyr's aggressive anti-faith. On my blog, I'm hosting Cindy Rollins' old Wednesdays with Words linkup for any of you who blog (or should blog) and might be interested, I'd love to see what you'd share. www.ladydusk.blogspot.com Finally, Susan Howatch's The Rich Are Different - plot structured on the life of Cleopatra - is $1.99 for kindle through Sept 20. http://www.amazon.com/Rich-Are-Different-Susan-Howatch-ebook/dp/B009DA5H0G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Mumto2, I agree with a four star rating for The Supernatural Enhancements -- that's what I gave it too. I gave it that because it's not high lit, but it's a fun story told in a slightly unique/different way & the author was able to pull off the storytelling style. I also wasn't super-keen for a more violent section near the end of the book as, to me, that signifcantly changed the tone from mystery/creepy that had been the overriding style for most of the book. Finished Love Burns last night. You can tell that the author is a playwright in that some scenes just popped out like they were on a stage in front of you. It had the Woody Allen type angst in it, as well as some pretty dark humor. Overall, I enjoyed it but I wouldn't rank it a favorite. I think it might appeal to a few of the BaW crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Amy, hang in there. Hope your dd feels better soon! Shukriyya, I read Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells a few years ago. Imo, it can barely be nudged into the magical realism category (but it is not a book I would ever think of if someone asked me to name magical realist books). Of course, I realize I'm at one end of the spectrum re: magical realism, so take my comment with a grain of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Eliana, I love you! Thanks, my friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 VC & Angel, how are you feeling today? Hoping you're on the mend... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I've got one or two of hers in my tbr list because they've been described as fitting the magical realism genre. Would you agree? . The books are definitely magical. I don't know about the realism part. To me they border on fantasy. However, they do have much in common with Like Water For Chocolate which is considered magical realism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I am now reading Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner. http://coffeehousepress.org/shop/leaving-the-atocha-station/ "Description Runner-Up for the 2013 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature Winner of the 2012 Believer Book Award Finalist for the 2011 Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction) Finalist for The New York Public Library’s 2012 Young Lions Fiction Award Finalist for James Tait Black Prize in Fiction UK “Best of 2012″ Lists, The Guardian From a National Book Award finalist, this hilarious and profound first novel captures the experience of the young American abroad while exploring the possibilities of art and authenticity in our time. Adam Gordon is a brilliant, if highly unreliable, young American poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid, struggling to establish his sense of self and his relationship to art. Instead of following the dictates of his fellowship, Adam’s “research†becomes a meditation on the possibility of the genuine in the arts and beyond: are his relationships with the people he meets in Spain as fraudulent as he fears his poems are? Is poetry an essential art form, or merely a screen for the reader’s projections? A witness to the 2004 Madrid train bombings and their aftermath, does he participate in historic events or merely watch them pass him by? In prose that veers between the comic and tragic, the self-contemptuous and the inspired, Leaving the Atocha Station is a portrait of the artist as a young man in an age of Google searches, pharmaceuticals, and spectacle." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Am reading a Europa editions book, Love Burns by Edna Mazya. Ooh, thanks for posting this. Sounds like something I would enjoy reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Well, and speaking of driving, my son and I are listening to Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch on our way back and forth to his school. Oh.my.word. Y'all have been talking up both Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett for ages, and I don't know why I took so long to get to the party. Laugh.out.loud. The setting involves a misplaced-at-birth antichrist and an angel and demon who've both been around since the Beginning and have grown over time so fond of books and art, and wine and song (respectively) that neither is especially looking forward to the End of Time... It really is hilarious. I just love it! I finished The Supernatural Enhancements early this morning. As Stacia promised enough was explained at the end to make it a satisfying read. A large part of the story was dependent on the reader not knowing the connections that were driving me a bit nuts. It was good not a 5* top ten for my year but I plan to give it 4*. I would definitely recommend it to someone looking for a different spooky read. Not alot of reviews by newspapers but I found an Irish one. One of the main characters is Irish so it seemed appropriatehttp://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsfilmtv/books/book-review-the-supernatural-enhancements-279812.html. Thanks! I'll add this to my list! I have been so crazy busy with violin and soccer and sorting cold weather clothes!! I finished Alas, Babylon. I put 4 stars on Goodreads, but I'm between 3 and 4. I won't read it again, most likely. You can see it as the basis for a lot of modern dystopian fiction and post-apocalyptic stories. It was an interesting look at the racism and sexism of the time period, though the author is quite progressive in some ways. It was fairly enjoyable. Much less stressful than many in the same genre. I think it was more realistic in some ways because of this. However, a caveat: the Kindle version sucks. There's no better word. There were so.many.typos. Some passages were almost entirely nonsensical because of letter transcription errors and words that didn't fit. I was very displeased by this. I started The Red Queen by Phillipa Gregory. Not my usual cup of tea, but it was given to me over the weekend, so I figured I'd try it out. I'm about 1/3 through Eyes of the Dragon. Meh. I'm still just not really into it. I like the tie-in to the Dark Tower series that you can really see in places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Finished #52 today, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley. :party: Definitely my favorite Flavia to date. I downloaded a bunch of books this afternoon from Overdrive as I'm going to be out tonight and not sure what I'll be in the mood to read. The Girl Who Chased the Moon was one of my downloads. I'm split on Allen so far. I didn't care for Garden Spells and I really didn't like The Sugar Queen. Both of those books had a plot element that really disturbed me, though. That being said, I read The Peach Keeper recently and really liked that one! So, we will see with this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Mumto2, I agree with a four star rating for The Supernatural Enhancements -- that's what I gave it too. I gave it that because it's not high lit, but it's a fun story told in a slightly unique/different way & the author was able to pull off the storytelling style. I also wasn't super-keen for a more violent section near the end of the book as, to me, that signifcantly changed the tone from mystery/creepy that had been the overriding style for most of the book. Finished Love Burns last night. You can tell that the author is a playwright in that some scenes just popped out like they were on a stage in front of you. It had the Woody Allen type angst in it, as well as some pretty dark humor. Overall, I enjoyed it but I wouldn't rank it a favorite. I think it might appeal to a few of the BaW crowd. I am now reading Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner. http://coffeehousepress.org/shop/leaving-the-atocha-station/ "Description Runner-Up for the 2013 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature Winner of the 2012 Believer Book Award Finalist for the 2011 Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction) Finalist for The New York Public Library’s 2012 Young Lions Fiction Award Finalist for James Tait Black Prize in Fiction UK “Best of 2012″ Lists, The Guardian From a National Book Award finalist, this hilarious and profound first novel captures the experience of the young American abroad while exploring the possibilities of art and authenticity in our time. Adam Gordon is a brilliant, if highly unreliable, young American poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid, struggling to establish his sense of self and his relationship to art. Instead of following the dictates of his fellowship, Adam’s “research†becomes a meditation on the possibility of the genuine in the arts and beyond: are his relationships with the people he meets in Spain as fraudulent as he fears his poems are? Is poetry an essential art form, or merely a screen for the reader’s projections? A witness to the 2004 Madrid train bombings and their aftermath, does he participate in historic events or merely watch them pass him by? In prose that veers between the comic and tragic, the self-contemptuous and the inspired, Leaving the Atocha Station is a portrait of the artist as a young man in an age of Google searches, pharmaceuticals, and spectacle." Totally agree about the violent part. Did not see that coming and really unnecessary imo. The rest was interesting and a bit creepy. Trying to get myself geared up to read the Murakami. Both my copies are due back in a little more than a week..... I managed to request Leaving Atocha Station. It sounds interesting so awaiting your review. Finished #52 today, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley. :party: Definitely my favorite Flavia to date. I downloaded a bunch of books this afternoon from Overdrive as I'm going to be out tonight and not sure what I'll be in the mood to read. The Girl Who Chased the Moon was one of my downloads. I'm split on Allen so far. I didn't care for Garden Spells and I really didn't like The Sugar Queen. Both of those books had a plot element that really disturbed me, though. That being said, I read The Peach Keeper recently and really liked that one! So, we will see with this one. Congratulations on 52!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Sort of book-related...dh and I have started watching a mystery series called, 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery Series' on Netflix set in 1920s Australia and featuring a fashionable, female detective. It started as a book series and is now three seasons long on television though only the first season is available on Neflix. The costumes, setting, architecture and landscape are wonderful... < insert lavish 1920s Euro set with pretty, flapper-style detective > The protaganist, Phyrne pronounced 'Fry-knee' is clever, very feminine and full of sharp, amusing commentary. I think some of the BaWers would very much enjoy this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 We finished Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. My review is at GoodReads and will be on the blog tomorrow. I've been reading a bunch of Elizabeth Chapter books being a little afraid of St. Cyr's aggressive anti-faith. On my blog, I'm hosting Cindy Rollins' old Wednesdays with Words linkup for any of you who blog (or should blog) and might be interested, I'd love to see what you'd share. www.ladydusk.blogspot.com Finally, Susan Howatch's The Rich Are Different - plot structured on the life of Cleopatra - is $1.99 for kindle through Sept 20. http://www.amazon.com/Rich-Are-Different-Susan-Howatch-ebook/dp/B009DA5H0G I'm tempted buy this book based on Jane's rec and love of the author. However the subject material...suffering, suffering, suffering...ugh, do I want to immerse myself in the fictional vagaries of the human heart when the actual human heart is complicated and beautifully opaque enough??? I've got till the 20th to make this momentous choice :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Monica congrats on 52! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 A couple of interesting articles about nuclear tourists... http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140917-nuclear-tourism-chernobyl-stalker/ http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/10/nuclear-tourism/ludwig-photography remind me of a non-fiction travel book I read a few years ago, "Visit Sunny Chernobyl: And Other Adventures in the World's Most Polluted Places" by Andrew Blackwell. I recommend the book, especially if you find the articles intriguing or you are in the mood for a travel book. http://www.amazon.com/Visit-Sunny-Chernobyl-Adventures-Polluted/dp/1623360269/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1411005865&sr=1-1 "For most of us, traveling means visiting the most beautiful places on Earth—Paris, the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon. It’s rare to book a plane ticket to visit the lifeless moonscape of Canada’s oil sand strip mines, or to set sail for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. But in Visit Sunny Chernobyl, Andrew Blackwell embraces a different kind of travel, taking a jaunt through the most gruesomely polluted places on Earth. Visit Sunny Chernobyl fuses immersive first-person reporting with satire and analysis, making the case that it’s time to start appreciating our planet as-is—not as we wish it to be. Equal parts travelogue, expose environmental memoir, and faux guidebook, Blackwell careens through a rogue’s gallery of environmental disaster areas in search of the worst the world has to offer—and approaches a deeper understanding of what’s really happening to our planet in the process." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 National Book Awards Longlists 2014: http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2014.html#.VBo_XWK9KSM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 http://thephilosophersmail.com/perspective/travel-as-therapy-an-introduction/ Makes you wonder what those nuclear tourists are up to, doesn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 http://thephilosophersmail.com/perspective/travel-as-therapy-an-introduction/ Makes you wonder what those nuclear tourists are up to, doesn't it? I can't help but invert this...therapy as travel :lol: because, really, the places one goes given the right container... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 I loved The Girl Who Chased the Moon! Not to mention the gorgeous cover art. :grouphug: Amy! I hope things settle down soon. Are you moving long distance or just near by? I want to look into The Graveyard Book for our October "spooky" reading ;) We are just moving about a two miles from where we currently are. Last May we put our house out in the country for sale and it sold so fast that we couldn't find a place and have been renting for the last year. I'm really excited to own my own place again. We love our rental but we never completely unpacked because we knew we'd be moving in a year. Yes, Black Sheep lacks the sparkle of Heyer's best books, but is still very enjoyable (though I don't recommend reading it back to back with Lady of Quality which is very, very similar). I appreciate her middle tier books very much, perhaps partly because I haven't overread them as much as my favorites. I think Jo Walton has talked about that experience - perhaps in What Makes This Book So Great? - only for her it has gone even further, as I recall, and books she didn't use to like nearly as much have become favorites because they are the only ones she can still read. I dread this so much. I reread my favorites far too often and some of them are getting almost that overread, almost to the point where I know them too well to be able to really read them any more... well, Pride and Prejudice is there already, I guess. My most recent reread had to be in French... My mother gave it to me for my 9th or 10th birthday and I read it multiple times a year, every year for the next 25+ years... There is so much truth in that. So many books I've read so often that I feel like I need to ban them from my nightstand for a few years or I'll completely lose interest in them. Much like Cheetos did the summer after my freshman year of college when I ate a bag a week. :closedeyes: I try not to rush through series or authors I like because I'm a bit sad when I've finished all their books. GROUP VOTE: I'm trying to decide which GH to read next. My options are: The Foundling The Reluctant Widow A Civil Contract I haven't read any of them. I will read whichever one is decided by BaW. Write in votes are allowed. Voting will close when I finish my current audiobook and am ready to start the GH book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 I've been reading a bunch of Elizabeth Chapter books being a little afraid of St. Cyr's aggressive anti-faith. I've been wondering how you were doing on that series. I remember being put off by that in the earlier books also and being kinda mad that the author added it in. It seemed like trying to add her beliefs into the book where they felt clunky and took me out of the story. I don't remember the anti-faith beliefs showing up so much later in the series. Sometimes I miss things though. I'm the worst reader for trying to find symbolism because I seem to miss quite a bit in books. :glare: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 "Visit Sunny Chernobyl: And Other Adventures in the World's Most Polluted Places" by Andrew Blackwell. I can't help but invert this...therapy as travel :lol: because, really, the places one goes given the right container... If Chernobyl is the place, one hopes that the container is better than lead lined. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Today I read and enjoyed Rachel Gibson's newest contemporary romance What I Love About You. It's not my favorite of all her books (don't ask me what is as I'd be hard pressed to answer), but it was a fun read nonetheless. It's a stand alone though the romantic leads of one of her past books make a brief appearance. "GIMMEE A B-R-E-A-K! Ex-high school cheerleader Natalie Cooper could once shake her pom-poms with the best of them. But she's paid for all that popularity—her husband's run off with what's left of their money and a twenty-year-old bimbo named Tiffany. Leaving Natalie to manage a photo store and having to see some pictures she, well, really shouldn't. GIMMEE A S-H-O-T! Then she comes toe-to-manly chest with Blake Junger. Exiled to a remote cabin in Truly, Idaho, Blake wants nothing to do with anyone. Instead, he's determined to struggle with his demons and win—all on his own. But the last thing he needs is Natalie distracting him with her luscious curves and breaking down the barriers of his heart. GIMMEE YOUR H-E-A-R-T!" Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Finished #52 today, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley. :party: Definitely my favorite Flavia to date. I downloaded a bunch of books this afternoon from Overdrive as I'm going to be out tonight and not sure what I'll be in the mood to read. The Girl Who Chased the Moon was one of my downloads. I'm split on Allen so far. I didn't care for Garden Spells and I really didn't like The Sugar Queen. Both of those books had a plot element that really disturbed me, though. That being said, I read The Peach Keeper recently and really liked that one! So, we will see with this one. Congratulations and well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 http://reveal.thepixelproject.net/voices-and-videos/read-for-pixels/ "The Pixel Project presents the “Read For Pixels†2014 Google Hangout series featuring live Google Hangout Readings with award-winning bestselling authors in support of the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign, which aims to raise US$1 million in aid of The Pixel Project and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This year’s “Read For Pixels†authors include Joe Hill, Ellen Hopkins, Robert J. Sawyer, Cinda Williams Chima, Chuck Wendig, Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson, Alyson Noel, Jasper Fforde, Sarah J. Maas and G. Willow Wilson." (More info at the given link. Know for sure Kevin Hearne & Jasper Fforde are popular with BaWers....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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