Jane in NC Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Oo, that's the Hašek who wrote The Good Soldier Švejk, isn't it. Also on my TBR pile (okay, bookshelf). Have you read it? Is it as good as its reputation? Both my husband and I have The Good Soldier Švejk on our TBR lists too but we don't own the book (yet). We knew it was one that we could buy in the US. We were not sure about Behind the Lines that also looked captivating so we picked it up when we had the opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 ... There was a thread with graphic novel recommendations so I took a few I hadn't read from that to try out. Fables ... Saga ... A Knitter's Guide to Yarn ... At first read, I thought A Knitter's Guide to Yarn was also a graphic novel. Oops! I also read Saga and enjoyed it. I've read the first two volumes, but I know there are more. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 Interweb finds today: 15 reasons we're thankful for books The Japanese actually have a word for our teetering book stacks - Tsonduku Barnes and Nobles offering of signed edition books during black friday Nov 29th is small business Saturday so support your local indies. Went out to lunch with my sister at Boudin's SF (yummy) and spend about an hour at the cemetery as it's been a year today since my mom passed. Talked to my dad on the phone who is reading all her journals and currently on the years 82 to 91. Evidently mom kept a good record of all my embarrassing activities (and siblings) that dad never knew about during that period of time. :blushing: Even at 55 some things are still embarrassing. :lol: Gotta love my dad. Had a thought on the drive home - we should do a secret santa christmas gift exchange. Who's in? pm names and address and I'll put something together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Interweb finds today: 15 reasons we're thankful for books The Japanese actually have a word for our teetering book stacks - Tsonduku Thanks Robin for that useful word! I told Middle Girl about "tsonduku." She was perplexed: "What else do you do with books you've just bought?" Me: "Most people buy a book, read it, and then buy another one." Her: "But you'd never get all the good books at that rate!" Paternal Christmas bookbuying tip: My dad is visiting and was looking for something to read, so I handed him The Stalin Front (NYRB), which I read last year and found too depressing and gruesome. He loves it. ETA: A book Secret Santa? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Well, my compromise to the 5/5 is to read 10% of my challenge book each day and then any leftover reading time has been allotted to the first in the Charles Lenox series I mentioned a few days ago. This way I can satisfy my inner stay-the-course taskmaster and still have time to enjoy a less strictured reading experience. 'The Lady in Gold' is good but is not what I want to be reading right now. On another note ds was introduced to the world of Poirot today on netflix and thoroughly enjoyed the episode we saw. It was great fun watching it together. I can't quite believe my 'little boy' is of an age to enjoy and get a lot of the nuanced subtleties of Monsieur Hercule. It's both delightful and bittersweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Family Plot by Sheri Cobb South Regards, Kareni I just ran across a review of another book by Sheri Cobb South (the author of The Weaver Takes a Wife). This is the third of her mystery series, and there are links within the review to reviews of the previous books. It sounds good to me. I was looking at Sheri Cobb South's profile on Goodreads to see what book in the mystery series to start with and saw that we liked many of the same books so I friended her and sent her a short email telling her how much I enjoyed her Weaver book. She wrote back! I know it's not JK Rowling or anything but I had a bit of a fan moment. :) She seems like a lovely lady. I found a Joan Smith like author, Anne Barbour. She has 14 kindle titles at the reasonable price of $.99. I've read 2, A Talent for Trouble and A Pressing Engagemeny. I enjoyed both. Thank you for the recommendation! Saga is kind of a space epic with 2 parents of different warring races bringing a child into the world while they're on the run. I did not expect to like this, at all. However, it manages to empower it's female characters (and not just sexually), speak realistically and humorously about birth, and surprise me with humor or imagination when I'm most likely to put it down. Very well balanced, and bonus points for introducing the subversiveness of books in changing people's ideas, even something as humble as a romance novel. Definitely intended to be an adult, not teenage boy, graphic novel. DH read this before me and we had some interesting discussion. Saga has been on my to-read list forever. I gotta check it out. It might even count as a dusty book by now. On another note ds was introduced to the world of Poirot today on netflix and thoroughly enjoyed the episode we saw. It was great fun watching it together. I can't quite believe my 'little boy' is of an age to enjoy and get a lot of the nuanced subtleties of Monsieur Hercule. It's both delightful and bittersweet. David Suchet narrates some of the Poirot audiobooks too. If you DS becomes a big fan you might try having him listen to those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I was looking at Sheri Cobb South's profile on Goodreads to see what book in the mystery series to start with and saw that we liked many of the same books so I friended her and sent her a short email telling her how much I enjoyed her Weaver book. She wrote back! I know it's not JK Rowling or anything but I had a bit of a fan moment. :) She seems like a lovely lady. What fun! And how very nice of her to respond. Places to read: ...while cooking... I thought of you this evening as I was stirring the soup while reading my book. I was actually thawing some frozen soup. Given the large frozen chunk of soup in the middle of the pot, I decided this might be one time when an e-reader (easily held with one hand) might be more convenient than a paperback book (which wanted to spring out of the one hand available to hold it!). The book in question was Tangled by Mary Balogh. It's one of the author's older historical romances, published in 1995, which is, I believe, slated for republication in the next year or so. Here are a couple of reviews. one: http://rosario.blogspot.com/2006/05/tangled-by-mary-balogh.html two: http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/blogs/2011/04/mary-baloghs-tangled-an-erotic-romance Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I've never been able to believe in that speech if read straight - in the context of the characters and the Kate-Petruchio relationship, I see a more complex dynamic. You might like Wooing, Wedding, and Power: Women in Shakespeare's Plays Oh really? Last time we spoke, you were telling me to give up on Shakespeare. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Caught up a bit. Tam Lin~I loved the first 200-300 pages of this one. ... but Dean did not actually get to the title tale until the last 40 pages of the book. That's right, the last 40 pages, out of 457. And she had to make some plot changes in the last 60 pages to get there. .. My whole college experience felt sort of like that lol. Not much happening not much happening ooo wait a minute too much at once at the last minute. As a result, I didn't have trouble with the pacing of the story. But I've said before that my idea of acceptable pacing and other people's doesn't usually match. : ) ... The Japanese actually have a word for our teetering book stacks - Tsonduku ... Had a thought on the drive home - we should do a secret santa christmas gift exchange. Who's in? pm names and address and I'll put something together. Cool word! Trust the Japanese lol. And what a fun idea! Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Eliana - I do hope you get over any lingering effects of your bronchitus (sp?) quickly. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 And this week's canine delight...tapeworms :ack2: Dare I venture into the tapeworm-sentience waters? No, I think not. I think I'll stay on the dry, sandy shores of conditioned responses to small, white, wiggly, poop-dwelling creatures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 From old discussions in relation to The Monuments Men, an update on a related story today -- Swiss Museum Accepts Bequest of Nazi-Era Art Kunstmuseum Bern Obtains Trove From Gurlitt Collection This is suddenly more resonant and sobering with the contextual narrative of 'The Lady in Gold' in my awareness. I'm very much enjoying the book though it does spiral a bit in its trajectory which is a bit confusing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Eliana, bronchitis is rough. Hope you are feeling top notch very soon. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Get well soon, Eliana and any others suffering illness. Oh, no, shukriyya, tapeworms; I decided not to 'like' that post! Two interesting posts that came from the Tor newsletter that might be of interest to lovers of fantasy. Do read the comments as there are many worthwhile suggestions to be found there. A Non-Comprehensive-But-Awesome Accounting of Your Favorite Books of 2014 Never Wait for a Sequel Again: 17 Standalone Fantasy Novels Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I finished The Clockwork Scarab which was fun but had no closure. I didn't know if I will read the sequels. Right now I've begun The Man in the Empty Suit by Sean Ferrel, a time travel story. The time traveler celebrates his birthday every year partying with his once and future selves on the date of his 100th birthday, but something goes wrong and the year he turns 39 his 40 year old self is found dead. Since this seems impossible with some of his elder selves present, the mystery must be solved. ETA: I really like the adjective cognoggin, from The Clockwork Scarab, for people who are obsessed with mechanical objects. Is that in other steampunk style lit.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Get well soon, Eliana and any others suffering illness. Oh, no, shukriyya, tapeworms; I decided not to 'like' that post! Two interesting posts that came from the Tor newsletter that might be of interest to lovers of fantasy. Do read the comments as there are many worthwhile suggestions to be found there. A Non-Comprehensive-But-Awesome Accounting of Your Favorite Books of 2014 Never Wait for a Sequel Again: 17 Standalone Fantasy Novels Regards, Kareni Meh, like, dislike, as with fleas the tapeworms appear indifferent to human preference ;) And yes, :grouphug: to you, Eliana, with wishes for full recovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I finished The Clockwork Scarab which was fun but had no closure. I didn't know if I will read the sequels. Right now I've begun The Man in the Empty Suit by Sean Ferrel, a time travel story. The time traveler celebrates his birthday every year partying with his once and future selves on the date of his 100th birthday, but something goes wrong and the year he turns 39 his 40 year old self is found dead. Since this seems impossible with some of his elder selves present, the mystery must be solved. ETA: I really like the adjective cognoggin, from The Clockwork Scarab, for people who are obsessed with mechanical objects. Is that in other steampunk style lit.? Looking forward to hearing about the Man in the Empty Suit. Sounds intriguing. Eliana -- I hope you are feeling much better. Bronchitis is awful. :grouphug: Shukriyya -- Not sure what to say but :grouphug: Kareni -- I meant to quote the link but forgot for the 2014 best books list. There were some really interesting ones on that list. I need to go through it and make requests. I just finished another of my spooky series reads.....Destined for the Grave the fourth Night Huntress book by Jeannine Frost. Really enjoyed it, I was a bit meh about the third and stopped reading the series. This one has me requesting the next one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I just finished the historical romance Lady Windermere's Lover (The Wild Quartet) by Miranda Neville. It was a pleasant read (some adult content), but it's probably not a book that I will reread. "Hell hath no fury . . . Damian, Earl of Windermere, rues the day he drunkenly gambled away his family's estate and was forced into marriage to reclaim it. Now, after hiding out from his new bride for a year, Damian is finally called home, only to discover that his modest bride has become an alluring beauty—and rumor has it that she's taken a lover. Damian vows to keep his wife from straying again, but to do so he must seduce her—and protect his heart from falling for the wife he never knew he wanted. Lady Cynthia never aspired to be the subject of scandal. Lady Cynthia never aspired to be the subject of scandal. But with her husband off gallivanting across Persia, what was a lady to do? Flirting shamelessly with his former best friend seemed like the perfect revenge . . . except no matter how little Damian deserves her loyalty, Cynthia can't bring herself to be unfaithful. But now that the scoundrel has returned home, Cynthia isn't about to forgive his absence so easily—even if his presence stirs something in her she'd long thought dead and buried. He might win her heart . . . if he can earn her forgiveness!" Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 And this week's canine delight...tapeworms :ack2: Dare I venture into the tapeworm-sentience waters? No, I think not. I think I'll stay on the dry, sandy shores of conditioned responses to small, white, wiggly, poop-dwelling creatures. I just cannot "like" this post. Sending deepest sympathies (while suffering from some heebie-jeebies!) Eliana and those under the weather--sending best wishes for quick recoveries. To Robin and all who remember loved ones no longer sharing our holidays with us, many hugs. To those of us who will not be with our children this holiday, may we all join in one collective pout?? Actually, I am happy for my son's independence and successful launch into the real world. But really... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 To those of us who will not be with our children this holiday, may we all join in one collective pout?? Actually, I am happy for my son's independence and successful launch into the real world. But really... I'll join you in pouting, Jane, as well as in celebrating our children's independence. Will the boy be celebrating the occasion with others? My daughter and her roommate will be celebrating with a Thanksgiving chicken. They weren't able to find cranberry sauce in South Korea, so we sent a food package with (amongst other items) some cranberry and blueberry fruit spread for them to improvise. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 To answer Kareni's question: The Boy has been working in the Midwest, not terribly far from his college. So he is spending the holiday in his former digs with friends. In fact his advisor is pulling him into the field tomorrow for a dig. He has two Thanksgiving dinner invitations. We will see him over Christmas though. He is spending a couple weeks in the UK with his girlfriend in January before returning to his field work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Fleas pass on tapeworm so you have to get a handle on the fleas or the tapeworm will not go away. When we got our latest kitten from the shelter he had been covered with fleas and ear mites. It took two doses of meds and cleaning to clear the ear mites and FIVE doses of tapeworm med. Five. two weeks between each dose. Blech. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 For the Thomas Hardy fans, looks like a movie version of Far from the Madding Crowd will be out next year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 My BaW confluences tonight... Reading I Hotel, eddying around civil rights -- for all, but specifically centering around Asian Americans in this book -- in America in the 1960s/70s, seeing a mention of James Baldwin... ... then Ferguson (really, all of America right now)... ... then stumbling across James Baldwin in the article Where Are the People of Color in Children's Books?... ... and the We Need Diverse Books campaign (for children's literature). I love how ribbons of knowledge weave through our lives, tying events, ideas, emotions, thoughts together.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Fleas pass on tapeworm so you have to get a handle on the fleas or the tapeworm will not go away. When we got our latest kitten from the shelter he had been covered with fleas and ear mites. It took two doses of meds and cleaning to clear the ear mites and FIVE doses of tapeworm med. Five. two weeks between each dose. Blech. Yep, flea larvae carry the tapeworm eggs. What a delightful symbiosis that is :willy_nilly: And ear mites are part of the parasitic mix here, too, but seem somehow less heeby-jeeeby inducing, to use Jane's descriptive, than tapeworms or fleas. Or cockroaches ;) Such is the result of adopting a rescue animal. But her sweet nature makes it all good :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Sounds like you're having confluences tonight too, shukriyya. ;) Ah, but I hope your rescue puppy feels better soon. I'm sure all those problems can't feel good, but she is a lucky girl to have you as her human, helping her. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Pup has endless romping energy, it's the humans who are adjusting :smilielol5: Thanks for the kind words, Stacia. Seriously though it's not bad, just have to stay on top of things. She's an absolute darling :001_wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I just finished the Heiress of Winterwoodhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15760508-the-heiress-of-winterwood?from_search=true by Sarah Ladd. This is one that should be good contentwise for all. Rather Joan Smith. The ultimate stamp of approval is that I am waiting for the next one in the series but suspect they will be stand alones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Shukriyya - Sorry about the tapeworms. I guess we can't say they are just looking for someplace warm now that winter is coming. I think I can still change your perspective about them, though lol - you could now be wondering what the young adult you took in has brought into your household... Give me tapeworm any day. : ) I finished whatever it was I was reading before my current book and am now just about done with Mercedes Lackey's The Sleeping Beauty. Not the best written fairytale but quite imaginative, with a general air of kindliness and strong women. Ok as fluffy escape. Just what I was looking for. Somehow, after doing three hours of math a day and reading numerous articles on water chemistry on top of everything else that is going on, I don't feel like much else. : ) Shukriyya - My mother just finished Diana Wynne Jones's Fire and Hemlock (from the Tamlin conversation) and loved it. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Last night I finished the contemporary romance Indecent Proposal (Boys of Bishop) by Molly O'Keefe. It's the latest in a series, but it would stand alone well. I enjoyed it; the story had more depth than some of the other books I've read lately. It does have adult content. "With his chiseled jaw and thick blond hair, Harrison Montgomery was born to lead. Four generations of Montgomery men have served the state of Georgia, and now he’s next in line. Harrison, though, is driven to right wrongs: namely to clean up the political mess left by his father’s greed and corruption. But Harrison must first win his congressional bid, and nothing can get in his way—not even an angel who served him whiskey and gave him a shoulder to lean on and a body to love for a night. Problem is, she’s pregnant. Scandal is brewing, and there is only one solution: marriage. Damage control? Ryan Kaminski can’t believe that a cold, calculating political animal now inhabits the body of the emotionally vulnerable stranger who gave her the most unforgettable night of her life. Really, she doesn’t want anything from Harrison, except to be left alone to have her baby in peace. But Ryan is broke, jobless, and essentially blackmailed by Harrison’s desperate family to accept this crazy marriage deal. For two years, she will have to act the role of caring, supportive wife. But what is Ryan supposed to do when she realizes that, deep in her heart, she’s falling in love?" Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I finished Mary Shelley's The Last Man. This is a really good book once you realize that it's not meant as futuristic dystopian fiction, but about the Shelleys' circle of friends, three of whom had already died young (including PBS) when Mary wrote the book. It's a book about friendship and loss, and how a world full of exotic foreign places and rich culture weighs nothing against the weight of loneliness and grief. Pam, please forgive me; I started Year of Wonders and just can't continue. I know it's much loved by many and so I will shut up about why I hated it. :) The relative numbers would indicate a character defect on my part. I'm going to read Manzoni's The Betrothed instead. Sorry.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 So does reading all the recipes for holiday cooking/baking count? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Finished In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides today. Excellent book. It reminded me of Unbroken and I think anyone who liked that one would like Kingdom of Ice as well. I knew nothing of the Voyage of the USS Jeannette which tried to reach the North Pole in 1879. What a harrowing tale! Thumbs up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Regency readers who own Kindles might be interested in this free Kindle book. I haven't read the book but saw a post elsewhere by someone who likes this author. The Trellised Lane by Fiona Hill "...considerably more wit and pizazz than the legendary Georgette [Heyer] herself.†—Kirkus Reviews High praise from Kirkus Reviews! "Living the charmed life seems easy for Julia. Edgely Hall is a lovely estate, after all, but Julia wants to see beyond its gardens, to venture out and see the world for herself. She wants a life full of adventure! And so she induces her brother Fitz to accompany her on an extended visit to London, where she might discover her heart’s destiny. But romance turns out to be a complicated matter, and Julia finds herself the center of a circle of suitors, duelists, and intrigue!" Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Regency readers who own Kindles might be interested in this free Kindle book. I haven't read the book but saw a post elsewhere by someone who likes this author. The Trellised Lane by Fiona Hill "...considerably more wit and pizazz than the legendary Georgette [Heyer] herself.†—Kirkus Reviews High praise from Kirkus Reviews! "Living the charmed life seems easy for Julia. Edgely Hall is a lovely estate, after all, but Julia wants to see beyond its gardens, to venture out and see the world for herself. She wants a life full of adventure! And so she induces her brother Fitz to accompany her on an extended visit to London, where she might discover her heart’s destiny. But romance turns out to be a complicated matter, and Julia finds herself the center of a circle of suitors, duelists, and intrigue!" Regards, Kareni Giving it a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Happy Thanksgiving! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share Posted November 27, 2014 Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving my lovelies. I am so grateful for each and every one of you and proud to have you as sisters in books or friends in arms or whatever one calls it. I'm going to be sloppy.... Love and hugs to each and every one of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Pam, please forgive me; I started Year of Wonders and just can't continue. I know it's much loved by many and so I will shut up about why I hated it. :) The relative numbers would indicate a character defect on my part. I'm going to read Manzoni's The Betrothed instead. Sorry.... Not all of us. ;) I had some insomnia so I started and finished a few books I had on-shelf. The School of Essential Ingredients was one of those chick-lit stories where a group of characters get together for something (in this case cooking lessons) and the power of food and friendship changes their lives. Each chapter is a new character and their story. Eh. I really wanted to like it but she was over-describing food so much I had to close my eyes and intone silently, 'please, stop trying so hard.' It lacked a sense of surprise or wonder which could help it transcend the frame of the story. The Society of S was a bit of a surprise. The supernatural premise is pretty obvious from the beginning but the author uses the mystery fairly well. It's a coming of age novel of a 12 year old girl who lives with and is classically homeschooled by her father in a large Victorian mansion. Her mother is mysteriously not present. She makes some friends and starts questioning their life and isolation. Like I mentioned before, some of what is going on is obvious. Some isn't. I liked the coming of age mystery better than the more plot-active second half of the novel, but overall I thought it was interesting and the characters and ideas worked. Sort of working on Don DeLillo's Ratner's Star and a photo-biography of Dorothea Lange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 P.D. James passed away today. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/28/arts/international/p-d-james-mystery-novelist-known-as-queen-of-crime-dies-at-94.html Also, Allan Kornblum, founder of indie Coffee House Press passed away a few days ago. (Coffee House is the publisher of a few books I've read this year, including my current read I Hotel.) http://coffeehousepress.org/blog-posts/allan-kornblum-1949-2014/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 A very quiet day here, as I'm sure all of you are busy with family and feasting. We're grilling burgers tonight and having our turkey feast tomorrow when our oldest can join us. My youngest is in snowy Pennsylvania, and I've made sure to taunt him with photos of our fun with the dog on the beach this morning. It was 86 today!! I'm so very thankful for this community of smart and interesting women! So many books and authors you've introduced to me, so many interesting books I will likely never get to, but I love hearing about them through you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I'm so very thankful for this community of smart and interesting women! So many books and authors you've introduced to me, so many interesting books I will likely never get to, but I love hearing about them through you. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 The Society of S was a bit of a surprise. The supernatural premise is pretty obvious from the beginning but the author uses the mystery fairly well. It's a coming of age novel of a 12 year old girl who lives with and is classically homeschooled by her father in a large Victorian mansion. Her mother is mysteriously not present. She makes some friends and starts questioning their life and isolation. Like I mentioned before, some of what is going on is obvious. Some isn't. I liked the coming of age mystery better than the more plot-active second half of the novel, but overall I thought it was interesting and the characters and ideas worked. Sort of working on Don DeLillo's Ratner's Star and a photo-biography of Dorothea Lange. Is this kid (10 yo) friendly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Giving it a try. It was OK. The plot wasn't very complicated. The characters were not all that witty. I don't know that the characters behaved within Regency mores; they needed another chaperone and someone who knew London at the least. The resolution scene was clever but a little confusing with using flowers to have a conversation and the other puzzling it out. But it was a nice story and free. So thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Is this kid (10 yo) friendly? I wouldn't do it, but I struggle to think of anything that bad. The main character is definitely going through teen separation and identity changes (even though she is 12/13 during the book). At one point in the book she leaves home and goes hitching to find her mom. There's a guy who tries to rape her and she protects herself. The book seems to find her "13 going on 30" behaviors to be completely normal for the character. I have some ideas about this which would end up spoilers but it's still slightly disturbing as a parent. I wouldn't want a 10 year old thinking 16-18 year old behavior is normal for a 12-13 year old. Not graphic but written for a more adult viewpoint I think (teens and up). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Quiet here on our little BaW thread but you've all been in my thoughts. I've got about 20 pages to go with 'The Lady in Gold' and will finish it up today. It's been a fascinating and at times heart-breaking read. Recommended to those who enjoyed 'The Monuments Men.' Not sure what my next book will be. Possibly Mary Stewart's 'Airs above the Ground' which also takes place in Vienna focusing on the famous Lipizzaner equestrian school. I got a couple of books out of the library culled from a GR search on 'Art and Artists in Fiction'-- Primavera by Mary Jane Beaufrand, Girl Reading by Katie Ward which is stretches the bounds of my 5/5 focus in that it doesn't center on a particular piece of art but rather on that classic composition 'a girl reading' rendered throughout history by many artists. Reviews are fairly mixed for this. And The Last Nude which initially looked like it might be a compelling read but now feels like it will be emotionally exhausting so it's likely out. What I'm really looking forward to reading is book #52 for obvious reasons, of course, but more importantly because it's one of ds's faves and was a gift he bought for me :D. I'm about three books away from that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 I've been reading fluffy military romances and just finished Cindy Gerard's The Way Home from her One Eyed Jacks series. So poignant and actually left me with tears at the ending. So rare when stories actually touch me that way. Killed in Action—the most dreaded words imaginable for a soldier’s wife. Jess Albert has been living with them for four years, since the death of her husband in Afghanistan. Finding blessed numbness in routine, she doesn’t dare to look ahead, any more than she can bear to look back. Then Tyler Brown, a former special-ops warrior, shows up at her small general store in Minnesota North Woods, jarring her back to life. Jess knows better than to fall in love with another man who places duty to his country before love of his wife—but there’s no denying the longing and the hope for a future that Ty makes her feel.A world away, a lost American soldier clings to life and sanity in a lantern-lit cave. At his side is a dark-haired and dark-eyed woman whose touch is caring, despite the resentment he hears in her voice and sees on her face. But is it honor igniting her compassion for her enemy, or is it something more? Now that Thanksgiving is over, can now think about Christmas. Have to start working on those lists. James is happy he can now share his christmas lists with me. I kept telling him, not until after thanksgiving, la la la la la la. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 These look like fun gifts for others or yourself ~ A collection of beautifully designed temporary literary tattoos. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 ... just finished Cindy Gerard's The Way Home from her One Eyed Jacks series. So poignant and actually left me with tears at the ending. So rare when stories actually touch me that way. That was a good one! I may have to reread it. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 This is entertaining as are some of the comments (some adult content): How To Tell If You Are In a Regency Romance Novel by Anna Snyder Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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