Book a Week in 2015 - BW5

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, dear hearts.   Today is the start of week 5 in our quest to read 52 Books. Welcome back to all our readers, to all those who are just joining in and to all who are following our progress. Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 Books blog to link to your reviews. The link is below in my signature.

 

52 Books Blog - Flufferton February:   Welcome to Flufferton February and our author flavors of the month: The Bronte siblings --- Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell ---  as well as Jane Austen.   Flufferton is a term coined by one of our Well Trained Mind mom's in relation to all things regency, both classic and modern.  Regency stories revolve around romance, mysteries, and the Napoleonic war. Modern fiction is set in the regency era and can run the gamut from historical romance fiction to horror to paranormal.  

 

The Regency era from 1811 to 1820 fell within the period of Romanticism which ran approximately from 1790's to 1850's.  Romanticism in English Literature began with the poetry of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coolridge in 1790.  By the 1820's Romanticism encompassed almost all of Europe and was influenced not only by the Bronte Sisters, but  French authors Victor Hugo and Alexander Dumas and as well as American, Italian, Russian and Polish writers. 

 

 

Jane Austen wrote six novels, which have been some of the most popular and widely read stories over the years.  Her novels:  Emma, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion are all available on line for your reading pleasure.

 

There have also been many spin off's, inspired by Austen, revolving around Mr. Darcy and other characters.   Be sure to check out Laurel Natress's website dedicated to all things Austen at AustenProse.   It will keep you busy for quite a while, so might want to save it for when you have more time. 

 

The Bronte sisters books have been equally popular. Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre, Villette, Shirley, The Professor, High Life in Verdopolis and Juvenilia. Emily wrote Wuthering Heights and Anne produced Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Their brother, Branwell, was a painter and a poet as well and his works may be found here.

 

Courtesy of dennis barlogo

 

 

Come join me in the manor garden for afternoon tea (or a glass of wine if you prefer), and munch on tea cakes or scones, while we laze about for the day. Take a stroll among the flowers or trail your toes in the lake while diving into the stories of Jane Austen and/or the Bronte sisters.   Or wind your way down the various rabbit trails and see where it takes you.

 

 

 

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment

 

 ~ Jane Austen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*********************************************************************

History of the Medieval World - Chapter 6 (pp 41 - 50)

Earthquake and Invasion (364 - 376 AD)

 

********************************************************************************

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 4

 

[Violet Crown]

Finished Henry James' The Princess Casamassima this week. Very good if minor James. Started Leaves of Grass, which, in keeping with my theme of Confessing I've Never Read Important Literature, I will confess I've never read, except for the bits everyone has read ("I Hear America Singing" and etc.). Also I had not realized the existence of a fiery debate over which of the many many versions of the book is the True Authentic Leaves of Grass. I'm reading Whitman's final version.

 

Sorry I haven't been able lately to participate (or even read) the threads.

[Robin M]

Sorry Gang. Overslept then discovered I brain farted yesterday and had some rewriting to do.  No I didn't mention the Victoria Era in England which is a whole nother post in itself.

 

About to dive into dusty chunkster - Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell.

 

Non fiction in progress:

 

Michael Card's Luke - Gospel of Amazement

HoTMW of course

The Making of a Story by Alice LaPlante - Diving into chapter 7 with my writing group Method and Madness

[Jane in NC]

This week's reading includes three small books, Murder in the Round, another Johnson Johnson mystery by Dorothy Dunnett; The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zernon Davis; and The Letter Killers Club by the remarkable Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky.  Wuthering Heights is next in the queue.

 

The Johnson Johnsons are Dunnett's silly books--fine entertainments.

 

Natalie Zernon Davis was a consultant for the film The Return of Martin Guerre. Her book was mentioned in this thread last year by Stacia. From the publisher, Harvard University Press, we read:

 

 

 

Natalie Zemon Davis reconstructs the lives of ordinary people, in a sparkling way that reveals the hidden attachments and sensibilities of nonliterate sixteenth-century villagers. Here we see men and women trying to fashion their identities within a world of traditional ideas about property and family and of changing ideas about religion. We learn what happens when common people get involved in the workings of the criminal courts in the ancien régime, and how judges struggle to decide who a man was in the days before fingerprints and photographs. We sense the secret affinity between the eloquent men of law and the honey-tongued village impostor, a rare identification across class lines.

 

Deftly written to please both the general public and specialists, The Return of Martin Guerre will interest those who want to know more about ordinary families and especially women of the past, and about the creation of literary legends. It is also a remarkable psychological narrative about where self-fashioning stops and lying begins.

The book that rocked my world last year was Krzhizhanovsky's Autobiography of a Corpse.  The Letter Killers Club is off to an absurd start.  I understand this book contains loosely connected stories so perhaps things will fall into place later.

 

Update 2015 Challenges: 

HoMW  (bookmarked at chapter 12 of 85 chapters)

The Golden Legend  (bookmarked at chapter 14 of 182 chapters)

 

Some of you sensitive souls may just want to move along now to the next post.

 

**Hop, skip, jump**

 

The Golden Legend gave me pause this week and led to some rather raucous family discussions.

 

Growing up Catholic, I knew that January 1 is a holy day of obligation, a feast day associated with Mary. But it never occurred to this naive girl that January 1 marks the circumcision of Jesus, eight days after his birth.  Turns out that for centuries, January 1 commemorated this event. It was only in the early 1900s that the Day of Our Lord's Circumcision was renamed, recast. 

 

As I was reading the section in the Golden Legend, I began to wonder about the fate of the detached foreskin--which sure enough is mentioned later in the narrative.  And that in turn had me wondering about the reliquary for it.  Of course there is a book written about this very topic!  An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Strangest Relic in Italy's Town by David Farley has been ordered.  The household archaeologist is also intrigued.

[ChrisB]

This week I finished Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow:My Life by Sophia Loren and A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.

 

Well, I wouldn't recommend Sophia Loren's book unless you want to know some of her basic life facts (which I did) and all the movies, in detail, she's been in.  She is a consummate professional, and I found her to be a refreshing optimist.  Although, her lack of emotional depth made me feel like I didn't really know her except for a few things.  It upset me how she entered into her relationship with her husband, who was married at the time and tainted how I felt about her for the rest of the book.  I did like her telling about her and her family's experience with WWII in Italy, near Naples.  She also knows many in the movie industry, and the movie details reflect these relationships.

 

Let me tell ya, I truly enjoyed A Walk in the Woods.  Thanks to all who suggested it!  He had me laughing so hard that it caught my DH's attention.  His marvelous, clear writing set a great stage for the comings and goings of the base story and the facts he weaves throughout.  Sometimes the amount of facts was burdensome because I found the base story very entertaining and wanted to get back to it.  I loved how he talked about the National Park Service and the coal mining in Pennsylvania.  How about the coal vein that lit on fire?!  And, I LOVED his interaction with Katz!   :smilielol5: and the characters he encounters on the Appalachian Trail--Mary Ellen, anybody?  :rofl:  Definitely worth the read!  What's his next book I need to read?  I'm looking for his best.

 

Next up:  The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni.  Has anyone read it?  What did you think?

[Ali in OR]

I will definitely be participating in Flufferton February! I have Villette on my shelf and I don't believe that I have ever read that one--so that's coming up for sure. Then maybe I'll have to get another Heyer or something fun and easy from the library. Or re-read an Austen--I think I have them all.

 

I finished Forgotten English and that will be off to the library book sale. Also finished Cary Elwes' As You Wish and watched The Princess Bride again. Currently reading the sequel to The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect, which seems pretty much more of the same. I don't think it can possibly charm as the first one did.

 

Up sometime soon: Villette and Moriarty (that's two different books--I'm sure Villete and Moriarty would be a rather unique creation.)

[Negin]

Robin, thank you for starting this thread every week.  :hurray:

Editing to add: Pride & Prejudice is one of favorite books ever. I keep telling myself to read more Austen and Dickens (my two favorites when it comes to classics). I can't seem to concentrate on them these days. 

 

I read:

 

Notes from a Small Island - 5 Stars - Reading this made me yearn to return to Britain and to even live there again. Bill Bryson has a true gift for humor and description. There were so many parts that had me laughing hilariously, and some that got me all nostalgic, such as visiting the small town where I attended beauty school so many years ago – a town that’s so infrequently visited, that when he got off the train, everyone had their heads to the window, looking at him in utter surprise, as in why, on God’s green earth, would anyone get off here?  I’m sorry the book ended, I wanted him to keep going on. I’m even sorrier to learn that he won’t be writing any more travelogues, but I still have several yet to read and many of these, I’ll be more than happy to re-read.

 

Stormchaser: The Edge Chronicles - 3 Stars - This one was better than the first, I thought. I look forward to soon reading the third. These books are not my usual reading genre, but my daughter’s been asking me to read these for years. I figure that I better do so before she leaves home for college! I would give it 3.5 stars, but I can’t, so 3 stars it will be. 

 

  

 

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. 

[TeacherZee]

The past two weeks I have been GREAT at starting books...finishing...not so much. So my current reading looks like this:

 

Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

The History of the Medieval World by Susan Wise Bauer

Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death by James Runcie

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (audio book)

Sveriges Historia 13000 f. Kr. - 600 e. Kr. by Stig Welinder

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (phone book)

 

And I should start reading one of the two flufferton books I want to read. And this week is another dozy of a week at work. Thank heavens I am off a week for winter break at the end of the month.

 

 

Read this year looks like this:

 

1. The Child Catchers by Kathryn Joyce

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

3. The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen

4. The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen

5. The Year We Hid Away by Sarina Bowen

6. Blond Date by Sarina Bowen

7. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

8. Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson

9. After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson

[Kareni]

... A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.

 

...  What's his next book I need to read?  I'm looking for his best.

 

It's not a travel book but my favorite Bill Bryson book is

The Mother Tongue - English And How It Got That Way

 

"With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson—the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent—brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries."

 

It's very entertaining and educational!

 

 

My first Bryson book (if I recall correctly) was

The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America It was an entertaining read and had a line that lives on in our family lingo.  It was something along the lines of "Iowa.  This is what death is like."  (You probably had to be there!)

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm also excited about Flufferton February - I plan to re-read Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility & Persuasion (well, maybe not all in February) and I just finished listening to Northanger Abbey.  Last year was my Year of the Brontes, so I'm sticking with Jane this year.

 

Other current reads, ongoing: The girls and I are reading The Castle of Llyr and From Then Till  Now.  I'm doing a daily dose of The Harvard Classics in a Year and a weekly dose of HoTMW.  For fiction, I need to finish Amsterdam because my book group is discussing it this month, and The Glass Sentence because Shannon read it and thought I'd love it, and The Book of Strange New Things because I had it on hold at the library for forever and it just came in.

 

For nonfiction, still working on The Secret History of the Mongol Queens, The Cave and the Light, Girls on the Edge, and The Creation of Anne Boleyn.

 

Books I've read so far this year:

Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie

The Black Cauldron - Lloyd Alexander

The Case of Comrade Tulayev - Victor Serge

Dawn - Elie Wiesel

Day - Elie Wiesel

Girls on the edge: The Four Factors driving a new crisis for girls - Leonard Sax

The Ghost-Feeler - Edith Wharton

The House of the Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne

 

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen

 

Ancillary Sword - Ann Leckie

 

Night - Elie Wiesel

1984 - George Orwell

 

The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious Queen - Susan Bordo

My Real Children - Jo Walton

The Strange Library - Haruki Murakami

 

The March of Folly: from Troy to Vietnam - Barbara Tuchman

Whole Earth Discipline - Stewart Brand

The War of the Worlds - H G Wells

The Wikkeling - Steven Arntson

 

[aggieamy]

Yay.  Flufferton February.

 

Um ... I really have nothing substantial to contribute to the discussion other than I'm really excited about a month of fluff.  (Not that I need much encouragement!)

 

 

On a funny note:

 

DH and I are heading off to book club in a few hours.  Yep.  Our small little book club scheduled our discussion for the night of the Super Bowl for two years in a row without realizing it.  Not really sports fans!  The funniest is my 6'4" DH who played every sport possible in high school and he didn't even know that it was Super Bowl weekend until yesterday.  I tease him that I converted him from a jock to a nerd.    

[Kareni]

I read and enjoyed the contemporary romance Truly by Ruthie Knox.  This was a fun book.

 

 

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY LIBRARY JOURNAL

"May Fredericks hates New York. Which is fair enough, since New York seems to hate her back. After relocating to Manhattan from the Midwest to be with her long-distance boyfriend, NFL quarterback Thor Einarsson, May receives the world’s worst marriage proposal, stabs the jerk with a shrimp fork, and storms off alone—only to get mugged. Now she’s got no phone, no cash, and no friends. How’s a nice girl supposed to get back to safe, sensible Wisconsin?
 
Frankly, Ben Hausman couldn’t care less. Sure, it’s not every day he meets a genuine, down-to-earth woman like May—especially in a dive in the Village—but he’s recovering from an ugly divorce that cost him his restaurant. He wants to be left alone to start over and become a better man. Then again, playing the white knight to May’s sexy damsel in distress would be an excellent place to start—if only he can give her one very good reason to love New York."

 

and I reread one of last year's favorites:

 

Transcendence by Shay Savage

 

"It’s said that women and men are from two different planets when it comes to communication, but how can they overcome the obstacles of prehistoric times when one of them simply doesn’t have the ability to comprehend language? Ehd’s a caveman living on his own in a harsh wilderness. He’s strong and intelligent, but completely alone. When he finds a beautiful young woman in his pit trap, it’s obvious to him that she is meant to be his mate. He doesn’t know where she came from, she’s wearing some pretty odd clothing, and she makes a lot of noises with her mouth that give him a headache. Still, he’s determined to fulfill his purpose in life – provide for her, protect her, and put a baby in her. Elizabeth doesn’t know where she is or exactly how she got there. She’s confused and distressed by her predicament, and there’s a caveman hauling her back to his cavehome. She’s not at all interested in Ehd’s primitive advances, and she just can’t seem to get him to listen. No matter what she tries, getting her point across to this primitive but beautiful man is a constant – and often hilarious – struggle. With only each other for company, they must rely on one another to fight the dangers of the wild and prepare for the winter months. As they struggle to coexist, theirs becomes a love story that transcends language and time."

 

Both of these have adult content.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Conservative readers, skip this post.  Or as others have said:

 

 

**Hop, skip, jump**

 

 

I read a couple of romances last week that featured two men; both were enjoyable stories.

 

Illumination by Rowan Speedwell

 

"Adam Craig is burned out. Lead singer of the hard rock band Black Varen, he’s tired of the empty life of groupies, paparazzi, and hotel rooms. Worse, a life in the closet. After the final concert of their latest tour, he flees the afterparty, pursuing memories of lost summers and carefree days, until he passes out on the patio of a shuttered lake resort.

Miles Caldwell is a brilliant artist, tied by agoraphobia and social anxiety to his family’s lodge. Alone but for his parrot, he spends his days illuminating manuscripts and hiding from the complexities of life. When he discovers Adam asleep in a deck chair, he’s furious but intrigued. Adam soon charms his way into Miles’s bed, and they lose themselves in a summer idyll, safe from the compromises and claims of reality.

But Adam’s life, with all it demands, is waiting for him. And Miles, uncertain of Adam’s true feelings, is battling demons of his own. Somehow, the man who’s never home and the man who never leaves it must find the strength to fight for a future together."

 

 

This one actually had a medieval connection as the artist character illuminates manuscripts;  the author (according to her bio) also illuminates and a fair amount of detail was shared on the process.

 

 

and Junk by Josephine Myles

 

This book features a man who hoards books, newspapers and magazines.  (I can certainly identify.)  The other hero is a man who with his sister has a business assisting hoarders deal with their issues and declutter.

 

"Letting go is the first step to healing...or bringing it all crashing down. When an avalanche of books cuts off access to his living room, university librarian Jasper Richardson can no longer ignore the truth. His ever-growing piles of books, magazines and newspapers can no longer be classified as a "collection". It's a hoard, and he needs professional help. Professional clutter clearer and counselor Lewis Miller thinks he's seen it all, but even he has to admit he's shocked. Not so much by the state of Jasper's house, but by the level of attraction he still feels for the sexy bookworm he remembers from school. What a shame that Lewis's ethical code forbids relationships with clients. As Jasper makes slow but steady progress, though, the magnetic pull between them is so strong even Lewis is having trouble convincing himself it's a temporary emotional attachment arising from the therapeutic process. Jasper longs to prove to Lewis that this is the real deal. But first he'll have to lay bare the root of his hoarding problem...and reveal the dark secret hidden behind his walls of books."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

 

 

[Violet Crown]

This week's reading includes three small books, Murder in the Round, another Johnson Johnson mystery by Dorothy Dunnett; The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zernon Davis; and The Letter Killers Club by the remarkable Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky. Wuthering Heights is next in the queue.

 

The Johnson Johnsons are Dunnett's silly books--fine entertainments.

 

Natalie Zernon Davis was a consultant for the film The Return of Martin Guerre. Her book was mentioned in this thread last year by Stacia. From the publisher, Harvard University Press, we read:

 

 

The book that rocked my world last year was Krzhizhanovsky's Autobiography of a Corpse. The Letter Killers Club is off to an absurd start. I understand this book contains loosely connected stories so perhaps things will fall into place later.

 

Update 2015 Challenges:

HoMW (bookmarked at chapter 12 of 85 chapters)

The Golden Legend (bookmarked at chapter 14 of 182 chapters)

 

Some of you sensitive souls may just want to move along now to the next post.

 

**Hop, skip, jump**

 

The Golden Legend gave me pause this week and led to some rather raucous family discussions.

 

Growing up Catholic, I knew that January 1 is a holy day of obligation, a feast day associated with Mary. But it never occurred to this naive girl that January 1 marks the circumcision of Jesus, eight days after his birth. Turns out that for centuries, January 1 commemorated this event. It was only in the early 1900s that the Day of Our Lord's Circumcision was renamed, recast.

 

As I was reading the section in the Golden Legend, I began to wonder about the fate of the detached foreskin--which sure enough is mentioned later in the narrative. And that in turn had me wondering about the reliquary for it. Of course there is a book written about this very topic! An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Strangest Relic in Italy's Town by David Farley has been ordered. The household archaeologist is also intrigued.

LOL--actually some Jewish friends of mine figured out quickly why January 1 was a feast day. It was changed in 1960, and we traddie sorts who prefer to believe the last fifty years didn't happen still celebrate it as the Feast of the Circumcision. So we get to explain that one to our kids at an early age.

 

I think the loss of the traditional Catholic earthiness was an impoverishment. Great Girl was very taken in Vienna by a painting of the bare-breasted Virgin squirting milk into the Holy Infant's mouth. Try putting a copy of that up in your suburban American parish church.

[TeacherZee]

Jane I was thinking about your son today as I read the first chapter in my book on Swedish history. The chapter went into great detail on how archeology has changed over the years and why it is necessary for 1) a whole new set of books on Swedish history, 2) why he won't be writing about "traditional" time periods and 3) how archeologists are really interested in other peoples trash. It was a very interesting chapter.

[Mnemosyne]

I decided to drop Crime and Punishment for the time being.  I still want to read it but I just don't have the time to dedicate to it right now.

 

My focus for this month will be finishing The Intelligent Investor, Big History, Psycho-Cybernetics and Starting Strength. That's one book a week. I think most of my time I'll be focused on The Intelligent Investor, but if I finish that more quickly than I'm expecting I'll be able to get more reading done.

[guilfordlake]

 

This week I finished Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow:My Life by Sophia Loren and A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.

 

Well, I wouldn't recommend Sophia Loren's book unless you want to know some of her basic life facts (which I did) and all the movies, in detail, she's been in.  She is a consummate professional, and I found her to be a refreshing optimist.  Although, her lack of emotional depth made me feel like I didn't really know her except for a few things.  It upset me how she entered into her relationship with her husband, who was married at the time and tainted how I felt about her for the rest of the book.  I did like her telling about her and her family's experience with WWII in Italy, near Naples.  She also knows many in the movie industry, and the movie details reflect these relationships.

 

Let me tell ya, I truly enjoyed A Walk in the Woods.  Thanks to all who suggested it!  He had me laughing so hard that it caught my DH's attention.  His marvelous, clear writing set a great stage for the comings and goings of the base story and the facts he weaves throughout.  Sometimes the amount of facts was burdensome because I found the base story very entertaining and wanted to get back to it.  I loved how he talked about the National Park Service and the coal mining in Pennsylvania.  How about the coal vein that lit on fire?!  And, I LOVED his interaction with Katz!   :smilielol5: and the characters he encounters on the Appalachian Trail--Mary Ellen, anybody?  :rofl:  Definitely worth the read!  What's his next book I need to read?  I'm looking for his best.

 

Next up:  The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni.  Has anyone read it?  What did you think?

 

 

Bill Bryson-After reading A Walk in the Woods, I went looking for more of his books, and selected I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away  I finished it last week and it was really good, very entertaining, and spot on.  I look forward to reading more of his books.

[ChrisB]

It's not a travel book but my favorite Bill Bryson book is

The Mother Tongue - English And How It Got That Way

 

"With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson—the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent—brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries."

 

It's very entertaining and educational!

 

My first Bryson book (if I recall correctly) was

The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America It was an entertaining read and had a line that lives on in our family lingo.  It was something along the lines of "Iowa.  This is what death is like."  (You probably had to be there!)

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Good to know!  "From the descent of the larynx into the throat, to the fine art of swearing..."  Too funny!  Thanks.

 

Negin:  regarding Notes from a Small Island...may need to add this to my reading list, especially since we have similar taste in books, and you gave it 5 stars.

[prairiegirl]

I finished  The Weight of Blood  by Laura McHugh.  I feel confused by this book.  It started out really good but a little short of halfway through it began sliding downhill.  About halfway through, each chapter was written from a different character's point of view but it was written in third person but two characters  shared their story in first person.  That seemed bizarre to me.   It seemed as if the author spent all of her time and effort on the first half of the book and then realized that her contract was just about up so she had to slap things together to make a story.   The ending didn't even make much sense.  I was disappointed by the ending.

 

I am now reading Nora Webster  by Colm Toibin and am enjoying this one immensely.

 

 

Books I have read so far:

Burial Rites--Hannah Kent

The Lost Husband  --Katherine Center

Leisure, the Basis of Culture--Josef Pieper

Age of Miracles--Karen Thompson Walker

The Inferno--Dante

The Anatomy of a Disappearance--Hisham Matar

Breathing Room--Leanna Tankersley

Imitation of Christ--Thomas a Kempis

Weight of Blood--Laura McHugh

 

Currently reading:

Grace Revealed by Jerry Sittser

Saint Benedict by Julian Stead

The Order of Things  by James Schall

Woman in White  by Wilkie Collins

The Purgatorio by Dante

Nora Webster by Colm Toibin

[ChrisB]

Bill Bryson-After reading A Walk in the Woods, I went looking for more of his books, and selected I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away  I finished it last week and it was really good, very entertaining, and spot on.  I look forward to reading more of his books.

 

I could see this being hysterical!  Maybe I'll add this book, too.

[Loesje22000]

I finished 'Shirley' ( in Dutch) this week.

I still love the book.

 

I would like to have translations of Wives and Daughters (Gaskell) or Vilette (Bronte).

Unfortuneteley they don't exist.

I will pick another Bronte or Austen....)

[guilfordlake]

Finished books:  Death Benefits by Nelson DeMille.  I love Nelson DeMille (John Corey :drool5:  is probably my one of my favorite fictional characters. ) but this short story was not very good.  It was too predictable.  

 

Also finished I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson.  Very good and so funny.

 

Ongoing because of their length:   HotMW

                                                        Home Comforts by Chery Mendelson

                                                        The Complete Tightwad Gazetter by Amy Dacyczyn

 

This week:  continuing AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller

                   starting Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz 

                   continuing Daily Rituals: How Artists Work (thank you to the person who mentioned this book! It's very interesting)

 

Will be flipping through:  The Teenage Liberation Handbook and How to Be a High School Superstar.  I'm mostly looking to see if I should invest in my own copies or just borrow from the library as needed.

 

The kids and I will be starting The Notorious Benedict Arnold as a read aloud. 

                 

[mumto2]

I think I am the first to post the completion of a Flufferton Abbey book, although it was Victorian and not by Austen or a Bronte. The Bridegroom Wore Plaidhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13515289-the-bridegroom-wore-plaidwas simply a fun romp around a Scottish estate where everyone falls in love with the "wrong" person. Nothing complicated but with adult scenes. Not fabulous but I definitely plan to read more by the author because it was a very good fluff read.

[Just Robyn]

I finished Lyrical Ballads by Coleridge and Wordsworth. Not really my cuppa'. But I think this was my favorite poem in the book:

 

The Dungeon

 

And this place our forefathers made for man!

This is the process of our love and wisdom,

To each poor brother who offends against us -- 

Most innocent, perhaps -- and what if guilty?

Is this the only cure? Merciful God!

Each pore and natural outlet shrivell'd up

By ignorance and parching poverty,

His energies roll back upon his heart,

And stagnate and corrupt; till changed to poison,

The break out on him, like a loathsome plague-spot;

Then we call in our pamper'd mountebanks -- 

And this is their best cure! uncomforted

And friendless solitude, groaning and tears,

And savage faces, at the clanking hour,

Seen through the steams and vapour of his dungeon,

By the lamp's dismal twilight! So he lies

Circled with evil, till his very soul

Unmoulds its essence, hopelessly deformed

By sights of ever more deformity!

 

With other ministrations thou, O nature!

Healest they wandering and distempered child:

Thou pourest on him thy soft influences,

Thy sunny hues, fair forms, and breathing sweets,

Thy melodies of woods, and winds, and waters,

Till he relent, and can no more endure

To be a jarring and a dissonant thing

Amid this general dance and minstrelsy;

But, bursting into tears, wins back his way,

His angry spirit healed and harmonized

By the benignant touch of love and beauty.

 

I am burning out on zentangles. I think I probably only did one last week. But I am still loving Kraken; I have read 10/15 chapters. Every day dh hears Oh, oh, listen to this! Did you know that squid...?

 

I am still reading Dynamic Characters, and I have been re-reading a little Ferlinghetti while I wait for the library to obtain a copy of No Matter the Wreckage by Sarah Kay.

 

Right now I'm thinking I will probably read Sense and Sensibility for this month's author challenge, but there are many Austen/Bronte sisters books I would like to read, so I may change my mind by the time I am finished with Kraken.

[Jane in NC]

Jane I was thinking about your son today as I read the first chapter in my book on Swedish history. The chapter went into great detail on how archeology has changed over the years and why it is necessary for 1) a whole new set of books on Swedish history, 2) why he won't be writing about "traditional" time periods and 3) how archeologists are really interested in other peoples trash. It was a very interesting chapter.

 

Indeed yes!  Given the parsimonious ways of my father and my father-in-law, I often say that my son comes from a long line of trash pickers.  My son would love to be able to study the discards of Pripyat, for example, what was left behind when the city was abandoned.

 

Unfortunately Indiana Jones operates in the manner of Victorian and Napoleonic archaeologists, searching for shiny treasure when the point of archaeology is inclined to understanding history through material culture.

 

[shukriyya]

It was a mostly non-reading week for me. I have ditched the 'Daughters of Avalon', am thinking of replacing it with The Forest House by MZB, am half-way through 'No End to Snowdrops', am in the last chapter of 'Anam Cara', and requested several of Kathleen Raine's books of poetry from the library. I posted this one last week but am reposting it as a cut and paste in case anyone missed it as it's just so wonderful...

 

Into What Pattern

 

Into what pattern, into what music have the spheres whirled us,
Of traveling light upon the spindles of the stars wound us,
The great winds upon the hills and in hollows swirled us,
into what currents the hollow waves and crested waters,
Molten veins of ancestral rocks wrought us
In the caves, in the graves entangled the deep roots of us,
Into what vesture of memories earth layer upon layer enswathed us
Of the ever-changing faces and phases
Of the moon to be born, reborn, upborn, of sun-spun days
Our arrivals assigned to us, our times and places
Sanctuaries for all love's meetings and partings, departings
Healings, woundings and weepings and transfigurations?

Kathleen Raine

 

Plato's 'Symposium' got started as our family read aloud and discussion. I did several more zentangles this week and am continuing to really enjoy the absorptive gateway they offer. Here's my Georgia O'Keefe inspiration...

 

 

[Kareni]

... The Bridegroom Wore Plaidhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13515289-the-bridegroom-wore-plaid....

 

In case you're unaware, the author has a book available free to Kindle readers ~

Douglas: Lord of Heartache (The Lonely Lords) by Grace Burrowes.

 

I've yet to read this one, but I've read many of her other books.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Cascadia]

Hello Book-a-weekers!  I have been lurking around the BAW threads for a little bit, and have decided to jump in and join y'all.  I'm hesitant to commit to 52 books in a year because my kids don't give me nearly as much time for reading as I would like, but I'll plug along the best I can.

 

My goal for the year is to read from the books I already have purchased, both physical and electronic.  And yes, Howard's End is on the Landing is one of my purchased, yet unread books!  Much of my focus right now is Charlotte Mason, and also preparing to start the Chronicles of Narnia with DD later this year.  I do own HotMW, so I started reading that last week.  I've completed chapters 1 and 2, and plan to read two chapters per week for the next few weeks in order to catch up to the group.  DD is doing Ancients this year, so this will be a good chance for me to read ahead for next year.

 

As you can see below, I start too many books at once :)

 

Completed

The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart (I was pre-reading this for DD, and got sucked in!)

The Way Into Narnia, by Peter J. Schakel

The Keys to the Chronicles, by Marvin D. Hinten

 

In Progress

Raising Your Spirited Child, by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis

Towards a Philosophy of Education, by Charlotte Mason

Consider This, by Karen Glass

For the Children's Sake, by Susan Schaeffer Macauley

Tales Before Narnia, by Douglas A. Anderson

The Highly Sensitive Person, by Elaine N. Aron

The Art of the Commonplace, by Wendell Berry

History of the Medieval World, by Susan Wise Bauer

The Harvard Classics in a Year: A Liberal Education in 365 Days, by Charles Eliot

 

Starting Soon

My Flufferton February choice will probably be Northhanger Abbey, but I may revisit Villette, Agnes Grey, or Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

Another Narnia-related book

 

[Cascadia]

Next up:  The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni.  Has anyone read it?  What did you think?

 

 

This one is in my e-book pile.  I probably won't start it anytime soon, but I'm looking forward to hearing about it!

[mumto2]

Finished books: Death Benefits by Nelson DeMille. I love Nelson DeMille (John Corey :drool5: is probably my one of my favorite fictional characters. ) but this short story was not very good. It was too predictable.

 

 

Nelson DeMille is an author I used to love. His book The Charm School is a cold war favourite of mine.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/353814.The_Charm_SchoolI actually reread it last year and still enjoyed it after many years. Somehow I stopped reading his books. I suspect it was because I missed the first couple in the John Corey series due to dds birth. ;) I just checked Plum Island out on overdrive and will give it a try soon! Thanks for reminding me to try his newer books......Gold Coast was another great one of his.

[Jane in NC]

A question for Shukriyya. Robin, and other Californians:  Jenn is having problems accessing the forums.  There is a thread reporting that some regulars are unable to enter the forums because of a CloudFlare issue.  It appears to be a California problem. Apparently these posters are accessing the forums through their phones, not their laptops.

 

Are you having a problem accessing the forums through your normal technologies? 

[guilfordlake]

Nelson DeMille is an author I used to love. His book The Charm School is a cold war favourite of mine.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/353814.The_Charm_SchoolI actually reread it last year and still enjoyed it after many years. Somehow I stopped reading his books. I suspect it was because I missed the first couple in the John Corey series due to dds birth. ;) I just checked Plum Island out on overdrive and will give it a try soon! Thanks for reminding me to try his newer books......Gold Coast was another great one of his.

 

Oh, I loved The Charm School!  I might have to see if the library has it on Overdrive so I can reread it.

 

I read The Gold Coast 10 -12 years ago and didn't like it.  But I think Gold Coast might be one of the books that require some life experience perhaps?.  I picked up The Gate House (the sequel to The Gold Coast) for $1 at the library book store a couple weeks ago so I've been planning to give The Gold Coast another try, see if I like it better now that I'm a little older and wiser :)

[mumto2]

Oh, I loved The Charm School! I might have to see if the library has it on Overdrive so I can reread it.

 

I read The Gold Coast 10 -12 years ago and didn't like it. But I think Gold Coast might be one of the books that require some life experience perhaps?. I picked up The Gate House (the sequel to The Gold Coast) for $1 at the library book store a couple weeks ago so I've been planning to give The Gold Coast another try, see if I like it better now that I'm a little older and wiser :)

I had no idea there was a sequel to The Gold Coast so naturally I am off to see what I can find on on overdrive. I can't remember Gold Coast very well so will need to read that one again also!

 

Kareni...Thanks for the free book recommendation. It is now on my kindle!

[Stacia]

Since I'm in the middle of a couple of long books & this week was busy, I ended up grabbing a short book at the library that I finished last night: The Jerusalem File by Joel Stone, published by Europa editions. Eh, I didn't really care for it much. It's a noir-ish detective tale about jealousy & had an ambiguous, unsatisfactory ending, imo. I don't usually mind open or ambiguous endings, but I don't think it really fit for this story. Maybe I'm missing something.

In the meantime, I'm still slowly working on the non-fiction book The Secret History of the Mongol Queens by Jack Weatherford. It's a hard one to pick up & put down because the names/descendants are hard to follow, so it's better to read in bigger chunks. Otoh, I finished chapter 5, War Against Women, this morning & it was harrowing & harsh in some of its details. I won't go into detail, but there are some very disturbing events that are hard to erase from your brain after reading. Still, I loved Weatherford's book about Genghis Khan (Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World) & find much of this history fascinating, so I'm continuing....

 

Jenn, I did think of you reading the Silk Road book as chapter 6 of the Mongol Queens book is getting more in depth about control of the route. I wonder how much, if any, these books overlap. I may need to add the Silk Road book to my pile to go along w/ this & my various planned Marco Polo books.
 

I am also part-way through The Revisionists by Thomas Mullen, a sort-of sci-fi, time travel thriller. I've just been so busy this past week (& will remain that way for a couple more weeks) that I haven't had time to get back to it. Not sure if I'll set it aside for now (too much going on for me to be reading such a huge book) or continue to read it in small increments as I have time....

----------------------
2015 Books Read:
Africa:

• Rue du Retour by Abdellatif Laâbi, trans. from the French by Jacqueline Kaye, pub. by Readers International. 4 stars. Morocco. (Poetic paean to political prisoners worldwide by one who was himself in prison for “crimes of opinionâ€. Explores not only incarceration but also readjusting to a ‘normal’ world after torture & release.)
• Nigerians in Space by Deji Bryce Olukotum, pub. by Unnamed Press. 4 stars. South Africa & Nigeria. (Scientists lured back home in a ‘brain gain’ plan to start up Nigerian space program. But, things go awry. Is it legit, a scam, or something more sinister?)

Asia:

• The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami, a Borzoi book pub. by Alfred A. Knopf. 4 stars. Japan. BaW January author challenge. (Creepy campfire style story; thought-provoking ending made me rethink the entire story.)

Europe:

• The Affinity Bridge by George Mann, a Tor book pub. by Tom Doherty Associates. 3 stars. England. (Entertaining steampunk with likeable characters.)
• Extraordinary Renditions by Andrew Ervin, pub. by Coffee House Press. 4 stars. Hungary. (Triptych of stories in Budapest touching on the Holocaust, racism, corruption, the power of music,…)

Middle East:

• The Jerusalem File by Joel Stone, pub. by Europa editions. 2 stars. Israel. (Noir detective tale re: jealousy. Ambiguous, unsatisfactory ending.)

[Stacia]

For Flufferton February, I picked up Anne Brontë's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall from the library. Hopefully I can fit it in amid the craziness that is life right now.

 

Jane, I enjoyed your Golden Legend discussion. I think I'm naive like you as that had never occurred to me. Lol! An Irreverent Curiosity sounds great. Can't wait to hear what you have to say about it. Some of this discussion reminds me of the Basilica of the Holy Blood (in Brugge), which has a relic of Holy Blood. But, even the church publication about it (from the group that preserves the relic), admits that the relic would not, in reality, be Holy Blood. Regardless, it still plays a hugely important role in the church for pilgrims & in the city for religious processions. Basically, the attitude seems to be that even though modern people know it's not 'real', it is still greatly important for ceremonial significance. And don't get me started on seeing the relic of Saint Teresa of Avila's finger on display.... (ETA: Looks like one of my library systems has An Irreverent Curiosity. Will have to check it out!)

 

Believe it or not, I've never read a Bill Bryson book. Will need to remedy that someday.

 

Ali, how are you feeling this week? :grouphug:  How about all our other BaWers that were under the weather last week?

 

Cascadia, hi & welcome! Good to see you here. :)

[Kareni]

Several more free Kindle books for all tastes ~

 

I know M. C. Beaton has been mentioned here before.

 

ETA: This one is no longer free. M.C. Beaton's Refining Felicity (The School for Manners Series Book 1)  I believe this is a regency, so it fits this month's Flufferton theme.

 

"The Misses Tribble, Amy and Effie, spinsters of a certain age, have lived for years on expectations of a great inheritance. When this fails to materialize, they are truly destitute. Desperate, they advertise that they will refine wild and unruly daughters, present them, and see them safely wed. This first volume concerns Lady Felicity Vane and the Marquess of Ravenswood in a love-hate courtship. The Tribbles are charmers and much more fun than their charges."

 

**

 

ETA: This one is still free. An inspirational read ~ 

With Every Letter (Wings of the Nightingale Book #1): A Novel: Volume 1 by Sarah Sundin

 

"They know everything about each other--except their real names.

Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met--even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence--he's been trying to escape his infamous name for years.

As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

Combining a flair for romance with excellent research and attention to detail, Sarah Sundin vividly brings to life the perilous challenges of WWII aviation, nursing--and true love."

 

**

 

ETA: This one is no longer free. A paranormal featuring a dingo shape shifter!  ~

The Relict's Mate by Susan Tierney

 

"Dominic Webb is an Australian relict...a living fossil. He is one of the last surviving Dingo shape-shifters from the Dreamtime. When he travels to the Bunya Mountains to set up a climate monitoring system, he is stunned to discover he has a mate.

Gracie is feisty, beautiful and smart but she is only fifteen. Dominic is captivated by her and falls deeply in love with her. Her father, however, has prevented her from knowing her true identity and is determined to keep her hidden so he can protect her from an ancient and sinister creature that lurks in the Bunya forest and has developed an obsession for her.

Dominic becomes more and more determined to take his mate with him when he concludes his work, regardless of her age. He believes that she should know of her paranormal abilities and her fated connection to him. He is convinced that Gracie needs the protection that only he can provide and is sure that his love is crucial for her survival.

This is a contemporary, romantic, paranormal thriller. The idea of an 'instant connection' is explored with a delightful and unique Australian flavour. The werewolf romance genre is given an Aussie overhaul."

 

**

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

A question for Shukriyya. Robin, and other Californians:  Jenn is having problems accessing the forums.  There is a thread reporting that some regulars are unable to enter the forums because of a CloudFlare issue.  It appears to be a California problem. Apparently these posters are accessing the forums through their phones, not their laptops.

 

Are you having a problem accessing the forums through your normal technologies? 

 

I'm not having any trouble today, but I did have this problem a few times last week.

[Shawneinfl]

Hello all. I know I've been away from the boards for a couple of weeks but I think of you guys often. My family could really use some prayers this week - particularly my husband's job situation. Thank you. Hope to be back on board soon.

[Stacia]

:grouphug: , Shawne.

[Negin]

 

This week I finished Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow:My Life by Sophia Loren and A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.

 

Well, I wouldn't recommend Sophia Loren's book unless you want to know some of her basic life facts (which I did) and all the movies, in detail, she's been in.  She is a consummate professional, and I found her to be a refreshing optimist.  Although, her lack of emotional depth made me feel like I didn't really know her except for a few things.  It upset me how she entered into her relationship with her husband, who was married at the time and tainted how I felt about her for the rest of the book.  I did like her telling about her and her family's experience with WWII in Italy, near Naples.  She also knows many in the movie industry, and the movie details reflect these relationships.

 

Let me tell ya, I truly enjoyed A Walk in the Woods.  How about the coal vein that lit on fire?!  And, I LOVED his interaction with Katz!   :smilielol5: and the characters he encounters on the Appalachian Trail--Mary Ellen, anybody?  :rofl:  Definitely worth the read!  What's his next book I need to read?  I'm looking for his best.

 

 

 

Chris, adding the Sophia Loren book to read. I'm not a major fan, but I would like to read it. 

Glad you loved the Bryson book. My friend, a die-hard Bryson fan gave me this list to read in order. 

 

At Home - not his greatest, but very interesting

A Walk In The Woods

Notes from a small Island  

Notes from a Big Country

Neither Here Nor There

A Short History of Nearly Everything

 

I have yet to read them all. Unfortunately, he won't be writing any more travelogues. His travelogues are my favorites. 

[Negin]

Negin:  regarding Notes from a Small Island...may need to add this to my reading list, especially since we have similar taste in books, and you gave it 5 stars.

Chris, it helped that I'm familiar with Britain, but you don't have to be. It wouldn't help if Britain or the people are of no interest whatsoever :lol:.  As with all his books (at least the few I've read so far), there are lots of personal/autobiographical touches also. 

[mumto2]

Several more free Kindle books for all tastes ~

 

I know M. C. Beaton has been mentioned here before.

 

M.C. Beaton's Refining Felicity (The School for Manners Series Book 1) I believe this is a regency, so it fits this month's Flufferton theme.

 

"The Misses Tribble, Amy and Effie, spinsters of a certain age, have lived for years on expectations of a great inheritance. When this fails to materialize, they are truly destitute. Desperate, they advertise that they will refine wild and unruly daughters, present them, and see them safely wed. This first volume concerns Lady Felicity Vane and the Marquess of Ravenswood in a love-hate courtship. The Tribbles are charmers and much more fun than their charges."

 

**

 

An inspirational read ~ With Every Letter (Wings of the Nightingale Book #1): A Novel: Volume 1 by Sarah Sundin

 

"They know everything about each other--except their real names.

 

Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met--even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence--he's been trying to escape his infamous name for years.

 

As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

 

Combining a flair for romance with excellent research and attention to detail, Sarah Sundin vividly brings to life the perilous challenges of WWII aviation, nursing--and true love."

 

**

 

A paranormal featuring a dingo shape shifter! ~ The Relict's Mate by Susan Tierney

 

"Dominic Webb is an Australian relict...a living fossil. He is one of the last surviving Dingo shape-shifters from the Dreamtime. When he travels to the Bunya Mountains to set up a climate monitoring system, he is stunned to discover he has a mate.

 

Gracie is feisty, beautiful and smart but she is only fifteen. Dominic is captivated by her and falls deeply in love with her. Her father, however, has prevented her from knowing her true identity and is determined to keep her hidden so he can protect her from an ancient and sinister creature that lurks in the Bunya forest and has developed an obsession for her.

 

Dominic becomes more and more determined to take his mate with him when he concludes his work, regardless of her age. He believes that she should know of her paranormal abilities and her fated connection to him. He is convinced that Gracie needs the protection that only he can provide and is sure that his love is crucial for her survival.

 

This is a contemporary, romantic, paranormal thriller. The idea of an 'instant connection' is explored with a delightful and unique Australian flavour. The werewolf romance genre is given an Aussie overhaul."

 

**

 

Regards,

Kareni

I read Refining Felicity a couple of months ago. Very light and fluffy. A bit silly and the series on a whole is repetitive but I read and enjoyed them all. Perfect light reading.

 

Amy, you definately want to put this on kindle for emergencies!

 

Thanks, Kareni!

[mumto2]

Shawne, :grouphug:

[Runningmom80]

I'll be reading Euphoria by Lily King this week.

 

I added my 52 books pinboard to my sig for anyone wanting to see my complete list.  I can't get good reads to add one of my books to the challenge. :confused1:

[Chrysalis Academy]

Just read the HotMW chapter.  Anybody know of any good histories of the Huns?

[Ali in OR]

 

 

Ali, how are you feeling this week? :grouphug:  How about all our other BaWers that were under the weather last week?

 

 

 

Improving. Not 100%, but improving--thanks for asking!

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

In the meantime, I'm still slowly working on the non-fiction book The Secret History of the Mongol Queens by Jack Weatherford. It's a hard one to pick up & put down because the names/descendants are hard to follow, so it's better to read in bigger chunks. Otoh, I finished chapter 5, War Against Women, this morning & it was harrowing & harsh in some of its details. I won't go into detail, but there are some very disturbing events that are hard to erase from your brain after reading. Still, I loved Weatherford's book about Genghis Khan (Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World) & find much of this history fascinating, so I'm continuing....

 

 

 

 

 

Stacia, do these two books cover different enough ground that it's worth reading both?  I do like his writing style, and I'm also interested in his books about Native Americans. Have you read either of those?

[ChrisB]

This one is in my e-book pile.  I probably won't start it anytime soon, but I'm looking forward to hearing about it!

 

Me too.  I have to finish it before the end of March for a book club, so you'll see my review at some point.  Hopefully it will be a book that is easy to pick up.

[ChrisB]

Chris, adding the Sophia Loren book to read. I'm not a major fan, but I would like to read it. 

Glad you loved the Bryson book. My friend, a die-hard Bryson fan gave me this list to read in order. 

 

At Home - not his greatest, but very interesting

A Walk In The Woods

Notes from a small Island  

Notes from a Big Country

Neither Here Nor There

A Short History of Nearly Everything

 

I have yet to read them all. Unfortunately, he won't be writing any more travelogues. His travelogues are my favorites. 

 

Thanks for your friend's list!  I guess I'll dive in and see where it takes me.  I'm sure each of his books speak to us differently depending on how well we know an area or information.

 

Hope you like the Loren book.  Based on your star rating, I'd probably give it 3 stars.

 

Cascadia:  Welcome!

[mumto2]

I'll be reading Euphoria by Lily King this week.

 

I added my 52 books pinboard to my sig for anyone wanting to see my complete list. I can't get good reads to add one of my books to the challenge. :confused1:

I am definitely not the resident Goodreads expert but make sure your date completed is right if it is the 2015 challenge on the home page. It counts everything completed in 2015.