Robin M Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Happy Sunday dear hearts! This is the beginning of week 16 in our quest to read 52 books. Welcome back to all our readers, to those just joining in and 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 also below in my signature. 52 books blog - Following in the HMS Beagle's Wake: I thought we'd do a bit a armchair sightseeing along with Darwin while reading Voyage of the Beagle. Our first port of call is the Madeira Islands to explore their vineyards and do a bit of wine tasting. Then we'll sail through the Canary Islands and stop off at Tenerife for a walking tour and visit the 16th century town of La Orotava before doing a bit mountain climbing, or golf and/or whale watching if you prefer. Then we'll cruise around Cape Verde, and visit the birth place of Eugenio Tavares and Pedro Cardoso, fathers of the island's poetical literary movement and popular for its music called morna. We'll stop to do some snorkeling or skin diving in Fernando de Noronha for a bit, before weighing anchor near Salvador and exploring the tropical rain forests of Brazil and the Abrolhos Shoals. It's going to be a long voyage so fill your backpacks with books set in Brazil. A booklovers guide to Brazil's Best Reads, as well as Books set in Cape Verde, Happy travels! ************************************************************ History of the Renaissance World - Chapters 23 and 24 ************************************************************ What are you reading this week? Link to week 15 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 I'm currently reading Nora Robert's The Obsession and working my way through The Artist's Way 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I finished another book of Vivica Sten, part of the Sandham series. I discovered her books through the tv serie :) 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 (edited) Braziiiiiiil ... where hearts were entertained in Juuuuune.... Oh, sorry. Currently reading The Eustace Diamonds, the third volume in Trollope's Palliser novels. All of these are chunksters, clocking in at 700+ pages, but they go so fast! I think I've discovered my fluff reading. Trollope likes to do this thing where he masterfully and hilariously describes some character who is a real piece of work, then steps back and addresses the reader in amazement: Can you believe how awful (s)he is? he asks, shaking his authorial head. It always works. The "heroine" of The Eustace Diamonds is so obviously drawn from Thackeray's Becky Sharp that Trollope at one point outright points out the resemblance -- and then assures the reader that, really, Lizzie isn't like Becky Sharp, no no. Edited April 17, 2016 by Violet Crown 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Ok, reporting out on my Bingo card, going across from top left. Links lead to my goodreads page for author info, ratings, reviews, etc.: Female Author - Ancillary Sword Published 2016 - Deep Work Number in the title - Four Queens Dusty - The Conqueror PIcked by a friend - Paper Towns Historical-The Buried Book Revisit an old friend - Frankenstein Fairy tale adaptation - Boy Snow Bird Written Birth Year - Shroud for a Nightingale Play-Merchant of Venice Picked by Cover - Necropolis Over 500 pp - The Belgariad, Volume 1 Free Space - Blindness Classic- The Tempest Nonfiction - The Control of Nature Translated - The Procedure Banned - The Perks of Being a Wallflower Mystery - The Last Policeman Color in title - The Bluest Eye Nobel Prize author - Death in the Andes Epic - Metamorphoses Nautical - A Brave Vessel 18th Century - Rime of the Ancient Mariner Arthurian - The Indigo King Set in another country - Queen of the Conqueror 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Other than that . . . I abandoned Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey. Dh had recommended it, but I just couldn't get into it. I didn't care about any of the characters, and the writing style was so very avant garde - switching narrator, POV, and plot line, sometimes inside of the same sentence - that it was a real slog to read. Which would have been ok if I actually cared about any of the characters . . . The standouts on my current reading stack - Lit Up, by David Denby, which I'm finding inspiring and enjoyable. I liked his Great Books very much, and in this one he visits high school English classes. Also The Ghost Brigades, book 2 of the Old Man's War series by John Scalzi. He's a great writer, and I'm enjoying the series enough to persist with it. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Other than that . . . I abandoned Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey. Dh had recommended it, but I just couldn't get into it. I didn't care about any of the characters, and the writing style was so very avant garde - switching narrator, POV, and plot line, sometimes inside of the same sentence - that it was a real slog to read. Which would have been ok if I actually cared about any of the characters . . . Uh oh. I have a Ken Kesey on my TBR shelf. Dh is interested in it, so maybe if I dislike it, it can be abandoned with a clear conscience. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I read The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary - 2 Stars - I liked this at the beginning and thought for sure that I would be rating it highly. Some of the stories were truly heart-wrenching while others were amazing and even had a bit of humor and cuteness to them. I shared these with my family and said that it’s like reading a wonderful article in “National Geographicâ€. Then I got turned off. The author has an agenda, which is fine and of itself, but when it’s one that I don’t care for, and when it’s quite biased overall and strong, my red flags started to go up and the book became a bit too preachy and less enjoyable for me. I really didn’t care for the woman in charge of the sanctuary. Her intentions are good. I just didn’t care for the negativity towards meat eaters. What I particularly didn’t care for at all was her support for PETA. 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. 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I thought we'd do a bit a armchair sightseeing along with Darwin while reading Voyage of the Beagle. You can travel to all these places in the company of an early 19th century naturalist through the Master and Commander series. Just saying... Jane -- I'm getting a kick out of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. Wish I could justify sitting and reading for 2-3 hours straight because it is drawing me in, but life is pulling me in a dozen different directions. All good directions, but just busy! Still listening to the Hamlet novel on audio. It is so very, very long!! Worth it, but I was stunned I still had 5 hours to go after Polonius gets killed (whoops -- spoilers!!). I think this novelization can best be described as Game of Thrones meets Hamlet. The back room political scheming and plotting along with the rich characters remind me of what is best in GofT, that and the body count!! The author has made Ophelia an exceptionally rich character, given her a complex back story which helps make better sense of her actions. And Elsinore becomes a character, too. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are hapless fools. I finished the first of Neil Gaiman's Sandman graphic novels, Preludes and Nocturns, which is really just the first 5 or 6 comic books bound together. It's early Gaiman, so I'm looking forward to continuing the series to watch his development. The art is pretty dang cool, too. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Busy day today so I am marking the thread. Hopefully will have a chance to read everyone's posts later tonight. I will finish The Eight in the car this afternoon. Katherine Neville's book is a good read, I really loved this action packed style when I was younger. It isn't the book that I remembered with the heavy big eight involvement. This is simply a book where everything is eight. Everything.....I did read it before. Lots of chess which I don't play. My dc's played chess seriously for awhile so those scenes probably mean more to me now than they did in my twenties. Also reading the first Mrs. Mallory mystery by Hazel Holt. Great so far. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I finished book #38 last night: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. I loved it. It was a little different in that Dorothy, a boy, a few animals, and Oz ended up inside the earth. L. Frank Baum was truly creative in coming up with fairylands. Once they got to Oz, the backstory of the Wizard and the Land of Oz was told. Good book. 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 (edited) Marbel, :grouphug: :grouphug: on the loss of your furry family member. Kathleen, happy (belated?) birthday to your dd! :thumbup1: , Rose, on completing the Bingo card!!! :cheers2: I had to :lol: about your review of Necropolis. I think I felt the same way -- which was unsure what to even think about it. (And, per your comment, I really don't remember the tampon stuff & now I'm curious what I've forgotten. Not that I really want to know. :tongue_smilie: I think my favorite of the sub-storylines in there was the one w/ the chess players. Just loved that part.) Just started my book club book for this go-around: Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde. It opens with... It began with my father not wanting to see the Last Rabbit and ended up with my being eaten by a carnivorous plant. It wasn’t really what I’d planned for myself – I’d hoped to marry into the Oxbloods and join their dynastic string empire. But that was four days ago, before I met Jane, retrieved the Caravaggio and explored High Saffron. So instead of enjoying aspirations of Chromatic advancement, I was wholly immersed within the digestive soup of a yateveo tree. It was all frightfully inconvenient. Sounds intriguing & weird enough for me! I do hope to get started on my illustrated version of The Voyage of the Beagle, but I'm looking at another crazy week here, so my reading time (if any) will be sporadic. I think that may be how the rest of this year goes for me. ---------------------- 2016 Books Read: 01. The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez, trans. from the Spanish by Anne McLean, pub. by Riverhead Books. 4 stars. Latin America: Columbia. (Brilliant & bittersweet story showing the impact of the rise of the Colombian drug cartels on an entire generation of people growing up during the violent & uncertain times of the drug wars.) [baW Bingo: Picked by a friend – idnib] 02. Gnarr! How I Became Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World by Jón Gnarr, trans. by Andrew Brown, pub. by Melville House. 3 stars. Europe: Iceland. (A quick, easy, fun, & inspiring read with an emphasis on being nice & promoting peace. Just what I needed this week.) [baW Bingo: Non-fiction] 03. We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo, pub. by Reagan Arthur Books/Little, Brown and Company. 2 stars. Africa: Zimbabwe. (Child’s-eye view of life in post-colonial Zimbabwe & as a teen immigrant to the US. Choppy & hard to connect with the characters. Disappointed.) [baW Bingo: Female Author] 04. The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail by Óscar MartÃnez, trans. from the Spanish by Daniela Maria Ugaz & John Washington, pub. by Verso. 5 stars. North America: Mexico. (Front-line reporting of the dangers migrants face – from physical challenges, terrain, kidnappings, robberies, murders, rapes, & more – when crossing Mexico while trying to reach the US. Required reading.) [baW Bingo: Library Free Space] 05. A Quaker Book of Wisdom by Robert Lawrence Smith, pub. by Eagle Brook/William Morrow and Company. 3 stars. North America: USA. (A quiet & inspiring look at basic tenets of living a life of love & service. Nice little book with valuable & thoughtful ideas for today's world.) 06. Good Morning Comrades by Ondjaki, trans. from the Portuguese by Stephen Henighan, pub. by Biblioasis. 4 stars. Africa: Angola. (Simple & charming child’s-eye view of life in Angola during revolutionary changes & civil war in the 1990s. Semi-autobiographical.) [baW Bingo: Set in Another Country] 07. The Three Trials of Manirema by José J. Veiga, trans. from the Portuguese by Pamela G. Bird, pub. by Alfred A. Knopf. 3 stars. Latin America: Brazil. (A mix of rural-life naturalism & the Kafkaesque in an allegory of life under [brazilian] military rule; captures the underlying fear & dread of a town. A serendipitous find.) [baW Bingo: Dusty] 08. What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi, pub. by Riverhead Books. 5 stars. Europe: Various. (Exotic, surreal, & magical collection of slightly interlinked short stories. Slightly sinister, fun, compelling, & completely delightful.) [baW Bingo: Fairy Tale Adaptation] 09. Necropolis by Santiago Gamboa, trans. from the Spanish by Howard Curtis, pub. by Europa editions. 3 stars. Middle East: Israel. (Chorus of stories, mainly based around an author attending a conference in Jerusalem. One attendee commits suicide. Or did he?) 10. North to the Orient by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, pub. by Harvest/Harcourt Brace & Co. 3 stars. Asia: Various. (A.M. Lindbergh served as her husband’s radio operator during their trek to try mapping new air routes to Asia by travelling north. Diary-like observations of some stops.) [baW Bingo: Historical] 11. An Exaggerated Murder by Josh Cook, pub. by Melville House. 4 stars. North America: USA. (Super-fun mash-up as if Pynchon met Sherlock Holmes & they had a few too many beers while sparring with Poe & Joyce. Entertaining, untraditional, modern noir detective romp.) [baW Bingo: Mystery] 12. Smile as they Bow by Nu Nu Yi, trans. from the Burmese by Alfred Birnbaum & Thi Thi Aye, pub. by Hyperion East. 3 stars. Asia: Myanmar. (Fiery & feisty natkadaw [spirit wife] Daisy Bond performs during a nat festival while dealing with the wandering heart of his assistant & love Min Min.) [baW Bingo: Banned (in Myanmar)] 13. Ajax Penumbra 1969 by Robin Sloan, pub. by Atlantic Books. 3 stars. North America: USA. (Mini-novella prequel to Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. Pleasant, nice, light reading about tracking down the single-surviving copy of a very old book.) [baW Bingo: Number in the Title] 14. Bossypants by Tina Fey, pub. by Little, Brown and Company. 3 stars. North America: USA. (Light & laugh-out-loud funny in places as Fey shares her life & fame. It’s easy to tell that she started as a writer -- her writing skill shines.) 15. The Expedition to the Baobab Tree by Wilma Stockenström, trans. from the Afrikaans by J.M. Coetzee, pub. by Archipelago Books. 4 stars. Africa: South Africa. (A haunting, stream-of-consciousness story of slavery, survival, solitude, strangeness, & strength. The language is lovely.) [baW Bingo: Translated] 16. A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer, pub. by Flatiron Books. 4 stars. Asia: North Korea (Fascinating & sometimes depressing look at the cult of personality & power of propaganda & film in North Korea, based around the 1970s kidnappings of two of South Korea's most famous movie personalities.) 17. Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel by Tom Wainwright, pub. by PublicAffairs. 4 stars. Various: mainly Latin & North America. (Interesting look at illegal drugs & cartels through an economist’s eyes, analyzing them like any other large global corporation.) [baW Bingo: Published 2016] Edited April 18, 2016 by Stacia 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 (edited) Marbel, :grouphug: :grouphug: on the loss of your furry family member. Kathleen, happy (belated?) birthday to your dd! :thumbup1: , Rose, on completing the Bingo card!!! :cheers2: I had to :lol: about your review of Necropolis. I think I felt the same way -- which was unsure what to even think about it. (And, per your comment, I really don't remember the tampon stuff & now I'm curious what I've forgotten. Not that I really want to know. :tongue_smilie: I think my favorite of the sub-storylines in there was the one w/ the chess players. Just loved that part.) Just started my book club book for this go-around: Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde. It opens with... Sounds intriguing & weird enough for me! I do hope to get started on my illustrated version of The Voyage of the Beagle, but I'm looking at another crazy week here, so my reading time (if any) will be sporadic. I think that may be how the rest of this year goes for me. ---------------------- Yes! The chess player story in my Necropolis was my favorite,too, and why I went ahead and gave the book 3 stars. The porn star's story was kind of :eek: and :tongue_smilie: and I could have lived without some parts of it . . . and I can't really form an opinion about the framing tale, it didn't really wrap up for me at all. It just kind of . . . stopped. Weirdly. I'm not sorry I read it, it was definitely a stretch read and an unusual and interesting experience. And several of the sub-stories were quite engrossing. I should probably see if Gamboa has a book of short stories, that might be more my speed. He is a master of the short-story form, I think. I'm glad you are reading Shades of Grey, it's been on my TR list for awhile. I'll look forward to your review. Edited April 17, 2016 by Chrysalis Academy 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I'm still enjoying The Mad Woman Upstairs. It too qualifies as a "meta-book." The author is obviously being very clever with the story, but I find it highly amusing. I can't help but think she is also making fun of herself, her field, and even this book. She happens to have a degree in English/creative writing, and it shows. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Checking in to report that I am off on adventure but have packed books...and my hiking boots. More later. Be well my bookish friends! Jane 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 You can travel to all these places in the company of an early 19th century naturalist through the Master and Commander series. Just saying... Yes, I saw them on one of the lists I linked too. :thumbup1: 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 Ok, reporting out on my Bingo card, going across from top left. Links lead to my goodreads page for author info, ratings, reviews, etc.: Female Author - Ancillary Sword Published 2016 - Deep Work Number in the title - Four Queens Dusty - The Conqueror PIcked by a friend - Paper Towns Historical-The Buried Book Revisit an old friend - Frankenstein Fairy tale adaptation - Boy Snow Bird Written Birth Year - Shroud for a Nightingale Play-Merchant of Venice Picked by Cover - Necropolis Over 500 pp - The Belgariad, Volume 1 Free Space - Blindness Classic- The Tempest Nonfiction - The Control of Nature Translated - The Procedure Banned - The Perks of Being a Wallflower Mystery - The Last Policeman Color in title - The Bluest Eye Nobel Prize author - Death in the Andes Epic - Metamorphoses Nautical - A Brave Vessel 18th Century - Rime of the Ancient Mariner Arthurian - The Indigo King Set in another country - Queen of the Conqueror :thumbup: You get a prezzie! What shall it be.... 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I finished Katherine Neville's The Eight this week which was a fun, quick read for me. I probably enjoyed it more as a young adult, but I still enjoyed it. I read the (horrible) reviews of the sequel on Amazon and decided not to jump into that, at least for now. I then picked up a dusty that's been sitting on my dresser for a few years--the third Kristin Lavransdotter book. This will be a slower read for me but I do like reading this series as my grandmother was Norwegian and I like to imagine what my Norwegian ancestors lives may have been like. I have forgotten too much since I read book two several years ago...wish I hadn't waited so long. I also had a library hold come available--another Mumto2 rec I believe, and one I saw mentioned a couple of times at the end of last week's thread, And Only to Deceive. It's a fine period mystery--can't say the protagonist/female detective is my favorite character ever, but the book is enjoyable enough and better than Kristin when I need a more brainless kind of read. I'm number 1 on the hold list for several library books (some now overdue), so I'm reluctant to start anything else at the moment. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Congrats, Rose, on finishing BINGO. I've a few more to go: historical, 2016, reread, 500+, banned, mystery, 18th century, dusty, birthday year, classic, authorian, play, nobel prize That looks like a lot. I'm working on the 18th century and Authorian at the moment. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 You can travel to all these places in the company of an early 19th century naturalist through the Master and Commander series. Just saying... Jane -- I'm getting a kick out of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. Wish I could justify sitting and reading for 2-3 hours straight because it is drawing me in, but life is pulling me in a dozen different directions. All good directions, but just busy! Still listening to the Hamlet novel on audio. It is so very, very long!! Worth it, but I was stunned I still had 5 hours to go after Polonius gets killed (whoops -- spoilers!!). I think this novelization can best be described as Game of Thrones meets Hamlet. The back room political scheming and plotting along with the rich characters remind me of what is best in GofT, that and the body count!! The author has made Ophelia an exceptionally rich character, given her a complex back story which helps make better sense of her actions. And Elsinore becomes a character, too. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are hapless fools. I finished the first of Neil Gaiman's Sandman graphic novels, Preludes and Nocturns, which is really just the first 5 or 6 comic books bound together. It's early Gaiman, so I'm looking forward to continuing the series to watch his development. The art is pretty dang cool, too. Tell me more about the Master and Commander series, please! The great decision has been made and I can return to reading books while contemplating and plotting my second career. I was completely sucked back in by Robin mentioning "sailing" in her weekly title. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Tell me more about the Master and Commander series, please! The great decision has been made and I can return to reading books while contemplating and plotting my second career. I was completely sucked back in by Robin mentioning "sailing" in her weekly title. Oh Lisa, how great! What did he decide? Unless that's TMI . . . 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Crickey! I skimmed. I thought some crazy homeschooler was heaving a wake for her beagle. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I finished a book of short stories by Z.Z. Packer - Drinking Coffee Elsewhere. Good, clean, tight short stories, but nothing that particularly drew me in or interested me. I am enjoying The Voyage the the Beagle. I am so glad I got the illustrated version. Thank you, Rose, for recommending it. I have also been reading The Book Thief. The style of this is a little too cutesy cheeseball for me, and sometimes I feel like the author is trying too hard to be clever. Trying too hard to always use a strong verb, to use figurative language and to make the story more meaningful, and usually falling short (or going over the top), IMO, and just distracting from what is being done well. The characters are charming, and the suspense rises and falls regularly, and enough is given away that the story has some tension even in the good times because you know at least part of what's coming. I am completely engaged and rooting for Liesel, Rudy, Max, Hans and Rosa. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Checking in to report that I am off on adventure but have packed books...and my hiking boots. More later. Bon voyage, Jane (Perhaps Not Soon to be) in NC. Regards, Kareni 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Finished my 18th century book, Candide. I am so glad I read this. I liked it much more than I thought I would. My mental image of Voltaire is now different. I'm about half way finished with The Paris Wife. Does this count for the historical square? It's fiction but she stayed true to the facts so.....or is that cheating? 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 From last week's discussion: This has absolutely nothing to do with books, but I'm so excited! A couple of my kids have been wanting to learn to play the piano and today we bought a used one from someone on CraigsList. Congratulations on your new piano, Heather. I hope it will bring you and your family much pleasure. I thought of you when I was mentioning Laura Kinsale. I just went and checked out My Sweet Folly. It was meant to be apparently since out of the 12 books that library has for that author it was the only one available. I also puthttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/802153.The_Hidden_HeartThe Hidden Heart on hold. Have you read it? It is the first of the Victorian series plus sort of (huge huge stretch) fits the exploration Darwin theme. ;) I have read that one as well as The Shadow and the Star which is the second of the Victorian series. The Hidden Heart is the author's first book and has a few issues that some might find troubling. Though they were enjoyable reads, they are not my top two Kinsale reads.Regards,Kareni 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Two recent reads here: I finished Anne Bishop's Heir to the Shadows: The Black Jewels Trilogy 2. I had read the first book in this series recently and was iffy as to whether I would read more; l I got this from the library and read about sixty pages before deciding to return it. Since I needed to read something en route to the library, I continued on and then got hooked. I'm happy to say that this book did not contain the icky aspects that I found distasteful in the first volume. That said, I'm once again iffy as to whether to continue with book three! I'll post an Amazon book review, but this is a series that definitely needs to be read in order. "Anne Bishop plunged into dark fantasy with her first book, Daughter of the Blood. She described a world where Blood Witches have always ruled, drawing males to their courts through seductive power. An ambitious High Priestess destroys more powerful females before maturity and has enslaved the strongest males, weakening magic and corrupting natural bonds between men and women. Sexual violence permeates Terreille. Jaenelle, born to be Queen, is vulnerable until adulthood. Though guarded by male Warlord Princes, Jaenelle is violated. Daemon, her destined Consort, rescues her but is convinced he attacked her and goes mad. In Heir to the Shadows, Jaenelle's vampiric, adoptive father, Saetan, and her foster-family of demons shelter her. To restore her memory and emotional balance, they move to Kaeleer, where Jaenelle befriends the kindred--animals with magical and communicative powers--and gathers a circle of young Queens. She also heals Lucivar, Daemon's half-brother, who offers a brother's love and a warrior's fealty. As she recovers strength and memory, Jaenelle resolves to restore Daemon and cleanse Terreille. Bishop subverts readers' expectations; the "darkest" powers reside in virtuous characters, demons and vampires are kindly, and Jaenelle's adolescence is more comically normal than horrific. Her vibrant characters and descriptions will keep readers hooked, anxiously awaiting what promises to be a riveting conclusion." --Nona Vero ** I also re-read Patricia Briggs' Dead Heat (Alpha and Omega). I actually liked this more after this second reading. The Alpha and Omega series is a definite favorite of mine. This series, too, is best read in order. "For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal. Or at least their visit starts out that way... Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The fae have started a cold war with humanity that's about to heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the crossfire." Regards, Kareni 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Tell me more about the Master and Commander series, please! The great decision has been made and I can return to reading books while contemplating and plotting my second career. I was completely sucked back in by Robin mentioning "sailing" in her weekly title. This review might help to give you a feel for the series: A Skeptic is Swept Away by the Bromance at Sea in 'Master' Amazon's Master and Commander page 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Finished my 18th century book, Candide. I am so glad I read this. I liked it much more than I thought I would. My mental image of Voltaire is now different. I'm about half way finished with The Paris Wife. Does this count for the historical square? It's fiction but she stayed true to the facts so.....or is that cheating? Would you mind to tell a bit more about Candide? And what made you like it? It is still on my to read list for dd's French Literature list. But I read last year so many French books that I gave my self a break. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Not a whole lot of reading time lately but I have finished three books and started a couple others over the past few weeks -one audio and one hard copy. Paris Letters by Janice Macleod. Really liked the first 3/4 of this book but then skimmed the last bit as I lost interest. Waiting Game and Pickpocket's Apprentice: A John Pickett Novella both by Sherri Cobb South. Started listening to Heirs and Graces (Her Royal Spyness #7) by Rhys Bowen. I really enjoy listening to this series on audio - Katherine Kellgren does a fabulous job! and am halfway through A Man Called Ove 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minerva Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 I finished reading The Giver and the Second book in the series Gathering Blue. I can see why my dd wanted me to read them. There is a lot in there to discuss. I am also realizing that YA fiction is perfect for me at this stage of my life. It is easy to pick up and put down. I just don't seem to have the time for uninterrupted reading these days. It’s so nice to be able to have a thousand interruptions and still not lose my place or thought process. I am also almost finished reading Deconstructing Penguins. While nothing in the book is new to me, it is inspiring me to talk more deeply with my kids about literature. I am reminded not to underestimate the small people. The kids and I read A Series of Unfortunate Events. None of us loved it even though we all thought we would. We also finished The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. We started Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan. I think it will be a good one. Meanwhile, I had a BaW serendipitous moment this week. While looking for inspiration for my rising fifth graders science studies, I googled "Science Notebook Examples" and clicked on the very first image I saw. Who should it be but our very own Angalabrood (AKA Angle on board). Such a fine example of a science notebook done by one of her children as well as a very encouraging blog post by Angela. Thank you, Angela! 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Elliot Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 While looking for inspiration for my rising fifth graders science studies, I googled "Science Notebook Examples" and clicked on the very first image I saw. Who should it be but our very own Angalabrood (AKA Angle on board). Such a fine example of a science notebook done by one of her children as well as a very encouraging blog post by Angela. Thank you, Angela! I would love to see that. Would you be able to post a link? 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minerva Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Yes, good idea! Here is the link to Angelabrood's science notebook blog post: http://www.threeplustwohomeschool.com/2014/06/science-notebooks/ 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 (edited) I've started Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett. This was mentioned often in articles about Rozencrantz and Guildenstern. Stoppard seems to have imitated its style. (Godot came first) here are two main characters who exchange muddled and amusing banter while in a kind of world of their own. It too is supposed to be very existential. I'm only a few pages in, so we'll see. Edited April 18, 2016 by Onceuponatime 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 (edited) Rose - Congratulations! :hurray: :hurray: Stacia - You always find such, um, interesting books. Even when it's for your book club it's usually a book from off the beaten path. :D Checking in to report that I am off on adventure but have packed books...and my hiking boots. More later.Be well my bookish friends!Jane Have fun! - or - Good Luck! Whichever one is appropriate. :laugh: You can travel to all these places in the company of an early 19th century naturalist through the Master and Commander series. Just saying... Thank you for the reminder. I have so many non-fiction books in progress right now and needed fiction for balance. I bought the first one on Kindle quite some time ago when it was on sale. Started last night and like it so far. Finished my 18th century book, Candide. I am so glad I read this. I liked it much more than I thought I would. My mental image of Voltaire is now different. I'm about half way finished with The Paris Wife. Does this count for the historical square? It's fiction but she stayed true to the facts so.....or is that cheating? Another thanks for the reminder. I started this over a year ago but ended up putting it aside because I was reading too many books at the time. I do want to read it, and will need to start over. Edited April 18, 2016 by Lady Florida. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 (edited) A quick book update before I have to head out for a doctor's appointment (nothing serious) - I abandoned another book. Mistletoe Murder is a cozy mystery that I thought I would like, but didn't. Nothing happened. Well, the murder happened in Chapter 1, a cat died, then a dog died, someone pulled a muscle, there was a scare - and it went on and on like that without any mystery. The author was just world building and giving character backgrounds. Interestingly I noticed it was at a similar point I abandoned my last book - 68%. It seems I'm willing to go about two thirds into a book before giving up. A few times I told myself if I've gone this far I should just finish, but then I remembered my signature quote about not finishing books you aren't enjoying. :) Finished - ktgrok's The Puppy Proposal. I did enjoy it, but it was still a romance. The very thing that makes a romance enjoyable for some is what I don't like. I want to scream at the main characters, "Will you two please just COMMUNICATE!" I'm sure people who don't like the kind of mysteries I like probably want to scream at the sleuth "Will you just open your eyes! The clues are RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!" Which of course is part of what makes it enjoyable for mystery lovers. :lol: My review Natural Causes: Death, Lies, and Politics in America's Vitamin and Herbal Supplement Industry. My review turned into more of a rant than review. Currently Reading - Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World Behind the Beautiful Forevers The Voyage of the Beagle The House of Mirth Master and Commander Edited April 18, 2016 by Lady Florida. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 This review might help to give you a feel for the series: A Skeptic is Swept Away by the Bromance at Sea in 'Master' Amazon's Master and Commander page Here's another reviewer who compares Master and Commander to Jane Austen: Why Patrick O'Brian is Jane Austen at Sea I've come love how slowly the sea battles unfold, how they have the enemy ship in their sights but still "pipe the hands" to lunch because it will be hours before they get in shooting range. I get totally caught up in the actual battles, gasp out loud over wounds and sinkings and captures. Like the reviewer from The Guardian, I have a crush on Stephen Maturin, though I cringe over the surgeries, and his showing up for a meal, with his clothes still stained with blood (not to mention his hands --- how did we as a species survive without medical practices???) I've studied the maps of their voyages through the Patrick O'Brian Mapping Project, and start googling place names to get a better picture of where they are and to see the creatures Stephen Maturin collects. I even have Labcouse and Spotted Dog, the companion cook book, though I have yet to attempt any of the recipes! 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 18, 2016 Author Share Posted April 18, 2016 Glad to see so many are interested in Master and Commander series. I'm saving it for our marathon maritime July read since already have read Moby Dick. More nautical mayhem in the coming months. ;) 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 I finished the first Mrs. Malory cozy by Hazel Holt. My copy was called Gone Away but apparently it was first published with a different name.https://www.goodreads.com/series/67474-mrs-malory-mysteries. This is possibly my favorite of the cozy mysteries I have been trying lately. Nothing really special to be honest just a nicely done cozy. Limited characters and one of them actually did the murder....I hate it when some odd person did it. British without hitting you over the head with it. On the short side, roughly 180 pages. It was a really good fluffy read. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 An article speculating that Stephen Maturin may have been modeled on A. B. Granville: https://learnearnandreturn.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/was-this-the-real-stephen-maturin/ Maturin has something of a following in Trad Catholic circles. In one of my own favorite moments, he looks at a rope bridge swinging high over a mountain gorge and wonders if one would have time to recite an Act of Faith on the way down; I calculated you'd need the bridge to be a little more than 1000 feet high, with air resistance providing some extra time for screaming. Robin, I've only read the series twice, so I'm on for July! 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 An article speculating that Stephen Maturin may have been modeled on A. B. Granville: https://learnearnandreturn.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/was-this-the-real-stephen-maturin/ Maturin has something of a following in Trad Catholic circles. In one of my own favorite moments, he looks at a rope bridge swinging high over a mountain gorge and wonders if one would have time to recite an Act of Faith on the way down; I calculated you'd need the bridge to be a little more than 1000 feet high, with air resistance providing some extra time for screaming. Robin, I've only read the series twice, so I'm on for July! My dear Miss VC! You are a woman of hidden depths! How is it I was unaware you'd been through the series twice?! Just read the novel with the rope bridge scene, so it is fresh in my mind. Thank you for the link to the article -- a lovely diversion from my otherwise mundane morning. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Glad to see so many are interested in Master and Commander series. I'm saving it for our marathon maritime July read since already have read Moby Dick. More nautical mayhem in the coming months. ;) I'll have to get ready for that. We have all the books; my husband loved them, but I have always thought of them as "guy books" - sorry, don't know why that is; it's like grilling - which is another "guy thing" I need to start doing this summer. So I will be ready in July! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 (edited) Glad to see so many are interested in Master and Commander series. I'm saving it for our marathon maritime July read since already have read Moby Dick. More nautical mayhem in the coming months. ;) Oh, I didn't think of that. I was just going to skip it since I read Moby Dick recently and have zero desire to repeat the experience. What I did find interesting were the books about the event it was based on but I've already read all of those that I plan to read. If I like the series maybe I'll save one of the other books for July. Edited April 18, 2016 by Lady Florida. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 (edited) I finished Waiting for Godot, and found it far less amusing than R and G. In fact, I didn't think it was all that great. R and G had Hamlet to hang on to and give it interest. This had nothing. From some background reading I have done, nobody really seems to know what it is about, but there have been reams written about possible interpretations. Apparently, Beckett was dismissive of most of the interpretations and wondered why people couldn't see that it was really very simple. There were only a couple of lines that stood out to me: "What are we doing here, THAT is the question." This seems to be an obvious reference to Hamlet, which may have been Stoppard's inspiration. "They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it's night once more." Most of it seemed like so much boring nonsense, which may be the point after all. Edited April 18, 2016 by Onceuponatime 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 I finished Waiting for Godot, and found it far less amusing than R and G. In fact, I didn't think it was all that great. R and G had Hamlet to hang on to and give it interest. This had nothing. From some background reading I have done, nobody really seems to know what it is about, but there have been reams written about possible interpretations. Apparently, Beckett was dismissive of most of the interpretations and wondered why people couldn't see that it was really very simple. There were only a couple of lines that stood out to me: "What are we doing here, THAT is the question." This seems to be an obvious reference to Hamlet, which may have been Stoppard's inspiration. "They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it's night once more." Most of it seemed like so much boring nonsense, which may be the point after all. I think you hit the nail on the head there. I liked Samuel Beckett better in my callow pretentious youth. As an avid tv-watcher I also derived great joy from the hero of Quantum Leap being named Sam Beckett: I fervently hope that its creator was thinking of Beckett quotes "I can't go on like this" and "I can't go on. I'll go on." 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 (edited) Here's another reviewer who compares Master and Commander to Jane Austen: Why Patrick O'Brian is Jane Austen at Sea I've come love how slowly the sea battles unfold, how they have the enemy ship in their sights but still "pipe the hands" to lunch because it will be hours before they get in shooting range. I get totally caught up in the actual battles, gasp out loud over wounds and sinkings and captures. Like the reviewer from The Guardian, I have a crush on Stephen Maturin, though I cringe over the surgeries, and his showing up for a meal, with his clothes still stained with blood (not to mention his hands --- how did we as a species survive without medical practices???) I've studied the maps of their voyages through the Patrick O'Brian Mapping Project, and start googling place names to get a better picture of where they are and to see the creatures Stephen Maturin collects. I even have Labcouse and Spotted Dog, the companion cook book, though I have yet to attempt any of the recipes! :001_wub: Can we be friends? I have no one irl to gush over the series. There is so much in the books! PO'B really was a great writer. He has so much happen but often in such a subtle way that I find myself discovering more in the story on the second and even the third reading. And then listening to Patrick Tull narrate adds a whole 'nother dimension. Sometimes I debate whether I like Jack or Stephen better, they both have wonderful qualities, but I think Stephen would be a more understanding partner. I also have the fascinating cookbook as well as A Sea of Words, Harbors and High Seas, and The Patrick O'Brian Muster Book. Two of my teen daughters are designing a tshirt for me that has a M&C theme - Joselito's Coffee House, the Surprise, and even a hoopoe are to be included. I'll post a pic when it is all done. :) That's a great review linked above - the author is the daughter of the producer of the 1995 Pride & Prejudice! Edited April 18, 2016 by Mothersweets 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 An article speculating that Stephen Maturin may have been modeled on A. B. Granville: https://learnearnandreturn.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/was-this-the-real-stephen-maturin/ Maturin has something of a following in Trad Catholic circles. In one of my own favorite moments, he looks at a rope bridge swinging high over a mountain gorge and wonders if one would have time to recite an Act of Faith on the way down; I calculated you'd need the bridge to be a little more than 1000 feet high, with air resistance providing some extra time for screaming. Robin, I've only read the series twice, so I'm on for July! Fascinating article! And to find another lover of the series :hurray: huzzah! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 I also liked Waiting for Godot in my callow youth - I went through an existentialist phase between 17-19. Which seems appropriate, doesn't it? I haven't been tempted to pick it back up, though. It seems like one of those things I'd just throw across the room at this stage in my life. In some ways, I'm less patient now than I used to be, I used to finish every book I started. No longer. I recently noticed that my abandoned shelf on Goodreads is almost as big as my 2016 shelf. That's ok. So many books, so little time. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 I've been immersed with my new favorite veterinary surgeon, Mr. James Herriot for the past few weeks. The first 3 books were on sale for kindle and I've been reading and reading. The 3rd is not my favorite, I feel as if he's trying a bit too hard to tie in his time with the RAF to his past veterinary escapades. I've had enough of chapters that start with "this reminds me of the time when...." but I am still enchanted and planning on finishing the series, so Mr. Herriot and I will be spending the next week together at least - looks like there are two more books. :-) 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto4inSoCal Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 (edited) I finished "Left Back: A Century of Battles Over School Reform" . I feel like I learned so much from this book. I felt a bit like I was trudging through it at parts but I really wanted to know what the terms we tend to throw around like "progressive education" and "child centered education" actually meant. The book chronicles the entire 20th century and all of the reforms that brought us to this point. All I can say is what a mess they made of our schools! I do think we have come quite a ways from where we were. It's interesting that Rousseau's theories have influence so many idea's in education. He fathered 5 children all of whom were placed in care and he never saw them and was not involved in their care. Apparently at one point he said he was never meant to be a father. Dewey and Karl Marx were heavily influenced by his ideas. I am thinking Emile by Rousseau will be my next book in order to try and understand why so many people would want to follow the idea's of this man. After reading this book I feel much better about my choice to provide a liberal arts/humanities education to my children. If the schools can parade in one idea after the next, throwing out history, then geometry, saying that a class is needed to teach children to be popular and labeling every new idea that seems to come along as progress then I feel certain what I'm doing can't possibly harm them and is almost certain to be better. I'm still planning on reading more books on school styles but I feel like I was really questioning everything I had come to believe in with our homeschooling style and now I am satisfied that there isn't some secret pedagogy that I am missing out on by having my children at home. I'm never satisfied with simple answers and I always want to know the why behind things and I think this book has settled that for me. Edited April 19, 2016 by Momto4inSoCal 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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