Book a Week 2017 - BW16: Homonym and Synonym

[Nan in Mass]

He's doing well though in pain. Thanks for asking. I have to take him to physical therapy in about an hour. They're supposed to change his dressing to a waterproof one and show him how to wash himself. They might start him on a few exercises with the squeeze ball the doctor sent him home with.

 

For my part there's going to be a lot of waiting as I drive him to PT and follow-up appointments. I'm thankful for my Kindle that's loaded with books. At least I won't get bored waiting or be at the mercy of waiting rooms with old magazines, most of which cover topics I'm not interested in. :)

How goes it? Can your husband take the heavy pain killers? Are you guys sleeping? My husband would sympathize with all the waiting involved. He started scheduling conference calls to coincide with my pt appointments. As far as I can tell, your physical therapist has an awful lot to do with the final outcome of your surgery. They keep your shoulder from freezing up while the tendon is healing and keep you from retearing while you regain strength and mobility after it heals. They can really mess you up if they aren't careful. Pt is pretty scary stuff. Does your husband 's sling have a velcro pocket on it for the squishy ball the way mine did? I got more questions about that ball once I was out and about. : )

 

Nan

[Nan in Mass]

I finished the fourth Dune book and am now reading the fifth (audio), Picture This (a great book about composition that contains a very interesting demonstration using coloured construction paper to illustrate Little Red Riding Hood scarily), Sprigged Muslin for a light read, and another Claudia Bishop (audio) for when I am awake in the night.

 

I am influenced by the books I read and I read books for information about other points of view but I would not say that I hated the books that I am disagreeing with. If I am following through on a book to give it a chance to convince me, I am not hating it. Very, very occasionally, I will read a book to the end only to find that it did not tell me anything new about how other people might be thinking, but usually, if I suspect that I am not going to learn anything from a book, I skim ahead to check. I think the idea that it is good for you to read books you hate assumes that you have a much more sequential reading style than I do. If I am reading for enjoyment, I don't bother to continue once I have determined that the pain is outweighing the joy and that I am not going to learn from the book.

 

Nan

 

Nan

[Nan in Mass]

Jane- Wild about your neighbors, lovely about your son, and I would say "If I were" but I think whether the subjunctive is used or not might depend on country.

 

Nan

[Lady Florida.]

Holy Moly alligator! I debated going to visit my father who lives in Florida and we thought the best way to do it would be to bring our pop up camper. Until I read all of the campground websites that say to expect scaly visitors at the campsites. Uh. No. I have 6 little pieces of alligator bait that would be at said campsite... crossing that one off of the list. ;)

 

((((Stacia)))) 

 

We don't camp anymore but we used to, and have never, repeat never, had an alligator visit us. We were tent campers too, so if it was a danger we certainly would have gone out of state to do our camping. 

 

There is a simple rule here for alligators: If the water is fresh or brackish assume there's a gator in it. Don't swim in or let your dog swim in it (gators love dogs) it unless you know it's safe. 

 

Gators climbing trees, knocking on front doors or going up the stairs is a rare occurrence. That's why it's news. Seriously, 47 years in Florida camping, hiking, swimming, doing all kinds of outdoor stuff and I have never had a face to face encounter with a gator. It happens of course, but just like with bear encounters, using common sense and following a few rules will keep you perfectly safe.

Edited April 19, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Mothersweets]

I will send you a PM :)

 

I'm a few chapters in to Crown Duel so not enough for an opinion yet. Danse de la Folie sounds like something I would really like! I'll have to find that one soon. 

 

 

 

Sending good wishes to Stacia & Lord Florida!

 

Thank you Melissa!

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton 

 

"Chesterton’s finest achievement—at once a gripping thriller and a powerful allegory

In a colorful neighborhood of West London, two poets are at each other’s throats. Gregory is an anarchist who longs to upend civilization with the power of his words, while Syme is a man of reason, convinced his opponent’s beliefs are nothing but a fashionable pose. To prove his seriousness, Gregory introduces Syme to the central council of European radicals, where the newcomer is given the codename “Thursday.†Though none will admit it, every man in the council is a liar—and each is deadly in his own way.
 
Gregory has no inkling that his new comrade Syme is an undercover detective, sent by Scotland Yard to destroy the council from within. But as the other men reveal their secrets in turn, it becomes clear that Thursday is not the enemy; it is the mysterious figure named Sunday whom they all should fear."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Matryoshka]

I am almost finished slogging through this (only 4 more chapters). In the second half I've enjoyed the section covering various versions of Cinderella and a few discussions about the lives of specific female authors. Otherwise every time she mentions Freud I want to bang my head. I've settled for skimming the parts that have no interest for me which is sadly still a larger part of each chapter.

 

Hmm.  You're the only one who's answered that they're still reading, and the promise of having to wade through a bunch of Freudian babble in the 2nd half doesn't over-excite me.  There's so much good stuff I want to read; I think I may put this aside unless someone can give me a compelling counter-argument.  I was going to use this for A-Z author "W", but I've found another book that will work, so that crosses off another tenuous reason to continue...

 

 

My comment on reading books one "hates"...

 

I would say that it is a good thing to read a book that challenges us.  But hate?  That word is troublesome to me.

 

As others have noted, it is often worthwhile to slog through a classic or a book that is part of the cultural conversation.  

 

I think I'll agree with Jane on this.  I don't mind slogging through that's challenging or difficult if it helps me think a new way or gives things to have an interesting conversation about (someone else said books people didn't like so much made for more interesting book club discussions than books everyone liked...).  That's another problem I'm having with BtB above... if there were a bunch of interesting discussions about the book to keep me going, it would be one thing, but no one's really talking about it.  That just makes it a slog for no reason.

 

 

 

Five Elegant and Moody Fantasies  by Sofia Samatar

 

"I love books with a strong atmosphere. I’m always looking to be transported: that’s what draws me to fantasy. It’s not descriptions of imaginary places or intricate magic systems that attract me, really; it’s the evocation of a mysterious elsewhere in language as weird and lovely as its subject. Language is the magic system.

 

Here are five intensely strange, beautifully written, and transportive fantasies...."

 

That's a very interesting list!  It's like a bunch of fever-dream books.  I like the occasional fever-dream book - this year alone I'd put Autobiography of Red, Radiance, and Annihilation somewhere in that category.  I think, though, I can only take them in small doses, with more grounded books in between.  I put the book with letters from the insect planet on my to-read list, but I saved the list and may add more later.  The plot synopsis of Event Factory reminds me of the synopsis of Embassyville, which is on my to-read list for this year, but I haven't read it yet.

 

Good wishes for continued recovery to Lord Florida and Nan, and hugs to Stacia for the car and kitty.  :grouphug:

[Kareni]

My book group is meeting tomorrow night, and we're doing something that's a little different than the usual one book.  We're all reading something by author Molly Gloss.  It will be interesting to see how the discussion goes.  I read

 

The Jump-Off Creek  by Molly Gloss

 

Initially, I found the book rather dismal, but I ultimately ended up enjoying it.  It's written in a plain style with no frills.  As a lover of romance, I wanted a happy ending but it wasn't that kind of book.

 

From Publishers Weekly

 

"Set in the high mountain country of Oregon during the 1890s, this first novel is a quiet, unsparing portrait of pioneer life, recounted simply and without romanticism. Drawing on pioneer diaries, journals and hand-me-down stories of her own ancestors, Gloss displays a deep awareness not only of the brutal hardships of frontier life, but also of the moral codes and emotional attachments of the people who settled there. Drawn by the freedom the West offers, Lydia Sanderson leaves a disappointing marriage in Pennsylvania and comes to Jump-Off Creek to homestead a place of her own. Tim Whiteaker, "gone cowboying" since the age of 13, and his partner, the half-Indian Blue Odell, raise cattle nearby. Three wolfers, squatting on abandoned property near Jump-Off Creek and walking the thin edge of the law in order to earn a marginal living, provide much of the tension within the novel. The author's intimate understanding of the harsh physical conditions and of the rituals and practices of frontier life (there are long descriptions of how to brand cattle and how to mend a roof) sometimes overshadows a deeper delineation of character. However, most of the scenes are handled with a restraint that communicates the characters' endemic loneliness, and the dialogue, though spare, is rich enough to convey their emotional conflicts."

**

 

I also read a contemporary romance that was released yesterday.  I'd been fortunate to win it in a giveaway some months ago and had been looking forward to it.  While it's not my favorite by the author, I enjoyed it and will doubtless be re-reading it.  (Some adult content)

 

The Thing About Love by Julie James

 

"FBI agents Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd have a past. The former lawyer and cocky Army Ranger clashed during their training at Quantico and gladly went their separate ways after graduating from the Academy. Six years later, the last thing either of them expects is to be assigned to work as partners in a high-profile undercover sting.
 
For both of them, being paired with an old rival couldn’t come at a worse time. Recently divorced from a Hollywood producer and looking for a fresh start, Jessica is eager to prove herself at her new field office. And John is just one case away from his dream assignment to the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. In order to nail a corrupt Florida politician, they’ll have to find a way to work together—a task that becomes even trickier when they’re forced to hole up at a romantic beachfront resort as part of the investigation. Suddenly, the heat behind their nonstop sparring threatens to make the job a lot more complicated..."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[NoseInABook]

Lady Florida, that is super reassuring! I'll have to tell my husband who was like, "'Gators?! Nope, nope, nope, NOOOOPE."

[Kareni]

This evening I finished a paranormal romance Insight (The Community Book 1)  by Santino Hassell.  I enjoyed the book and will happily read as the series continues.  (Adult content)

 

"Growing up the outcast in an infamous family of psychics, Nate Black never learned how to control his empath abilities. Then after five years without contact, his estranged twin turns up dead in New York City. The claim of suicide doesn’t ring true, especially when a mysterious vision tells Nate it was murder. Now his long-hated gift is his only tool to investigate.

Hitching from his tiny Texas town, Nate is picked up by Trent, a gorgeous engineer who thrives on sarcasm and skepticism. The heat that sparks between them is instant and intense, and Nate ends up trusting Trent with his secrets — something he’s never done before. But once they arrive in the city, the secrets multiply when Nate discovers an underground supernatural community, more missing psychics, and frightening information about his own talent.

Nate is left questioning his connection with Trent. Are their feelings real, or are they being propelled by abilities Nate didn’t realize he had? His fear of his power grows, but Nate must overcome it to find his brother’s killer and trust himself with Trent’s heart."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

Goodreads question... I've seen a bunch of you mark a book as "abandoned" - how do you do that?  It doesn't show up as a status (like "Read/to-Read/Currently Reading) on my drop-down menu.  I was thinking maybe you'd just made a folder with that name, but then it wouldn't show up as a status on my feed if it you were just sorting it into a folder?   

 

So is there some way to easily mark a Currently Reading book as Abandoned (where it doesn't get marked as "Read" when I change its status from Currently Reading)?

 

A minor point, but I figured since this "Marked as Abandoned" shows up on my feed, maybe there was some easy but not obvious to me way to do this.... ? :bigear:

[Chrysalis Academy]

Goodreads question... I've seen a bunch of you mark a book as "abandoned" - how do you do that?  It doesn't show up as a status (like "Read/to-Read/Currently Reading) on my drop-down menu.  I was thinking maybe you'd just made a folder with that name, but then it wouldn't show up as a status on my feed if it you were just sorting it into a folder?   

 

So is there some way to easily mark a Currently Reading book as Abandoned (where it doesn't get marked as "Read" when I change its status from Currently Reading)?

 

A minor point, but I figured since this "Marked as Abandoned" shows up on my feed, maybe there was some easy but not obvious to me way to do this.... ? :bigear:

 

I'll take a stab at explaining: on your My Books page, on the left column where all your bookshelves are listed, hit "edit" beside "bookshelves" (right under "My Books"). This takes you to the page where you can add, delete, rename, and set the properties of your shelves.  Add an "abandoned" shelf, and voila! you can add books to it!

 

FWIW, I have mine set as an "exclusive" shelf, just like the read, currently reading, and to-read shelves.  I figure I won't want an abandoned book showing up in other categories, so that works well - it's a 4th either/or category.  All my other shelves are not marked exclusive.  I think it's the fact that it's set as an exclusive shelf that makes it show up the way you're noticing.

 

ETA: Mum's response reminded me: yes, you definitely want to set it as "exclusive." Every book on your shelves must belong to one of your "exclusive" categories - so if you don't set abandoned up as exclusive, you also have to have those books tagged as currently reading, want to read, or read, which is not the point of the shelf, I think . . . 

 

HTH

Edited April 20, 2017 by Chrysalis Academy

[mumto2]

I'll take a stab at explaining: on your My Books page, on the left column where all your bookshelves are listed, hit "edit" beside "bookshelves" (right under "My Books"). This takes you to the page where you can add, delete, rename, and set the properties of your shelves. Add an "abandoned" shelf, and voila! you can add books to it!

 

FWIW, I have mine set as an "exlucsive" shelf, just like the read, currently reading, and to-read shelves. I figure I won't want an abandoned book showing up in other categories, so that works well - it's a 4th either/or category. All my other shelves are not marked exclusive. I think it's the fact that it's set as an exclusive shelf that makes it show up the way you're noticing.

 

HTH

Thanks Rose! Much better with the exclusive bookshelf I think. I recently deleted my abandoned bookshelf because I had to keep them in want to read also. I didn't use it all that often because it felt like it was only appropriate for books I might want to try and read again.

[Butter]

I finished Once Upon a More Enlightened Time by James Finn Garner.  It was okay.  It's a collection of fairy tales (and the story of Pinocchio) written to be overly PC.  They are very sarcastic and some of them are super funny, but other are just dumb.

[Mom-ninja.]

Not a lot of reading happening here. Other things keep getting in the way. I have one more co-op class to teach and then we are done for the summer. Now if only all the house repair stuff would ease off that would be great. 

[melbotoast]

I'll take a stab at explaining: on your My Books page, on the left column where all your bookshelves are listed, hit "edit" beside "bookshelves" (right under "My Books"). This takes you to the page where you can add, delete, rename, and set the properties of your shelves. Add an "abandoned" shelf, and voila! you can add books to it!

 

FWIW, I have mine set as an "exclusive" shelf, just like the read, currently reading, and to-read shelves. I figure I won't want an abandoned book showing up in other categories, so that works well - it's a 4th either/or category. All my other shelves are not marked exclusive. I think it's the fact that it's set as an exclusive shelf that makes it show up the way you're noticing.

 

ETA: Mum's response reminded me: yes, you definitely want to set it as "exclusive." Every book on your shelves must belong to one of your "exclusive" categories - so if you don't set abandoned up as exclusive, you also have to have those books tagged as currently reading, want to read, or read, which is not the point of the shelf, I think . . .

 

HTH

Thanks for explaining this!

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

 

The Beetle by Richard Marsh

 

"The thrilling classic tale of a strange and sinister creature that stalks its prey mercilessly and changes shape at will

From the mysterious depths of Egypt comes a creature “born neither of God nor man.†This shape-shifting being has made its way to London seeking revenge for the crimes that have been committed against the order of its ancient religion—and the primary target of this merciless and relentless terror is politician Paul Lessingham. As panic spreads throughout the city, it falls to Paul and his friends to stop the beast once and for all.
 
Published the same year as the horror classic Dracula, The Beetle originally outsold Bram Stoker’s famous book. Richard Marsh’s story is a dark mirror of England at the end of the century, a tale of Victorian horror and mystery with a monster as dreadful and elusive as any in literature."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

I'll take a stab at explaining: on your My Books page, on the left column where all your bookshelves are listed, hit "edit" beside "bookshelves" (right under "My Books"). This takes you to the page where you can add, delete, rename, and set the properties of your shelves.  Add an "abandoned" shelf, and voila! you can add books to it!

 

FWIW, I have mine set as an "exclusive" shelf, just like the read, currently reading, and to-read shelves.  I figure I won't want an abandoned book showing up in other categories, so that works well - it's a 4th either/or category.  All my other shelves are not marked exclusive.  I think it's the fact that it's set as an exclusive shelf that makes it show up the way you're noticing.

 

ETA: Mum's response reminded me: yes, you definitely want to set it as "exclusive." Every book on your shelves must belong to one of your "exclusive" categories - so if you don't set abandoned up as exclusive, you also have to have those books tagged as currently reading, want to read, or read, which is not the point of the shelf, I think . . . 

 

HTH

 

Thanks, Rose!! :)

[Kareni]

I just finished a contemporary new adult romance which I enjoyed. (Be aware: Adult content) The book is currently free to Kindle readers ~ 

 

 

Until Now (the Not Yet series Book 2)  by Laura Ward

 

"Focus.
Dean Goldsmith is Indiana University’s star quarterback, and his dreams are about to come true. His undefeated season means he has a legitimate shot at the NFL. If he stays focused. Football comes first.

College senior, Grace Yeates, is determined to defy the odds. She is months away from graduating with a business degree, something no one thought she would be able to pull off. All she has to do is focus on her number one priority. Family comes first.

Distraction.
Dean has no time for distractions, but when a gorgeous, snarky, redheaded waitress refuses to tell him her name, he can’t seem to focus on anything else.

Grace knows she can’t let herself get caught up in a guy, particularly a man-whore like Dean, no matter how charming or sexy. She has two hearts to look out for now and no room for a Dean-sized distraction.

Complications.
Everyone in Dean’s life agrees that Grace is the kind of complication his career doesn’t need.

Grace knows that Dean is the kind of risk her heart shouldn’t want.

But what if the last person you think you need, the one you shouldn’t want, becomes the one you can’t live without? Can their biggest distraction actually be the focus they were missing all along?"

**

 

Some other currently free choices that might be of interest ~

 

A Kind of Woman: An Gripping Legal Thriller  by Helen Burko

 

Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Choices   by Meghan Ciana Doidge

 

Hell & High Water…  by Charlie Cochet

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I just finished reading part one of Elizabeth Kostova's The Shadow Land which I believe some of you are planning to read. Part one is interesting. Sort of a meandering introduction to who the main character of the book really is, a young woman whose life has been hugely affected by the disappearance of her brother as a teen. Many of the Goodreads descriptions say this book is a love story to Bulgaria which seems to be very true. Enjoyable so far....

 

I'm putting it aside to finish The Burning Page which I am about to lose on overdrive. It's the third Invisible Library book. I still like the series but it may be going downhill a bit.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I just finished reading part one of Elizabeth Kostova's The Shadow Land which I believe some of you are planning to read. Part one is interesting. Sort of a meandering introduction to who the main character of the book really is, a young woman whose life has been hugely affected by the disappearance of her brother as a teen. Many of the Goodreads descriptions say this book is a love story to Bulgaria which seems to be very true. Enjoyable so far....

 

I'm putting it aside to finish The Burning Page which I am about to lose on overdrive. It's the third Invisible Library book. I still like the series but it may be going downhill a bit.

 

I'll be interested to hear what you think of The Shadow Land when you get back to it. I started it but also put it aside - I think the later part, the old man's story, will probably be interesting but I was having trouble getting into the young woman's frame story. I need to be convinced that it's worth persisting with, it didn't immediately grab me.

 

I'm getting a real kick out of The Sisters Brothers, loving Candide and Wolf Hall even more this re-read, and The Obesity Code and The Hidden Life of Trees just arrived at my doorstep. So, at the moment, I'm sticking up my nose at anything that isn't immediately brilliant.  ;)  :D

Edited April 20, 2017 by Chrysalis Academy

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Lady Florida.]

 

I am still working on News of the World, though it has slowed a little for me as I've hit the mid-point. Hoping its magic will return (for me). 

 

It did slow down a bit for a while but picks back up. I hope you can get the magic back. It's really worth finishing.

[Kareni]

Cat lovers might enjoy the book reviewed here:

 

REVIEW: Of Cats and Men by Sam Kalda   by Jayne of the Dear Author site

 

Regards,

Kareni

[TravelingChris]

Sorry Stacia that things aren't going well.  What an idiot backing up in a drive through right into you.  Hugs for you and for your kitty.  I commiserate with you as I am dealing with my dog who has metastatic cancer in lungs, liver, and who knows where else.  

 

Prayers and good wishes too to your husband, Lady Florida.  I also agree with her about the alligator risk.  We also have camped a number of times in Florida and no issues and none when we have gone hiking either.  We also camped in other states where alligators are present.  We only have a tent so it was all tent camping too.

 

I finished book 9 though I have to look around to see if I actually finished any others and forget to write down and report.  Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein.  It was originally a story for the Boy Scout magazine so it does have Scouting mentioned throughout.  A young man and his father plus his father's wife and her daughter emigrate to Ganymede which is mainly a farming community.  I read this book as a kid and liked it then.  Now I still like it but the very gender specific roles and some sayings kind of rankle too.  It was written in 1950.  WHat interests me is that The Expanse series (and tv show) also made Ganymede into an agricultural moon.  It makes me wonder if the authors had also read this book,

[aggieamy]

 

 

I am still working on News of the World, though it has slowed a little for me as I've hit the mid-point. Hoping its magic will return (for me). And I picked up the Hygge book from the library yesterday too. That seems about my speed these days.... Though skimming through various pages does lead me to ask (since hygge seems to really be emphasized for cold weather with short hours of sun) -- does the formula for hygge differ in hot weather places? I live where we get plenty of sun & more heat than cold. Rather than adding light, I feel we are often trying to escape it (find shade). And lots of wool socks, warm wooly blankets & heavy scarves would make everyone keel over from heat stroke here. Lol. I get that it's a mindset of coziness = comfort & calm & hospitality, but maybe it looks different depending on your climate area.

 

 

There's your million dollar book idea ... hygge for the warmer climates!

[mumto2]

I'll be interested to hear what you think of The Shadow Land when you get back to it. I started it but also put it aside - I think the later part, the old man's story, will probably be interesting but I was having trouble getting into the young woman's frame story. I need to be convinced that it's worth persisting with, it didn't immediately grab me.

 

I'm getting a real kick out of The Sisters Brothers, loving Candide and Wolf Hall even more this re-read, and The Obesity Code and The Hidden Life of Trees just arrived at my doorstep. So, at the moment, I'm sticking up my nose at anything that isn't immediately brilliant.  ;)  :D

 

 

I find it interesting that we apparently stopped at the same moment. I do plan to finish because my getting the hardcopy of this book is a fluke. The holds are now long and I just happened to look at it the morning it hit circulation at the library. One copy extra in new shelving which I immediately put a hold on. I originally requested it on Overdrive and had it first day out but it was in epub format which I don't normally mess with.

 

Last night a book that I think might be pretty similar popped up in my overdrive, I had been 3 on 1 copy. The Women in the Castle https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30653967-the-women-in-the-castle?ac=1&from_search=true. I generally prefer to spread topics out more.....

 

 

Hmmm. I just got notification that The Shadow Land is in for me at the library. I was on the waitlist even before the library got its copy. I loved The Historian, but never was able to finish her second book (The Swan Thieves). I was kind-of on the fence about trying this one as I often like reading one book by an author but end up being disappointed when reading different ones by the same author. But, in the last year or two, I've had some good authors where I've enjoyed more than one of their books, so I've been more willing to try with others too.

 

The Shadow Land may be too long or heavy for me right now. These days, short & relatively happy seem to fit what my brain can process. I have Lincoln in the Bardo sitting here (got it yesterday after being on the waitlist), but I may go ahead & return it unread & just put myself back on the waitlist, hoping by the time I get it later that I will be more able to handle heavier topics (since it deals with the topic of the death of Lincoln's son).

 

I am still working on News of the World, though it has slowed a little for me as I've hit the mid-point. Hoping its magic will return (for me). And I picked up the Hygge book from the library yesterday too. That seems about my speed these days.... Though skimming through various pages does lead me to ask (since hygge seems to really be emphasized for cold weather with short hours of sun) -- does the formula for hygge differ in hot weather places? I live where we get plenty of sun & more heat than cold. Rather than adding light, I feel we are often trying to escape it (find shade). And lots of wool socks, warm wooly blankets & heavy scarves would make everyone keel over from heat stroke here. Lol. I get that it's a mindset of coziness = comfort & calm & hospitality, but maybe it looks different depending on your climate area.

At this point in my reading I doubt you would enjoy Shadow Land.

 

Hygge Southern Style....maybe mint julips and pretty appetizers served on the deck. I have never had a mint julip but like the thought of them. ;)

[JennW in SoCal]

I forgot to tell you all about the Hyggie bakery in Tokyo Station!! They even had a Hyggie newsletter, which I picked up, though it was of course written in Japanese.  We had some delicious bread products there. We had no idea what was inside of them -- mine had some kind of unidentifiable nuts or dried fruit-- but they were really, really good.  Not sure what made them Hyggie, but trust the Japanese to recognize -- and adopt -- a good style trend when they see it.

 

Just think how Southerners and Southern Californias would embrace Hyggie for those cold winter days when the temps barely get above 60!! (I wouldn't have heard of it if it weren't for BaW.)

 

But as for Southern Hyggie in the summer time... well, in Southern California we certainly enjoy our pretty appetizers on the deck with a chilled mojito (or a nice crisp white wine or craft beer), but I think in the deep south you'd cower indoors to stay away from the bugs and the humidity!  And no open candle flames due to the drafts from ceiling fans and the a/c.  

 

I'm with Amy -- you need to write this one, Stacia! And you could make a case that organizing books by color is Hyggie :laugh:  

[Violet Crown]

No contributions to make to "Southern Hygge," except that the discussion makes me want an iced tea and a taco.

 

Finished James Sutherland's English Satire, which would make a nice organizing text for a semester's literature. Almost done with Grand Hotel. Who was it wanted it next? Highly recommended.

Edited April 21, 2017 by Violet Crown

[strawberries]

I'm still reading From the Beast to the Blonde but have fallen well behind (chapter 12). I will eventually finish it but there are other things I'd rather be reading right now. I feel like I need to be in a slightly more academic frame of mind to sit down and dig into it, and I just haven't been. I'm also one or two chapters behind on The Story of Western Science and have yet to start Hidden Figures, which I am very much looking forward to. Naturally three more holds came in and MIL gave me several books at Easter!

 

Currently I am reading through Letters of Note: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience and it is fascinating. It's just a collection of letters from famous people and everyday people, ranging from funny to heartbreaking to very disturbing. Most are historically significant in some way. It doesn't seem to be arranged in any particular order. Just to give you an idea, the first letter is from Queen Elizabeth II sending President Eisenhower her scone recipe; the second is a note that Jack the Ripper had enclosed with a human kidney preserved in wine. Today I read a letter that a woman sent to her daughter in 1855 describing her experience undergoing a mastectomy without anesthesia. There are photographs of many of the letters, though they are typed out as well. I picked this up to fulfill my "book of letters" requirement for the PopSugar reading challenge and am glad I did! 

 

I smiled when I opened the thread this week - we actually have that How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear? book checked out for DD right now, as she is reviewing homonyms. 

[Loesje22000]

@ Hygge in warmer temperatures:

 

I think for us it is the berry season.

Strawberries, blue berries a.o. berries are so short available here, and are only really delicious when having enough sun.

 

But when it is somewhere always warm, and I suppose coolers and refreshers are becoming Hygge.

(And yes shadow!)

[Jane in NC]

Not quite in the Hygge knowledge loop (not having read the book) but I suspect that it should be noted that the mojito mint is thriving in the garden so I made a simple mint syrup for cocktails, etc. 

 

And on the table this week are all sorts of delights from the local organic farmers:  lettuce, arugula, kale, strawberries, asparagus, radishes and carrots.  Add simple fresh grilled fish.  Enjoy the company of dear son and his lovely archaeologist girlfriend while dining and when playing a board game after dinner.  Sleep in contented comfort.

 

Sigh.

[Nan in Mass]

My family excels at hygge. : )

Summer hygge things are:

-Trailing your feet in the water sitting on the end of the dock looking at the stars reflecting in the lake

-Reading in a hammock

-Endless blueberry pancakes (with the occasional pineneedle in them) cooked on a camp stove on a picnic table

-Cooking marshmellows over campfire

-A family sing along on a screen porch

-Cheese and crackers and smoked fish and adventure stories in the cockpit after a day's sail

-Anything you do in the cabin of a boat gathered around the table - sing, play games, eat supper, read aloud, preferably by lantern light

-Going for a lovely row around the harbour before the mosquitoes come out

-Picnics with lovely food in picnic a basket and thermouses of iced tea tinkling with ice and a picnic blanket

-Berry picking

-Making pies all together with the berries

-Meals at the picnic table

-Skinny dipping

-Stargazing

-Watching the sunset

-Sitting close together sharing gorp and water bottles someplace pretty you have hiked to

-Everyone squished into the shade (or sun depending on the wind) on a small wooden dock in bathing suits

-Putting everyone in canoes and paddling slowly along watching the shore go by, stopping to cool off in the lake or pick berries

-Everyone sleeping in the same place in sleeping bags preferably having been read to sleep (aloud by someone)

-For the first day, being stuck inside together reading aloud and playing games with rain on the cabin top or tarp

 

For us, summer hygge is basically moving to someplace where everyone is jammed together with no privacy at the mercy of the weather with lots of scenery and togetherness to make up for the lack of amenities and lots of berries and pancakes and cheese and smoked fish to make up for the sketchy meals.

 

Lack of our family definition of hygge is why most of my family is convinced they would die if they had to live in the south. We would have to adapt to a more cold drinks with friends in hammocks or comfy porch furniture definition, I guess. Trips to the airconditioned library in hot summer are rather hygge-ly, perhaps? I think maybe my southern cousin creates this in the cave-like patio of her house with good company, comfy furniture, cold drinks, shared food prep, and grilled food?

 

Nan

Edited April 21, 2017 by Nan in Mass

[Mom-ninja.]

My family excels at hygge. : )

Summer hygge things are:

-Skinny dipping

 

Nan

I'm guessing this is more of an activity sans older kids. I'm pretty sure my teen son would rather chew off his own leg than swim naked with his parents. :D

 

 

 

I'm thinking I will skip the hygge books I was planning to read. Sounds like it won't apply to where I live. Which is fine because my tr list gets longer faster than I can make it shorter. 

 

I'm still reading  The Millionaire Next Door and I'm not surprised by anything the authors have said so far. Especially the parts where they discuss that most rich people have a ruthless personality trait and work hard to find tax loopholes. I am not such a person. Like the landlord of a local building where the woman only gym Shapes was located. This gym had a lot of classes for older women including aqua exercise classes. The landlord, the owner of an NFL team, decided he wanted to make more money with the space and boot out Shapes. The lease was under contract and he couldn't raise the rent. So what did he do? He had a loophole that he could raise maintenance fees at any time. So he did. By the tune of increasing the fee by $9k a MONTH. The gym can't afford this so they are closing in less than a week. So very rich man is making more money but who is hurt? The older women who took classes there. They are the ones who get hurt. Does Mr. Rich Man care? Nope. That's why he is rich and why I never will be. Not if that's what it takes. 

 

I'll keep reading the book as it's my finance square. 

 

I'm also reading Lucy & Andy Neanderthal  to my little one. 

[Violet Crown]

Agreed on the summer skinny dipping; mostly because it sounds like a good way to get severely burned in tender spots, also because our natural springs pools are really cold.

 

Not completely clear exactly what "hygge" is (that's okay, don't send the book), but I gather it's how to deal with temperature extremes that don't permit outdoors activities in traditional ways that emphasize comfort and social bonding; is that right? So it would be what you do in July/August when it's actually dangerous to spend much time outdoors midday. In Texas through mid-century that would have included beer and cold tea, spicy food (which is cooling), loose and covering cotton clothing, ice houses, movie theatres, afternoon siestas, sleeping on the porch under mosquito netting with sheets kept in the icebox until bedtime, outings to shady swimming holes, and late-evening social events.

[Nan in Mass]

I'm guessing this is more of an activity sans older kids. I'm pretty sure my teen son would rather chew off his own leg than swim naked with his parents. :D

 

 

 

I'm thinking I will skip the hygge books I was planning to read. Sounds like it won't apply to where I live. Which is fine because my tr list gets longer faster than I can make it shorter.

 

I'm still reading The Millionaire Next Door and I'm not surprised by anything the authors have said so far. Especially the parts where they discuss that most rich people have a ruthless personality trait and work hard to find tax loopholes. I am not such a person. ...That's why he is rich and why I never will be. Not if that's what it takes. ..

Well... we live in a tiny house and vacation n even tinier spaces. Everybody changes in plain sight but nobody looks or comments. Skinny dipping works the same way because pretty quickly you are in the water. Mosquitoes love exposed skin. I tend to think that despite the lack of privacy, my extended family is more comfortable for a modest person than the sort of family that looks and points and comments, or teases and giggles. There probably were times when someone was not feeling like they wanted to be seen and didn't come, but nobody would notice. You would just think the person didn't feel like getting wet, or was remembering that big snapping turtle we saw at lunch, or was in the middle of a good book, or something.

 

I think the only reason to read the hygge book would be to figure out what sort of feeling hygge is so you can encourage things that produce that feeling in your own family. The book I read said to pay attention to lighting and physical comfort, serve comfort food, prepare and eat food together, do community activities with your family and friends, spend time in enclosed spaces together, and develop ways to play together. So... candles on the table for dinner, comfortable lawn and porch furniture, meals that you make and eat together, porches and patios and lanais, concerts in the park or kite flying day at the beach, board games, making music together, ...that sort of thing. Those can be done in tropical places.

 

We know millionaires like that. A few aren't, but generally, the ones that got themselves to the top did so by not being compassionate.

 

Nan

[mumto2]

The hygge book concentrated a whole lot on how the Danish were the happiest according to some poll and hygge was why. The day after I finished the book I read an article that the according to a new poll Norwegians are! ;) Beyond the settings , the book talked about how closed people's hygge groups are. These are small groups of close friends almost impossible for a newbie to get into. People are left without people to hygge with. :( As someone who was raised to invite everyone, especially people who might need friends, closed groups are hard on me. I don't enjoy being part of one generally. Honestly it's probably the hardest thing about British reserve for me because I invite people to what I perceive as public events that I learn later were rather closed......dh recently read a poll somewhere that 55% of neighbours in the UK have never spoken to each other. Probably true! It's also true in my experience that those neighbours are pretty happy when someone starts the conversation. Yes I know the neighbours! :lol:

 

I found a cute introduction to hygge on the visit Denmark website. I am technically incapable of pulling to video out and just posting that. If someone else does I won't be offended :) but you all need to see the laundromat. A hygge laundromat! Really!

 

http://www.visitdenmark.com/hygge.

[Matryoshka]

I finished News of the World, and did quite enjoy it.  I liked the way it ended, too.

 

My next audiobook is called Secondhand Time: the Last of the Soviets.  It's by the same woman who put together Voices of Chernobyl (Svetlana Alexeivich), which I think a couple of people here read, and is also on my to-read list.  I have to say that I picked it just as something on Overdrive that there wasn't a long holds list for, and an oral history sounded like a good thing to listen to on audio.  I have to say I'm finding it quite fascinating so far.  The audio is read by different voices for the different people talking - I do think that audio was very much the right choice for this; I'm not sure I'd find it as compelling written down.  The book is pretty much made up of interviews she had with people where they just talk, tell their experiences, without the interviewer breaking in (although there are sometimes comments from the author inbetween sections) - it's apparently a documentary style she's used in her other books as well.  I think I'd like to read more of her work, and if I do, I'll try to get it on audio. :)

 

This afternoon I'll go to the library to swap read-alongs - going to pick up Razor's Edge and get rid of Beast to the Blonde.  Too many other good things to read, and I've already got another slog with Exiles of Erin, but that's for a bingo square that I can't find anything else for, and I'm most of the way through it, so I'm going to persevere on that one. 

[Nan in Mass]

Agreed on the summer skinny dipping; mostly because it sounds like a good way to get severely burned in tender spots, also because our natural springs pools are really cold.

 

Not completely clear exactly what "hygge" is (that's okay, don't send the book), but I gather it's how to deal with temperature extremes that don't permit outdoors activities in traditional ways that emphasize comfort and social bonding; is that right? So it would be what you do in July/August when it's actually dangerous to spend much time outdoors midday. In Texas through mid-century that would have included beer and cold tea, spicy food (which is cooling), loose and covering cotton clothing, ice houses, movie theatres, afternoon siestas, sleeping on the porch under mosquito netting with sheets kept in the icebox until bedtime, outings to shady swimming holes, and late-evening social events.

I think, judging by the book I read, that it has more to do with how contented you are when you do the hygge-y activity than dealing with inclement weather. Being sheltered from bad weather tends to make one more content with one's spot in shelter, and therefore increases the hygge, but there are other elements. When you have enough of the elements that make you feel contented put together so that you feel super content, then you have a hygge situation. My family doesn't use the word hygge, but we do have set phrases that point out hygge. We will say, "It doesn't get much better than this, does it!" Or "This is nice." Or "Pretty idyllic, hunh?" I think hygge has elements of coziness but also has links to one's childhood, physical comfort, fun, the rightness of an activity, being in good company, tradition,and getting to once again do something that you love to do. When things are so nice right now that you don't want to be anywhere else, that is hygge, at least as far as I understand it. When I am having tea and cookies with my sister and it is raining out, the rain contributes to not wanting to be elsewhere, but if I have a picnic all packed and have arranged to meet friends at the beach and can't go because it is raining and I dwell on that, then the rain is not contributing to hygge.

[Violet Crown]

I think, judging by the book I read, that it has more to do with how contented you are when you do the hygge-y activity than dealing with inclement weather. Being sheltered from bad weather tends to make one more content with one's spot in shelter, and therefore increases the hygge, but there are other elements. When you have enough of the elements that make you feel contented put together so that you feel super content, then you have a hygge situation. My family doesn't use the word hygge, but we do have set phrases that point out hygge. We will say, "It doesn't get much better than this, does it!" Or "This is nice." Or "Pretty idyllic, hunh?"

Aha! I Think I get it now. Texas hygge:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=22-HSjMS3Ks

 

Yep.

[Kareni]

Currently I am reading through Letters of Note: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience and it is fascinating. ..

 

I read this some time ago; it was a wonderful book for dipping into.  I can remember sitting with my husband and saying pick a number between x and y, then I would read aloud the entry on that page.  It was certainly an intriguing collection of documents.

**

 

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

Boston Blackie by Jack Boyle

 

"Whether he is fighting the police or the criminal underworld, Boston Blackie always stands up for what’s right 

 

Sure, Boston Blackie is a jewel thief and a safecracker, but he’s a criminal with code. He ensures that the worst villains get what’s coming to them while the honorable ones stay out on the street—where, like Blackie, they do more good than harm.

 

In this classic collection of adventures, with his dependable wife and getaway driver, Mary, by his side, Blackie gets into and out of a dizzying array of tight spots. He escapes from prison, saves a friend from the gallows, and pulls off the gold bullion heist of a lifetime. Later adapted into serials, movies, and TV shows, Boston Blackie’s exploits are some of the most thrilling in all of crime fiction."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[JennW in SoCal]

 

I found a cute introduction to hygge on the visit Denmark website. I am technically incapable of pulling to video out and just posting that. If someone else does I won't be offended :) but you all need to see the laundromat. A hygge laundromat! Really!

 

http://www.visitdenmark.com/hygge.

 

 

Attention Stacia:  at the 2:32 mark in the video, when she is going into the Hyggie laundromat, the bookshelf is organized by color!!!

[melbotoast]

I'm loving all the warm weather hygge ideas! My thought after reading the book was I want my own hygge nook! I don't want company since I'm all peopled out after being with my kids all day, but I would love a nice reading chair where I can hang out by myself and relax. Right now my nook is on my bed. I have my stack of books and a lamp on my nightstand. I want to hang up a cross stitch done by my mom to decorate but I need to find a frame. 

 

Also, thunderstorms! I love listening to the thunder and rain when I'm safe inside. If the power goes out then you can hang out with some candles.  :thumbup1:

[Lady Florida.]

I read this some time ago; it was a wonderful book for dipping into.  I can remember sitting with my husband and saying pick a number between x and y, then I would read aloud the entry on that page.  It was certainly an intriguing collection of documents.

**

 

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

Boston Blackie by Jack Boyle

 

"Whether he is fighting the police or the criminal underworld, Boston Blackie always stands up for what’s right 

 

Sure, Boston Blackie is a jewel thief and a safecracker, but he’s a criminal with code. He ensures that the worst villains get what’s coming to them while the honorable ones stay out on the street—where, like Blackie, they do more good than harm.

 

In this classic collection of adventures, with his dependable wife and getaway driver, Mary, by his side, Blackie gets into and out of a dizzying array of tight spots. He escapes from prison, saves a friend from the gallows, and pulls off the gold bullion heist of a lifetime. Later adapted into serials, movies, and TV shows, Boston Blackie’s exploits are some of the most thrilling in all of crime fiction."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Any other Jimmy Buffet fans here? As soon as I read Boston Blackie, this song popped into my head.

 

 

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

Any other Jimmy Buffet fans here? As soon as I read Boston Blackie, this song popped into my head....

 

I hadn't known the song, so I'm glad you shared it.  Very neat!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

A fun query from the Tor.com site ~

 

What is the Best Collective Noun for Authors?  by  Stubby the Rocket

 

"Writing, when you get down to the nuts and bolts of actually putting words on paper, is one of the loneliest professions. But then there are conventions, panels, collaborative serialized storytelling experiments, and (thanks to social media) Twitter hashtag fun and Reddit AMAs, all of which see authors congregating in the same physical or digital space. But what do you call it when these famously reclusive creatures are all collected together? Like a mob of kangaroos or a unkindness of ravens, we thought writers deserved their very own descriptive collective noun. We came up with “a mischief of authors,†but we want to hear yours!..."

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Since I seem to be on a roll.... 

 

Some of these made me chuckle ~

 

15 Images That Prove Librarians Are the Cleverest People Ever

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Nan in Mass]

Since I seem to be on a roll....

 

Some of these made me chuckle ~

15 Images That Prove Librarians Are the Cleverest People Ever

 

Regards,

Kareni

I like #3 and #4. Librarian s are saints about one wanting a book whose title one cannot remember.

[Butter]

I read The Darwin Awards Next Evolution by Wendy Northcutt.  She has a way with writing the vignettes to be really funny.  More than 1/10 of the book was a FAQ, though, like she was just trying to pad the book so she can sell more books (all the stories are also on the website).

 

That's 52 books.  I can stop reading for the year now.  :lol: