Book a Week 2017 - BW21: Happy Birthday Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Rosie_0801]

I finished reading Susan Carland's "Fighting Hislam," this morning. 

 

Just now she replied to my fangirl e-mail. :D

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[JennW in SoCal]

Got to the point in Razor's Edge tonight where I could finally read what y'all have posted.

 

Poor Larry! Am I the only one who will likes the man?  I'm just at the half way point, so my opinion might change, but at this point in the story I don't see him as selfish but as someone who was probably always an outlier, who was a sensitive soul, went to war and is suffering PTSD.  I do not think he is irresponsible for traveling the world on an existential quest for knowledge. I loved how he explained his reading to Maugham earlier in the story, his need to learn outside the parameters of university -- it is a pure homeschooling/love of learning kind of philosophy. 

 

Elliot is a delight. I think we each would love to have an Uncle Elliot of our own! I'm not too fond of Isabel who seems a confused pre-feminist who wants her free love but wants her men to "do a man's work".  She would have been miserable with Larry, but when he was asking her to join his Bohemian life, I kept thinking of the young Hemingways in Paris, as described in A Moveable Feast.  And Gray is just that -- grey.  We don't ever know much about the man.

[mumto2]

I just finished reading my book of Murakami short stories for Bingo. Men Without Woman contained a couple of great stories, some OK ones, and a couple of ones that were a bit so what's the point. Probably my least favourite Murakami but short stories just are not my thing.

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33652490-men-without-women

Edited May 23, 2017 by mumto2

[Violet Crown]

Finished The Reivers last night. Humorous Faulkner is a new thing for me. Such good writing! Just reading his prose is almost enough - one hardly needs the plot sometimes. It's awfully browned and battered though, so it travels with me no further.

 

Also finished Selected Poems of James Hogg. I'm getting pretty good at reading Scots now. Wonderful, beautiful verse.

 

I returned Spartacus - changed my mind - and checked out Hogg's chunkster novel The Three Perils of Man. Let's see if it's as good as the more famous Confessions of a Justified Sinner.

[Jane in NC]

Welcoming CadenceSophia's new babe!

 

Congratulations, CadenceSophia! I am impressed that you can read in French while caring for a newborn!

Abby update: She's doing well! She's 15 months and has learned to do an army crawl so she can steal her 4 yo brother's toy Tyrannosaurus, of which she seems particularly fond. The average age at which children with Down Syndrome learn to walk is 2, so I think she's making good progress, especially considering that she didn't start PT until about 8 mos because of her heart issues! Speech is going to be harder -- no babbling yet, just a gargly noise she likes to make to get your attention -- but she's found ways to start communicating what she wants (or doesn't!)

She did well on our big trip to D.C. but by the end of it, she was not really thrilled about anything with buckles.

I finished 2 books on the trip -- Being Mortal and My Man Jeeves (kind of polar opposites) -- but no audio books. Alas, I think we have somehow moved beyond the days when everybody happily listened to the same audio book. My husband wanted to listen to talk radio and even my little kids had brought tablets so they could listen to the Little House books again (my dh has been reading them aloud at bedtime for the past year, I think, but he's almost done with These Happy Golden Years now.). So I gave up. I did download Carry On, Jeeves, with the idea that I might be able to listen while I make dinner.

I'm also nearly done with Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym. This is my first Barbara Pym novel, and I have to say that I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would at first. There's so very little plot in this book, but that doesn't seem to matter because it's the character development that's generating the suspense. And the quiet, sly humor doesn't hurt. Jane and Prudence are friends who met at Oxford, though Jane is 45 and the wife of a vicar now, and Prudence is only about 30 and unmarried. Jane is struggling valiantly to fit into a role she is wholly unfit for (she's more at home with 17th century poets) and Prudence seems to be making a career of being unhappy. I'm glad I picked this up wherever it was I saw it - maybe Bookbub? My little description is not doing it justice. Barbara Pym reminds me a little of Jane Austen, and a little of Mark Twain, in that she paints people's characters so well with just a little bit of tongue in cheek.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Sounds like little Abby is doing well, Angela. 

 

And hurrah that someone else has discovered Barbara Pym, one of my favorite authors!  What a writer!

 

Got to the point in Razor's Edge tonight where I could finally read what y'all have posted.

 

Poor Larry! Am I the only one who will likes the man?  I'm just at the half way point, so my opinion might change, but at this point in the story I don't see him as selfish but as someone who was probably always an outlier, who was a sensitive soul, went to war and is suffering PTSD.  I do not think he is irresponsible for traveling the world on an existential quest for knowledge. I loved how he explained his reading to Maugham earlier in the story, his need to learn outside the parameters of university -- it is a pure homeschooling/love of learning kind of philosophy. 

 

Elliot is a delight. I think we each would love to have an Uncle Elliot of our own! I'm not too fond of Isabel who seems a confused pre-feminist who wants her free love but wants her men to "do a man's work".  She would have been miserable with Larry, but when he was asking her to join his Bohemian life, I kept thinking of the young Hemingways in Paris, as described in A Moveable Feast.  And Gray is just that -- grey.  We don't ever know much about the man.

 

I'm with you, Jenn.  I rather like Larry but had held off in commenting since I have yet to finish the book.

 

To my mind, Gray is not an innocent. And I am not sure where I stand on Isabel. More to come...

 

Still reading the chunky Bulgarian classic, Wolf Hunt.  It has taken me a while to be drawn into this book but now I am.  Rural Bulgarian setting with essentially five intertwined novellas woven across the early decades of the 20th century with all of its political upheavals.

 

 

[Penguin]

I finally finished From the Beast to the Blonde. IMO, lots of interesting info and great insights, and it's a shame that these are buried in such dry, dense, verbose prose, which sometimes rambles and makes it unclear what the point is (because, I think ,there are sometimes multiple points that need to be separated). Anyway, I'm glad to have it on my shelf because, despite its faults, I'll probably end up returning to the stories half of it here and there.

 

I am still reading Great Expectations, and making decent progress with it now that I'm finished with Beast/Blonde.

 

And I'm listening to Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematory. This one is good. Memoir mixed with facts about the job, history and tales, beliefs and customs related to death. Occasionally the humor is pretty bad, like cheesy and old and not funny anymore, and you can imagine that parts of the book are very dark, making this not for everyone. But it is interesting and entertaining and it flows smoothly between the personal and the public, the familiar and the foreign, the present/recent and the historical. Clear simple prose, so it's good for listening to.

I finally got to the second half of From the Beast to the Blonde. Admittedly, the book is a slog for me but I agree with you that I am glad to have it on my shelf. And I am glad that I am continuing. So far, I like Part 2 better than Part 1.

Edited May 23, 2017 by Penguin

[Mom-ninja.]

Kareni, anytime dinner is late I will blame you. I get sucked into so many rabbit holes with your posts. 

 

 

 Barbara Pym reminds me a little of Jane Austen, and a little of Mark Twain, in that she paints people's characters so well with just a little bit of tongue in cheek.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

With a combo like that I *have* to now read Pym. Austen and Twain? Perfect  

 

I finished reading Susan Carland's "Fighting Hislam," this morning. 

 

Just now she replied to my fangirl e-mail. :D

 

How was this book?

Edited May 23, 2017 by Mom-ninja.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Hi ladies. I haven't been able to keep up with these threads. My baby was born and suddenly he's 4 weeks old. I hope to check in a little more regularly again.

  

Congratulations on your little one and welcome back!

 

She was doing pretty well.  She had some really great days.  Then the POTS reared its ugly head and she had to deal with that and got that straightened out and then she, my oldest son, and I got the flu.  She and I ended up with secondary infections and are coughing and just exhausted now (and are both on antibiotics).  I'm hopeful she'll go back to having more good days after she gets over this junk.

 

Hope both of you feel better soon. :grouphug:

 

Abby update: She's doing well! She's 15 months and has learned to do an army crawl so she can steal her 4 yo brother's toy Tyrannosaurus, of which she seems particularly fond. The average age at which children with Down Syndrome learn to walk is 2, so I think she's making good progress, especially considering that she didn't start PT until about 8 mos because of her heart issues! Speech is going to be harder -- no babbling yet, just a gargly noise she likes to make to get your attention -- but she's found ways to start communicating what she wants (or doesn't!)

She did well on our big trip to D.C. but by the end of it, she was not really thrilled about anything with buckles.

 

Great update! Sounds like she's doing well!😸

[Chrysalis Academy]

Hey guys, just stealing a few minutes before businesses open and my round of phone calls starts to check in.  I'm picking my dad up from the hospital today and bringing him home. They wanted to release him into a nursing home with 24 hour care, but my mom (who has dementia) is so distraught over his not being here with her that we decided it was better to have him come home and get PT at home.  So I'm trying to line that up, along with doctor's appointments for both of them and lining up various support services/elder assistance so that they will be ok when I leave. My mom  is really doing badly, she has had 3 falls since I've been here and I can't lift her so she spends time on the floor and has to crawl and we manhandle her into a chair each time. I'm not sure if I can cope with much more of that. And my dad will be in no position to assist for awhile, so I'm really not sure what to do about that. 

 

There is also a complicated legal situation involved here,,so there will be calls and visits with lawyers to deal with on top of the medical stuff. It's rather overwhelming.

 

In reading news, I listened to Mansfield Park on the drive down, which was a perfect distraction - soothing and amusing and not traumatic. I'm reading The Razor's Edge still, but will hold off commenting till we're all done because I'm not sure where I'm at with regard to the group. I am with Stacia, though, that I can say I'm reading the book with a bit of a jaundiced eye due to current life circumstances, and find myself more impatient with some of the characters than sympathetic. I was especially struck in the heart by Elliott's end-of-life scenes, and it made me so sad. The things people get attached to - their reputations, their social standings, what other people think - are so unimportant compared to what really matters. 

 

Obviously that feeling is very colored by my current situation.  Remember the Cone of Silence from the old Get Smart TV show? I feel like I'm walking around carrying my personal Cone of No Bullshit with me. I'm just so tired of all the denials, deflections, evasions, lies, and self-protecting cover stories. I feel like a hot knife carving through butter. I'm sure it's a bit uncomfortable for others but also somewhat refreshing. No more dancing around what's going on.

 

Ok, I'll stop now! Sorry for the personal digressions. Thanks for listening, I'm rather isolated at the moment.

 

:grouphug:

 

Hugs, best wishes, and love to all who are celebrating new life, supporting their families and children through hard times, struggling with illness, or just putting one foot in front of the other. This is a pretty remarkable group of women, I'm proud to "know" you all.

[Kareni]

Kareni, anytime dinner is late I will blame you. I get sucked into so many rabbit holes with your posts.

 

 

Thanks, Kareni!

 

...

 

ETA: My sister had given me an amazon gift card. I just used it for this book. Already looking forward to some great vampire reading in October.

 

 

 

I'm always happy to spoil someone's dinner or spend someone else's money!

 

I finished reading Susan Carland's "Fighting Hislam," this morning. 

 

Just now she replied to my fangirl e-mail. :D

 

Glad to see you back, Rosie.  And how neat to hear of an author responding to her fans' messages.

 

Sending good wishes to you and your daughter, Heather.

 

And thank you for the update on Abby, Angela.  I'm glad to hear that she's making good progress.

 

Sending postitive thoughts for all who need some.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I'm happy you were able to steal a moment to post, Rose.  Sending good thoughts your way for you and your parents.

**

 

 

The Silent Bullet by Arthur B Reeve

 

About the Author

Arthur B. Reeve (1880–1936) was born on Long Island, New York, and attended Princeton University and New York Law School. As an editor and journalist, he covered many famous criminal cases, including Bruno Hauptmann’s trial for the abduction and murder of the Lindbergh baby. Reeve is best remembered as the creator of Professor Craig Kennedy, a scientific detective who first appeared in the pages of Cosmopolitan magazine. Kennedy was such a popular character in the early twentieth century that he became known as the “American Sherlock Holmes.â€

 

"America’s Sherlock Holmes makes histhrilling debutin this classic volume of mind-boggling mysteries

Craig Kennedy is a Columbia University chemistry professor by day and New York’s premier sleuth by night. With the help of his roommate and partner in detection, newspaper reporter Walter Jameson, Kennedy uses his mastery of technology to solve the most puzzling of mysteries. In “The Deadly Tube,†he investigates a case of murder by X-ray, and in “The Terror in the Air,†he applies the scientific method to a rash of airplane accidents blamed on gyroscopes.
 
First appearing in the pages of Cosmopolitan magazine, Craig Kennedy was one of the most popular detectives of the early twentieth century, and Arthur B. Reeve’s stories featuring the scientific sleuth were the first mysteries by an American author to gain wide readership in Great Britain."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[ErinE]

I'm just so tired of all the denials, deflections, evasions, lies, and self-protecting cover stories. I feel like a hot knife carving through butter. I'm sure it's a bit uncomfortable for others but also somewhat refreshing.

:grouphug: :grouphug:

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Finished This Week

📚 56. The Light Fantastic by Pratchett - A delightful continuation of Rincewind and Twoflower's adventures. 4 stars.

📚 57. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Braun - Clearly the author has a love of cats that shows through in this story. Koko is obviously the smartest character in the book and the best sleuth. 4 stars.

📚 58. The Man in the High Castle by Dick - I finished solely so I could check off the dystopian bingo square. The world has potential, but I was apathetic about the characters and the plot was stagnant. 1 star

📚 59. Hounded by Hearne - Best book of the month by far! Great characters, great plot, and loads of humor! 5 stars

 

Long Term Reads

📚ESV Bible - finished Nehemiah and Esther and still on track

📚The History of the Ancient World - chapters 49-51 complete. I'm finding the chapters in Assyria a bit tedious. Different rulers, same tale repeating. I did enjoy the portions on Greece and early Rome

 

Currently Reading or Pending

📚 Hexed by Hearne - audio book waiting at library

📚 Irresistible by Alter - current nonfiction, will finish this week

📚 Strange The Dreamer by Taylor - current read along with a group on Goodreads

📚 C is for Corpse by Grafton - Started yesterday because I was in the mood for a mystery

📚 The Dark Prophecy by Riordan - in my must read list for the week because it is due back Saturday

[Lady Florida.]

I started listening to Some Danger Involved.  It was the Audible Daily Deal yesterday, so for $3.95 I took a chance. It's four chapters in and the assistant is still getting set up in his new job. No mystery at all yet. Not even a hint of one. Back story is taking too long and it's getting boring. I'll give it some more time, but so far it's tedious.

 

Update: I returned this one for a refund. It wasn't worth my time or my four bucks.

 

I did have a credit to use and while it's a YA/teen book (which I usually dislike) reviews for The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Palace were good - they nearly all called it good fun, rollicking, and other adjectives that made it seem like an easy, fun listen. I listened to the sample, then bought it with my credit.

[mumto2]

I just found some useful lists for challenges......Titles that start with...... on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/17759.Titles_that_start_with_X_Y_or_Z

[Rosie_0801]

How was this book?

 

I'm not the target audience. I'm neither a Muslim woman needing validation, a Muslim man needing a kick in the butt for not supporting his women, a Muslim man needing a pat on the back for supporting his women, nor a non-Muslim whose ideas about Islam and Muslim women were formed by Mr Murdoch and Buddies.

 

I enjoyed hearing the cultural differences between the Muslim communities in Australia and North America though.

[Ausmumof3]

I finished "a conspiracy of friends" which was fairly typical Alexander McCall smith. I definitely seem to have my author jags where I just read one author for a long time.

 

I also read "in Diamond square" really late but it was my diamond birthstone challenge book. It's set during the Civil War in Spain. Once I adjusted to the lack of quotation marks and the lengthy run on sentences it was actually quite a moving book. I don't know a lot about the history of the time, but now have an interest to learn a little more.

[Mom-ninja.]

Rose, I'm so sorry you are going through such a hard time. I had a hard time dealing when my dad when he had heart surgery and my mom does not have added health issues.  :grouphug:   and here's a  :boxing_smiley:  towards people who give you a hard time. 

 

 

 

Thanks, Rosie, for the information about the book

[Butter]

I finished reading Observe, the 4th Mosaic Chronicles book.  I'm whipping through them pretty fast.  They are 250-300 pages each and pretty easy reads.  I am discovering that while I don't like most fantasy, but I do like urban fantasy.  I guess I like a bit of realism in my fantastical worlds?

[Matryoshka]

I also read "in Diamond square" really late but it was my diamond birthstone challenge book. It's set during the Civil War in Spain. Once I adjusted to the lack of quotation marks and the lengthy run on sentences it was actually quite a moving book. I don't know a lot about the history of the time, but now have an interest to learn a little more.

 

Spanish (from Spain) literature is full of stories about the Civil War.

 

Some I've read and liked very much recently are The Time In Between by María Dueñas, Tell Me Who I Am by Julia Navarro, and The Shadow of the Wind and its sequels (aka Cemetery of Forgotten Books series) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 

 

The Time In Between was also made into a fantastic miniseries that is available on Netflix. 

[Loesje22000]

This (coming) Saturday, there will be a documentary on the BBC around this book:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34018949-jane-austen-at-home

This because of the 200th anniversery of Jane Austen.

21.00 British Time

 

Source: newsletter of www.janeausten.nl

[Just Robyn]

I finally got to the second half of From the Beast to the Blonde. Admittedly, the book is a slog for me but I agree with you that I am glad to have it on my shelf. And I am glad that I am continuing. So far, I like Part 2 better than Part 1.

 

From the comments of it I've seen here, it seems like we have a unanimous BaW opinion that this book is a slog. Pretty pictures though, right?

[JennW in SoCal]

For those of you who have finished The Razor's Edge, here are two articles on Maugham's "George Harrison" phase:

 

From the Telegraph Somerset Maugham and the Guru 

 

and from the NYTimes Somerset Maugham's Swami

[Nan in Mass]

I am still reading the Dune series, with Heyer for light relief.

 

Nan

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free Kindle book ~

 

813 (Arséne Lupin) by Maurice LeBlanc

 

About the Author

Maurice Leblanc (1864–1941) was best known for his tales featuring the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin. Born in Rouen, France, Leblanc was inspired by the success of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories and invented Lupin as a French adversary for the great detective. Lupin appeared in dozens of novels and short stories and was the basis for several films. Of his great antihero, Leblanc once said, “Lupin follows me everywhere. He is not my shadow. I am his shadow.â€

 

 

"Framed for murder, Lupin must clear his name or face the gallows

Millionaire diamond collector Rudolf Kesselbach is in a Paris hotel room, contemplating the stroke of genius that is about to make him one of the wealthiest men in Europe, when a shadow steals into the room—a shadow with fine clothes, an easy smile, and a revolver pointed at Kesselbach’s chest. The intruder’s name, he says, is Arsène Lupin.
 
A few hours later, Kesselbach is found dead on the floor, Lupin’s calling card pinned to his chest. With the police hot on his trail, the master jewel thief must use every ounce of his genius to escape their traps and find the man responsible for the murder. But as Lupin soon discovers, his freedom is not all that is at stake. The fate of Europe hangs in the balance as well."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

From the comments of it I've seen here, it seems like we have a unanimous BaW opinion that this book is a slog. Pretty pictures though, right?

The art history analysis is one of the best aspects, I think. Yes, it is a slog but if you have a deep interest in fairy tales (and I do) then it is worth slogging through. It is giving me good ideas for further reading, too. I think I would have profited from it more if I had already read something shorter/more introductory like Once Upon A Time by Marina Warner.

Edited May 24, 2017 by Penguin

[Ali in OR]

I have my first bingo! I'm mostly just reading what I want but filling in the bingo card when something fits. If I get close enough I'll try for blackout toward the end of the year, but for now I'm not really trying. So, diagonally from upper left to lower right:

 

Prime Number: Tell Me Three Things (just finished this week)

Your Name in the Title: Ali and Nino

Free Space: Love in the Time of Cholera

One Word Title: Gilead

Selected by a Friend: Redeeming Love

[Kareni]

An NPR author interview that some might enjoy ~

 

'Times' Book Review Editor Shares Her Love Of Reading In 'My Life With Bob'

 

My library has the book on order, so I'm happy!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I have my first bingo! ...

 

Yay!

**

 

I've recently read a hodgepodge of books ~

 

Storm Season (Accidental Roots Book 1) by Elle Keaton -- a male/male romance.  I enjoyed this so much that I bought the follow on book.

 

Moving in Rhythm  by Dev Bentham  -- enjoyable male/male contemporary romance (adult content)

 

The Clockwork Heart   by Kim Fielding -- short romance novella about a man and a clockwork golem.  I enjoyed this.

 

A Shift in the Water (Elemental Shifter Book 1)  by Patricia D. Eddy -- pleasant urban fantasy but not likely a book I'll re-read.

 

Rayzor's One (Alien Bounty Hunters Book 1)  by Michele Mills -- science fiction romance; not stellar (a pun!) (adult content)

 

Takoda and Horse (The Good Fight)  by Andrew Grey -- very short work

 

Tremolo: A Verismo Short Story  by E.M. Lindsey -- I have another book by this author that I'm looking forward to reading.

 

A Most Unusual Courtship (The Mage and the Leathersmith)  by Nancy M. Griffis -- I'd be interested in reading more by this author.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

Congrats on bingo, Ali!

 

We're heading across the state tomorrow to St. Petersburg (across the state is only a 2 hour drive). Dh has off from Thurs. - Mon. and I knew if we stayed home the whole time we wouldn't do anything, so we're going just for a couple of days. We'll be back Saturday. The best part is the 19 yo is going to come with us. It will be a nice little family getaway. 

 

I might get a chance to check in but if not I'll see you all Saturday, or on Sunday's new thread.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm not really getting anywhere with reading. I dropped Drop City and started The Lecturer's Tale, which sounds pretty funny - a supernatural satire set in an English department? Sounds promising.

 

Other than that, the day has been full of frustrations & headbanging. I can't wait to head home. I'm planning on leaving here early Saturday morning. I can't wait to hug my girls, I miss them so much.

[Just Robyn]

The art history analysis is one of the best aspects, I think. Yes, it is a slog but if you have a deep interest in fairy tales (and I do) then it is worth slogging through. It is giving me good ideas for further reading, too. I think I would have profited from it more if I had already read something shorter/more introductory like Once Upon A Time by Marina Warner.

 

I am right there with you. Like, ooookay, that was not what I would call a *pleasurable* read, but still worth the effort -- and maybe irritation -- for me? I want to say it's more than just effort that's required because plenty of books require effort for reasons other than problems with the writing. I did think Once Upon a Time suffered from the same issues, but not to nearly the same extent. Fairy Tale as Myth / Myth as Fairy Tale by Jack Zipes, on the other hand, was so readable I was able to listen to it while running.

[Kareni]

Currently free to Kindle readers ~

 

I read this in 2014 and thought highly of it then:  The Scribe: Irin Chronicles Book One  by Elizabeth Hunter

**

 

And this book might be of interest ~ For Fukui's Sake: Two years in rural Japan  by Sam Baldwin

 

"Far from the high-tech, high-rise of the super-cities, there lies another Japan.

A Japan where snakes slither down school corridors, where bears prowl dark forests and where Westerners are still regarded as curious creatures. Welcome to the world of the inaka – the Japanese countryside.

Unhappily employed in the UK, Sam Baldwin decides to make a big change. Saying sayonara to laboratory life, he takes a job as an English teacher in a small, rural Japanese town that no one – the Japanese included – has ever heard of.

Arriving in Fukui, where there’s ‘little reason to linger’ according to the guidebook, at first he wonders why he left England. But as he slowly settles in to his unfamiliar new home, Sam befriends a colourful cast of locals and begins to discover the secrets of this little known region.

Helped by headmasters, housewives and Himalayan mountain climbers, he immerses himself in a Japan still clutching its pastoral past and uncovers a landscape of lonely lakes, rice fields and lush mountain forests. Joining a master drummer’s taiko class, skiing over paddies and learning how to sharpen samurai swords, along the way Sam encounters farmers, fishermen and foreigners behaving badly.

Exploring Japan’s culture and cuisine, as well as its wild places and wildlife, For Fukui’s Sake is an adventurous, humorous and sometimes poignant insight into the frustrations and fascinations that face an outsider living in small town, backcountry Japan."

**

 

And some bookish art:   It’s an Evening Gown Adorned With Books Because You Are Classy and Deserve to Wear Your Library

 

Regards,

Kareni

[LaughingCat]

The third book in the His Dark Materials series is the controversial one.  I think Pullman's writing is quite extraordinary among authors writing for a young audience.

 

 

I've got to admit that I completely disagree with that Pullman's writing is extraordinary in any way.  I've only read book 1 -- because it was a SLOG.  I completely gave up on it in the middle and only forced myself to finish it later when a friend asked for my review for her teenager.   My review was -- "it seemed pretty much a normal fantasy to me except that it was BORING!"     Which only goes to show different strokes for different folks :)    (note: I've read quite a bit of  young fantasy and enjoyed it quite a bit -- and read quite a bit that just wasn't my cup of tea -- but bored enough to quit reading is fairly unusual for me)

 

For me lately:

The Case Against Sugar (Gary Taubes) -- eh!  Some of the history was fascinating! -- but there was too much of it, and not enough 'case'.  Sad to say, I think I ate more sugar afterwards than normal rather than less.  Mr. Taubes definitely does not hit my motivating buttons (not just this book but his others as well).

Blood of the Earth (Faith Hunter)  -- Definitely like this better than the Jane Yellowrock series (as someone here suggested I believe)

Death's Rival (Faith Hunter)  -- Gave the next Jane Yellowrock a chance after a LONG absence.  I think I need to read this series with some space between books.  

Thick as Thieves (Megan Whelan Turner) -- I really enjoy her books.

Fated (Jacka Benedict) -- I enjoyed this -- however, I got the next one out of the library and I 'm not diving in -- so it was not love at first sight :)

I Dare (Sharon Lee and Steve Miller) -- reread my favorite of their books

Self-Reg (Stuart Shanker) -- the beginning of this was excellent--  but about halfway my interest petered out and took me ages to finish.  Probably should relook at the begining (or my notes on it -although often I don't get the emotion  or 'essence' when taking notes)  to see if I can rekindle the light bulb I was seeing

FWIW this is my page 109 quote from weeks ago: "What is it that we find so scary about our kids' emotions?"

[mumto2]

:grouphug: Rose, I know how much you miss your girls. Safe travels on your way home.

 

During the night I finished my latest in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Childs and thought Echo Burning wasn't quite as good as the others so far. It was just a bit off. I can't point to anything but the story was one where "seriously" kept popping into my head. This series is based on an unreal almost super hero so they aren't especially believable but normally the dots all connect well enough to make me believe for the story. I have already checked the next one out so it hasn't really put me off......:lol: This is more of a don't start reading the series with this particular book warning I guess.

[Faithr]

I've been seeking refuge in Georgette Heyer again.  I just read Sprig Muslin and last night polished off A Quiet Gentleman.

[Mom-ninja.]

 

 

For me lately:

The Case Against Sugar (Gary Taubes) -- eh!  Some of the history was fascinating! -- but there was too much of it, and not enough 'case'.  Sad to say, I think I ate more sugar afterwards than normal rather than less.  Mr. Taubes definitely does not hit my motivating buttons (not just this book but his others as well).

 

 

Did you eat peanut M&M's for breakfast like I ended up doing?  :lol:  It wasn't intentional. I was drinking my coffee while doing a science activity with ds. It involved using M&M's to calculate mass, average mass, relative abundance, relative mass, and atomic mass. Seems I mindlessly kept popping those little suckers into my mouth. It wasn't until I had eaten at least several handfuls worth before I realized what I was doing. Oops

[Chrysalis Academy]

I've been seeking refuge in Georgette Heyer again.  I just read Sprig Muslin and last night polished off A Quiet Gentleman.

 

I wish I had brought some GH books with me! That's exactly what I need right now. The Lecturer's Tale is proving amusing, though. It seems like a good read for someone who loves literature and/or has ever spent time in an English department or in advanced academia. The portraits of the different English profs are hilarious. Nelson himself is a pretty colorless character, but the walk-ons are pretty funny.

 

Mom woke up grouchy this morning, but is insisting on coming along to the lawyer's office. Send me good thoughts today, I will be needing more than the normal dose of patience and detachment.

[Onceuponatime]

Crazy busy here, but good crazy. We've been getting ds3 ready for fall college with all the requisite orientations, miles of paperwork, temporary episodes of panic, deadlines, money, etc. I'm also planning/organizing a big (last minute) multi-family vacation to the mountains of North Carolina, because my dad asked if I was coming for a visit this summer and I realized that I better do that, with bells.

 

In the lulls, the two younger boys and I have hit a lot of places with second hand books and I've added to my "to read" stash. I came here to boast about my finds. I hope I live long enough to get to read all of them.

 

Garden of the Gods by Gerald Durrell

Don Camillo and Flock by Giovanni Guareschi

The Oxford Book of Ghost Stories (for October)

Parnassuss on Wheels by Christopher Morley

The Complete Prose Tales of Pushkin

Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dineson

The Masters of Bow Street by John Creasy

 

I recently organised my stash into low boxes with book spines up so I can see what I have. I feel like a secret addict. But then I keep getting books from the library. 😬

[Kareni]

 Send me good thoughts today, I will be needing more than the normal dose of patience and detachment.

 

Good thoughts are wending your way.

 

 

Don Camillo and Flock by Giovanni Guareschi

...

The Masters of Bow Street by John Creasy

 

What a nice haul! 

 

I hope you'll enjoy the Don Camillo book.

The mention of John Creasy brings my father to mind.  His Baron books were amongst my father's favorites.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free Kindle book ~

 

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M. R. James

 

About the Author

M. R. James (1862–1936) is considered the father of the British ghost story. Before gaining fame as a fiction writer, James had a career as a respected scholar of the medieval period. With the release of his Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, James built a reputation in horror literature that has gone on to inspire greats such as H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Stephen King. James later became provost of Eton College from 1918 until his death in 1936. He is buried in Eton.

 

 

"Sometimes the greatest horrors lurk in the most mundane places

This collection features some of M. R. James’s greatest tales of the supernatural world crossing over into our own. In “Number 13,†an inn that previously belonged to an alchemist changes dimensions in the night. “The Mezzotint†features a painting of a house reenacting a gruesome scene from the house’s history. In “The Treasure of Abbot Thomas,†an antiquary who has discovered the location of a treasure gets far more than he bargained for.

James’s tales of the terror that hides beneath the prosaic continue to stun more than a century after they were written."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mom-ninja.]

I feel like a secret addict. But then I keep getting books from the library. 😬

I do the same.  I have so many books here that I have not read. Yet, if I don't have any library books at home I feel like I am missing a limb. 

 

I have started Harry Potter #2 in German. I am enjoying the adjectives. I love how, with German, one can create words. I'm listening to Fahrenheit 451 and should finish soon. Although I fell asleep listening to it last night for about 10 minutes so I missed what happens to Faber, and I don't remember from when I read it years ago. I will need to back up the audio until I find it. Much harder to do than flipping back through pages. One drawback of audio. 

[Kareni]

Some here might enjoy this book review by Carrie S on the SBTB site ~

So Big by Edna Ferber

 

"I’ve read So Big (first published in 1924) by Edna Ferber many times since I was a little girl. It is one of several classic books that shaped my idea of what being an admirable woman would involve:  an appreciation of beauty, a love of learning, enthusiasm, a capacity for love, an ability to work very hard, and, above all, resilience. In So Big, Ferber creates a wonderful character in her protagonist, Selina, and uses beautiful language to do it...."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

I'm about 85% computer illiterate so hopefully this will work.

 

Right now the aggieamy family is in Edinburgh. It just so happens that there are two other book a week ladies within 100 mile radius of me right now. Today I got to meet one. Our very own Violet Crown! She and her daughter met my family to go on a ferry ride out to Incholm island today. They were so lovely. And when little John manage to disappear over a four foot precipice she had a handful of band aids out just in case. (True story!)

 

 

I am on the left and Sharon is on the right. Stay tuned on Saturday for more book a week meet ups.

Edited May 25, 2017 by aggieamy

[ErinE]

I'm about 85% computer illiterate so hopefully this will work.

Right now the aggieamy family is in Edinburgh. It just so happens that there are two other book a week ladies within 100 mile radius of me right now. Today I got to meet one. Our very own Violet Crown!

.

â¤ï¸ the location and the photo!

[Kareni]

Right now the aggieamy family is in Edinburgh. It just so happens that there are two other book a week ladies within 100 mile radius of me right now. Today I got to meet one. Our very own Violet Crown! ...

 

What fun!

**

 

A couple of bookish posts ~

 

Best titles for audiobook listening, by Mindy Kaling, Cheryl Strayed, George Saunders, more by Newsday Staff

 

AND

 

Horror in Translation: 8 Chilling Reads From Around the World  by Rachel Cordasco

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

I'm about 85% computer illiterate so hopefully this will work.

 

Right now the aggieamy family is in Edinburgh. It just so happens that there are two other book a week ladies within 100 mile radius of me right now. Today I got to meet one. Our very own Violet Crown! She and her daughter met my family to go on a ferry ride out to Incholm island today. They were so lovely. And when little John manage to disappear over a four foot precipice she had a handful of band aids out just in case. (True story!)

 

 

I am on the left and Sharon is on the right. Stay tuned on Saturday for more book a week meet ups.

Adorable picture and happy you two got to meet!  :001_wub:

[Robin M]

I wish I had brought some GH books with me! That's exactly what I need right now. The Lecturer's Tale is proving amusing, though. It seems like a good read for someone who loves literature and/or has ever spent time in an English department or in advanced academia. The portraits of the different English profs are hilarious. Nelson himself is a pretty colorless character, but the walk-ons are pretty funny.

 

Mom woke up grouchy this morning, but is insisting on coming along to the lawyer's office. Send me good thoughts today, I will be needing more than the normal dose of patience and detachment.

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[Kareni]

A couple of recent reads here ~

 

Flashbulb (Flight HA1710 Book 3)  by Clare London

 

I enjoyed this male/male romance and will likely re-read it at some point.  (Significant adult content)

 

"Blythe Harris was taking his first flight to the USA and hopefully a whole new client base for his bespoke upholstery business. An adventure for him, he was both nervous and excited to attract the attention of a handsome steward. Things might have gone further – if Flight HA1710 hadn’t failed.

Marc Stafford is a self-confessed player, and he used his charm to seduce his cute passenger. But in the aftermath of the crash, he’s struggling to recover his confidence. The TV declares him a hero for saving passengers, but at night his nightmares trigger painful flashbulb memories of the crash.

In an Irish hospital, Bly realises that although his broken leg will recover, his career may not. And in Chicago, Marc can’t face returning to work. Neither of them can shake off the memory of their brief, sexy encounter. Both of them need to be with someone who understands exactly what they’ve been through. And on a middle ground they can make all their own."

 

 

AND a(nother) re-read of Anne Bishop's  Murder of Crows: A Novel of the Others  which I enjoyed once again.

 

Regards,

Kareni