Book a Week 2017 - BW33: Happy Birthday Alfred Corn

[Guest]

Things are finally starting to happen in Kristin Lavransdotter. It was pretty slow until now and spent a lot of time on her childhood. From everything I read it was worth sticking out and now I can see why.

I read that book a few years ago. I'm glad it's picking up for you now. :)

[ErinE]

DS who loved the Warriors series really enjoyed Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon and sequels -- alternate Napoleonic Wars with dragons and dragon-riders. A very small amount of intimacy between a few human characters just occasionally.

 

What about Seraphina by Rachel Hartman? A dragon adventure.

 

A fast fun adventure read is Scott Westerfeld's steam-punk alternative WW1 trilogy: Leviathan, Behemoth, Goliath. There are some great dirigibles that are half-organic, as they are part whale. Plus some bats that are used in a fun way -- so some animals in there.

 

 

I second the Novik series. The dragons are proud, vain, standoffish, and think they own their humans so basically.... cats. The series travels the world and I thoroughly enjoyed Novik's world building around the different dragon cultures.

 

I might try the Westerfeld series next. It sounds interesting.

[ErinE]

 

How interesting!  For me Arete was the heart of the book and the character you found most interesting barely registered for me - further proof that each reading experience is uniquely individual.   This is one of those books I can't be impartial about.  The pursuit of excellence, the weight given to what one reads and the mindfulness about choices... the ways Arete has been shaped by what she has read and studied and the centering of the reality of ideas and ideals, felt like things pulled from by deepest being and brought to life - with a whole lot of other things, but it was those parts which lit me up.  It isn't a comfort read like Pamela Dean's Tam Lin, which is similarly linked to my deepest self, but it isn't something I can see objectively.   ...which makes hearing other people's experiences of it so fascinating.

 

I don't disagree that Arete is the main character, which is why I found it odd that the book concludes by claiming the mortal sibling is the most excellent of all because he is the most philosophical, becoming the title's philosopher king.

 

Whenever I think a book is well written, I think critically about it, trying to see what worked or didn't work. Since Walton is obviously talented, I won't go into much detail about my thoughts other than to say the story didn't resonate for me. So I considered the reasons why and ultimately settled on that there's no conflict between the story's premise and Arete's goals. She succeeds in everything she pursues. In contrast, the mortal sibling of demigods has innate conflict between the pursuit of excellence and his lack of supernatural talents.

[fastweedpuller]

Boy, when I come here of a Tuesday without commenting yet, I feel so overwhelmed with the desire to comment, make notes on, and absorb every one of your posts.  It's like getting hit by a surprise wave of words, I am knocked to the sandbar and sent tumbling.

 

I did, however, finish two books last week (that's about my speed this year).  One was Homo Deus:  A History of Tomorrow, by Yuval Noah Harari, he of the popular Coursera class A Brief History of Humankind and its attendant book Sapiens...both of which left me a bit in awe of the guy.  Well, he totally messed with my head with his latest.  That is the best way I can put it.  I am in a muddle after reading it...intentionally, he came down on all sides of his argument, leaving it to the reader to sort out.  As such, it seemed more slapped-together, even equivocal, than his other work. 

 

The other was on my Forever list because it was tough in quite another way.  Marion Coutts is a London artist and The Iceberg is her account of the diagnosis and death of her husband, the art critic Tom Lubbock, of brain cancer.  When their baby learned to speak, her husband began to lose the power to do so.  There is absolutely nothing twee or wistful about this book.  But...it was beautifully written.

[Ethel Mertz]

 

Have Black Lives Ever Mattered: This powerful collection of short essays was painful to read, but important.  Much of it was familiar to me (I'm involved in an organization started by a black friend whose brother was killed by the Seattle police last year), but none of it felt redundant. One of the hardest things for me was unrelated to the content - this author has been imprisoned for 36 years based on a trial condemned by Amnesty International (and others).  My brother's early activism included an info campaign about Mumia (who was then on death row, his death sentence was overturned in 2011) and his case and Leonard Peltier's were much discussed in my home.  Since I am struggling now with the hard truth that the causes I've fought for since my early teens haven't made the kind of lasting progress I'd hoped for, thinking about this case is especially poignant for me.  I don't feel any of my efforts have been wasted, and they have had some impact, but I had hoped for so much more and as I worried about my visibly Jewish husband and teens at the anti-Nazi counter rally yesterday, I grieved the areas where progress I had thought secured by the generation before mine has been lost.

 

 

Thanks for mentioning this title. I now have it on my TBR list.

Personally, I would pick the Iliad every time.  (And use either my beloved Lattimore translation or the equally amazing recent translation by Peter Green. Many other popular translation leave Homer behind and are closer to a retelling than a translation - which can be delightful, but isn't the same thing.)

 

Two neat books to accompany a reading of the Iliad: Iliad and War, which includes an amazing essay Simone Weil and Homeric Moments by the incomparable Eva Brann.

 

And thanks for this, as well. I was leaning towards The Iliad, so DS and I will have that on our list this year.

[Jane in NC]

Talk about escaping!  Author Robert Macfarlane offers five books about wild places. 

 

Macfarlane also offers a word (or words) of the day on Twitter.  I find it a lovely way to start my morning...

 

https://twitter.com/RobGMacfarlane/status/897337129885478913

[aggieamy]

Guess what? I have an interview on Friday for a small weekend job, in a small library, as an assistant librarian!

 

How cool! Good luck friend!

 

 

 

 

Shakespeare and Company Bookstore again. The view from the window looks out to the Notre Dame Cathedral. 

 

 

 

Love it!

[aggieamy]

Police at the Funeral (Albert Campion) by Margery Allignham - The first book I've finished in a long long time. A classic mystery. Everything we've come to expect from that genre. A character for the detective. A family of misfits. Implausible mystery. A four star mystery if that's your type of thing. This is the fourth in the series but I'd recommend starting with this one as the previous few weren't as good.

[Angelaboord]

One college student sent off safely, one to go. My dh will be driving him to school on Thursday. I'm not sure why my kids insisted on going to schools 600 miles away in opposite directions, but at least they didn't have to be at school on the same weekend. It's going to seem odd and quiet with both of them gone, though. Funny how that can happen even when there are 7 kids left at home.

 

I've finished 4 books since I posted last about my reading, although one was too short to really be called a "book". 3 were writing related and one was epic fantasy, a big chunkster that I read while we were driving for hours and hours and hours.

 

Romancing the Beat - very short e-book about plotting romance. Not that useful for writers who have romance in their books but aren't writing romance. I had higher hopes.

 

Take Off Your Pants: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker -- Somewhat helpful distillation of another screenwriting book for fiction writers. I liked that she tied plotting to character arc, but -gah- why are outliners so smug? It still seemed very formulaic, which I guess is the point. Geared to writers who want to write several books a year and enjoy commercial success.

 

The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Mass -- This was a real paper book. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. Everything he said really resonated with me, and after reading several books focused so tightly on formula, it was a breath of fresh air to dig more into character. Maass is a successful literary agent, so he's coming at his advice from more of a reader's point of view, I think, and his chapter on "the emotional lives of writers" is worth the price of the book, IMO. I found the book both encouraging and inspiring, and it will certainly affect my writing moving forward. Highly recommended.

 

Assassin's Fate by Robin Hobb -- The third and final book in the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, and ohhhh, the ending. This book has characters from every single one of her other Elderling books, including Paragon the Liveship from the Liveship Traders trilogy (which I enjoyed). I haven't read her Rain Wilds books, but I don't think that mattered too much. I do think you need to have read all the earlier Fitz books, though; this one would be the 9th. I love Fitz dearly. I guess I am the sort of reader who has very fangirl tendencies (probably an embarrassing thing to admit since I'm 45, but I was only 23 or 24 when I read the first one so maybe I can be excused. Of course I notice the tendency remains now that my dh has begun watching Sherlock on his iPad at night and gotten me hooked.) But I think it's more that certain characters are just so big that I can't help but get sucked up into their stories. The thing I like most about Robin Hobb's characters are that they all have flaws, and it's those flaws that drive the plot. They're real people who have real relationships and sometimes as a reader you want to throttle them for being totally blind but on the other hand it makes perfect sense why they are acting that way. In light of my other reading, it was also a relief to know that, while she does start her books with an outline, her characters often move the plot in their own, unexpected ways. Apparently, the Fool himself only had one line on the outline for Assassin's Apprentice. And now he's an integral part of 9 books! I do think you can tell that she feels this way about character. Her plotting is pretty good, but it's all at the service of the characters and their emotional lives.

 

Anyway, she probably should have cut more from the first half of the book, but at around halfway through, I stopped being able to put it down. Now I'm wandering around, trying to decide what to read next.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bookbard]

So I've been looking at people's recommendations and have been able to find a few in our library.

 

Jo Walton's The Just City and The Philosopher Kings (library doesn't have the third, argh!)

 

What a wonderful read! So thought-provoking.(Background - Athena sends a whole lot of classicists from all through time to set up their version of utopia - Plato's Republic). 

It made me think of all sorts of other 'utopia' scenarios - Thomas More's Utopia; a bunch of feminists presented with Charlotte Perkins Gilmore's Herland; best of all, what about a bunch of psychologist trying to form a world - can you imagine a young Freud with an elderly Anna Freud, or John Watson's 'don't hug your children' paired with Mary Ainsworth of attachment psych fame?

Apart from that, it made me ponder how different people think humans construct knowledge and find truth; do we know an absolute truth and just need a Socrates to help us find it? Can we never know truth in this life and just have to have faith? Is it impossible to know truly as an individual, and instead construct truth from the group?

 

Becky Chambers' A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and A Closed and Common Orbit

 

IF anyone says "I'm a fan of Firefly/Farscape, what should I read?" this is a great recommendation. It has a cast of wacky, deeply unique characters all on their own journeys. It has a lot of ethical/philosophical and unanswerable questions. Lots of scenarios I'd never considered before! I really enjoyed these two books (the second one is set in the same world, but it's not a sequel per se). 

[mumto2]

 

Becky Chambers' A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and A Closed and Common Orbit

 

IF anyone says "I'm a fan of Firefly/Farscape, what should I read?" this is a great recommendation. It has a cast of wacky, deeply unique characters all on their own journeys. It has a lot of ethical/philosophical and unanswerable questions. Lots of scenarios I'd never considered before! I really enjoyed these two books (the second one is set in the same world, but it's not a sequel per se).

I loved the first in Becky Chamber's series but just liked ;) :lol: the second.

 

I ran into thishttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31817191-immortal?ac=1&from_search=true series this morning when looking through the new purchases at my Overdrive. Immortal looks to be sort of a Highlander ( I am a fan of the movies and show)series. I put myself on the waitlist for the first book.

 

Angela :grouphug: Although I will admit I chuckled at the thought of your house being quiet!

 

I use my postcards as bookmarks like many of you. Since I don't read many paper books these days one or two in my nightstand takes care of my bookmark needs (I keep the others in a drawer by my bookshelves). I've been a bit upset with myself because one was missing and I thought I had returned it to the library in a big stack recently. I finally found it!!! I also found the fabric bits I was looking for so a very productive tidy under the bed! :lol:

 

I'm currently reading A Climate of Fear by Fred Vargas https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28248375-a-climate-of-fear. It's part of a French series that is new to me. Even better it is about an expedition to Iceland that leads to murders in France years later. I am far enough in to be pretty sure I will be reading more in this series!

[aggieamy]

 

Take Off Your Pants: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker -- Somewhat helpful distillation of another screenwriting book for fiction writers. I liked that she tied plotting to character arc, but -gah- why are outliners so smug? It still seemed very formulaic, which I guess is the point. Geared to writers who want to write several books a year and enjoy commercial success.

 

 

 

I feel like reading books on writing is a hobby in itself. I see I'm not alone in that!

 

I read Take Off Your Pants a few years ago and it still resonates with me on how much I hated it! I'm a die hard outliner but the author's ... smugness? arrogance? I don't know what word I'm looking for was such a turn off to me. I think I prefer my non-fiction books without too much of the authors personality in them.  Even Bill Bryson, who I generally find to be hilarious, grates on my nerves by page 300.

[Butter]

I read Along Came Galileo by Jeanne Bendick.  It's a kid's biography that hits the highlights of Galileo's life.  I pre-read it for Adrian for next school year.  It was good.

 

I also read Island of Fog by Keith Robinson.  It's about some kids growing up on an isolated island who discover that they can change into magical creatures.  They were created to do that so they can save a different world.  I enjoyed it.  It was slow to get started, though.  It's the first of 9 books.  It didn't end on a cliffhanger and I don't really feel the need to read any more of the series.

[Jane in NC]

The Story of My Teeth is probably one of the strangest books I have read.  Not sure what I think of it.  Yes, it concerns teeth, as well as auctioneering, Conic Sections, strolls through Mexican neighborhoods. It is a story of creativity and history--but not one that is presented in a traditional fashion. I suspect that I will be thinking about this one for a while which in itself is a statement.

 

And The Story of Western Science makes it 52.

 

Not sure what I will be reading next besides W&P.  Time to shuffle through the dusty stacks...

[idnib]

I think I prefer my non-fiction books without too much of the authors personality in them.  Even Bill Bryson, who I generally find to be hilarious, grates on my nerves by page 300.

 

This is an epiphany for me. I've been trying to figure out why certain authors bug me, and this is absolutely the reason. Thank you!

 

And The Story of Western Science makes it 52.

 

:party:

[Penguin]

Mostly light reading for me right now, but I am super busy with the transition from summer to school. I have always loved middle grade books, and now I no longer have kids that age so I just enjoy them on my own once in a while.

 

I am listening to Echo by Pan Muñoz Ryan. It is a long audio book (11 hours or something like that), but I highly recommend the audio version. Harmonica music features prominently in the storyline, and the audio version is peppered with the music. 

 

I finished a dusty this week (another middle grade ): A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz. Very dark and very clever.

 

Cafe Europa had me right from the beginning, and she carried it through to the end. 

 

From the first chapter:

 

"Europe is not a mother who owes something to her long-neglected children, neither is she a princess one has to court. She is not a knight sent to free us, nor an apple or a cake to be enjoyed; she is not a silk dress, nor the magic word `democracy´. Most likely, Europe is what we - countries, peoples, individuals - make of it for ourselves."

 

One other bookish note: I am on a small, lazy quest to buy four of my favorite books from my youth. I got one at Christmas last year, and I just got a second one this week. This time, I got The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McPhillip. Amazon is telling me that Forgotten Beasts of Eld is out of print but a new release is coming in September. Makes me wonder why...maybe a movie will be coming or something, I dunno.

 

My criteria is that they have to have the cover I remember, and they have to be affordable. Two down, two to go :)

Edited August 16, 2017 by Penguin

[Robin M]

Spent the past two days organizing 12th grade curriculum. Went overboard as usually so culling it back to what I know he can accomplish versus wishful thinking. Plus I keep changing my mind and we're supposed to start in two weeks. Ack!!! Even though hubby brought me back all those books from garage sale, I couldn't help myself and went to Barnes and Noble the other day. Shopping trip to sooth my soul. Building project is on hold as we fired the contractor because he's incapable of doing his job. Working on other bids now. Added three more writing books to my stacks - Steven James Story Trumps Structure and Troubleshooting Your Novel as well as Anne Dillards Writing Life. Plus another historical fiction novel by Elizabeth Chadwick - Lady of the English.

 

I'm currently reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin and loving it. It is much better than Zevin's Elsewhere. The story revolves around the life of a bookstore owner. It is mostly charming, a little funny, and a little bittersweet. I hope the end is not sad.

 

Guess what? I have an interview on Friday for a small weekend job, in a small library, as an assistant librarian!

Angela, will keep my fingers and toes crossed positive thoughts winging your way!

 

 

 

Negin, loving the pictures of Shakespeare and Company

 

Rose, hugs to you and your daughter.

 

Sandy, I loved the Beautiful mystery. It's one I plan on reading again. Glad your shoulder is feeling better.

 

Lori, glad to hear you are still reading Sunne in Splendor and Erin, same goes for When Christ and His Saints Slept. Looking forward to hearing what you think about them. I have both on my shelves. Sunne in Splendor has been calling my name. One of these days I'll dive in.

 

Melissa, keep plugging Moby Dick and yes, please do post some chap notes. We'll entice the few who haven't read it to do so one of these days.

 

Nan, thank you for the great postcard.

 

Jane and Matryoshka - Happy to introduce you to a new poet. He was an interesting discovery for me as well.

 

Eliana, Thanks for LeGuin's Essay Being Taken for Granite. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not quite granite, but not quite mud. Food for thought. 001_smile:

 

 

Lori, Enjoy dipping my toes into YA books. So many well written ones these days!

 

 

Tabinda: I'd like to hear what you think about the Southern Reach trilogy when you're done. I read it a few years ago when the first book popped up on the Indiespensable subscription from Powells books. It's quite different from anything I had read before or since.

 

 

Hi doll! It's definitely different and enjoying it so far. I'll let you know when I finish.

 

 

 

Angela, glad you are enjoying Maas writing books. I've heard many good things about him, but haven't gotten round to him yet.

 

 

Amy: I don't know what word I'm looking for was such a turn off to me. I think I prefer my non-fiction books without too much of the authors personality in them. Even Bill Bryson, who I generally find to be hilarious, grates on my nerves by page 300.

 

Amen, sister!

 

Jane: And The Story of Western Science makes it 52.

 

Yeah! Edited August 17, 2017 by Robin M

[Angelaboord]

I feel like reading books on writing is a hobby in itself. I see I'm not alone in that!

 

I read Take Off Your Pants a few years ago and it still resonates with me on how much I hated it! I'm a die hard outliner but the author's ... smugness? arrogance? I don't know what word I'm looking for was such a turn off to me. I think I prefer my non-fiction books without too much of the authors personality in them. Even Bill Bryson, who I generally find to be hilarious, grates on my nerves by page 300.

[emoji5] No, you're definitely not alone in your hobby! Although I have to say that I usually end up reading writing books for one of two reasons: either I'm procrastinating or I haven't been writing and I'm gearing myself up to get going again. Or sometimes both at the same time. [emoji6]

 

You know I really like memoirs, which are basically 100% the author's personality/voice, but I think I treat those more like 1st person novels, with the author as a character. What I really dislike are how-to and self-help books where the author basically says, "Look at this great thing that I did! Isn't it great? You're not as great as me but if you follow my directions exactly, you might come close." That was sort of the vibe I got from that book.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Matryoshka]

Frivolous question of the day... Those of you who put in a goal for the Goodreads challenge for the year, do you change it if it looks like you'll blow past it early?  I originally had 23 or something, and that was quickly ridiculous and I changed it to 97, but now I'm only a few books away from that...  I feel silly bothering to change it again this late in the year, but there's also something nice about having a number to strive for...

[Lady Florida.]

Frivolous question of the day... Those of you who put in a goal for the Goodreads challenge for the year, do you change it if it looks like you'll blow past it early?  I originally had 23 or something, and that was quickly ridiculous and I changed it to 97, but now I'm only a few books away from that...  I feel silly bothering to change it again this late in the year, but there's also something nice about having a number to strive for...

 

I just leave it. It feels good to look at the challenge and see that I not only met my goal but surpassed it. In your case if I had a small number and blew past that early I might have changed it once, but then I'd leave it after that.

 

I just looked up my past challenges and I met or passed all since I started in 2013 -

 

2013 goal - 52, read 74

2014 goal - 60 read 62

2015 goal - 60, read 68

2016 goal - 75, read 82

 

In all of those I didn't pass my goal by much so it wasn't worth changing. This year I went overboard. I chose a prime number for my goal and set it at 107. I'm only at 64 books so far and GR says I'm two books behind schedule. If it gets close to the end of the year and it looks like I won't meet my goal, I won't lower it. 

[Jane in NC]

I know I really like memoirs, which are basically 100% the author's personality/voice, but I think I treat those more like 1st person novels, with the author as a character. What I really dislike are how-to and self-help books where the author basically says, "Look at this great thing that I did! Isn't it great? You're not as great as me but if you follow my directions exactly, you might come close." That was sort of the vibe I got from that book.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Interesting conversation on the author's personality being injected in a work (Amy mentioned Bryson). Angela, your comment on memoirs helped me see my problem with them, why I stated earlier this year that I am so *over* the memoir, and why I often turn off the Terry Gross Fresh Air program on NPR (where it seems that she is always interviewing everybody and their brother because they have written a memoir).

 

Last year I read and adored the memoir The Child Poet by Mexican poet Homero Aridjis. This year I gave a thumbs up to Trevor Noah's memoir. Well told tales but I think that I also enjoyed hanging out with these guys in the time of their lives they captured. Sheila Watt-Cloutier may be an interesting woman but her book The Right to be Cold was such a slog. Too much personality or did she simply need a better editor?

 

And I totally agree Angela on self-help books, particularly those that approach a lifestyle with religious zealotry. Even before I became an old curmudgeon I did not enjoy these books written by ones who had found The Way. But obviously there is a market for this sort of thing.

 

I am not a writer but in my dreams someone would pay me to write travel essays--with or without personality injected into them. (And lots of money for travel expenses... )

[Matryoshka]

I just leave it. It feels good to look at the challenge and see that I not only met my goal but surpassed it. In your case if I had a small number and blew past that early I might have changed it once, but then I'd leave it after that.

 

Thanks for confirming my gut feeling.  I'll let it be...  :D

[Mom-ninja.]

I'm home again. Life starts full swing tomorrow. Today, I will do things slowly and relaxed. I had a good time but I'm really glad to be home. Greece is not the best place for a celiac; at least not the part I was. I wasn't staying in a place with a kitchen, and I quickly gave up on restaurants so I hadn't had a hot meal for two weeks. I lived off fresh fruit, yogurt, salami, and cheese eaten in my hotel room. Oh, and freddo cappuccino each day. I came home and made a huge pot of gf pasta yesterday and this morning had french toast. 

 

There's no happier place for a celiac than her own kitchen. 

 

I saw many churches, a convent, and a monastery, lots of ancient ruins, and many beaches. I swam almost every day in the gorgeous Mediterranean. Despite my best efforts I still got a tan. Doesn't matter how much sunscreen you wear when you are in the sun for hours daily.

 

Kids were very happy to see us. Despite all the junk food they consumed at the grandparent's house, they decided they'd rather have mommy back. ;)   

[Mothersweets]

I'm home again. Life starts full swing tomorrow. Today, I will do things slowly and relaxed. I had a good time but I'm really glad to be home. Greece is not the best place for a celiac; at least not the part I was. I wasn't staying in a place with a kitchen, and I quickly gave up on restaurants so I hadn't had a hot meal for two weeks. I lived off fresh fruit, yogurt, salami, and cheese eaten in my hotel room. Oh, and freddo cappuccino each day. I came home and made a huge pot of gf pasta yesterday and this morning had french toast. 

 

There's no happier place for a celiac than her own kitchen. 

 

I saw many churches, a convent, and a monastery, lots of ancient ruins, and many beaches. I swam almost every day in the gorgeous Mediterranean. Despite my best efforts I still got a tan. Doesn't matter how much sunscreen you wear when you are in the sun for hours daily.

 

Kids were very happy to see us. Despite all the junk food they consumed at the grandparent's house, they decided they'd rather have mommy back. ;)   

 

 

This sounds like a wonderful! I'm sorry about the food part. Where are the pics for us to vacation vicariously? :)

[mumto2]

Mom Ninja, I would love pictures too!

[Matryoshka]

I'm home again. Life starts full swing tomorrow. Today, I will do things slowly and relaxed. I had a good time but I'm really glad to be home. Greece is not the best place for a celiac; at least not the part I was. I wasn't staying in a place with a kitchen, and I quickly gave up on restaurants so I hadn't had a hot meal for two weeks. I lived off fresh fruit, yogurt, salami, and cheese eaten in my hotel room. Oh, and freddo cappuccino each day. I came home and made a huge pot of gf pasta yesterday and this morning had french toast. 

 

There's no happier place for a celiac than her own kitchen. 

 

I saw many churches, a convent, and a monastery, lots of ancient ruins, and many beaches. I swam almost every day in the gorgeous Mediterranean. Despite my best efforts I still got a tan. Doesn't matter how much sunscreen you wear when you are in the sun for hours daily.

 

Kids were very happy to see us. Despite all the junk food they consumed at the grandparent's house, they decided they'd rather have mommy back. ;)   

 

This was a vacation with no kids?  I need one of those again.  We had one once.  2 more years and our youngest will be out, so I think that's the next time we'll have a chance....

 

Greece is great!  We had our honeymoon on the islands.  I would have thought a lot of what we ate was gluten-free - souvlaki and rice with tzatziki sauce, stuffed grape leaves, Greek salads (everywhere we were these had no lettuce at all but were cubed cukes, tomatoes, pepper and red onion with a slab of sliced feta cheese, sprinkled with oregano and a dash of olive oil, not vinaigrette - and a few olives I picked out),  Are you sensitive enough that you have to worry about cross-contamination?

 

Moussaka would be easy to make gluten free but it's probably impossible to get that way in a restaurant (the only wheat should be the flour in the bechamel sauce).  The big obvious no-nos would be spanakopita and baklava.  The above things are pretty much all we ate in Greece.  With a side of ouzo. ;)

[Kareni]

Thanks again for the good thoughts as regards my mother.  She went from the hospital to an acute rehab facility and is now at a different rehab facility.  Her broken hip seems to be healing well.  She has surprised the staff several times by appearing at their station in the middle of the night sans walker.  She has dementia so has also appeared sans clothes.  I can attest that there are some very kind people who work as nurses and aides.  My sister and I sent a letter to the acute rehab facility thanking a number of people who had cared for my mother.  We received a nice email back stating that our thanks would be passed along and expressing condolences on the passing of our mother.  Oops.  Barring another fall (something we fear as my mother is also legally blind), she'll return to her assisted living rooms on Monday.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I'm home again.

 

Me, too!

 

... Greece is not the best place for a celiac; at least not the part I was....

 

I hear you.  I had challenges eating a low sodium diet while away from home; I think I'd have preferred your location though.

 

Ethel, congratulations on your new home.  I wish you a smooth move.

 

Stacia, I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the Don Camillo book and hope your father will also.

 

Onceuponatime, best wishes with your job interview.  (I worked as a librarian at a homeschooling resource center for some six years.  Anyone else, besides Stacia, who has also worked as a librarian?  Mumto2, have your library labors been all as a volunteer?)

 

Negin, I've enjoyed the photos you've shared.

 

Sending good thoughts to those who are suffering through illness (their own or their children's).

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

While at my sister's house, my sister, husband, and I played a game that others here might enjoy and which is appropriately book-ish.  It provided some much needed levity!  I recommend it.

 

Bring Your Own Book Game  by Gamewright

 

Product description

Your old favorite book is now your new favorite game! Draw a category card, grab a book, and then quickly skim to satisfy the chosen prompt (and the judge!) with the most entertaining phrase. Can you find "a ridiculous tabloid headline" in that best-selling novel? How about "dating advice" in your well-worn cookbook? Since you can use any book, you can play with any group and find limitless potential on every page! Where will you discover "the title of the next hit party game?" Find out when you Bring Your Own Book!.

 

•  Ages 12 and up
• 3 or more players
•  Playing time: 20 minutes
• 100 prompt cards
• 1 sand timer

 

I'm heading off to my book group shortly for which I have not read the book.  I'll post recent books read tomorrow or next week.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

 

While at my sister's house, my sister, husband, and I played a game that others here might enjoy and which is appropriately book-ish. It provided some much needed levity! I recommend it.

 

 

Bring Your Own Book Game by Gamewright

Product description

 

Your old favorite book is now your new favorite game! Draw a category card, grab a book, and then quickly skim to satisfy the chosen prompt (and the judge!) with the most entertaining phrase. Can you find "a ridiculous tabloid headline" in that best-selling novel? How about "dating advice" in your well-worn cookbook? Since you can use any book, you can play with any group and find limitless potential on every page! Where will you discover "the title of the next hit party game?" Find out when you Bring Your Own Book!.

 

• Ages 12 and up
• 3 or more players
• Playing time: 20 minutes
• 100 prompt cards
• 1 sand timer

I'm heading off to my book group shortly for which I have not read the book. I'll post recent books read tomorrow or next week.

 

Regards,

Kareni

The game looks awesome!!!! Thank you :)

[Onceuponatime]

What should I wear to my interview at the library? Standard Black pants, grey pants, or navy skirt? I have one top that goes with all if them so that's not a problem. I have nice black flats, true blue flats, and muted silvery grey flats. I can't wear heels. I should have thought this out days ago. Help me make up my mind.

[JennW in SoCal]

It's been eons since I interviewed for a "real" job. My first instinct is to wear the skirt, but is that my old fashioned mother speaking through me? Wear whatever makes you comfortable and confident, and don't worry about shoes being flats. They are totally professional.

 

And good luck! You know a thing or two about books!

[ErinE]

What should I wear to my interview at the library? Standard Black pants, grey pants, or navy skirt? I have one top that goes with all if them so that's not a problem. I have nice black flats, true blue flats, and muted silvery grey flats. I can't wear heels. I should have thought this out days ago. Help me make up my mind.

 

How do the other librarians dress? I would dress slightly nicer than that. From what you've described, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the three. They are nice business casual. What will you be most comfortable in? I almost always were skirts and dresses so that would be my go-to outfit, but not everyone does. If you like skirts, I recommend the navy skirt with grey flats. 

[Onceuponatime]

Thanks! I wore the skirt. The interview seemed to go very well, but now I have to wait till they get back to me. This is nerve wracking.

[ErinE]

Thanks! I wore the skirt. The interview seemed to go very well, but now I have to wait till they get back to me. This is nerve wracking.

Let us know! I'm grateful for my local librarians. They are so helpful and kind.

[Lady Florida.]

Fingers crossed for you OUAT.

[Jane in NC]

Cheering you on, OUAT!

[aggieamy]

This is an epiphany for me. I've been trying to figure out why certain authors bug me, and this is absolutely the reason. Thank you!

 

 

 

I'm glad other people feel the same way I do. Maybe I'm not weirdo ... :lol:

 

I'm home again. Life starts full swing tomorrow. Today, I will do things slowly and relaxed. I had a good time but I'm really glad to be home. Greece is not the best place for a celiac; at least not the part I was. I wasn't staying in a place with a kitchen, and I quickly gave up on restaurants so I hadn't had a hot meal for two weeks. I lived off fresh fruit, yogurt, salami, and cheese eaten in my hotel room. Oh, and freddo cappuccino each day. I came home and made a huge pot of gf pasta yesterday and this morning had french toast. 

 

There's no happier place for a celiac than her own kitchen. 

 

I saw many churches, a convent, and a monastery, lots of ancient ruins, and many beaches. I swam almost every day in the gorgeous Mediterranean. Despite my best efforts I still got a tan. Doesn't matter how much sunscreen you wear when you are in the sun for hours daily.

 

Kids were very happy to see us. Despite all the junk food they consumed at the grandparent's house, they decided they'd rather have mommy back. ;)   

 

I'm sorry the food was a bummer. I have a dear friend who is celiac and she struggles with traveling and food. Someplaces are better than others. I hear that the UK and Italy are really good.

 

Thanks! I wore the skirt. The interview seemed to go very well, but now I have to wait till they get back to me. This is nerve wracking.

 

Good luck! My team had an interview for a project this morning that we are waiting to hear about. I'm nervous like a girl waiting for a boy to call. 

 

When did they think they'd get back to you?

[Onceuponatime]

When did they think they'd get back to you?

They didn't say, but they have been very quick to respond to everything. Plus, they took down the listing. Hopefully that means they have picked someone. It's Friday, so I think I should find out next week.

[Jane in NC]

Last night I finished our assigned reading for the week in W&P.  I literally could not put the book down.  Waiting to discuss this until Sunday but my word what a soap opera!  I was totally drawn in (and hollering internally "No!!!!!")

[mumto2]

Last night I finished our assigned reading for the week in W&P.  I literally could not put the book down.  Waiting to discuss this until Sunday but my word what a soap opera!  I was totally drawn in (and hollering internally "No!!!!!")

I just have to say I agree! I cannot believe what a soap opera War and Peace is. I definitely was not expecting this book to be what it is. I thought it was mainly going to be detailed war descriptions and there are some but much of it is a who likes who, oops, really shouldn't have married/engaged/dated that one scenarios :lol:

 

I decided to try and finish it during the next few days. I really am starting to need to know how it all ends!

 

The interview sounds like it went well OUAT. I think the skirt was the right choice for the interview although I generally(always ;) ) wear trousers as a volunteer. Lots or reaching etc. Plus flats are required for the standing imo. Kareni, the majority of the library system is now volunteer employees only. I still do not agree even after working on committee (think board) through the transition...

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished reading What Makes This Book So Great, Jo Walton's blog about her re-reads of sci fi classics. I added quite a few to my TR list, but fewer than I expected. I am confirmed in my opinion that I'd like to have tea with Jo Walton. Every day. I wouldn't even be offended if she pulled out her book and read while I was in the bathroom.

 

I also finished listening to Lucrezia Borgia by Sarah Bradford. Bradford wrote this biography to refute the salacious tales about Lucrezia, and promised to tell the story "in her own words." Which she did, ad nauseum - it quoted heavily from letters, both Lucrezia's and others. It was rather tedious, but I did learn more about a time period I know a lot about in England and a bit about in France, but knew little about in Italy. So that's filled in some holes. There were amazing descriptions of food, clothes, jewels, daily life and habits. Again, interesting, but also kind of tedious.  Good thing it was an audio, and yes, I confess to having zoned out during parts of it.

 

I skim-read a book about Lyme Disease, which only muddied the waters. Now I'm reading one about Cranio-sacral therapy. Shannon had a session of that today. Some of it made sense, some of it seemed pretty whoo-whoo, but I"m trying to be open minded. And will take anything that might help and for sure won't hurt, while we're still trying to figure things out.

[Kareni]

Regarding Bring Your Own Book Game by Gamewright:

 

The game looks awesome!!!! Thank you :)

 

You're quite welcome.  One aspect of the game that was not mentioned in the description above is that books are rotated amongst the players from time to time.  So, even if you do bring your own book, you'll be unlikely to keep it beyond a few rounds of play.

 

... Kareni, the majority of the library system is now volunteer employees only. I still do not agree even after working on committee (think board) through the transition...

 

I sympathize.  I think that would be a challenging system to deal with for patrons but also for the volunteers and few employees.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

Reflections: Or, Sentences and Moral Maxims   by François de La Rochefoucauld

 

"We all have strength enough to endure the misfortunes of others.

This famed work by a noted French author of the Renaissance era, seventeenth-century nobleman François de La Rochefoucauld, offers hundreds of brief, brutally honest observations of humankind and its self-serving nature. The perfect read for any realist—or anyone with the desire to evaluate their moral standing—this edition includes three supplements with additional maxims and essays."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lori D.]

Thanks -I'll be sure to look for it! My 18yo has watched the first season and she thinks I'll like it, too :)

 

I've also watched Erased and Noragami and Yona of the Dawn. My favorite so far has been Erased (I've watched it twice!). I think the stories are so interesting and they have a fairy tale feel to them (well, maybe not Erased, but the other ones). Have you seen any of these?

 

Not familiar with either of those! I'll have to add those to my future watch list -- they all look interesting! :) About the closest thing to fairy tale that DSs have recommended to me is Little Witch Academia, which I haven't had a chance to look into.

 

DSs (early/mid 20s) are often really interested in the really dark anime series that wrestle with questions of morality and death  :001_rolleyes: , so I've seen a number of those -- Death Note, obviously. But even darker and with hard R-ratings, but thought-provoking and very well done, are Psycho Pass (both seasons) and Death Parade.

 

I enjoyed 2 of the Fate series -- Fate Zero and then the sequel Fate Stay Night. Zero has a darker/heavier tone than Stay Night. The series has a sort of Highlander type of mechanism, if you ever saw that film or the spin-off 1990s TV series.

 

For a much lighter overall tone while still dealing with death/life-after-death, you might enjoy Angel Beats -- a high school setting, and a lot of humor, while still bittersweet. I also *absolutely* loved The Devil is a Part-Timer -- so.much.humor.  :laugh: I've watched that one twice. You and DD might enjoy these together.

 

Cowboy Beebop may be my favorite series -- film noir / western story / space setting :drool: . I have heard that the short-lived Josh Whedon series Firefly was modeled somewhat on Cowboy Beebop. :)

 

Happy anime viewing! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Butter]

Now I'm reading one about Cranio-sacral therapy. Shannon had a session of that today. Some of it made sense, some of it seemed pretty whoo-whoo, but I"m trying to be open minded. And will take anything that might help and for sure won't hurt, while we're still trying to figure things out.

 

I had a pinched nerve in my back (thanks to giant boobs) that wasn't helped by a chiropractor.  One session of cranial-sacral therapy and it was all fixed.  Ani almost died from her 4 month shots.  She was really sick.  She had a session of cranial-sacral therapy when she was 6 months old.  We didn't tell the therapist what was going on with her.  She got all better very quickly after that.  It could be a coincidence, but it's really amazing how much it helped her... somehow.

 

I finished reading The Only Witness by Pamela Beason.  It's about a baby who is kidnapped and the only witness is a gorilla who knows sign language.  I really liked it.  It really sucked me in and made me care about all the characters - including the gorillas.

Edited August 19, 2017 by Butter

[Guest]

If only I would just finish ONE WHOLE BOOK around here...

[Lady Florida.]

I probably should have waited until tomorrow's thread and I might repeat it there, but I thought I'd pop in here one last time. I finished a few books I was close to finishing. I also added one to my Goodreads list that I finished last week but forgot update, so now I'm apparently on track to meet my goal.

 

Finished -

Too Hot To Handel - John Pickett mystery. I think there's only one left (one of the two Kareni sent) so I'll miss the characters if the author decides to end the series. It does seem like a good place to end it but I would have enjoyed more if she kept it going. She said she intended to end it after this book I just finished then decided on one more, so who knows - she might end up writing even more.

 

A Wedding Worth Waiting For - written by Katie Meyer who is ktgrok here on WTM. I filled in my local author square with this one. It was a sweet story that I enjoyed even more for the setting than the story itself. 

 

Progress -

War and Peace - This morning I finished Volume Three Part One and am taking a break. I think war strategy is coming up next and I have to get myself in the the right frame of mind to read the war stuff. I'm pretty far ahead of where we're supposed to be anyway.

 

Kristin Lavransdatter - (audio book) I'm about halfway into the second book, The Wife. I keep going back and forth but am currently of the mind that I shouldn't separate the three novels. I suppose the first one could be read as a stand-alone but the next one, and most likely the last one wouldn't really make sense if you hadn't read what came before. I'm back to counting it as one book.

 

Under the Banner of Heaven - Interesting, but I haven't been in the mood for non-fiction. I hope to get back to it this week.

 

New -

Death in a Strange Country - When I put the second Inspector Brunetti book on hold I didn't expect it to come in so soon. So far, so good. I've noticed a big difference between this Italian detective series and the Inspector Montalbano series. The first takes place in Venice, the latter in Sicily. The one in Sicily is grittier, has more corruption  (there is corruption the Venice series but it has a different feel), and people are more wary of police. I wonder if the difference in the fiction is the difference in reality in the two locations. Of course this is only the second book and I'm not done reading it, so things could change as the series progresses. In the Montalbano books though, you know right away what things are like in his city.

 

 

 

If only I would just finish ONE WHOLE BOOK around here...

 

The beauty of reading several at once though is that sooner or later you finish them one after another. Then it looks like you've been on a reading binge. No one has to know you've been reading all of the books for quite a while and finally finished them. :D

[Loesje22000]

The mother of Tress passed away this morning.

 

[Jane in NC]

Sending Tress a virtual hug. May she and her family find peace.

 

Thanks for keeping us in the loop, Loesje.