Book a Week 2017 - BW 38: September Equinox

[Violet Crown]

U.S. women asked "How long do we have?"

Treading lightly here - I prefer to stay out of hot topics - but some U.S. women. Many dismayed and horrified Christian women I knew asked, "Is that really what they think about us?"

[mumto2]

:grouphug: Shannon and Rose, I hope she starts feeling much better quickly.

 

Butter, I was glad to read Ani's update. It sounds like your research is working. Coffee...who would have thought. ;)

 

Erin, Brave woman to coach. Glad you are feeling well enough! :). I hope you latest surgery is the fix.

 

If I missed anyone :grouphug: . I have been reading but have not had time to post!

 

I finished The Family Plot and am taking back my statement that thus might be a good light book for Spooky October! No, very intense scene near the end and I did not like the ending. Honestly a typical horror type ghost story. I gave it a 3 because it was typical and I liked the characters but could have happily given it a 2. I don't like intense ghost scenes at all! I really enjoyed the Steampunk book that I read earlier this year and had hoped for something a bit different.

Edited September 18, 2017 by mumto2

[Kareni]

I believe that some of you here have read Thea Harrison's paranormal romances; she's a favorite author of mine.  I see that one of her collections containing two novellas and a story is currently free to Kindle readers.  The collection features characters that are showcased in her book, Dragon Bound.

 

A Dragon's Family Album: A Collection of the Elder Races  by Thea Harrison

 

"From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Thea Harrison…

This collection contains Dragos Takes a Holiday, Pia Saves the Day, and Peanut Goes to School (two novellas and a short story in the Elder Races series, previously published separately). All three stories focus on the Cuelebres, the First Family of the Wyr.

Dragos Takes a Holiday: When the Cuelebre family heads to Bermuda for some much needed R&R, it’s no ordinary weekend in the sun. Between Pirates, treasure hunting, and a baby dragon… what could possibly go wrong?

Pia Saves the Day: The Cuelebres have moved to upstate New York where they finally have the space to indulge their Wyr side, and Liam can grow in safety. Their idyllic situation is shattered when Dragos is injured and stripped of his memory. Without Pia’s taming influence, there’s nothing holding back Dragos’s darkest side.

Peanut Goes to School: Dragos Cuelebre is no longer the only dragon. At just six months of age, Liam has already grown to the size of a large five-year-old boy. In an effort to give him a taste of normality, his parents enroll him in first grade. But school has a surprising number of pitfalls, and Liam is fast becoming one of the most dangerous creatures in all of the Elder Races."

**

 

Also currently free ~  

 

Ancient Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Huntress Book 1) by Linsey Hall

 

Blindsided (A Thriller) by Jay Giles

 

Dragon of Ash & Stars  by H. Leighton Dickson

 

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mom-ninja.]

No new books or finished books for me, but I've made progress in my current books.

 

I finished last week's W&P section earlier today and will get back to seriously reading it this week.

 

Still reading Under the Banner of Heaven and Truman. Still listening to The Raven in the Foregate. 

 

I'm tempted to start a mystery "on the side" but I'm trying to resist. I want to at least get this week's W&P section finished before I start something new.

 

Audible is having another sale, this one ends Thursday. I have so many I would like but need to limit. They add up at $5 a pop. I've been listening to samples and trying to pare down the list based on which ones might be better to read in print than to listen on audio. And still my list is too long. Some of the books that have been discussed recently, including The Year of Living Danishly, Child 44, The Better Angels of our Nature, News of the World, and many more we've talked about are on the sale list.

 

Thanks for posting the sale. I'm also glad you liked The Ring of Soloman. 

[JennW in SoCal]

No new books or finished books for me, but I've made progress in my current books.

 

I finished last week's W&P section earlier today and will get back to seriously reading it this week.

 

Still reading Under the Banner of Heaven and Truman. Still listening to The Raven in the Foregate. 

 

I'm tempted to start a mystery "on the side" but I'm trying to resist. I want to at least get this week's W&P section finished before I start something new.

 

Audible is having another sale, this one ends Thursday. I have so many I would like but need to limit. They add up at $5 a pop. I've been listening to samples and trying to pare down the list based on which ones might be better to read in print than to listen on audio. And still my list is too long. Some of the books that have been discussed recently, including The Year of Living Danishly, Child 44, The Better Angels of our Nature, News of the World, and many more we've talked about are on the sale list.

 

Thank you from me, too, for posting the sale. I just picked up Rebecca, a classic I've never read. 

 

Like you, I keep thinking I want a mystery to add to my mix of books, but am resisting. So far...

[Jane in NC]

Good morning everyone (from yet another airport). Maybe I would read more if I stayed home!! My best friend's husband threw his wife a surprise birthday party---with me being the big surprise. I have just had a few days of girlfriend fun, so much so that I only read a few pages of Nest in the Bones, stories by Argentinian author Antonio Di Benedetto. I did finish Akunin's first Sister Pelagia book, a delightful diversion.

 

Headed back South again. Unless a hurricane chases me away, I hope to be home for a few weeks at least.

[Kareni]

Good morning everyone (from yet another airport). Maybe I would read more if I stayed home!! My best friend's husband threw his wife a surprise birthday party---with me being the big surprise. ...

 

What fun, Jane!  Were you gift wrapped? Did you jump out of a cake?!

**

 

A one day only classic that is currently free for Kindle readers ~

 

Adam Bede by George Eliot  

 

"George Eliot’s debut novel tells a story of love in rural eighteenth-century England

 

Adam Bede is an upstanding, hardworking, intelligent young man, the kind of person who knows what he wants—and what he wants is the incredibly shallow Hetty Sorrel. Though Hetty is a milkmaid, she harbors dreams of becoming a dignified member of the upper class. To that end, she has set her sights on Captain Arthur Donnithorne, a squire and heir to much of the town’s wealth. Meanwhile, Dinah Morris, Hetty’s compassionate cousin, harbors irrepressible romantic feelings for Adam.

 

This love rectangle forms the character basis for one of the greatest English novels of all time. Upon its release in 1859, Adam Bede was immediately lauded as a seminal work for its depiction of English country life at the turn of the nineteenth century, garnering the praise of Charles Dickens. Eliot’s deft mixing of the fictional with the real has made Adam Bede a timeless classic."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Jane in NC]

 

What fun, Jane! Were you gift wrapped? Did you jump out of a cake?!

**

 

 

Funny you should say that. My friend's husband suggested that I wear a bow. I retorted that I wanted to jump out of a cake! As things turned out, friends and family from the area as well as some who who drove a couple of hours formed the first surprise. Other mutual friends picked me up at the airport. They joined the gathering and then I walked in. The birthday girl screamed! She had no clue that any of this was happening.

[Matryoshka]

I just finished Half of a Yellow Sun, which I thought was excellent.  I had never heard of the war and other historic events in the book, and I also really liked the characters.

 

While what I should be doing next is getting caught up on W&P and reading other books already on hand, I'm looking ahead to various BigBingo rows that are nearing completion, and there are two categories I'd love some suggestions for, namely...

 

Opera?  There's got to be something really good that touches on this topic, any suggestions?  Hopefully something under 500pp; I seem to have a lot of huge books still on my to-read list this year; I'd rather not add another tome just to fill a category...

 

and Manga - I'm sure there's tons.  I might just peruse the section at the library.  I know BigBingo has no iron-clad rules, but would Manga be referring to specifically Japanese graphic novels, or any graphic novel?  I've usually seen it more in the former context, but I've seen it being used more widely lately.  Like, I wouldn't have considered Perseopolis or Maus or Sandman a Manga.  Is the term being applied more widely these days?

[Loesje22000]

I just finished Half of a Yellow Sun, which I thought was excellent. I had never heard of the war and other historic events in the book, and I also really liked the characters.

 

While what I should be doing next is getting caught up on W&P and reading other books already on hand, I'm looking ahead to various BigBingo rows that are nearing completion, and there are two categories I'd love some suggestions for, namely...

 

Opera? There's got to be something really good that touches on this topic, any suggestions? Hopefully something under 500pp; I seem to have a lot of huge books still on my to-read list this year; I'd rather not add another tome just to fill a category...

 

and Manga - I'm sure there's tons. I might just peruse the section at the library. I know BigBingo has no iron-clad rules, but would Manga be referring to specifically Japanese graphic novels, or any graphic novel? I've usually seen it more in the former context, but I've seen it being used more widely lately. Like, I wouldn't have considered Perseopolis or Maus or Sandman a Manga. Is the term being applied more widely these days?

The phantom of the opera?

360p

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

 

 

Negin, this one has some books that brought you to mind:  10 Best Books for Night Owls

 

The Merry World of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit  by Jo Walton

 

An Alchemy of Their Own: Five Books About Magic  by Brad Abraham

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Loesje22000]

I finished last week:

 

- playing with Fire by Tess Gerritsen

A thrilling book...

- Vet arm (Fat Poor)

About living in the slums of Nairobi

- Ketters by Ayaan Hirschi Ali

Good to read the original book instead of all the writings about it

- Solar by Ian McEwan

I like the setting of physics, the use of language, I couldn't get into the view of a man.

 

Tomorrow to Brussels for the exam.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I just finished Half of a Yellow Sun, which I thought was excellent.  I had never heard of the war and other historic events in the book, and I also really liked the characters.

 

While what I should be doing next is getting caught up on W&P and reading other books already on hand, I'm looking ahead to various BigBingo rows that are nearing completion, and there are two categories I'd love some suggestions for, namely...

 

Opera?  There's got to be something really good that touches on this topic, any suggestions?  Hopefully something under 500pp; I seem to have a lot of huge books still on my to-read list this year; I'd rather not add another tome just to fill a category...

 

and Manga - I'm sure there's tons.  I might just peruse the section at the library.  I know BigBingo has no iron-clad rules, but would Manga be referring to specifically Japanese graphic novels, or any graphic novel?  I've usually seen it more in the former context, but I've seen it being used more widely lately.  Like, I wouldn't have considered Perseopolis or Maus or Sandman a Manga.  Is the term being applied more widely these days?

 

I did a re-read of Candide for the Opera square, and thoroughly enjoyed it. They've also made operas of The Turn of the Screw and The Handmaid's Tale, Gatsby, Alice in Wonderland, Lolita, The LIttle Prince, Moby Dick . . . the possibilities are almost endless.

 

For Manga, I was at a loss too, but ended up reading Death Note, which was reasonably entertaining.

[mumto2]

Loesje, Good luck to your dd on her exam tomorrow. I hope your trip in is easy.....will yoju take a train?

 

I started reading The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter earlier today. So far it appears to be a book with great potential. It did seem to require a knowledge of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in order to understand some references which I was lacking. I have now read Jekyll and Hyde :lol: and am "getting" much more out of the book. Spooky October started early here! ;).

[Kareni]

Earlier today I finished the book that my book group will be discussing later this week.  I very much enjoyed it and recommend it; now I'm looking forward to the Thursday's discussion.  It's not a new book but one that had been sitting on my shelf for some time; I'm happy to have suggested it to the group.

 

The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg

 

"Betta Nolan moves to a small town after the death of her husband to try to begin anew. Pursuing a dream of a different kind of life, she is determined to find pleasure in her simply daily routines. Among those who help her in both expected and unexpected ways are the ten-year-old boy next door, three wild women friends from her college days, a twenty-year-old who is struggling to find his place in the world, and a handsome man who is ready for love.

Elizabeth Berg's The Year of Pleasuresis about acknowledging the solace found in ordinary things: a warm bath, good food, the beauty of nature, music, friends, and art. "Berg writes with humor and a big heart about resilience, loneliness, love, and hope. And the transcendence that redeems," said Andre Dubus about Durable Goods. And the same could be said about The Year of Pleasures."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[JennW in SoCal]

I did a re-read of Candide for the Opera square, and thoroughly enjoyed it. They've also made operas of The Turn of the Screw and The Handmaid's Tale, Gatsby, Alice in Wonderland, Lolita, The LIttle Prince, Moby Dick . . . the possibilities are almost endless.

 

For Manga, I was at a loss too, but ended up reading Death Note, which was reasonably entertaining.

 

I think a requirement of earning that bingo square is to listen to the opera. Just saying... ;)

 

To whet your appetite, here is an entertaining cover of the Candide Overture, played on two Melodicas. 

 

 

[JennW in SoCal]

 

 

Opera?  There's got to be something really good that touches on this topic, any suggestions?  Hopefully something under 500pp; I seem to have a lot of huge books still on my to-read list this year; I'd rather not add another tome just to fill a category...

 

 

 

War and Peace has an opera, in case you aren't already using it for a big bingo square.

 

Personally, I think it would be interesting to look at the source material for some of the really famous operas. Is it the music that has made them so enduring or the story? For instance:

 

Bizet's Carmen is based on a novella of the same name. There is also a ballet.

 

Verdi's La Traviata is based on La dame aux Camelias, by Alexandre Dumas "Jr"  I believe there is a ballet of this, too.

 

How about Donizetti's Lucia de Lammermoor, loosely based on The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott?

 

But I'm a music geek who has played in opera orchestras, so take my ideas with a grain of salt.

 

Can it be a book about opera itself?  Some of these titles look interesting:

 

https://fivebooks.com/interview/robert-lloyd-on-opera/

[Mothersweets]

Thank you from me, too, for posting the sale. I just picked up Rebecca, a classic I've never read. 

 

Like you, I keep thinking I want a mystery to add to my mix of books, but am resisting. So far...

 

 I glanced through a couple sale pages earlier but didn't have the patience to look through them all. I have been wanting an audible version of Rebecca and would have missed this one if you hadn't mentioned it - thank you!!

[Loesje22000]

Loesje, Good luck to your dd on her exam tomorrow. I hope your trip in is easy.....will you take a train?

 

;).

Thank you!

 

No, we are going by car.

I am still a little worried about travelling to Brussel.

The exam centre is in a part of Brussel I just don't feel safe.

[Mom-ninja.]

I finished Love Among the Chickens. I am going to have to start purchasing books if I want to get bingo done. I might need to find other books to fill the spots. I've been on hold for so many books for months. 

 

 

 

[Jane in NC]

I finished Love Among the Chickens. I am going to have to start purchasing books if I want to get bingo done. I might need to find other books to fill the spots. I've been on hold for so many books for months. 

 

Love Among the Chickens and the Psmith books are my favorite Wodehouse novels, these followed by the Blandings books.  The former has the wonderful setting of Lyme Regis, one of my favorite spots in the UK.

 

What relief to hear from all of our Floridian friends!

 

Sending Eliana and all wishes for a good and sweet year.  Shanah Tovah.

 

Antonio Di Benedetto's story collection, Nest in the Bones, is a bit unsettling for me.  The stories themselves are beautifully written but there is something in the background, something disturbing that lingers.  I suspect that the author had no choice but to capture his reality in this way.  Di Benedetto was imprisoned during Argentina's coup d'etat in '76.  In '84 he was exiled to Spain.

 

Harvard Review Online recently published a review.

[Lady Florida.]

Yesterday I finished the Brother Cadfael audio book, The Raven in the Foregate. I have two more audio books in the wings, but since one is an Overdrive library book and has a short loan period that's the one I started - I Am Malala.

 

I was more behind on War and Peace than I realized so I've been reading it almost exclusively and have resisted opening my other two current reads. I'm making good progress and will continue to do so as long as my willpower holds out. :)

[Kareni]

A one day only classic that is currently free for Kindle readers ~

 

The Bostonians by Henry James

 

"Henry James’s tragicomic masterpiece pits a headstrong Mississippi lawyer against his feminist cousin in a no-holds-barred fight for the heart of an impressionable young suffragette

When Basil Ransom, a headstrong Mississippi lawyer, comes to Boston to call on his wealthy activist cousin, Olive, an epic battle of wills ensues. Basil is a conservative of the most ardent type while Cousin Olive is steadfast in her radicalism. Perhaps for a laugh, perhaps for a story to tell his lawyer friends back in Mississippi, Basil accompanies Olive to a women’s emancipation rally, whereupon he falls irrevocably in love with a young suffragette, Miss Verena Tarrant, and sets about trying to rewrite her beliefs. The problem is that Olive has been grooming Miss Tarrant as her protégé. Will Basil reform the lovely young activist orator, or will Olive win the young woman’s heart and mind?
 
Often proclaimed James’s funniest novel and regarded as his most successful political work, The Bostonians deals with love and friendship in the awkward landscape of shifting social roles, feminism in post–Civil War America, and a woman’s place in this brave new world. Funny, astute, and merciless, The Bostonians is one of James’s most successful portrayals of a world teetering between old values and the relentless march of social progress."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Loesje22000]

Safe back home.

Now waiting for the results...

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Loesje22000]

Loesje, hoping the exam went well.

 

Penguin, I am seconding Eliana's rec of Rue du Retour.

 

Angela, so good to see you! How is adorable Abby? How are your other dc?

 

Jane, what fun!

Thank you!

Dd thinks it went well, the exam was in line with what we prepared for.

The exam candidate before her timeslot didn't show up so her exam happened a timeslot earlier then planned & expected.

I just don't have an idea if her French is '12th gradish'

[mumto2]

Loesje, Glad your dd feels good about her exam. Brussels is not a place we enjoy driving so I totally understand. It seems stressful beyond normal big city and we actually were hit (no damage fortunately) by another car on our last visit. We were stopped at a red light and the car in front started backing up for no apparent reason and hit us. Just wham! It was so odd. We all got out and looked at the cars and left with each other's info just in case. Just odd.

 

I finished another audio book. This one is my recommended by a friend Bingo Square (dd) who has been after me to read Welcome to Night Vale https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25741614-welcome-to-night-vale every since she read it thanks to Jenn. Her BF also loves it. The humor in the book was of the type where I get it but didn't really love it. That is the only way I can describe it. Very clever, sort of a bizarre stream of consciousness that I was so grateful to be listening to as opposed to trying to read. Snort worthy in places. Librarians are evil, yes evil.... So thank you Jenn for the long ago recommendation! I don't plan too listen to the podcasts....dd and her friend do I think. ;)

[Happy]

Thank you!

 

No, we are going by car.

I am still a little worried about travelling to Brussel.

The exam centre is in a part of Brussel I just don't feel safe.

I hope your drive was uneventful. 

 

​I love Brussels and I hope the parts you went to were better than you were expecting. Say hi to the city for me!

[Guest]

LOL, no, nothing in common there ... just thinking along Robin's color lines.

 

It hadn't sounded as if there would be, but I wouldn't want that kind of surprise. ...actually I don't like most kinds of surprises, in general or in my reading. ...not that I want the things I read to be predictable, but like to know what kind of reading experience I am getting into. 

 

Robin: I have always loved that Frost poem - thank you for posting it! 

[Shawneinfl]

I'd like to start a new challenge - one in which I fly to stay at the home of one of you book-a-weekers long enough to sit in your house and finish a novel, then, off to the next house. I'm definitely in the mood for escapism after the hurricane drama, other drama and plain ole tired of summer weather here drama. Anyone having that kind of week?

[Kareni]

Some meaty currently free books for Kindle readers ~

 

What is Mob Mentality? - 8 Essential Books on Crowd Psychology
Contents:
The Social Contract (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind (Gustave Le Bon)
The Psychology of Revolution (Gustave Le Bon)
Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (Charles Mackay)
Instincts of the Herd in Peace and War (Wilfred Trotter)
The Behavior of Crowds: A Psychological Study (Everett Dean Martin)
Crowds: A Moving-Picture of Democracy (Gerald Stanley Lee)
The Group Mind: A Sketch of the Principles of Collective Psychology (William McDougall)

Crowd Psychology: Understanding the Phenomenon and Its Causes (10 Books in One Volume)
Contents:
The Social Contract (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind (Gustave Le Bon)
The Psychology of Revolution (Gustave Le Bon)
Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego (Sigmund Freud)
Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (Charles Mackay)
Instincts of the Herd in Peace and War (Wilfred Trotter)
The Behavior of Crowds: A Psychological Study (Everett Dean Martin)
Public Opinion (Walter Lippmann)
Crowds: A Moving-Picture of Democracy (Gerald Stanley Lee)
The Group Mind: A Sketch of the Principles of Collective Psychology (William McDougall)

 

A few more classics ~

 

The Epic of Kings- Hero Tales of Ancient Persia by Abuʾl-Qasim Ferdowsi Tusi

The Analects of Confucius by Confucius

The Sonnets of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Shawneinfl]

Come on over, girl!

 

I'm not that far. My a/c is running, the water/toilets work, there are plenty of lights & I can give you free space & quiet time to read. You might have a cat lounging on you. I'm not much of a cook, but we can always eat out or pick up food. Lol.

 

A cat too! That's an extra bonus in my book!

[Angelaboord]

Angela, so good to see you! How is adorable Abby? How are your other dc?

 

Jane, what fun!

.

 

Abby continues to be adorable. [emoji2] I am not sure if I can attach a picture to a post using Tapatalk or not? I meant to mention that the 1 year anniversary of her heart surgery was in late July. We had a pink heart shaped cake and I took pictures. They were cute. I keep thinking I would like to show y'all some pictures but I'm always on Tapatalk. Of course now that I say that I see the little camera icon down there. [emoji5]

 

Everyone else is ok. I keep expecting someone to get sick because usually we are this time of year. But not yet. My 7 yo and I do not have rabies from our dog bites, which is a relief. There was almost zero chance, but I may be a wee bit neurotic about medical issues. Anyway, the dog made it through the 10 day quarantine and is apparently still waiting to be adopted, but the people at the shelter like him.

 

I am plowing through The Fiery Cross. She could have cut so much of the first 200 pages! Or at least condensed it. I don't remember feeling this way about the first 3 books. But I'm going to keep going because I like Jamie and increasingly, Roger.

[Ali in OR]

I finished Anu Partanen's The Nordic Theory of Everything which I thought was good. My usual comment about so many books, especially non-fiction: it could have been shorter. Anu is Finnish but married an American, and in this book she basically skewers America's messed-up healthcare and education systems and lack of a social safety net, comparing these to the systems in place in Nordic countries. I was pretty sure before reading it that I would completely agree with her point of view and I do. I also like how she structures her arguments, pointing out that the Nordic system better fits American ideals such as freedom and equal opportunity. Just a couple of quotes from the end:

 

"Are you free when you're a rugged cowboy, alone on the prairie, with no one asking anything of you, and no one giving anything to you? Or is it when your are a homesteader, off the grid, growing your own food, and relying on your family and neighbors when you need help? Or is it when you know that you can become whatever you want and make your own choices regardless of your parents' wealth or abilities, and when you can rest assured that should you or your family falter, your society will be there to keep you on your feet?"

 

"Today nations that have progressed into the twenty-first century [i.e Nordic countries] see freedom as something much richer. They see freedom as the assurance that all individuals get real opportunity, so they're free to pursue the good life for themselves, and real protection from the lottery of bad luck, so they're free from unnecessary fear and anxiety. And a lot of Americans today are desperate to have those freedoms."

 

"When I look at my Nordic friends now, they seem so free to me. They work and have children, they engage in hobbies, they travel the world, and they never seem to worry about really going broke. They have health care, day care, and pensions. They can study whatever they want, and they don't have to risk their financial future to do so."

 

[idnib]

Guys, I have a fantasy. And it involves being able to do justice to a write-up of my experience reading Independent People. Alas, I am just slammed with stuff from morning until evening these days so instead of waiting until I have time to do a full review, I'll just do what I can for now. (And thank Jane for suggesting it to me.)

 

I think I'm developing a soft spot for books with unlikeable main characters, in this novel a sheep farmer named Bjartur. Perhaps there's some part of me that rebels against the standard model of the protagonist-as-hero left over from my childhood, or from all the read-alouds I've been doing for my own children. I think it started with Ignatius Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces, of all things. Apparently there's a certain type of alluring main character that makes me want to throw my hands in the air, without making me actually throw my hands in the air.  :laugh:

 

Anyway, when I started the book I was expecting a serious epic set in Iceland, and it was. Despite Jane's warning, I didn't expect the utter frustration I would feel at the characters, especially surrounding major events in the plot. Their strange mix of willpower and laissez-faireism is something beyond my comprehension and I am still unable to determine how much of it is cultural based upon time and location vs the author's sense of humor and desire to paint interesting characters, not to mention his endeavor to develop a bit of an unlikely ending in order to make a political point.

 

I very much appreciated the thread of sly (and sometimes not-so-sly) humor running through a story so bleak. And some of the factors were very modern: much of the plight of small farmers, the banks, the politics, the factors people use to decide how to vote, etc would be perfectly applicable to society in the U.S. today.

 

I grew fond of most of the characters and as the years went by in the book they became like old friends or foes. I felt I was enduring in the small turf house along with the family, and it hurt my heart when their guilelessness and lack of sophistication impacted them as they grew older. The old grandmother was a wonderful character, with her annual Christmas ear cleaning. One description of her may have been my favorite line of the book, but sadly I forgot to write it down before retuning the book to the library. Paraphrasing, Laxness likened her continued existence to "a flame the Lord had forgotten to snuff out." 

 

All in all, it's brilliant novel and I can see why Jane recommended it. This one would be good for a re-read some day when I have more time.

Edited September 21, 2017 by idnib

[Loesje22000]

Loesje, Glad your dd feels good about her exam. Brussels is not a place we enjoy driving so I totally understand. It seems stressful beyond normal big city and we actually were hit (no damage fortunately) by another car on our last visit. We were stopped at a red light and the car in front started backing up for no apparent reason and hit us. Just wham! It was so odd. We all got out and looked at the cars and left with each other's info just in case. Just odd.

 

  

DH has to be in that part of Brussel about once per week, as the headquarters of his job are there, so he knows the ins and outs, going by is also stressfull as we have to walk the last kilometers through that traffic...

 

I hope your drive was uneventful. 

​I love Brussels and I hope the parts you went to were better than you were expecting. Say hi to the city for me!

  

This made me think that Brussels is one of the best-smelling cities I've visited. (Well, and Brugge too.) All those waffle stands, you know.... :drool5:

 

This part of Brussels has absolute no waffle stands, but good to realise Brussel is be loved by others.

[Jane in NC]

Guys, I have a fantasy. And it involves being able to do justice to a write-up of my experience reading Independent People. Alas, I am just slammed with stuff from morning until evening these days so instead of waiting until I have time to do a full review, I'll just do what I can for now. (And thank Jane for suggesting it to me.)

 

I think I'm developing a soft spot for books with unlikeable main characters, in this novel a sheep farmer named Bjartur. Perhaps there's some part of me that rebels against the standard model of the protagonist-as-hero left over from my childhood, or from all the read-alouds I've been doing for my own children. I think it started with Ignatius Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces, of all things. Apparently there's a certain type of alluring main character that makes me want to throw my hands in the air, without making me actually throw my hands in the air.  :laugh:

 

Anyway, when I started the book I was expecting a serious epic set in Iceland, and it was. Despite Jane's warning, I didn't expect the utter frustration I would feel at the characters, especially surrounding major events in the plot. Their strange mix of willpower and laissez-faireism is something beyond my comprehension and I am still unable to determine how much of it is cultural based upon time and location vs the author's sense of humor and desire to paint interesting characters, not to mention his endeavor to develop a bit of an unlikely ending in order to make a political point.

 

I very much appreciated the thread of sly (and sometimes not-so-sly) humor running through a story so bleak. And some of the factors were very modern: much of the plight of small farmers, the banks, the politics, the factors people use to decide how to vote, etc would be perfectly applicable to society in the U.S. today.

 

I grew fond of most of the characters and as the years went by in the book they became like old friends or foes. I felt I was enduring in the small turf house along with the family, and it hurt my heart when their guilelessness and lack of sophistication impacted them as they grew older. The old grandmother was a wonderful character, with her annual Christmas ear cleaning. One description of her may have been my favorite line of the book, but sadly I forgot to write it down before retuning the book to the library. Paraphrasing, Laxness likened her continued existence to "a flame the Lord had forgotten to snuff out." 

 

All in all, it's brilliant novel and I can see why Jane recommended it. This one would be good for a re-read some day when I have more time.

 

Your review of Independent People is lovely to read.  It motivates me to move Wayward Heroes up in the dusty stacks.  This Laxness novel is described in a Kirkus review as a "cynical, tongue-in-check reimagination of the Old Norse sagas". I'm trying to shift some attention to southern Europe but the North seems to hold me in its grasp as I have also been thinking that it is time for another volume in Knausgaard's series My Struggle. 

 

Huzzah, I finished last week's W&P assignment!  Others have been behind as well so I will confine myself to two small comments.  I love Platon Karatev's peasant prayer: "Lord, lay me down like a stone, raise me up like a loaf." And I love the image of Natasha knitting a sock--but then I am an obsessive sock knitter.

 

Side note:   No socks on the needles at present. I am knitting the "Oaklet" shawl (for those of you on Ravelry) from Noro yarn, a Japanese product that astounds me with its color and textural bursts. 

 

 

[Jane in NC]

I think a requirement of earning that bingo square is to listen to the opera. Just saying... ;)

 

To whet your appetite, here is an entertaining cover of the Candide Overture, played on two Melodicas. 

 

 

Oh Jenn!  I finally got around to watching the video this morning.  I think The Boy may need a Melodica for Christmas!!

 

[mumto2]

Your review of Independent People is lovely to read. It motivates me to move Wayward Heroes up in the dusty stacks. This Laxness novel is described in a Kirkus review as a "cynical, tongue-in-check reimagination of the Old Norse sagas". I'm trying to shift some attention to southern Europe but the North seems to hold me in its grasp as I have also been thinking that it is time for another volume in Knausgaard's series My Struggle.

 

Huzzah, I finished last week's W&P assignment! Others have been behind as well so I will confine myself to two small comments. I love Platon Karatev's peasant prayer: "Lord, lay me down like a stone, raise me up like a loaf." And I love the image of Natasha knitting a sock--but then I am an obsessive sock knitter.

 

Side note: No socks on the needles at present. I am knitting the "Oaklet" shawl (for those of you on Ravelry) from Noro yarn, a Japanese product that astounds me with its color and textural bursts.

 

Oh Jenn! I finally got around to watching the video this morning. I think The Boy may need a Melodica for Christmas!!

 

Jenn's YouTube just provided entertainment for the DC's, before I knew it we were all watching because they didn't believe me when I said it was opera.

 

On with opera info because obviously I had to explain why opera was relevant to my BaW friends. Dd wants everyone to know there is a Discworld with opera.....Maskerade.

 

Jane, the Oaklet shawl looks like a great pattern. I have some beautiful very thin Dk that I used part of for a gift for my mom a couple of years ago. I think there is enough left so I may give it a try. I am working on finishing my Green Man....he is currently faceless. ;).

 

I am still working my way through Sarum. I have it for 14 more days so I just might finish it this time. Trying for a chapter a day.......

 

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34728925-the-strange-case-of-the-alchemist-s-daughter seems to be a mash up of characters from many classic spooky novels. So far Frankenstein, Dracula, Moreau, Jekyll \Hyde have all been represented. I started it for my A in Sapphire but wish I had left it for Spooky. I can't say I love it at 40% but it is entertaining enough. Unless it changes drastically probably a solid 3. The best part is characters like Renfield from Dracula suddenly appearing in the story to be honest.

Edited September 21, 2017 by mumto2

[Mom-ninja.]

Love Among the Chickens and the Psmith books are my favorite Wodehouse novels, these followed by the Blandings books.  The former has the wonderful setting of Lyme Regis, one of my favorite spots in the UK.

 

 

I like the Blandings books. I have not read any of the Psmith books. My library doesn't have them. 

[Butter]

I read Pants on Fire by Clayton Smith.  It's a collection of completely untrue stories.  It was weird.  Some were better than others.  Some were creepy, some were funny, some made you think.  Odd book it is.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'd like to start a new challenge - one in which I fly to stay at the home of one of you book-a-weekers long enough to sit in your house and finish a novel, then, off to the next house. I'm definitely in the mood for escapism after the hurricane drama, other drama and plain ole tired of summer weather here drama. Anyone having that kind of week?

 

Can I come too? I promise to sit quietly in the other comfy chair across the room and read my book.

 

Come on over, girl!

 

I'm not that far. My a/c is running, the water/toilets work, there are plenty of lights & I can give you free space & quiet time to read. You might have a cat lounging on you. I'm not much of a cook, but we can always eat out or pick up food. Lol.

 

Be careful what you wish for - one of these days I might just show up on your doorstep!

[Chrysalis Academy]

Guys, I have a fantasy. And it involves being able to do justice to a write-up of my experience reading Independent People. Alas, I am just slammed with stuff from morning until evening these days so instead of waiting until I have time to do a full review, I'll just do what I can for now. (And thank Jane for suggesting it to me.)

 

I think I'm developing a soft spot for books with unlikeable main characters, in this novel a sheep farmer named Bjartur. Perhaps there's some part of me that rebels against the standard model of the protagonist-as-hero left over from my childhood, or from all the read-alouds I've been doing for my own children. I think it started with Ignatius Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces, of all things. Apparently there's a certain type of alluring main character that makes me want to throw my hands in the air, without making me actually throw my hands in the air.  :laugh:

 

Anyway, when I started the book I was expecting a serious epic set in Iceland, and it was. Despite Jane's warning, I didn't expect the utter frustration I would feel at the characters, especially surrounding major events in the plot. Their strange mix of willpower and laissez-faireism is something beyond my comprehension and I am still unable to determine how much of it is cultural based upon time and location vs the author's sense of humor and desire to paint interesting characters, not to mention his endeavor to develop a bit of an unlikely ending in order to make a political point.

 

I very much appreciated the thread of sly (and sometimes not-so-sly) humor running through a story so bleak. And some of the factors were very modern: much of the plight of small farmers, the banks, the politics, the factors people use to decide how to vote, etc would be perfectly applicable to society in the U.S. today.

 

I grew fond of most of the characters and as the years went by in the book they became like old friends or foes. I felt I was enduring in the small turf house along with the family, and it hurt my heart when their guilelessness and lack of sophistication impacted them as they grew older. The old grandmother was a wonderful character, with her annual Christmas ear cleaning. One description of her may have been my favorite line of the book, but sadly I forgot to write it down before retuning the book to the library. Paraphrasing, Laxness likened her continued existence to "a flame the Lord had forgotten to snuff out." 

 

All in all, it's brilliant novel and I can see why Jane recommended it. This one would be good for a re-read some day when I have more time.

 

I just moved this up in my TR stack, too - I picked up a copy at the most recent library book sale

 

The bolded made me think of one of my current re-reads - The Children of Men by PD James.  I loved this book when I first read it, in the early 90s right after it was published. I'm even more floored by it now. I think it's partly because I'm the exact age of the protagonist - we were both born in 1971 - and it's now approaching the date of the novel, which was set in 2021. It makes it all so much more affecting and poignant, both because "the world" is closer to the time described, and because I'm close to the protagonist's age, and the world looks a lot different at nearly 50 than it did at 20-something. But talk about an unlikeable main character! PD James does anti-heros so well. Not villains, but main characters who are decidedly un-heroic. I know lots of people don't love her here, but what I do love about her is her absolutely unflinching portrayal of a character's inner life, with all its flaws. I think you don't get that too often in literature- a really clear-eyed portrayal of the thoughts which we not only hide from others, but try to hide from ourselves.  

 

Plus, PD James has a pretty cynical view about human nature, which I tend to share, so I always feel like that she writes more True sentences in one book than most authors manage to in their whole lifetime.

 

 

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34728925-the-strange-case-of-the-alchemist-s-daughter seems to be a mash up of characters from many classic spooky novels. So far Frankenstein, Dracula, Moreau, Jekyll \Hyde have all been represented. I started it for my A in Sapphire but wish I had left it for Spooky. I can't say I love it at 40% but it is entertaining enough. Unless it changes drastically probably a solid 3. The best part is characters like Renfield from Dracula suddenly appearing in the story to be honest.

 

This looks like a book I would enjoy, for the literary references to so many favorites, if for no other reason. I'm having that experience with The Massacre of Mankind - it has a good heroine, and I love seeing all the War of the World characters pop up, along with actual historical figures and events, changed as they might have been had the Martians attacked in 1907.  There are a few major plot/logic holes that I'm managing to suspend disbelief about so far, because I'm really enjoying the writing and the characters. Don't read it unless you've read and liked The War of the Worlds.

[Ali in OR]

Stacia, do you have enough cats for all of us? Or I could bring my own (except he hates any kind of travel).

 

ETA: (I'm inviting myself over to your house to read books)

Edited September 21, 2017 by Ali in OR

[ErinE]

Well, I started reading James Joyce's Ulysses. I got to the third section and within the first few pages, I spent almost an hour following all the rabbit trails. Wow. It feels like Joyce gleefully threw in all the metaphors and allusions he could to mess with the reader. I'm returning the current library copy and getting an annotated copy instead. This book is going to take a long time to read...

[mumto2]

I just moved this up in my TR stack, too - I picked up a copy at the most recent library book sale

 

The bolded made me think of one of my current re-reads - The Children of Men by PD James. I loved this book when I first read it, in the early 90s right after it was published. I'm even more floored by it now. I think it's partly because I'm the exact age of the protagonist - we were both born in 1971 - and it's now approaching the date of the novel, which was set in 2021. It makes it all so much more affecting and poignant, both because "the world" is closer to the time described, and because I'm close to the protagonist's age, and the world looks a lot different at nearly 50 than it did at 20-something. But talk about an unlikeable main character! PD James does anti-heros so well. Not villains, but main characters who are decidedly un-heroic. I know lots of people don't love her here, but what I do love about her is her absolutely unflinching portrayal of a character's inner life, with all its flaws. I think you don't get that too often in literature- a really clear-eyed portrayal of the thoughts which we not only hide from others, but try to hide from ourselves.

 

Plus, PD James has a pretty cynical view about human nature, which I tend to share, so I always feel like that she writes more True sentences in one book than most authors manage to in their whole lifetime.

 

 

This looks like a book I would enjoy, for the literary references to so many favorites, if for no other reason. I'm having that experience with The Massacre of Mankind - it has a good heroine, and I love seeing all the War of the World characters pop up, along with actual historical figures and events, changed as they might have been had the Martians attacked in 1907. There are a few major plot/logic holes that I'm managing to suspend disbelief about so far, because I'm really enjoying the writing and the characters. Don't read it unless you've read and liked The War of the Worlds.

Yes I do think this is one you would enjoy. I was actually thinking of you when I was writing my post. Others might like it too but I need to read further before naming anyone else! ;)

 

My Dd would probably love both of these. Huge Sci fi geek that shed is. I am pretty sure I read War of the Worlds many years ago but the memory is very fuzzy. Dd read and loved it for a class a couple of years ago. I need to reserve it for her.

[Kareni]

A one day only classic that is currently free for Kindle readers ~

 

A Room with a View by E. M. Forster 

 

"One of English literature’s most inspiring love stories

Lucy Honeychurch is a young woman torn between the opposing values of gray old England and vibrant Italy in this unforgettable story of romance and rebellion. On a trip to Florence with her older cousin and chaperone, Lucy becomes enchanted by a freedom unlike any she has known at home. The excitement she feels when she is with George Emerson, a fellow boarder at the Pension Bertolini, is as exhilarating as it is confusing, and their intoxicating kiss in a field of violets threatens to turn her whole world upside down. Back at Windy Corner, her family’s Surrey estate, Lucy must finally decide if the power of passion is greater than the force of expectation.

Widely recognized as one of the finest novels of the twentieth century, A Room with a View is E. M. Forster’s most hopeful work and a truly timeless romance."

**

 

Also currently free ~

 

romance: I Only Have Eyes For You  by Bella Andre

 

fantasy, myth, and more:  Gods & Monsters  by Janie Marie

LGBT: Transformed: San Franciso (Quirky Romantic Spy Novel) by Suzanne Falter

 

"Falter and Harvey write with a hard-boiled verve that captures their colorful characters with humor and precision ... a breath of fresh air--and marginalized experience--that revitalizes many of the old tropes."  -- Kirkus Reviews  (A Recommended Title)

 

paranormal romance and fantasy:  On the Accidental Wings of Dragons  by Julie Wetzel

 

steampunk:   Lady of Devices  by Shelley Adina

 

out of the ordinary fantasy:  Refugees (Mud, Rocks, and Trees, Book 1)  by R.A. Denny

 

"... the three main characters are a humanized duck, flying squirrel, and armadillo."

 

Regards,

Kareni