Book a Week in 2014 - BW46

[mumto2]

VC - Great job on 52!

 

Lost Surprise - Your 1001 book list is so much easier to navigate. Started to think I may have read more, counting while watch Dr. Who was probably not the best idea. :lol:

 

Shukriyya --

I actually miss racoons. They are zoo creatures here......

[Pam in CT]

I woke up today in a quantifying mood.  As such urges strike rarely, I wanted to share, lol...

 

Of VC's 52 books thus far in 2014, I've read 8, or 15%.  Of these 8, only one did I read this year (Cone Gatherers).  VC's comment about how much higher a percentage of the 1001 list she'd read in more recent ETA: earlier!!   centuries got me curious, so...

 

 

(first of all, I would like to take this opportunity to kvetch about just how exasperating to quantifcation-minded sorts such as, ahem, myself :lol:   are all the a,b,c's on that list???! Once you count all those in, it's not 1001 books at all; it's more like 1243!!  So, Robin, at current rates it actually will take 123 MORE years to get through them all than you'd forecasted.....)

 

 

Anyway, drumroll...

 

In the 2000's: I've read 17 out of (approximately!  see a,b,c issue, above, grumble) 109 books:  16%

 

in the 1900's: I've read 127 out of (approximately! grumble) 920 books: 14%

 

In the 1800's: I've read 33 out of (approximately! grumble) 189 books: 17%

 

Earlier: I've read 10 out of 25 books: 40%

 

(total: 177 / 1243 ish: 14%)

 

which was interesting to me... unlike VC I actually don't feel that I mostly live in pre-1800 literature circles -- I expected the % to decline as I went back in time.  It is true that were it not for Austen, the Brontes and Dickens by 1800's would have been quite paltry!

 

 

So that's my Morning Report.  I do believe I'm avoiding dusty philosophy books...

[Just Robyn]

Negin, your post reminded me that I wanted to read this book. I had planned to read a trio of books this year, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe instead of 5/5/5 for myself, I'll do some book 'sets' in 2015, especially because I so enjoyed my Pym reading last year (4 books).

 

Some of the sets I'm planning:

 

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

North to the Orient by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life by Susan Hertog

 

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Moby Dick in Pictures: One Drawing for Every Page by Matt Kish

maybe one or two other books TBD

 

The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo

In the Footsteps of Marco Polo by Denis Belliveau & Fancis O'Donnell

maybe one or two other books TBD

 

How about Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino for the Marco Polo set? And may I join you?

[Stacia]

How about Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino for the Marco Polo set? And may I join you?

Great idea! And, yes, please join me -- I'd love the reading company! :)

[Violet Crown]

Of course the list isn't exactly "books" but "novels," which excludes the vast majority of pre-18th century literature. I'd like to see a list more reflective of what was written and read in earlier eras. Because, no Homer, no Virgil, no Milton, no Shakespeare, no Aeschylus? No Quran, no Bible, no Gospels, no Analects, no Bhagavad Gita? The Romance of the Rose and The Imitation of Christ were once the most popular reading in Europe. Charlemagne used to have The City of God read to him repeatedly. It leaves one looking around for novel-like pre-modern literature, of which there isn't an abundance, and people are left with the impression that before Defoe all people really had to read was Don Quixote.

 

On the other hand, some of us really do need a little prompting to read some of the more recent stuff....

 

I have one more challenge left in me: plague literature, which really has to be done this year, doesn't it. I have a little start with the Defoe, and Mary Shelley's The Last Man appeared at the library discard store, unread, in a lovely Oxford edition. And then Camus, and then ...? Dh taunted me with The Stand, which he made me (really) read in high school and which will not get a second go.

[Guest]

Stopping in....this is the time of year where I really resort to fluff. My 52 is accomplished and other things have taken over my mind. :) Earlier this week I tried out a Debbie Macomber - Three Brides, No Grooms. I hated it and couldn't put it down, lol. At least I knocked it out in 2 hours. I am in the middle of A Year on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball that I think someone here recommended, maybe last year? I like the story so far, but I don't really like the author.

 

I re-organized my house (again) yesterday. I moved all my crafty stuff into my library, so now I have a very ME room. Books, comfy couch, yarn, and a sewing machine - all surrounded by bold teal walls and a huge window. Hea-ven!!!!!

 

Huge LOTR fans here. We just finished watching the movies with our kids for the first time. My dd has a crush on Legolas. Both kids pulled out our copies of the books and are very studiously trying to read through them, lol.

 

Sorry about the fleas, Shukriyya. We had a terrible bout with them many years ago, but that was caused to rats underneath the house. Dead rats. Yeah. Hope you get yours under control quickly. I do not want to know about pets in bed. Our cats sleep at our feet and I'm cool with that. Dogs are in the other room.

 

Jane, JANE! I went and "test drove" the Husqvarnas on Sunday....will message you about that soon! :001_wub: :001_wub: :001_wub:
 

 

Just finished The Aviator's Wife - 4 Stars - This book is about Charles and Anne Lindbergh. Before reading this, I really did not know much about them at all (I read “Gift from the Sea†by Anne just over ten years ago). As I was reading, I found myself continuously going online to research Lindberghs. Melanie Benjamin does a great job with historical biographies. This is her second book that I’ve read and really enjoyed, the first one was Mrs. Tom Thumb. I look forward to reading more by her.

 

I would be curious to look at this one. I started her book, Alice I Have Been and couldn't read it. It is Lewis Carroll and I like Alice in Wonderland too much to read the kind of disturbing story there.

[Pam in CT]

Of course the list isn't exactly "books" but "novels," which excludes the vast majority of pre-18th century literature. I'd like to see a list more reflective of what was written and read in earlier eras. Because, no Homer, no Virgil, no Milton, no Shakespeare, no Aeschylus? No Quran, no Bible, no Gospels, no Analects, no Bhagavad Gita? The Romance of the Rose and The Imitation of Christ were once the most popular reading in Europe. Charlemagne used to have The City of God read to him repeatedly. It leaves one looking around for novel-like pre-modern literature, of which there isn't an abundance, and people are left with the impression that before Defoe all people really had to read was Don Quixote.

 

______

 

On the other hand, some of us really do need a little prompting to read some of the more recent stuff....

 

I have one more challenge left in me: plague literature, which really has to be done this year, doesn't it. I have a little start with the Defoe, and Mary Shelley's The Last Man appeared at the library discard store, unread, in a lovely Oxford edition. And then Camus, and then ...? Dh taunted me with The Stand, which he made me (really) read in high school and which will not get a second go.

 

Re: novels, not "book" -- Agreed.  And any list is... limited.  Back to the perspective issue, lol.

 

____

 

But -- oooh, ooh, ooh!  I have a plague book for you!  And -- get this -- it was written in this millennium!

 

Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks (pub.2001; same author as People of the Book).  Lots of period atmosphere, lots of well researched background information, large cast of deeply flawed characters, some rising and many faltering in the face of the pressures of the time, and several unexpected plot twists I will not mention further.  

 

You do that one, and you can assign me one of your choice.  My sole criterion is that it not be dusty philosophy (sigh).

 

 

[Violet Crown]

Okay, I will make the library yield up Year of Wonders. And I'm counting The Decameron. So that gets me five.

 

I don't read much dusty philosophy. Dh reads it and coughs up the predigested summary for me. (Sorry for the disgusting metaphor; Wee Girl has been down with flu and we've been watching lots of David Attenborough.)

 

One of my choice? Hm. Have you read Guy de Maupassant's Bel-Ami? It's on the 1001 list, and is far from dusty.

[Pam in CT]

Okay, I will make the library yield up Year of Wonders. And I'm counting The Decameron. So that gets me five.

 

I don't read much dusty philosophy. Dh reads it and coughs up the predigested summary for me. (Sorry for the disgusting metaphor; Wee Girl has been down with flu and we've been watching lots of David Attenborough.)

 

One of my choice? Hm. Have you read Guy de Maupassant's Bel-Ami? It's on the 1001 list, and is far from dusty.

 

:lol:

 

Haven't had the, er, pleasure of Bel-Ami.  Far from dusty indeed.  We're on!

[Stacia]

Okay, I will make the library yield up Year of Wonders. And I'm counting The Decameron. So that gets me five.

 

Hey, I've read The Decameron (a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...). ;)

 

I don't read much dusty philosophy. Dh reads it and coughs up the predigested summary for me. (Sorry for the disgusting metaphor; Wee Girl has been down with flu and we've been watching lots of David Attenborough.)

 

:ack2:  and :lol:

 

:grouphug: . Hope Wee Girl feels better quickly.

[Butter]

Since I last checked in, I read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.  Loved it.  It should really be required reading of anyone studying slavery.

 

I finished reading Blood of Olympus.  Meh.  It wrapped up well.  The last 1/3 was great.  The first 2/3 was... boring.  Land somewhere, fight monsters and/or minor gods, win, possibly getting a mortal wound that will definitely not kill you in the process, move on.  And repeat.  And repeat a few more times.  Skip three days while Nico is unconscious because clearly nothing was going on with any demigods during that three days, but thank goodness we skip along because otherwise the boredom would have gone on another 150 pages before we got to the good stuff.  I love Rick Riordan's books, but I feel like he kind of ran out of steam around the third book in the Heroes of Olympus series but still felt the need to write two more 500+ page books.  Hopefully his Norse gods series will be better.

 

Now I am reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  Not loving it.  My 13 year old son will enjoy it a lot when he gets to it.  I'm also reading The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.  It's quite interesting.

[Violet Crown]

All copies of Year of Wonders in the public and university libraries are checked out, which tells me someone assigned it to their undergraduates. Which means the last week of classes Half Price will be flooded with copies and have to put most of them on the clearance shelf. This is how we do bookbuying around Big State U.

 

Butter, thanks for the nudge on Douglass. Got to get to that one, too.

[Stacia]

Talking about book sets.... I think I've inadvertently made one in my reading this year: Mink River by Brian Doyle & Galore (my current read) by Michael Crummey. Both are about communities along a North American coast (Oregon for Mink River, Newfoundland for Galore), families, histories, generations, a little bit of magical realism -- just wonderful storytelling. I loved Mink River & am totally loving Galore in the same way.  :001_wub:  And, unlike some of my reading :tongue_smilie: , I think both of these books would appeal to quite a few of my BaW pals.

 

Mink River:

Community is the beating heart of this fresh, memorable debut with an omniscient narrator and dozens of characters living in Neawanaka, a small coastal Oregon town. Daniel Cooney, a 12-year-old who wears his hair in three different-colored braids, has a terrible bike accident in the woods and is rescued by a bear. Daniel's grandfather, Worried Man, is able to sense others' pain even from a distance and goes on a dangerous mountain mission to track down the source of time with his dear friend, Cedar. Other key stories involve a young police officer whose life is threatened, a doctor who smokes one cigarette for each apostle per day, a lusty teenage couple who work at a shingle factory, and a crow who can speak English. The fantastical blends with the natural elements in this original, postmodern, shimmering tapestry of smalltown life that profits from the oral traditions of the town's population of Native Americans and Irish immigrants. Those intrigued by the cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest will treasure every lyrical sentence.

 

Galore:

Crummey (River Thieves) returns readers to historic Newfoundland in his mythic and gorgeous latest, set over the course of a century in the life of a hardscrabble fishing community. After a lean early-19th-century winter, a whale beaches itself and everyone in town gathers to help with the slaughter. But when a woman known only as Devine's Widow—when she's not called an outright witch—cuts into the belly, the body of an albino man slides out. He eventually revives, turns out to be a mute, and is dubbed Judah by the locals. Judah's mystery—is his appearance responsible for the great fishing season that follows?—is only one among many in this wild place, where the people are afflicted by ghosts and curses as much as cold and hunger. Crummey's survey eventually telescopes to the early 20th century, when Judah's pale great-grandson, Abel, sequesters himself amid medical debris in an old hospital where his opera singer cousin, Esther Newman, has returned and resolved to drink herself to death. But before she does so, she shares with him the family history he never knew. Crummey lovingly carves out the privation and inner intricacies that mark his characters' lives with folkloric embellishments and the precision of the finest scrimshaw.

 

And, I think I'd loosely categorize a couple more books I've read this year into the grouping of community tales (though they take a slightly different style):

A Dream in Polar Fog by Yuri Rytkheu

Sunjata by Bamba Suso & Banna Kanute

The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad

[shukriyya]

Sorry about the fleas, Shukriyya. We had a terrible bout with them many years ago, but that was caused to rats underneath the house. Dead rats. Yeah. Hope you get yours under control quickly. I do not want to know about pets in bed. Our cats sleep at our feet and I'm cool with that. Dogs are in the other room.

 

 

Rats, don't get me started on that ongoing problem either. The joys of urban living...

 

I don't read much dusty philosophy. Dh reads it and coughs up the predigested summary for me. (Sorry for the disgusting metaphor; Wee Girl has been down with flu and we've been watching lots of David Attenborough.)

 

 

A little too close for comfort, that metaphor, as we deal with kennel cough here.  :cheers2:

 

As for books I've got my titles set out for the rest of the year, one of which is a book our Stacia sent me called, "The Miracle Cures of Dr. Aira". Thank you, Stacia! If I'm able to read according to plan I should finish my 52 before the end of the year with a couple of weeks to spare. Fingers crossed.

 

I notice that I have assiduously avoided the long list, my free-roaming self bristling at the idea of such...attribution.

[Nan in Mass]

Shukriyya, I used Brewer's yeast http://www.wisegeek.com/how-effective-is-brewers-yeast-for-fleas.htm with my dog. He loved it on his food which was a bonus. It wasn't perfect and we didn't live in a warm climate. He did sleep with us but would not go that route ever again, it was heart breaking for all of us when he could no longer get on and off the bed.

 

We moved a child to the livingroom rug when this happened.  He decided that sleeping in front of the woodstove was the best and refused to move back, which was inconvenient and then led to problems when he moved into his college dorm and needed to sleep in a bed.  We have learned so much from our furry family members, and so much of it was completely unanticipated.  Lots of hugs.

[Kareni]

I don't read much dusty philosophy. Dh reads it and coughs up the predigested summary for me.

 

Would that then be a philosophy ball?

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Nan in Mass]

I told my mother about the Bechdel test and said I thought quite a lot of what we read passes that test.  She laughed and said, "Like Little Women."

 

Those who are reading The Aviator's Wife might like to read The Tale of the Rose by Consuelo de Saint-Exupéry.  I have not read it, but my mother has.  It is one of the many books she said I should read that I haven't.  Not sure now is the right time, but someday.  Anyone reading it probably wants to read Le Petit Prince first.

 

I am not getting ANYTHING done today and have pretty much given up until I have finished Ocean.  Well, I took some plants down off a high shelf in the greenhouse for my mother.  But that is IT.  Ug.  And finding something to follow will be difficult.  Maybe I'll read Miss Bianca.  My mother just finished that.  Or one of her other Margery Sharp's.  Sharpe?

 

Nan

[Angel]

I spent the afternoon shopping for craft supplies for making decorations for various themed trees. Our church is hosting a Christmas Tree festival and we are involved in five different trees.

 

 

So what are the themes of the trees you are involved with?!  Many moons ago I worked at the American Cancer Society at a local level.  One of the fundraisers was a tree festival.  It was one of my favorites.  

 

Our own Christmas tree last year was a Doctor Who theme  :D   This year the girls are thinking maybe Harry Potter.

 

Meanwhile I read a short Eliot and brought myself up to fifty-two books for the year. Time for the List.

 

 

:thumbup:

 

 

:grouphug: . Hope Wee Girl feels better quickly.

 

Me too!

 

 

I finished reading Blood of Olympus.  Meh.  It wrapped up well.  The last 1/3 was great.  The first 2/3 was... boring.  Land somewhere, fight monsters and/or minor gods, win, possibly getting a mortal wound that will definitely not kill you in the process, move on.  And repeat.  And repeat a few more times.  Skip three days while Nico is unconscious because clearly nothing was going on with any demigods during that three days, but thank goodness we skip along because otherwise the boredom would have gone on another 150 pages before we got to the good stuff.  I love Rick Riordan's books, but I feel like he kind of ran out of steam around the third book in the Heroes of Olympus series but still felt the need to write two more 500+ page books.  Hopefully his Norse gods series will be better.

 

 

:lol:  The last book I read of his was The Mark of Athena  :ack2:  I was beginning to wonder if he was trying to hit some record for using the words "girlfriend" and "boyfriend."  Riordan has fallen out of favor with dd so we did not finish the series. 

 

I am reading book 52 and 53 right now and neither are capturing my interest!  The one I have to finish before co-op Monday, so I know I will reach my goal by the end of this week.  Maybe I've read too much fast-paced YA books lately.  Hmm, well, no, I read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow & Rip Van Winkle as well as A Christmas Carol and enjoyed them both.  I don't know, just a slow week I suppose.  

[Kareni]

Eliana,

 

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about having read Like No Other by Una LaMarche which I enjoyed.  I wonder if you've read it.  If so, I'd love to hear your opinion of it and whether it accurately reflects an Orthodox lifestyle.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

VC - Congrats on your 52!  

 

Is it too early to talk about Christmas here?  Anyone giving books as gifts?

 

DD and DS are getting a huge stack of Usborne history books and DH is getting an Usborne history book on Rome since that' his current passion.  I figure he can read it aloud to DD and they'll both enjoy it.  My BFF is getting Something About You (recommended by our own Kareni), and my mom is getting At Home by Bill Bryson.  

 

[6packofun]

Next up for me:  The Object of Her Affections by Sonya Cobb about a young-ish mother who is stealing masterpieces from the museum of art where her husband works in order to keep their house--which she HAD to have, lol--out of foreclosure.

 

After that, I will be tackling Kristin Lavrandsdatter.  I'm afraid.  It's huge.  Also, a quick question to anyone who has read this.  The back of the copy I have says it "portrays the clash between feudal violence and Christian piety..." and I'm wondering how negatively religion is portrayed in the story.  (I'm OK with negative, showing the flaws of flawed human beings, but exaggerated criticism of any religion can get annoying if it's a constant thing.) 

[Kareni]

Is it too early to talk about Christmas here?  Anyone giving books as gifts?

 

 

I'm sure I'll be giving some books as gifts. 

 

for my husband: a book about Korean verbs and  Calculus Made Easy

 

for my adult daughter: Jo Walton's Tooth and Claw which sounds intriguing plus several others to be determined

 

for my sister: I'll likely renew her subscription to Bookmarks Magazine and fill in some of the missing books in her Janet Evanovich collection

 

for my brother-in-law: The Martian: A Novel (since I so enjoyed it and hope he will too) and possibly a book about the Civil War which is an interest of his

 

for my ex-sister-in-law: a collection of paranormal and other romances that I've been picking up throughout the year

 

Regards,

Kareni

[LostSurprise]

I woke up today in a quantifying mood.  As such urges strike rarely, I wanted to share, lol...

 

Of VC's 52 books thus far in 2014, I've read 8, or 15%.  Of these 8, only one did I read this year (Cone Gatherers).  VC's comment about how much higher a percentage of the 1001 list she'd read in more recent ETA: earlier!!   centuries got me curious, so...

 

 

(first of all, I would like to take this opportunity to kvetch about just how exasperating to quantifcation-minded sorts such as, ahem, myself :lol:   are all the a,b,c's on that list???! Once you count all those in, it's not 1001 books at all; it's more like 1243!!  So, Robin, at current rates it actually will take 123 MORE years to get through them all than you'd forecasted.....)

 

 

Anyway, drumroll...

 

In the 2000's: I've read 17 out of (approximately!  see a,b,c issue, above, grumble) 109 books:  16%

 

in the 1900's: I've read 127 out of (approximately! grumble) 920 books: 14%

 

In the 1800's: I've read 33 out of (approximately! grumble) 189 books: 17%

 

Earlier: I've read 10 out of 25 books: 40%

 

(total: 177 / 1243 ish: 14%)

 

which was interesting to me... unlike VC I actually don't feel that I mostly live in pre-1800 literature circles -- I expected the % to decline as I went back in time.  It is true that were it not for Austen, the Brontes and Dickens by 1800's would have been quite paltry!

 

 

So that's my Morning Report.  I do believe I'm avoiding dusty philosophy books...

 

I'd rather do the VC list myself, hers looks more interesting. :P

 

I love statistics. Thanks for being bored last night, Pam. I tallied mine up while dh while waiting for ds to do grammar. You beat me in 2000s. I beat you in 1900s. We're about even in 1800s. And I'm not sure if Earlier includes 1700s or not because somehow I end up with more books than the total? Did I mention I didn't major in Math?

[shukriyya]

I'd probably have great success with a challenge if I did it retroactively!

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

Actually, this is rather a brilliant idea and I think I'm going to do that next year (which is only seven or so weeks away if you're following the Gregorian calendar) for my 5/5. It will be interesting to see the unintentional patterns that begin to reveal themselves through my choice of reading material and will give much food for thought on many other levels, a little glimpse into the psyche allowed to roam free.

[aggieamy]

Well, they weren't pulling those 1001 Books To Read Before You Die off the shelves of Flufferton Abbey.

 

I've read:

 

2000's x 0

1900's x 13

1800's x 10

 

and that's it.

 

Lots of the books on the list don't interest me so I think rather than being well read I'll continue just reading for fun.  

[Kareni]

Many thanks for your thoughtful remarks, Eliana; I enjoyed reading them.

 

Which leads me off on the rabbit trail of love... can there be real, lasting 'love at first sight'?  The differences between lightning flash of attraction/interest/affection and a slow building love... and what takes a lightning flash and nurtures it to keep burning?

 

...

 

These are all good questions and food for thought.  For all that I love to read romances, I'm somewhat dubious about the idea of love at first sight.  Attraction, yes, I can see that.  But for me, love needed knowledge and connection and those needed time.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Angel]

Well, they weren't pulling those 1001 Books To Read Before You Die off the shelves of Flufferton Abbey.

 

I've read:

 

2000's x 0

1900's x 13

1800's x 10

 

and that's it.

 

Lots of the books on the list don't interest me so I think rather than being well read I'll continue just reading for fun.  

 

:lol:  :lol:

 

Ok, I admit to giving up looking at the list after the first 100 or so.  Now, I'm curious to see if I've read any!

[mumto2]

[q name=Nan in Mass" post="6020978" timestamp="1415726639]We moved a child to the livingroom rug when this happened.  He decided that sleeping in front of the woodstove was the best and refused to move back, which was inconvenient and then led to problems when he moved into his college dorm and needed to sleep in a bed.  We have learned so much from our furry family members, and so much of it was completely unanticipated.  Lots of hugs.

 

 

I would imagine the transition from living room floor to dorm room bed would be quite shocking. My kids normally sleep on airbeds on the living room floor at our vacation home and love it because of the TV and dvd player. If they had a wood stove they would be very hard to bring home to real beds!

 

Poor Dudley, it was a such distressing time for all. I was pregnant and on bed rest when the problem developed so already hugely stressed. He used a step set up during the day to lay with me sometimes and he spent nights beside dh on the floor with dh hand on his back all night. Eventually we managed to find a fluffy floor rug he would lay on. Maybe a tiny doggie in bed again someday but not 50 pounds worth.

 

 

 

So what are the themes of the trees you are involved with?!  Many moons ago I worked at the American Cancer Society at a local level.  One of the fundraisers was a tree festival.  It was one of my favorites.  

 

Our own Christmas tree last year was a Doctor Who theme  :D   This year the girls are thinking maybe Harry Potter.

 

 

 

I love the idea of a themed tree. Dr who and Harry Potter are both fun ideas. Dc's each have a small tree in their bedrooms. Ds does a Smurf one each year with all the McDonald's Smurfs he has collected over the years with shiny red Smurf berries. Recently dd has been displaying ornaments she made for past events like the Tree festival.

 

Dd works on the Church's flower team so we (I do clean up while she does her arrangement each week) are working on the main tree which will be left up throughout the month. As my husband puts it we are making it "two faced". The half facing the main church will depict the traditional Nativity. Wisemen, shepherds, camels, frankincense, Mary, Joseph......pretty much the whole story. The other side will be commercial with Santa, presents, lots of stuff. It should be interesting, am curious what sort of comments it will generate. Big tree so lots of decorations to make.

 

Handbell ringers are the bell shaped cookies and whatever else the kids come up with. I bought a few self adhesive paper chain kits yesterday at a Pound Store in case more is needed quickly.

 

Tower bell ringers, appears to be very little work because they are reusing what they did before. Just set up for us.

 

Patchwork group, as you might guess patchwork and other handmade ornaments.

 

Watercolour group (dd again) has done a series of small (3" square) holiday themed paintings. Dd is done. They are attaching them to little easels. Should be lovely.

 

It should be interesting getting all of these done in one evening. I think we(our family) are expected to work on all 5. I am not sure how many trees are planned. Last time they did this I think there were 40 plus.

[Stacia]

All you statistical folks made me go back & take a closer look at the 1,001 books list (in Robin's post).... My eyes were crossing going through such a long list, but I think this is fairly accurate.

 

2000s: read 7; partially read 2

1900s: read 55; partially read 10

1800s: read 32; partially read 5

1700s & previous: read 4; partially read 4

 

Btw, some of the books on the list are weird choices, imo. For example, The Midnight Examiner. It's about writers/supermarket tabloids & I found & read it eons ago because my sister has always been an avid reader of weird stuff, including the most notorious & freaky tabloids. (I once gave her a subscription to the one that used to feature aliens/UFOs/Elvis/Bigfoot sightings -- something like the Daily World News or similar, but I can't remember the exact name because it is now defunct.) Anyway, she & I stumbled across this book & found it howlingly funny in light of her tabloid addiction. I'm sure the copy is still in her house somewhere. Even so, it just seems a strange addition to a 'must read' books list unless you're a fan of the absurd & fake 'journalism'.

[Stacia]

Re: the themed Christmas trees. Years ago, one of the Japanese companies I worked for participated in a Festival of Trees. We made oodles of origami ornaments for it before the tree was donated to the festival. Fun & lovely.

[Kareni]

Well, they weren't pulling those 1001 Books To Read Before You Die off the shelves of Flufferton Abbey.

 

I've read:

 

2000's x 0

1900's x 13

1800's x 10

 

 

My numbers are (approximately as I may have lost count):

 

2000s ... 2

1900s ... 62

1800s ... 28

1700s and earlier ... 2

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Nan in Mass]

Done!

Whew!

Nan

[mumto2]

For all that I love to read romances, I'm somewhat dubious about the idea of love at first sight.  Attraction, yes, I can see that.  But for me, love needed knowledge and connection and those needed time.

 

Regards,

Kareni

Another romance reader who has to admit to being highly sceptical when I read about love at first sight. I knew Dh for 10 years before we married (from 14) so definately not my personal experience. ;) I have to admit that I find all that history incredibly comforting as we grow older. My reality is that in a few years he will be one of the only people in my life who knew me that long ago. Same for him.

 

Eliana, I also appreciated your views. I downloaded Like No Other from overdrive when Kareni originally mentioned it. I haven't tried it yet but would like to.

[Angel]

 

I love the idea of a themed tree. Dr who and Harry Potter are both fun ideas. Dc's each have a small tree in their bedrooms. Ds does a Smurf one each year with all the McDonald's Smurfs he has collected over the years with shiny red Smurf berries. Recently dd has been displaying ornaments she made for past events like the Tree festival.

 

Dd works on the Church's flower team so we (I do clean up while she does her arrangement each week) are working on the main tree which will be left up throughout the month. As my husband puts it we are making it "two faced". The half facing the main church will depict the traditional Nativity. Wisemen, shepherds, camels, frankincense, Mary, Joseph......pretty much the whole story. The other side will be commercial with Santa, presents, lots of stuff. It should be interesting, am curious what sort of comments it will generate. Big tree so lots of decorations to make.

 

Handbell ringers are the bell shaped cookies and whatever else the kids come up with. I bought a few self adhesive paper chain kits yesterday at a Pound Store in case more is needed quickly.

 

Tower bell ringers, appears to be very little work because they are reusing what they did before. Just set up for us.

 

Patchwork group, as you might guess patchwork and other handmade ornaments.

 

Watercolour group (dd again) has done a series of small (3" square) holiday themed paintings. Dd is done. They are attaching them to little easels. Should be lovely.

 

It should be interesting getting all of these done in one evening. I think we(our family) are expected to work on all 5. I am not sure how many trees are planned. Last time they did this I think there were 40 plus.

 

 

 

Re: the themed Christmas trees. Years ago, one of the Japanese companies I worked for participated in a Festival of Trees. We made oodles of origami ornaments for it before the tree was donated to the festival. Fun & lovely.

 

These all sound lovely!  I would love to see the watercolor one.  How unique!

[Angel]

After looking through the list, this is what I've come up with.  I included what books they were since the list wasn't long.

 

2000 - 0

 

1900 - 8 (Slaughterhouse-Five, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lord of the Rings, The Lord of the Flies, Pippi Longstocking, The Hobbit, Gone with the Wind, and Brave, New World), partially read 1 (The Handmaid's Tale), also, I think I've read Rebecca and The Age of Innocence but not 100% sure, and I know I read a Steinbeck novel in high school, just don't remember which one.

 

1800 - 15 (Dracula, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Little Women, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The House of the Seven Gables, Jane Eyre, Vanity Fair, A Christmas Carol, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Emma, Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility), also I know I've read Poe, but can't remember which ones, and I think I've read Anna Karenina and Wuthering Heights but again, not 100%

 

1700 - 0

 

Pre-1700 - 1 (The Pilgrim's Progress)

 

If I had to pick 5 books from the list that I haven't read for Robin's challenge, they would probably be:

 

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

 

 

[Pam in CT]

re: VC's husband digesting dusty philosophy and regurgitating it into tidy little masses for VC's easy digestion.... :ack2:

Would that then be a philosophy ball?

 

Regards,

Kareni

:lol: See, this sort of comeback is why Kareni kicks butt over on the Forum Game.  Just sayin'.

 

 

 

Re: Bechdel test:

 

Have you read Turning on the Girls?  One of my favorite works of feminist fiction.  I'm surprised it doesn't get more recognition.  More realistic, perhaps?, than Herland (which I adored as a teen), at least less utopian, but with a heart and idealism that spoke to me.

No!  And when I saw this in one of the reviews:

 

"Women rule the world. Borderline males who can be fixed are reeducated with counseling and medication. Die hard chauvinist pigs and similar non-repairable disorders are exiled to Zone Six.  A growing black market thrives with the selling of contraband consisting of the most dangerous element to society, romance novels. In the Ministry of Thought, Lisa searches for a permissible sexual fantasy so women will not regress back to the outlawed romantic urges of previous generations. To accomplish her mission, Lisa conducts research into the banned pornography of the past. With the help of her reeducated assistant Justin, they go underground, but soon find themselves in trouble in Zone Six from throwbacks of both genders. 1984, with a totally female dominated society, is the underlying foundation to this strong satirical futuristic tale..."

 

I had to double-check that I was actually looking at the right book!   :lol:   I will, uh, give it a try!

 

[Kareni]

 

:lol: See, this sort of comeback is why Kareni kicks butt over on the Forum Game.  Just sayin'.

 

 

Well, thank you kindly, Pam.  I think this may be the first time ever that I've garnered that compliment!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Rosie_0801]

 

Which leads me off on the rabbit trail of love... can there be real, lasting 'love at first sight'?  The differences between lightning flash of attraction/interest/affection and a slow building love... and what takes a lightning flash and nurtures it to keep burning?

 

...and how much choice/agency do we have about love?  Is it really the overpowering, all dominating force before which we are powerless that is so commonly depicted? 

 

How far do/should we go in crossing our own standards/boundaries/beliefs in the name of, to further (romantic) love?

 

...and can I really fairly ask any of these questions since I've never had to struggle or suffer for (romantic) love? 

 

Soul mate connections can happen at first sight. That is not love though.

 

What you can avoid doing to pursuing it is probably personality dependant.

 

You can ask anything you like. Some things are better explored within the context of a thought experiment!

 

 

 

On a different topic, I wish to do a Jewish reading challenge next year. What should I read?

[Kareni]

I enjoyed browsing through Ladled: Nourishing Soups for All Seasons by Kimberly Harris which was recommended in a soup thread by Liz CA.

 

"A hearty stew on a cold winter night; a light, clear soup as a start to a meal; a spicy pho soup to warm the body and soul…It's hard to imagine a more comforting, nourishing food than a homemade soup or stew. And it is even harder to find a food more steeped in history. The art of creating homemade stocks and soups has known no borders, leading to such delicacies as Scottish yellow broth, Vietnamese pho soup, Indian lentil soup, and English pea soup. ..."

 

I'll admit that I drooled quite a bit.  There is a danger to reading recipes ....

 

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

I enjoyed browsing through Ladled: Nourishing Soups for All Seasons by Kimberly Harris which was recommended in a soup thread by Liz CA.

 

"A hearty stew on a cold winter night; a light, clear soup as a start to a meal; a spicy pho soup to warm the body and soul…It's hard to imagine a more comforting, nourishing food than a homemade soup or stew. And it is even harder to find a food more steeped in history. The art of creating homemade stocks and soups has known no borders, leading to such delicacies as Scottish yellow broth, Vietnamese pho soup, Indian lentil soup, and English pea soup. ..."

 

I'll admit that I drooled quite a bit.  There is a danger to reading recipes ....

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

I just grabbed that book from the library yesterday!  Have you made any of the recipes?  I have the ingredients to make the English Stew (??? I think that was what it was called) later this week.  

[NoseInABook]

Hyacinth, the titles made me laugh out loud too.

 

Phoenix, ooh, that room sounds positively swoonworthy.

 

I thought that Moms Who Drink and Swear would amuse me. Instead I'm just kind of annoyed with the author's ridiculous rants. Good thing I bought it when it was one of those $1.99 deals and didn't pay full price. I'll give it a few more chapters and then I might just give myself permission to shelve it. Wooo, growth in reading. ;) 

[aggieamy]

After looking through the list, this is what I've come up with.  I included what books they were since the list wasn't long.

 

2000 - 0

 

1900 - 8 (Slaughterhouse-Five, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lord of the Rings, The Lord of the Flies, Pippi Longstocking, The Hobbit, Gone with the Wind, and Brave, New World), partially read 1 (The Handmaid's Tale), also, I think I've read Rebecca and The Age of Innocence but not 100% sure, and I know I read a Steinbeck novel in high school, just don't remember which one.

 

1800 - 15 (Dracula, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Little Women, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The House of the Seven Gables, Jane Eyre, Vanity Fair, A Christmas Carol, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Emma, Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility), also I know I've read Poe, but can't remember which ones, and I think I've read Anna Karenina and Wuthering Heights but again, not 100%

 

1700 - 0

 

Pre-1700 - 1 (The Pilgrim's Progress)

 

If I had to pick 5 books from the list that I haven't read for Robin's challenge, they would probably be:

 

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

 

Have you read any PG Wodehouse?  I think you'll love him!

 

Ditto the above question and comment about Sherlock Holmes.   :thumbup1:

 

I have EM Foster on my to read list also.  I will try to get to it next year. 

[aggieamy]

 

Happy Sunday, dear hearts!  Today is the start of week 46 in our quest to read 52 Books. Welcome back to all our readers, to all those who are just joining in and to all who are following our progress. Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 Books blog to link to your reviews. The link is below in my signature.

 

52 Books Blog - 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die:   I received this book last Christmas and determined that  I had read 51 out of the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.  If I live to be 100 years old, that would mean I need to read 21 books a year in order read all 1001. That's not going to happen,  just because....fill in the blank with whatever excuse comes to mind. *grin*  However, I could probably manage 5 to 10 a year if I really put my heart and mind into it.  And speaking of my mind, I've already started brainstorming for 2015 since we only have 8 weeks (7 1/2 if you want to get technical) left in the year.  *facepalm*  I think everyone will agree this year has gone by way to fast. 

 

So I've set a new goal for myself as well as, drumroll please......decided to present you with a new mini challenge for next year.  I thought you'd appreciate the advance notice.  In order to avoid the 'my eyes are bigger than my stomach' syndrome, going to limit it to 5 books.  

 

 

I will accept our fearless leader's challenge and will also try to fit it into my new 1/52/15 challenge by picking the books most likely to involve England/Regency period/a murder/or some delightful misunderstanding with a foppish young gentlemen and his clever butler.

 

Howards End – E.M. Forster

Kim - Rudyard Kipling

The Maltese Falcon - Dahiell Hammett

Murder Must Advertise - Dorothy Sayers

The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco

[Violet Crown]

Veblen on the eternal question, Dog or Cat?

 

"In the case of those domestic animals which are honorific and are reputed beautiful, there is a subsidiary basis of merit that should be spoken of. Apart from the birds which belong in the honorific class of domestic animals, and which owe their place in this class to their non-lucrative character alone, the animals which merit particular attention are cats, dogs, and fast horses. The cat is less reputable than the other two just named, because she is less wasteful; she may even serve a useful end. At the same time the cat's temperament does not fit her for the honorific purpose. She lives with man on terms of equality, knows nothing of that relation of status which is the ancient basis of all distinctions of worth, honor, and repute, and she does not lend herself with facility to an invidious comparison between her owner and his neighbors. The exception to this last rule occurs in the case of such scarce and fanciful products as the Angora cat, which have some slight honorific value on the ground of expensiveness, and have, therefore, some special claim to beauty on pecuniary grounds.

 

The dog has advantages in the way of uselessness as well as in special gifts of temperament. He is often spoken of, in an eminent sense, as the friend of man, and his intelligence and fidelity are praised. The meaning of this is that the dog is man's servant and that he has the gift of an unquestioning subservience and a slave's quickness in guessing his master's mood. Coupled with these traits, which fit him well for the relation of status—and which must for the present purpose be set down as serviceable traits—the dog has some characteristics which are of a more equivocal aesthetic value. He is the filthiest of the domestic animals in his person and the nastiest in his habits. For this he makes up is a servile, fawning attitude towards his master, and a readiness to inflict damage and discomfort on all else. The dog, then, commends himself to our favor by affording play to our propensity for mastery, and as he is also an item of expense, and commonly serves no industrial purpose, he holds a well-assured place in men's regard as a thing of good repute."

 

--Thorstein Veblen, The Theory of the Leisure Class, "Pecuniary Canons of Taste"

[Pam in CT]

re: Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming:

.Pam, yes to your offer ...
 

 

OK, darling, I just finished putting a few of my favorite bits onto my blog, and will pop it in the mail tomorrow!

[Kareni]

Regarding Ladled:

 

I just grabbed that book from the library yesterday! 

 

Clearly a case of great minds thinking alike!

 

 Have you made any of the recipes?  I have the ingredients to make the English Stew (??? I think that was what it was called) later this week.  

 

I haven't made any of the recipes.  Many of them sounded yummy, but they were either

 

1. duplicative of things we already make (I should really say 'that my husband makes' as he is our chef)

 

2. costly

 

3. too time consuming

 

I'll be interested to hear any further thoughts you care to share after making the English stew.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[prairiegirl]

 

 

Just finished The Aviator's Wife - 4 Stars - This book is about Charles and Anne Lindbergh. Before reading this, I really did not know much about them at all (I read “Gift from the Sea†by Anne just over ten years ago). As I was reading, I found myself continuously going online to research Lindberghs. Melanie Benjamin does a great job with historical biographies. This is her second book that I’ve read and really enjoyed, the first one was Mrs. Tom Thumb. I look forward to reading more by her.

 

 

 

 

Negin,  I read that book earlier this year and quite enjoyed it.  I, too, did research on  Lindbergh while I was reading the book.  It also led me on a rabbit trail of reading Gifts from the Sea and  Reeve Lindbergh's (the daughter)  memoirs. 

Negin, your post reminded me that I wanted to read this book. I had planned to read a trio of books this year, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe instead of 5/5/5 for myself, I'll do some book 'sets' in 2015, especially because I so enjoyed my Pym reading last year (4 books).

 

Some of the sets I'm planning:

 

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

North to the Orient by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life by Susan Hertog

 

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Moby Dick in Pictures: One Drawing for Every Page by Matt Kish

maybe one or two other books TBD

 

The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo

In the Footsteps of Marco Polo by Denis Belliveau & Fancis O'Donnell

maybe one or two other books TBD

 

Stacia,  I love your book sets.  It sounds like fun.  I might think of making my own sets as well for the new year.

 

 

 

Is it too early to talk about Christmas here?  Anyone giving books as gifts?

 

DD and DS are getting a huge stack of Usborne history books and DH is getting an Usborne history book on Rome since that' his current passion.  I figure he can read it aloud to DD and they'll both enjoy it.  My BFF is getting Something About You (recommended by our own Kareni), and my mom is getting At Home by Bill Bryson.  

 

I only give book presents to my kids (they're the only ones who appreciate books as presents.)    My oldest is getting  the Maze Runner series and While Beauty Slept  by Elizabeth Blackwell.  My ds' gift is a wrestlng book (I need to think of some more for him. He's not a real book guy so he's a bit tricky)  and my youngest will be receiving a Doodle Art Journal  and some Agatha Christie mysteries.

[Violet Crown]

Yes! Half Price was indeed full of identical copies of Year of Wonders, with all the marked-up or beaten-up copies on the dollar clearance shelf. So that's added to the TBR pile (and I used my 40%-off coupon on Dumas fils' Camille; Middle Girl is intrepidly reading Dumas père's chunkster Twenty Years After, so we'll have a father-son, mother-daughter read). And dh wants me to read a Saramago novel that's apparently plague-related also. Because he's been trying to get me to read Saramago for years. And I think he's a little jealous of my virtual reading club here.

[Pam in CT]

Yes! Half Price was indeed full of identical copies of Year of Wonders, with all the marked-up or beaten-up copies on the dollar clearance shelf. So that's added to the TBR pile (and I used my 40%-off coupon on Dumas fils' Camille; Middle Girl is intrepidly reading Dumas père's chunkster Twenty Years After, so we'll have a father-son, mother-daughter read). And dh wants me to read a Saramago novel that's apparently plague-related also. Because he's been trying to get me to read Saramago for years. And I think he's a little jealous of my virtual reading club here.

 

:hurray: I wish I lived in a university town.... my parents do, and the used book stores are AWESOME.  Enjoy!  My library has the Oxford Bel-Ami (Margaret Mauldon translation), so I'll pick that up in due course.  I didn't bother putting myself on the wait list as I doubt there'll be a run on it.

[Angel]

Have you read any PG Wodehouse?  I think you'll love him!

 

Ditto the above question and comment about Sherlock Holmes.   :thumbup1:

 

I have EM Foster on my to read list also.  I will try to get to it next year. 

 

No, but you all talk about him all the time, and he has caught my interest!