LostSurprise
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Posts posted by LostSurprise
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I like those two knitting podcasts too, Laura. CogKNITive and Teaching Your Brain to Knit are both interesting too...especially if you're interested in psychology or biology.
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Futility Closet
Myths and Legends
Most Notorious!
History of England & The Anglo Saxon podcast (same author)
The Rhine
What Should I Read Next?
Harmonia Early Music
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This week I finished:
Uprooted – Naomi Novik 3/9/16 - Loved this! I hope she writes a sequel.
I read that in January and I really liked it too!
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I just finished up Go Set a Watchman (Harper Lee's finally released sequel), Death's Acre (forensic anthropology), and Halting State (Charles Stross near-future science fiction). I enjoyed all of them. They all were uneven but had ideas or story-telling which made them fun.
Currently working on:
a few graphic novels by French-Canadian Michel Rabagliati...none of the usual graphic novel fantasy or sex but tons of enjoyable real-life stuff...extended family life in Quebec, etc. I like it so far.
Yes, Please. Amy Poehler's biography, on audio (which she narrates with clips from lots of other people)
a folksy crime novel from 1970 called The Friends of Eddie Coyle. This one is for a group but I read some to dh in the car this morning and the character's voices are really fun. The way they speak is character-telling. I enjoy that.
2016 Reading List
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Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End by Jennifer Worth~memoir, history, ‘50s, England, medical, series.
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Skunk Hill: a Native Ceremonial Community in Wisconsin by Robert Birmingham~history, archaeology, Native peoples.
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Uprooted by Naomi Novik~fantasy, fairy tale, magic, Poland *
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Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel~speculative fiction, pandemic, Midwest, Shakespeare.
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Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel~fiction, history, audiobook. 16th century, England. *
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Strange Things Still Happen edited by Angela Carter~fantasy, fairy tales, female-focus, Africa, Palestine, Norway, Hungary, Mexico, US, China.
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Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger~fantasy, steampunk, series.
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A Guide to Forgetting by Jeffrey Skinner~poetry, sonnets, free.
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The Scavengers by Michael Perry~youth fiction, post-apocalypse, survival, genetic engineering
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Zoobiquity by Barbary Horowitz~non-fiction, biology, animals, medicine.
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The Designer’s Guide to Global Color Combinations by Leslie Carbega~nonfiction, art, color theory,China, Korea, Indonesia, Japan, India, Iran, Europe, Africa, US.
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The Designer’s Guide to Color by James Stockton~nonfiction, art, color, swatches.
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Fireworks: Nine Profane Tales by Angela Carter~short stories, fiction, fables and fairy tales.
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The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson~history, memoir, WWII, Germany.
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These Is My Words by Nancy Turner~historical fiction, pioneer, epistolary, 19th century. **
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The Race to Save the Lord God Bird by Philip Hoose~non-fiction, ecology, birds, US, Cuba.
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Knit Wear Love by Amy Herzog~knitting, sweaters, construction.
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The Eclectic Sole by Janel Laidman~knitting, socks, patterns.
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Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee~fiction, series, Civil Rights, family.
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Death’s Acre by Dr. William Bass~non-fiction, forensics, crime. 21. Halting State by Charles Stross~science fiction, future, gaming, Scotland.
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I finished some books on color theory, In the Garden of Beasts (Larson's history of Nazi Germany in the '30s through the eyes of the American ambassador and his daughter), and Angela Carter's Fireworks: Nine Profane Tales.
I liked Carter's style, but found her topics (incest, rape) a bit rough so I decided to stop with this book and read The Bloody Chamber later. She has an interesting sense awe mixed with hard, dirty reality. This was her first book so she seemed a little more in love with complexity than her fairy tale retellings, but I was impressed with her and look forward to reading more later (a little at a time).
In the Garden of Beasts was meh. Like the one about the Chicago World's Fair, this one really seemed broken into 2 subjects which intersected but didn't always work together. I got a bit tired of Martha Dodd's lovelife.
I picked up These Is My Words by Nancy Turner and I'm enjoying it. It's a plot-driven novel, very quick moving, and the main character (17 year old girl pioneering with her family through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona) has a fun voice. My dh didn't have anything to read at the dentist so he read the first 35 pages or so and he called it, "an exciting Laura Ingalls." Lots of bad stuff happens to characters...and good things...in general the characters feel historically realistic. The main characters attempts to be herself, and to fit in societies idea of womanhood, and her naivete in things like romance and figuring out what she wants in her life just ring true to me.
Anyway, I'm enjoying it a lot, and for those who like historical fiction or the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, you would probably enjoy it too. I heard about it on the What Should I Read Next? podcast.
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I found prescription eyeglasses ordered from an online site (like Zenni) worked very well and were an inexpensive (I think mine were $25) choice. You can also choose the frame and the level and color of the tint. I love mine.
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I need to make some bathmats. I wash ours so often nothing really stands up.
I just finished my David Bowie socks (pattern Ziggy Played Guitar on Ravelry) and am moving on to make my 13 year old a hat. He chose a snowy tree pattern and I'm almost halfway through.
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Oh, and I finished Zoobiquity yesterday. It had good things and bad things. I liked her level of detail, I believe in her thesis (animal and human medical research complement each other and should cooperate and inform each other more), but frankly I'm not sure she knew what she wanted out of the book. Subjects ran from the specific and academic to the frivolous and pop biology (cancer, sex, STDs, self-harm, eating disorders). In the end I think it was a good idea, but it's a pick-and-choose research project. Some interesting excerpts but not a rush out and buy.
I'm probably half way through The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared and I should finish it but I'm bored. There is some humor but it's at the level of farce and the set-up has the man character much more like Forest Gump than I would prefer. Eh. I may put it down because...
I started Angela Carter's Burning Your Boats: the Collected Short Stories and she is far more pointed and fun. She has a fascinating way of mixing wonder and everyday earthiness. Her writing is really sharp and descriptive. Plus, she uses a lot of fairy tale motifs and set-ups and I'm not quite over my January fairy tale binge (every January I read at least 1 book of fairy tales...for me it complements the snow and the slower pace and the illustrations jumpstart my imagination for the new year).
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Burmese Looking Glass by Edith Mirante
From the book description:
"As captivating as the most thrilling novel, Burmese Looking Glass tells the story of tribal peoples who, though ravaged by malaria and weakened by poverty, are unforgettably brave. Author Edith Mirante first crossed illegally from Thailand into Burma in 1983. There she discovered the hidden conflict that has despoiled the country since the close of World War II. She met commandos and refugees and learned firsthand the machinations of Golden Triangle narcotics trafficking. Mirante was the first Westerner to march with the rebels from the fabled Three Pagodas Pass to the Andaman Sea; she taught karate to women soldiers, was ritually tattooed by a Shan “spirit doctor,†has lobbied successfully against U.S. government donation of Agent Orange chemicals to the dictatorship, and was deported from Thailand in 1988."
And I think this Library Journal review gives the caution I was trying to compose:
"Don't bother to get this book for a human rights collection, for only one small segment deals with seeing fields sprayed with 2, 4-D. And since punk artist Mirante believes in direct discovery rather than scholarly investigation, don't expect any insights into cultural diversity either. Buy this book, if you must, for its descriptive travel account of Mirante's encounters in the 1980s with the Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Mon, Palaung, Shan, and Wa people along the Thai-Burma border. Armchair travelers can revel in her joys and hardships along the frontier, but others will question her conclusions. Observing drug trafficking, teak forest plunder, and massive corruption about her, Mirante decides that these problems result from Ne Win and the Burmese government. Surely they will not disappear with a change of government. The work abruptly ends with Mirante's second deportation from Thailand in 1988 and her inability ever to return."
Beyond the Last Village by Alan Rabinowitz:
Thanks for these recommendations Eliana. My freshman roommate was a 2nd generation immigrant from the Karen people. I heard a few interesting stories about their life in Burma and I remember them fondly. Thanks.
Here's a link to it on Robin's blog.
I'm glad we have the whole year to chip away at the bingo square - I like having the suggestions (it is one way to decide which of the absurd number of books stacked on my bedside bookshelf to pick up now), but I don't like to feel pressured.
I hope Robin doesn't mind...I posted the Bingo square on Facebook and several of my friends found it a fun motivational tool.
Me...I think most of the things I've read could apply but they are so random I haven't made a bingo yet! I'm enjoying my Random Reading...ooh shiny!...and this thread definitely contributes to that.
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Book suggestion request: Shannon finished Why Didn't They Ask Evans by Agatha Christie last night, and she loved it! She says it's just the kind of villain she likes. Since I got the suggestion for that one here, I thought I'd troll for other similar mysteries that a 13 year old might enjoy - definitely cozy, not gritty.
The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Laurie King)?
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency?
The Moonstone (Collins)?
the Enola Holmes series (Springer)?
The Wollstencraft Detective Agency?
I enjoyed Christie's Tommy and Tuppence series, Sherlock Holmes, and Isaac Asimov's Tales of the Black Widowers in early high school.
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I'm reading The Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man (Thomas Mann) this week with side trips into Zoobiquity: What Animals Can Teach Us About Health and the Science of Healing (Horowitz) and The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.
I picked up the Mann at a used bookstore. It's mannerly and easy to read. I've been trying to read Magic Mountain for ages and I love Mann's style, but I keep losing that book so this is a nice stand in. The themes are much lighter than Mountain. The main character is an obvious narcissist, which makes me wonder how much was understood about Narcissism at the time. I can't help but think this book was probably much more insightful in it's day because they had less clinical information about Narcissism. Mann is spot-on. It's fun. I generally don't like characters who are full of themselves but Mann is pointed enough to be humorous. It reads like Vanity Fair to me much of the time (without the sappy good characters).
Zoobiquity is a bit dryer and more technical then I thought it would be. I support her main thesis (the study of animal medicine and human medicine would both benefit from being more intertwined) and appreciate the detailed discussions and citations she brings together. I'm not sure she knows exactly what she wants from this book. Overall an interesting book, and I hope the study of other mammals brings more data to our understanding of human biology.
100-year-old man is okay. Reminds me of Forrest Gump or O Brother Where Art Thou?...the Quest or Journey as a farce.
2016 Finished:
- Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End by Jennifer Worth~memoir, ’50s, England, medical, series.
- Skunk Hill: a Native Ceremonial Community by Robert Birmingham~history, Native Americans.
- Uprooted by Naomi Novik~Fantasy, Polish fairy tales, magic. *
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel~speculative fiction, apocalypse, Shakespeare.
- Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel~fiction, history, audiobook. 16th century, England.
- Strange Things Still Happen edited by Angela Carter~fantasy, fairy tales, female-focus, Africa, Palestine, Norway, Hungary, Mexico, US, China.
- Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger~fantasy, steampunk, series.
- A Guide to Forgetting by Jeffrey Skinner~poetry, sonnets, free verse.
- The Scavengers by Michael Perry~youth fiction, post-apocalypse, survival, genetic engineering
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DH taught me The Duke (kind of like chess-like in it’s head to head strategy, but any time you move or activate a piece you flip it and the other side has different attack and movement capabilities. It also reminds me of Tash-Kalar and Hive in some ways.) Tough to get started but I did get into it eventually. Learning what the pieces can do takes some time. It could be AP-prone. I do like the variety though. You have to let go and be more flexible than chess.
Florenza the card game was another new one. I was surprised at how quickly we picked it up. It has some small similarity to Agricola in that you’re building various (in this case Italian Renaissance) buildings from gathered materials. Unlike other games there’s less of a struggle coming up with things to build. There’s always a bunch of things available. Things are always going away and new things come out. You hire artists to help you and give you prestige points. You find new ways to get extra turns. I’d say that’s the only down side to the game is that you have to refresh the board after every round (like Agricola there’s a lot of fixing up the board, getting supplies, and renewing your own hand). It wasn’t too bad though. Felt like fast play otherwise.
We also played Firefly: Shiny Dice while watching Firefly with our boys. Felt like more solo than head to head play. Fairly simple but a lot of dice manipulation.
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1. Space Alert is probably my favorite, but it's heavy and a ton of set-up. Pandemic is a good entry-level choice. We got Pandemic Legacy for Christmas and we're still in the early stages of that series. It turns Pandemic into a string of games like a tv series. You have to make 12 successful plays to beat the game (because so much of
2. Code Names, at least right now.
3. My all-time favorite is Stone Age but Samurai is probably more of a workout. (DH recently got The Duke and is enjoying the chess-ness of it. )
A game that fits between 1 & 2: Monikers. Kind of like a crazier version of Charades where you work in teams and move from describing something, to using one word descriptions, to miming, to puppet theater. Same cards, so once you get through the first few rounds everyone knows the answers. We laughed so hard. Warning: comes with some adult cards so look through and remove anything you're uncomfortable with before family play.
Random bits of Useful Information:
There's a group called Gamers Table on WTM. Often we talk about things we're playing, especially new things. Feel free to join in there, review games you've played, or read up on things there.
One of the cheapest ways to try more expensive games, meet new people, and have a great time is to attend board game conventions. At most conventions you can join games you're interested in and someone will teach them to you. Worldwide board game conventions lists here and here. In the US, most people should be able to find something within an hour or two of their home. Most medium or large cities will have gaming groups that readily welcome new folks. Check your local boardgame store or Boardgamegeek.com for information.
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
The Book of Lost Things
True Grit
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When ds saw a OT she recommended we put his paper on a slant...for instance, putting the writing or workbook on a 3-ring binder more than an 1" thick (so a greater angle). It makes it harder for them to push straight down and over time they lighten their grip. The greater the angle of the paper, the less they can press down. It took a few months with gradually less and less of a slant to retrain his grip.
YMMV, my son has small motor control issues so he was over-compensating.
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Well, I changed colors three times with Skandium and decided to unravel and put it away until I find different yarn. The size/type was a bit off for what I wanted.
I tried on Mailin without a tshirt and decided that although it doesn't have the positive ease I wanted but it's fine as a 'just fits' sweater. I'm working on the sleeves now.
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We bought Pandemic: Legacy (season 1) for Christmas as a family game. It's a version of Pandemic where you play over 12 months (each month can only be passed by winning that game). You keep the same characters and you gain abilities or lose abilities. It gets harder over time. Each play has a twist of some kind. You replay a month until you pass it.
We've only played January (not too different from standard Pandemic play) so far. We named our characters (I'm Kiki, the scientist) and all the diseases (the Uncommon Cold etc.). Looking forward to seeing what the rest of the year brings.
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My mom crotcheted me something like that for my birthday last year. My brothers called it my Rasta hat.
I'm working on some stranded socks (Skandium). I put the sweater (Mailin) away for a bit because I need to pull it back 12-18" because my gauge was off (just a bit tight when I want positive ease). It's my first sweater so I'm not too disappointed in myself but I sometimes need a few weeks before I can accept the inevitable and go back to the project.
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I thought we could use a new thread for games received or played. What's new in 2016?
Note: all photos I publish in this thread or the other I Just Played...threads are from Boardgamegeek and have open Creative Commons licenses which allow me to repost them.
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DS15 got Fire and Axe: a Viking Saga for Christmas so we played that New Years Eve.
You sail around the board as Vikings...trading, settling, and raiding.
I though dh would win. He had two 50 pt treasure boxes from raiding Paris, etc., but in the end my settling strategy payed off. Cool pieces. Fun.
We should start a new thread for 2016.
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As Always, Julia: the letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto~non-fiction, letters, ‘50s, Europe, food.
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Naomi: a Novel by Tanizaki Junichiro~fiction, Japan, sexual obsession, Western culture.
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Waistcoats & Weaponry~Youth fiction, series, steampunk adventure, 19th century.
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1177 BC: the Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric Cline~non-fiction, history, archaeology, Bronze Age 12th century BC, History Shelf Challenge.
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How Children Succeed by Paul Tough~non-fiction, education, children, character.
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Beauty by Robin McKinley~fantasy, fairy tales retold, Middle Ages, Beauty and the Beast.
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Knitted Jackets by Cheryl Oberle~non-fiction, knitting, patterns.
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Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmermann~memoir, knitting education, patterns.
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Wrap Style by Pam Allen~non-fiction, knitting, patterns.
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Souless: the Manga vol. 1 by Gail Carriger~fiction, graphic novel, series, steampunk, 19th century.
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Bag Style by Pam Allen~non-fiction, knitting, patterns.
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Northern Knits by Lucinda Guy~non-fiction, knitting, patterns.
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Simple Style by Ann Budd~non-fiction, knitting, patterns.
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Folk Vests by Cheryl Oberle~non-fiction, knitting, patterns.
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The Haunted Monastery and the Chinese Maze Murders by Robert von Gulik~mystery, China, 6th century, based on an ancient series.
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Castle in the Air by Diane Wynne Jones~YA, fairy tale, series.
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Russian Folk Tales illustrated by Ivan Bilibin~fairy tale, children’s stories, Russia.
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Life Skills Activities for Special Children by Darlene Mannix~non-fiction, education, life skills.
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Wild Iris by Louise Gluck~poetry, nature, death, God.
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Bookshelf by Alex Johnson~coffee table book, pictures, bookshelves.
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The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley~romance, autism, 19th century.
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Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson~memoir, trilogy, 19th century. *
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The Queen’s Man by Sharon Kay Penman~historical fiction, mystery, England, 12th century.
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The Knitted Slipper Book by Katie Startzman~non-fiction, knitting, patterns.
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The Thief of Always by Clive Barker~children’s fiction, supernatural quest. *
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Odd Interlude by Dean Koontz~fiction, series, supernatural quest.
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Easter Knits by Arne Nerjordet and Carlos Zachrison~non-fiction, knitting, patterns, holiday.
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Teaching Math to People with Down Syndrome and Other Hands-On Learners by DeAnna Horstmeier~non-fiction, education, Math.
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At Knit’s End by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee~non-fiction, knitting, humor, memoir.
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Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges~fiction & essay, short stories, Time, Argentina. Finally Finished. **
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How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu~science fiction, Time. Finally Finished.
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Ultimate Mittens by Robin Hansen~knitting, patterns, mittens.
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Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd~knitting, patterns, socks.
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The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart~fiction, mystery, adventure, Greece.
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Statistics Without Tears by Derek Rowntree~non-fiction, statistics, math.
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Shoebag by Mary James~children’s fiction, fantasy.
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Prudence by Gail Carriger~fantasy, steampunk, series. 19th century
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Escape Velocity: a Charles Portis Miscellany~non-fiction, fiction, journalism, plays, short stories.
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Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman~speculative fiction, feminism, utopian. 19th century
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Ship Fever: Stories by Andrea Barrett~fiction, naturalists, history. 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th centuries. Canada. Europe. US. Indonesia. Brazil. *
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Hymns to the Night and Other Works by Novalis~essays, German Romanticism, love and death. 18th century. Germany.
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The Innovators by Walter Isaacson~history, technology, computers. 19th/20th Century. *
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Saga vol. 2 by Brian K Vaughn~graphic novel, fantasy, space
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Saga vol. 3 by Brian K Vaughn~graphic novel, fantasy, space, series.
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Eudora Welty: Photographs~photographs, interview, art perception.
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Ansel Adams: Classic Photos~photographs, nature, West.
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The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey~mystery, classic, historical. 15th Century.
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Book of the Eskimos by Peter Freuchen~memoir, Greenland culture. *
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Age of Bronze, vol 3, The Betrayal, Part 1 by Eric Shanower~graphic novels, The Illiad. 14th Century BC.
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The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith~mystery, ethics. Scotland.
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The Conquest of Gaul by Julius Caeser~classics, war/battles, Rome. 1st Century BC.
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Wild Seed by Octavia Butler~fantasy, immortality, slavery. 17th 18th Century. central Africa.
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Dead Angler by Victoria Houston~murder mystery, Wisconsin, series.
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Dead Creek by Victoria Houston~murder mystery, Wisconsin, series.
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Robopocalypse by Daniel H Wilson~science fiction, robots, dystopian war.
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The Demon Under the Microscope by Thomas Hagen~nonfiction, medicine, discovery. Germany, France, US, UK. *
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Time and Again by Jack Finney~time travel, New York. 19th Century.
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The Young Visitors; or Mr. Salteena’s Plan by Daisy Ashford~fiction, humor, romance, child writer. 19th Century.
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The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Robinette Kowal~space, female roles, future, novella
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The Learn-to-Knit Afgan book by Barbara G. Walker~non-fiction, knitting, patterns.
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The Children of Green Knowe by L. M. Boston~fiction, children’s, classic, magic. *
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Robogenesis by Daniel H Wilson~science fiction, robots, dystopian war, series.
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200 Fair Isle Motifs by Mary Jane Mucklestone~non fiction, visual patterns, color, knitting.
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Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford~childrens, historical, mystery, Victorian.
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Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer~childrens, historical, mystery, Victorian.
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Treasure of Green Knowe by LM Boston~childrens, classic, magic, history.
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Robot Uprisings by various~short stories, AI, collection.
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Cotillion by Georgette Heyer~Regency, romance. 18th Century.
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Blood Child by Octavia Butler~short stories, aliens, relationships.
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Basic Illustrated Backpacking by ~nonfiction, backpacking.
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The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro~fiction, fairy tale, memory. 5th century. *
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Prime Baby by Gene Luen Yang~graphic novel, children, aliens.
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The Essential Guide to Color Knitting by Margaret Radcliffe~knitting, technique.
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The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang~graphic novel, super heroes, families..
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Lock-in: a novel of the near future by John Scalzi~science fiction, detective fiction.
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Redshirts by John Scalzi~science fiction, Star Trek, fiction writers.
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Mind of My Mind by Octavia Butler~speculative fiction, human evolution, series.
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Clay’s Ark by Octavia Butler~same, alien microbes.
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Patternmaster by Octavia Butler~same.
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Canoeing with the Cree by Eric Severeid~memoir, ‘30s, Canada.
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7th Sigma by Steven Gould~science fiction, Kipling’s Kim, wild west.
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The Forever War by Joe Haldeman~science fiction, war.
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Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card~science fiction, war, series.
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In the Woods by Tara French~police, thriller, Ireland.
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The October Country by Ray Bradbury~short stories, horror. *
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Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie~science fiction, space, identity. *
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The Magician of Lublin by Isaac Bashevis Singer~fiction, Poland, forgiveness, secular vs. religious, finally finished.
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The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon~thriller, supernatural, New England.
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The Draco Tavern by Larry Niven~science fiction, short stories, space/aliens.
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The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang~graphic novel, existence/meaning.
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Call the Midwife: a Memoir by Jennifer Worth~memoir, history, medicine, ‘50s, England.*
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Jingo by Terry Pratchett~fantasy, series, Vimes.
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Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth~memoir, history, England.
51 female authors
41 male authors
1 mixed
32 non-fiction
60 fiction
1 mixed
Lots of knitting books, science fiction, and crime novels. Oh, and an enjoyable flight with Victorian girl detective stories (in between the Green Knowe books there was one about Sherlock Holmes little sister and one about a pairing of tween Mary Shelley and Ada Lovelace as detectives).
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How many books did you read this year and did you meet or beat your own personal goal?
93. I don't have a personal goal, although I admit it turned out to be more then I thought. I go through periods where I finish a lot and periods where I read hardly anything.
Share your top 5 (or more) favorite books.
The Demon under the Microscope~non-fiction, pretty cool look at the invention of sulfa drugs over the 20th century.
Ship Fever and other Stories~short stories with a biological perspective, the title story is based on the true story of a cholera epidemic on immigrant ships coming into Canada in the 19th century.
The October Country~early, slightly ghoulish stories by Ray Bradbury. Neatly crafted.
Ancillary Justice~like a really great episode of Farscape (SF tv show) but with the best of Ursula LeGuin’s insight into gender and identity.
and the best was Labyrinths~Borges. What can I say…long awaited and so worthwhile. Dense. I read this a little at a time
Which books or authors you thought you'd never read and were pleasantly surprised to like them?
I wasn't expecting to enjoy the Robopocalypse books or the Larry Niven (Draco's Tavern) all that much, but I had a great time reading both out loud to dh.
One book that touched you - made you laugh, cry, sing or dance!
I had a real sense of wonder from the Green Knowe books (I've never read them before) and Clive Barker's youth novel The Thief of Always.
Share your most favorite character, covers and/or quotes?
One book you thought you'd love but didn't?The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart...too much hype I guess.
What countries or centuries did you explore?
I did a lot of Greenland and northern Canada, a lot of Eskimo and Inuit. Plus Europe, Russia, China, the Mediterranean, Japan, Persia, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, central Africa.
I tried to hit more pre-15th century...and I even got a 1st BCE, 12th BCE, and 15th BCE (and 5th, 6th, 12th, -15th) but mostly I read post-16th as usual. Especially crime novels...for some reason.What books would you recommend everybody read?
Borges' Labyrinths.
What was your favorite part of the challenge?That I get to tell you all about it now. For whatever reason I could not post here after June (Chrome problem, maybe?). I couldn't even contact support. I just stopped by to read everyone's lists. What a wonderful surprise that I could post!
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hi
Couldn't log on to the site most of this year and didn't expect to this time (!), so I'll be back in a bit to post my reading.
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I have posted in a long time but I had to jump in to say how much I :wub: :wub: :wub: Brad Meltzer! At least his earliest novels. I haven't enjoyed his more recent books as much. I think it is The Zero Game that has the completely unexpected plot twist right at the beginning of the book and I thought, "Oh my gosh, this man is a genius! I've never seen a writer do that right at the beginning!" (I can't remember for certain, it might be a different title. Now I want to find out which book it was and reread it :) )
Given the mention of knitting in a reading thread, it would be remiss of me not to give a nod to Elizabeth Zimmerman's books. I was just flipping through Knitter's Almanac yesterday, and so many memories came flooding back...
From Amazon:
Elizabeth Zimmerman once wrote, "So please bear with me, and put up with my opinionated, nay, sometimes cantankerous attitude. I feel strongly about knitting." Perhaps her passionate opinions, as well as her love of wool craft and her delightful style, hark back to her English upbringing or long residence in the Wisconsin woods; in any case, the "Busy Knitter," as she calls herself, is one of the most charming and informative, as well as "un"ventive (her word) knitter-authors anywhere. This book gives full scope to her tireless imagination through a year's worth of projects, fitted to the seasons, moods, and needs of knitters who would like to design their own work.
The year begins with an Aran sweater and proceeds to February baby things, a March Shetland, April blanket, May mittens, and so on through the months, completing the zodiac with November moccasin socks and a December last-minute wishbone sweater. Projects are completed in the midst of canoe trips, fishing expeditions, travel, and snowstorms. The author continuously comments on the project, its history, other ancient and modern customs, and personal beliefs.
Mrs. Zimmerman works step by step with the reader, suggesting alternative methods and ideas as she goes. Her patterns are "classic," historically suited to wool, thus remaining ever-fashionable as well as tasteful and attractive. The knitter may easily adapt the designs at will, creating new, individual projects. Mrs. Zimmerman's hints (such as how to measure gauge when working a pattern and tips for baby's items) help ease the way and will instruct even the most experienced knitter. This corrected edition of the Knitter's Almanac will provide at the very least a year's worth of knitting pleasure to intermediate and advanced knitters and may even help stimulate a knitting passion.
That was fun, Jane! And it describes our reactions to the Martian pretty well. I saw mention of the trailer yesterday and was telling my husband that the movie is due out in November. While I very (VERY) rarely watch movies, I expressed an interest in going to the theater to see this one.
Regards,
Kareni
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Fulltime RV family...What to do in Wisconsin in July?
in The Chat Board
Posted
~driving along the Mississippi River (Laura Ingalls Wilder, LaCrosse, river boat cruise, Wyalusing, Indian mounds)
~driftless area along the WI river (Spring Green, Frank Lloyd Wright, House on the Rock, Cave of the Mounds, Old Wisconsin)
~Madison (farmer's market, State st book stores, picnic pt., free zoo)
~central (Baraboo, Devil's Lake climbing and hiking, the WI Dells (waterparkpalooza), many lakes/fishing/boating/ATVs)
~Door County (Swedish restaurant with the goats on the roof, lighthouses, maritime museum, ferry, Peninsula St. Park)
I love northern Wisconsin too, but you need a destination. Lots of woods and lakes and the things that go with them. I would search state parks and regional websites.