Book a Week in 2013 - week thirty two

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I spent the last 2 days in a marathon read of Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters, and just finished it an hour or so ago.  I don't know if I liked it as much as North and South, but I clearly did enjoy it as I immersed myself in it.

 

 

 

 

Gaskell's books are on my list--maybe their place in line should be bumped up a bit!

 

I finished Snapping: America's Epidemic of Sudden Personality Change. 

 

It's billed as a classic in cult studies--not to be confused with a cult classic, although it may be that as well.  ;)

 

It was clearly not a new book; there was an feeling of dustiness to it, for lack of a better image.  I have read little on the topic of cults, so much of the information was new to me, but it left me wondering what research has been carried out since the 2nd edition was released in the mid-90s. Reminders of the age of the research were sprinkled throughout, and one glance at the selected bibliography confirmed my suspicions that much of the research was from the 70s. 

 

It's a worthwhile book, but perhaps not the first one I would recommend to someone with a loved one in a cult situation.

[Jane in NC]

Oops! Previous post was supposed to say Welcome back, Kathy! Editing frim my Android device is proving to be problematic...

[Kareni]

Last night I finished On Dublin Street by Samantha Young which I enjoyed.  This is the author's first book for adults as her previous books had been for young adults.  This book is marketed as contemporary romance; it definitely has adult content.

 

"Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare…

 

Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well—until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.

 

Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he’s determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. Knowing how skittish she is about entering a relationship, Braden proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached.

 

But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, she realizes that Braden won’t be satisfied with just mind-blowing passion. The stubborn Scotsman is intent on truly knowing her… down to the very soul."

 

Now to encourage my library to buy the sequel ....

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

:seeya:

 

I'm still reading Robert Jordan.  I finished book 8 The Path of Daggers last week.  I need to read two this month in order to be able to finish all 14 by the end of the year.  Unfortunately, I'm heading into a couple of the "slow" books.  The Path of Daggers was only 3 stars for me, and that barely.  I remember one of the next three books as being my all time least favorite of the series.  (I've read them the least so I can't remember which one!)  Ugh.  That will make it hard to get through two in one month.  However, my girls are visiting my parents for a week so I might be able to catch up a little  ;)

 

My TBR pile is growing by leaps and bounds through this year.  I doubt there will be many rereads for me next year.  

 

I have 4 and 5 on my nook and have high hopes to get to them within the next couple months. Keep getting distracted with other books.  :)

 

 

 

This week I'll continue working my way through If on a Winter's Night a Traveler. I make it through some parts completely engaged and then at other places get really bogged down. I'm a little over halfway through.

 

Awesome. I set it aside and forgot about it. Shame on me.  Glad you are still plugging away.

 

 

Last night (well, early this morning), I finished Fatal Deception (Fatal Series) by Marie Force.  This is a mystery novel with a strong romance element -- or perhaps it's a romance featuring a mystery.  If you like the J. D. Robb ... in Death series, you might like this, too, as the relationship between the main characters grows throughout the series.  While I've read the books out of order, I'd recommend starting with the first book Fatal Affair: Book One of the Fatal Series.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

I'll have to read her first book, since I love the in death series. Downloaded it.

 

Hello ladies, 

I don't know if anyone noticed that I was gone, but...I'm back. (Actually I know Stacia noticed because we "talked" on Goodreads once). 

 

I found myself getting involved mostly in controversial threads. I don't need homeschool support. We're in the high school phase now, and I have a great group of non-virtual friends also homeschooling high school, so my support is local. I rarely went to any board but the chat board and one or two social groups. So, I decided I was done with the WTM forum. 

 

Then something happened. I missed you all. I missed these book threads. I've only been involved a little over a year but felt like I was welcomed right away. I missed talking about books and seeing what others were reading. I missed hearing how moms of littles try to carve out reading time and how those of us with older kids share books suggestions with (and get them from) our teens. I tried to replace you all with Goodreads groups. Turns out you are irreplaceable. :) First of all, you have to join a bunch of different groups to get the variety we have here, then you have to try and stay on topic in the particular group. Second, while the groups I joined (and will remain with) have friendly people, they're not quite the same. There's something I just really missed about this group of readers. 

 

I decided I can't stay away from the book thread, and have given myself a lecture. I won't be posting in other threads.

 

I hope all of you and your families are all well. I know I won't be able to read 2 months worth of threads, but I hope to catch up a little with this and one or two previous threads. 

 

I passed 52 books last week, but it was never about numbers for me. If I've done the link correctly, here is my 2013 list so far.

 

:grouphug:   Kathy, so glad you are back.  I knew someone was missing but couldn't quite place my finger on who it was.  Sometimes I feel like a momma duck trying to keep track of all her chicks.  I love that we are irreplaceable. Gives me the warm fuzzies.  

 

 

It was a busy week, but I got a few books in.  Time for Love is the anxiously awaited book 9 in The McCarthy's of Gansett Island Series, the story of Dr. David Lawrence, the ex-fiance of Janey McCarthy.  He was introduced in the second book of the series, when Janey walks in on him cheating on her, ending their relationship.  Janey goes on to find her happy ending in that book, while David is left alone and devastated.  

 

It turns out I was correct when I thought Born to Darkness sounded so familiar when it was mentioned in a previous thread, this was a reread for me.  

 

Magic Rises: A Kate Daniels Novel was another great read, reassuring us that while other series are fading to dull, the writing team of Ilona Andrews still has it.

 

 

I am hesitant about getting Kitty in the Underworld, the reviews don't look great.  Has anyone here read it yet?

 

I've downloaded Kitty in the Underworld but haven't read it yet. Soon. Soon.  I'm in the midst of lesson planning so still immersed in Anita Blake land when have time to read.  Hamilton's books are addictive.

[mumto2]

Kate Atkinson's "Life After Life" is quite additive. :) Hopefully I will be able to put it down and sleep tonight. JennW thank you for recommending it because I had seen it at the library and never picked it up.

 

I finished "Once Burned: A Night Prince Novel" by Jeaniene Frost. This was the first in a new series for me. It wasn't bad but I much prefer the author's Night Huntress series. The bits of quirky in this series seemed contrived. The author was trying a bit too hard when she created a dwarf vampire(don't worry he isn't the main vampire) which did/does mess with my imagination. :lol:

[MomtoCandJ]

Also reading Dropping Acid: the reflux diet cookbook and cure. We have a lot of things coming up soon that makes this diet cost prohibitive until the end of the month, but once things settle we will start it to see if it will help dh. But I do plan on doing what I can until then to reduce his reflux.

[Kareni]

Kate Atkinson's "Life After Life" is quite additive. :)

 

Or might it be multiplicative? 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Not to feed anyone's book addictions, but NYRB is having a summer sale & has put together some great-looking collections of books....

 

http://www.nybooks.com/books/summersale/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NYRB+Summer+Sale+2013+Resend&utm_content=NYRB+Summer+Sale+2013+Resend+CID_ddea34993b20d1f246c99f39c635533c&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Shop%20now

 

:w00t:

[Violet Crown]

Not to feed anyone's book addictions, but NYRB is having a summer sale & has put together some great-looking collections of books....

 

http://www.nybooks.com/books/summersale/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NYRB+Summer+Sale+2013+Resend&utm_content=NYRB+Summer+Sale+2013+Resend+CID_ddea34993b20d1f246c99f39c635533c&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Shop%20now

 

:w00t:

Curse you.

 

In a nice way, of course.

[Violet Crown]

Finished my fourth or fifth reading of

 

21. Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 1.

 

Also my 3,127th reading of

 

Scarry, What Do People Do All Day?

 

And my first reading of

 

Hoban, The Sorely Trying Day

 

... which has got to be one of the most hilarious picture books I've ever had the pleasure to read. Even the teenager was snorting. Five stars.

[Kareni]

Hoban, The Sorely Trying Day

 

... which has got to be one of the most hilarious picture books I've ever had the pleasure to read. Even the teenager was snorting. Five stars.

 

Ooh, we're big fans of Hoban's Frances books, but I've never heard of this one.  I just put a hold on the library's copy.  Thanks in advance.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Also my 3,127th reading of

 

Scarry, What Do People Do All Day?

 

And my first reading of

 

Hoban, The Sorely Trying Day

 

... which has got to be one of the most hilarious picture books I've ever had the pleasure to read. Even the teenager was snorting. Five stars.

I :001_wub: Richard Scarry.

 

Richard Scarry:

I'm not interested in creating a book that is read once and then placed on the shelf and forgotten. I am very happy when people have worn out my books, or that they're held together by Scotch tape.

I must pull out our old, taped-up Richard Scarry books & revisit them. It's been awhile & I definitely need to revisit his books.... We even traveled out of state to see the Richard Scarry exhibit when my kids were little.

 

Will have to look for the Hoban book...

[Violet Crown]

Ooh, we're big fans of Hoban's Frances books, but I've never heard of this one. I just put a hold on the library's copy. Thanks in advance.

 

 

If you want to branch out, dh and Great Girl enjoyed Hoban's Riddley Walker. (Not suitable for children.)

[Kareni]

If you want to branch out, dh and Great Girl enjoyed Hoban's Riddley Walker. (Not suitable for children.)

 

Thanks for the recommendation!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

Hello ladies, 

I don't know if anyone noticed that I was gone, but...I'm back. (Actually I know Stacia noticed because we "talked" on Goodreads once). 

 

I found myself getting involved mostly in controversial threads. I don't need homeschool support. We're in the high school phase now, and I have a great group of non-virtual friends also homeschooling high school, so my support is local. I rarely went to any board but the chat board and one or two social groups. So, I decided I was done with the WTM forum. 

 

Then something happened. I missed you all. I missed these book threads. I've only been involved a little over a year but felt like I was welcomed right away. I missed talking about books and seeing what others were reading. I missed hearing how moms of littles try to carve out reading time and how those of us with older kids share books suggestions with (and get them from) our teens. I tried to replace you all with Goodreads groups. Turns out you are irreplaceable. :) First of all, you have to join a bunch of different groups to get the variety we have here, then you have to try and stay on topic in the particular group. Second, while the groups I joined (and will remain with) have friendly people, they're not quite the same. There's something I just really missed about this group of readers. 

 

I decided I can't stay away from the book thread, and have given myself a lecture. I won't be posting in other threads.

 

I hope all of you and your families are all well. I know I won't be able to read 2 months worth of threads, but I hope to catch up a little with this and one or two previous threads. 

 

I've been reading, of course. Some of the what I read while I was gone:

 

One Hundred Years of Solitude

In the Shadow of the Banyan

The Glass Menagerie (play)

Heartbreak House (play)

Great Expectations

Half of a Yellow Sun

The Shadow of the Wind

Love, Lucy

 

I've also been reading Agatha Christie. I can't believe that I haven't read all of her books, since mysteries are among my favorites.

 

I passed 52 books last week, but it was never about numbers for me. If I've done the link correctly, here is my 2013 list so far.

 

Welcome back!  I'm in a similar place also and can't stand conflict so I've been talking about dresses and recipes and books on WTM and avoiding much of everything else. 

 

I have a confession to make ... I was 30 years old before I read my first Agatha Christie novel.  I don't know how I managed to avoid them because like you I love mysteries.  In particular I love English mysteries set in the countryside in the first half of the 20th Century!  How could I have not read anything of hers?!?!  :)  The funniest part of it was that during the 10 years I lived with my grandmother after college I would sit beside her on the couch and we would read in the evening and I remember her reading tons of Agatha Christie.  Now I'm making up for lost time though. 

 

What's your favorite book that she's written?

[mumto2]

I looked and spent the last half hour looking! The suspense section looks particularly good. Anyone one here read Dorothy B. Hughes? Never heard of her before but her books look really interesting.

 

 

 

Not to feed anyone's book addictions, but NYRB is having a summer sale & has put together some great-looking collections of books....

 

http://www.nybooks.com/books/summersale/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NYRB+Summer+Sale+2013+Resend&utm_content=NYRB+Summer+Sale+2013+Resend+CID_ddea34993b20d1f246c99f39c635533c&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Shop%20now

 

:w00t:

[mumto2]

 

Favorite book(s) by Christie: Either "The Seven Dials Mystery" or "Death in the Clouds"

 

Favorite characters are Tommy and Tuppence

 

This is actually a really hard question for me! I spent my second year in England reading Christie pretty exclusively. Not sure what that indicated about my mental state! :lol: Then watched dd do the same thing!

 

You need to tell us which one is your favorite!

 

 

 

Welcome back!  I'm in a similar place also and can't stand conflict so I've been talking about dresses and recipes and books on WTM and avoiding much of everything else. 

 

I have a confession to make ... I was 30 years old before I read my first Agatha Christie novel.  I don't know how I managed to avoid them because like you I love mysteries.  In particular I love English mysteries set in the countryside in the first half of the 20th Century!  How could I have not read anything of hers?!?!  :)  The funniest part of it was that during the 10 years I lived with my grandmother after college I would sit beside her on the couch and we would read in the evening and I remember her reading tons of Agatha Christie.  Now I'm making up for lost time though. 

 

What's your favorite book that she's written?

[Negin]

Agreeing with everyone that this is my absolute favorite thread. I look forward to it every week. 

 

 

I :001_wub:  Richard Scarry.

 

 

 

Stacia, you probably do remember how much I love Richard Scarry. :) 

We have a picture of our son in Mr. Frumble's car at a Richard Scarry exhibit. Love it!

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[Stacia]

I have a confession to make ... I was 30 years old before I read my first Agatha Christie novel. 

 

...

 

What's your favorite book that she's written?

 

I read a bunch of hers back when I was in college. I much preferred the Hercule Poirot books (didn't really care for the Miss Marple books that much). Go figure -- I went & married a Belgian guy years later. :lol: My favorite Hercule book is Curtain, but since it's his last case, you have to read it last. Do not read it until you've read all of his other books.

 

I looked and spent the last half hour looking! The suspense section looks particularly good. Anyone one here read Dorothy B. Hughes? Never heard of her before but her books look really interesting.

 

I haven't, but like you, I spent a really long time looking at the various books. Then I looked to see which ones my library had....

 

Agreeing with everyone that this is my absolute favorite thread. I look forward to it every week. 

 

 

Stacia, you probably do remember how much I love Richard Scarry. :)

We have a picture of our son in Mr. Frumble's car at a Richard Scarry exhibit. Love it!

 

:laugh:  (Yep, we have a photo of dd in the pickle car & ds in a banana car. I think I loved the exhibit as much as they did.)

 

Each week when Robin starts the new thread, I delete the old bookmark and set a new one.  Works like a charm.  This group of readers is special.   :grouphug:

 

Great idea!

[aggieamy]

Favorite book(s) by Christie: Either "The Seven Dials Mystery" or "Death in the Clouds"

 

Favorite characters are Tommy and Tuppence

 

This is actually a really hard question for me! I spent my second year in England reading Christie pretty exclusively. Not sure what that indicated about my mental state! :lol: Then watched dd do the same thing!

 

You need to tell us which one is your favorite!

 

 

 

That is so hard.  Some days I don't even know if I like Miss Marple better or Hercule Poirot.  :)  I really loved Death on the Nile.  I liked the clever mystery and I liked the characters ... I found myself wishing they could have gotten away with the murder even.

[Lady Florida.]

 

:grouphug:   Kathy, so glad you are back.  I knew someone was missing but couldn't quite place my finger on who it was.  Sometimes I feel like a momma duck trying to keep track of all her chicks.  I love that we are irreplaceable. Gives me the warm fuzzies.  

 

 

Aww, Robin. Our book-mom. :)

 

 

What's your favorite book that she's written?

 

Since I'm still working my way through them, I don't know yet. Like you, I like British mysteries, though the time period doesn't matter much. I've not yet read any Tommy and Tuppance. So far between Poirot and Miss Marple I like Poirot best, which surprises me. I expected to like Miss Marple better, especially knowing that Christie got tired of Poirot.

 

 Each week when Robin starts the new thread, I delete the old bookmark and set a new one.  Works like a charm.  This group of readers is special.   :grouphug:

 

I like this idea. 

[Violet Crown]

I like this idea.

I like it, too. I would like to join in a resolution to stick to this thread and the K-8 board. Less snarky posting on Chat threads would be better for my soul, or whatever it is rattling around in there.

[Stacia]

I like it, too. I would like to join in a resolution to stick to this thread and the K-8 board. Less snarky posting on Chat threads would be better for my soul, or whatever it is rattling around in there.

 

(However, I would miss your snarky posts in some of the other threads. :sneaky2: )

[Lady Florida.]

I don't think I mentioned my current reads.

 

I finished Do You Believe in Magic this morning. I'm a member of the choir to whom he's preaching. My review.

 

Still reading:

--The Grapes of Wrath - a favorite of mine.

 

--Life - Keith Richards' autobiography. I had the audiobook from the library and it went back before I finished, so I'm back on the waiting list.

Part of it is narrated by Johnny Dep, which seems apprpriate. Richards wasn't as wild, at least in his early years, as his reputation indicates. In some situations he makes it sound as though he was the voice of reason. Of course, this is his take on it. The entire first chapter sounded mostly like an old guy talking about how things were "back in my day".  :lol:

 

--Elizabeth Street - My Kindle owner's loan for July. Though it's not as compelling as I thought it would be, it has given me insight into why my own ancestors might have come here from Italy. Apparently there were tough times in the south after unification.

 

And of course, Agatha Christie. I'm trying to read each detective in order, though I read some later Poirot ones before going back to the beginning. I'm reading Murder at the Vicarage. I'm just reading each detective in order, not the overall publication order.

[LibraryLover]

I'm popping in to recommend a book.

 

www.goodreads.com/book/show/6330323-day-after-night

 

The reviews are mixed, but I thought it was excellent.

 

I'm a fan of this book.  It's based on the true story of Jewish survivors of the Holocaust being put in British internment camps in Palestine as 'illegal immigrants" .

[Stacia]

I finished The Book of the Unknown today. A different (at least for me) set of folktales (supposedly variations on some Jewish folktales), some clever, some charming, some disturbing. Enjoyed both the Author's Foreword & the Editors' Afterword as they added some fun, fictional surroundings for the set of tales -- adding a little layer to the 'mystery' of the telling of the tales.

 

I'm not a huge fan of short stories (& don't necessarily lump folktales into a 'short stories' category even though they are, I suppose), but I found this to be similar to how I think of short story collections -- one or two of the tales are really great, most are ok, and one or two I don't like. So, overall, I'd give this book 3 stars. Generally speaking, I'm glad I read it, just because it included stuff that is different from the standard folktales I know.

[Stacia]

Oh, just saw this. Looks like a great book/movie combo. Just requested the book from my library....

 

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel. (Didn't someone on this thread read & mention this book or am I imagining that????)

 

Movie is supposed to come out in December:

 

Article about movie.

[Rosie_0801]

I read Korea - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Culture & Customs by James Hoare because my daughter is currently teaching English in South Korea. 

 

Garlic is a big part of Korean cooking.  (This explains why my daughter was unable to find single heads of garlic at the grocery store; her choice was basically a two or five kilo bag!)

 

They sound like very sensible people, the Koreans.  :drool5:  I've only been to one Korean restaurant, but it was all chilli and seaweed. Mmm. Seaweed.

 

I'm not reading anything atm. I'm too drugged up after a tonsillectomy to read more than four sentences on any one topic.

[mumto2]

Rosie--Hope you have a speedy recovery and feel better soon!

[Negin]

I'm not reading anything atm. I'm too drugged up after a tonsillectomy to read more than four sentences on any one topic.

Hope you feel better very soon, Rosie. 

[Kareni]

I'm not reading anything atm. I'm too drugged up after a tonsillectomy to read more than four sentences on any one topic.

 

I hope you feel well soon so that you can enjoy sentences five, six, and so on!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

22. S. H. Steinberg, Five Hundred Years of Printing.

 

Typographia, ars artium omnium.

 

An exhaustively researched history of moveable-type printing in Europe, viewed chiefly as an art form rather than merely a series of mechanical changes and improvements. Steinberg doesn't hesitate to announce the success or failure, the good or bad taste, or the correctness of various printers' and publishers' products.

 

--------------------------------

 

"The existence of private presses can be traced to three causes: interest in artistic typography, production of works which, for one reason or other, are unsuitable for the ordinary trade channels, and riding a hobby-horse for the fun of it.... There were only two noteworthy private presses in the eighteenth century - both in England. The one was that which Horace Walpole ran from 1757 to 1789 at his country seat of Strawberry Hill near Twickenham. It started auspiciously with some odes by Thomas Gray and included not only much ephemeral and second-rate writings of Walpole himself, but also his more enduring bio-bibliographies of Royal and Noble Authors and Engravers, the valuable Anecdotes of Painting in England, and, above all, The Castle of Otranto (1764), which started the 'gothic' novel of horror and mystery."

 

----------------------

 

The first chunk of the book was taxing, as Steinberg's account of the history of the printing press and the developments of typography in every single major city in Europe can quickly blur into a mass of names and dates, with frequent consultations of the index as he expects the reader to recall previously mentioned people. But it was well worth persevering to the end.

[Violet Crown]

Sorry, Rosie! Lots of ice cream.

[Stacia]

Sending hugs & get well wishes, Rosie! :grouphug:

[Mom-ninja.]

 

I finished Do You Believe in Magic this morning. I'm a member of the choir to whom he's preaching. My review.

 

Looks like something I'd like.

 

 

 

Rosie, heal fast....but not too fast before you eat all the ice cream you can stand.

[Rosie_0801]

 

Rosie, heal fast....but not too fast before you eat all the ice cream you can stand.

 

Actually, that was about two tablespoons. I'll spare you all the details. :p

[Robin M]

They sound like very sensible people, the Koreans.  :drool5:  I've only been to one Korean restaurant, but it was all chilli and seaweed. Mmm. Seaweed.

 

I'm not reading anything atm. I'm too drugged up after a tonsillectomy to read more than four sentences on any one topic.

 

Aw! Cheers to a quick recovery. 

[Robin M]

Link to week 33 - please continue conversation in new thread