Book a Week in 2014 - BW2

[Heather in Neverland]

Started reading:

The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene

 

Still reading:

The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith by Peter Hitchens

 

Finished reading:

1. The Curiosity by Stephen Kiernan

[mamaraby]

And for those of you dealing with snow and record breaking cold, here is a photo to warm you up. I took this a few days ago while walking my dog (and listening to Fortune of War). It was still a cool morning -- only 60 degrees or so!!

I'm also in Wisconsin and freezing my toes off so I appreciate the picture and reminder that it will be warmer...sometime. I think my Golden would willingly trade places with your dog. He likes romping through the snow at high speed, but can only stand to be out for a few minutes or so before he's ready to come right back on.

 

So far I've finished "On Chesil Beach" by Ian McEwan and "Letters from Home" by Kristina McMorris both of which I made it half way through in December. The McEwan is good in a rather uncomfortable way seeing as the entire book centers on a couple's wedding night. I originally read about the McEwan in Wil Schwalbe's "The End of Your Life Book Club." The McMorris was a wonderful read, but I'm a sucker for all things epistolary.

 

The one true began and finished book in 2014 was Eowyn Ivey's "The Snow Child" which was enchanting. I think it would easily be a one night read if I hadn't started it on dh's first day off of our weekend.

 

I haven't made any progress in the Murakami and added another Maeve Binchy on my "currently reading" list. "Firefly" summer was the oldest book my library's ebook system had available. So far I'm enjoying it and am loving how easy it is to take books with me without adding additional weight to my purse!

[Lady Florida.]

While I was making chocolate chip cookies this afternoon I finished listening to Tess of the d'Ubervilles. I love how Hardy took on the Victorian double standard. 

[Kareni]

 

To redeem myself - check out the Banned and Challenged Classics list or the Canonical English Literature and see how many you've read. 

 

I've read 15 from the Banned and Challenged Classics list and about thirty from the other.  (I suspect Eliana will put me to shame!)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mom-ninja.]

Did you really mean to type -70?! Cause that's freaking insane!

 

Note to self....cross Wisconsin off list of potential places to live.

 

Here in Central Wisconsin, we are expecting record breaking cold. -70 with windchill when we get up tomorrow. 

 

 

I know I will find commiseration here. My library just switched to different software. My saved lists...all my lists of books I wanted to read and have my boys read....gone. Poof. Bye bye. Disappeared. GONE. I had over 100 books saved in various lists. Books from WTM, WEM, recommended books from years of this thread. All. gone. What a way to start the year. 

 

Now I have to pull out my WTM and find all the books for everything again. AAAAAHHHHHH! So many hours of planning gone. (Shakes fist on air) 

[mamaraby]

Did you really mean to type -70?! Cause that's freaking insane!

 

Note to self....cross Wisconsin off list of potential places to live.

That's with windchill, so the thermometer will probably read -20 or -30, somewhere around there. In our defense, this is the coldest it's been in 18 years so it's not like we get this cold every year. It os great weaher for reading, though! :0)

[mamaraby]

stupid dp

[Stacia]

Oh my! Look at those titles...The Fountains of Neptune, The Jade Cabinet, Entering Fire, Phosphor in Dreamland, Gazelle...it's enough to make a language lover swoon. I have put a couple of these on my list. Thanks!

 

I'm reminded of Geraldine Brook's 'People of the Book' a story I thought I would really enjoy it had such potential but I put it down less than 50 pages in. Despite the engrossing story line I found her writing to be unimaginative, more specifically her characters lacked the kind of depth I was hoping for with a subject as intriguing as the one she chose. I have tried twice to read this book for the storyline alone but I get tripped up each time by the cliche of the main character. However I think I will add it to my list and try one more time. I'm realizing as I formulate my thoughts around the various books I've read or not read that I'm picky...

 

I really loved Ducornet's writing in The Fan-Maker's Inquisition & her story was well-told & thought-provoking, imo. The parts about Bishop Landa were very heavily based in true history &, ironically, he is considered one of the most knowledgeable resources for Mayan culture/knowledge. (You'll see the irony if you read the book.) I would definitely like to read more of Ducornet's work. Here is what I wrote about the book here & on Goodreads:

 

A Goodreads friend highly recommended Rikki Ducornet’s novel, The Fan-Maker’s Inquisition. Having never previously read Ducornet’s works, I find that she writes very luscious, provocative prose, which seems especially fitting as the subtitle of the book is A Novel of the Marquis de Sade. Partly, it’s a historical fiction novel based around a fan-maker (of scandalous fans, writings, friendships, & liasions) being tried during the Reign of Terror while also weaving a tale of an earlier reign of terror, that of Bishop Landa’s Inquisition & autos-da-fé of Mayans in the 1500s. Ducornet excels with her alternating transcripts of the court proceedings, personal letters, and various documents used to tell the overlapping stories. Her skillful hand exposes the irony, hypocrisy, and zealotry that drive humans to various extremes – acts from destroying different cultures, destroying individuals, destroying minds – whether done by groups or people on the outside or whether the decay begins from within. It takes an adroit author to create simultaneous plotlines that cover different time periods, while entwining the similar threads of the undoing of both men & civilizations. We certainly repeat the past, don’t we?

 

{Note: Some spoilers ahead…}

 

I especially liked Ducornet’s parallels between Bishop Landa’s destruction of Mayan books/knowledge & the Reign of Terror’s destruction of materials deemed inappropriate. Censorship & fanaticism are timeless topics & this book gave a somewhat lesser-known historical look at topics that still haunt us today. (Looking up Bishop Landa, I found irony in the fact that while he destroyed so much knowledge, he also was one of the most knowledgeable about Mayan learning & his notes & information are still being used today to help decipher the Mayan language.) These are not the only parallels that shine through the text; the topics may be rooted in the past yet are so relevant to each other as well as to today.

 

On a small side note, I enjoyed the fan-maker descriptions because fans had prominence in a different book (The Stockholm Octavo) I read earlier this year. And, the Marquis also figured in another historical fiction I read set during the French Revolution, Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution. Certainly, the Marquis de Sade is a notorious figure, but after reading so much about the Reign of Terror, I imagine it must have been an incredible feat for anyone to stay sane during those times, especially if imprisoned for years, some of the time within seeing/hearing distance of the guillotine during its daily use surrounded by baying crowds.

 

{End of spoilers.}

 

Historical fiction that’s both exquisite & sharp, while pointing out issues that plague society today, especially if you’re concerned with freedom of speech/expression & censorship – what more can you ask for in a novel? The Fan-Maker’s Inquisition provides some savory fodder for discussions & pondering -- & perhaps the dream of learning & growing from our past. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.

 

"What are books but tangible dreams? What is reading if it is not dreaming? The best books cause us to dream; the rest are not worth reading." – Rikki Ducornet, The Fan-Maker’s Inquisition

From what you've said, I think I'd suggest the following for People of the Book.... As I remember, the chapters alternated between the 'modern' sections (I didn't like those as I didn't like the main character) & the 'historical' sections telling the story of the actual book. I'd just read the alternating chapters that contain the history & skip the modern day chapters. (For the most part, I think the modern chapters are used as a conceit to plunge into the next historical section, i.e., she discovers a wine stain on the page & then that leads into a section that somehow explains how the wine stain got there in the first place. The modern chapters are not that well done, imo, but I thoroughly enjoyed the historical chapters.)

 

Another book you might enjoy -- The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje; it's quite wonderful. His writing is gorgeous. (I loved his writing in The English Patient too, though I really disliked that story.) Here is what I wrote here & on Goodreads about it:

 

I finished Michael Ondaatje's "The Cat's Table" today. Gorgeous. He's an absolute master of prose, imo. Though he writes that the book is fiction, it reads almost as a mix of an autobiographical rememberance of a series of events (centered around a ship voyage from Ceylon to Britain when the protagonist is 11yo) & musings on how seemingly small events, chance encounters, & memories can alter the path of one's life. Part seems so real, so grounded in reality, yet much of the writing has the dreamy, hazy quality of memories from a long time ago, where you might wonder if you're remembering something as it happened or as you think or wanted it to happen. Some scathingly funny sections had me chuckling, while other sections were more somber & serious & had me musing....

 

Also, all through reading it, I kept thinking that if I could have someone who would write my diaries for me, capture a myriad of fleeting moments, I'd want Michael Ondaatje to be the one writing mine. (It doesn't matter that I don't keep a diary or a journal, or that it would be strange to have someone else putting my memories on paper through a mind meld or something; I would just want him writing, burnishing, perfecting these little life mosaics of mine.)

 

I will make note that I read his book "The English Patient" many years ago. While I adored his prose in that book, I didn't care for the story itself (at all). I'm so glad I gave him another try because I was just transported & blown away by "The Cat's Table". Loved it.

 

Gorgeous, luscious, & highly recommended.

[Violet Crown]

Yesterday I finished Thomas Mann's Death in Venice & Other Stories. The title story is, as far as I could tell, about a man who goes to Venice and dies there of Artistic Decadence. The other stories vary considerably, "A Man and His Dog" being a lyrical description of the narrator's life with his unpromising hunting dog; "Mario and the Magician" about the meaning of freedom of the will; and "Disorder and Early Sorrow" about the generation gap as it coincides with the demise of the middle class in post-war 1920s Germany. I found the 1905 story "The Blood of the Walsungs" disturbing in its anti-Semitic stereotypes, down to the contrast of the depraved, self-loathing, blood-tainted characters with the ideal purity of Wagner.

 

Now I have to finish Hadrian the Seventh so I can quickly read The House of the Seven Gables, which I've *ahem* not gotten around to reading before.

[Stacia]

I woke up this morning feeling like I needed to do penance for my misdeeds of yesterday.

 

:lol:  Did penance include any "Jive Talkin'"?

 

I'm still working on Pilgrim's Progress and moving slowly due to an illness that attacked the entire family.

 

:grouphug:  Hope you all feel better!

 

Snow Falling on Cedars turns out to be very well written. I'm appreciating the author's intelligent voice. It is going to be a murder mystery looking back on events from the perspective of the people in the courtroom. It takes place within an island fishing community in the northwest. I haven't read many books in that kind of setting.

 

Looking forward to reading this one....

 

Yes, as I recall, it was less the story that intrigued me (though that was well done) than the writing.

 

I have added another poetry book to my list. I like to start my day, while still in bed, with a poem or two to set my heart on the right, expansive track. Definitely helps if there are dishes to greet me in the kitchen ;)

 

I am really not much of a poetry reader, but if you & crstarlette continue to post cool things about poetry through the year, you may get me (kicking & screaming) to try some. :laugh:  A very cool poem I read last year: Altazor. Amazing. Really amazing.

 

I've finished "Breakfast at Tiffany" and collection of short stories by Truman Capote. I can't believe I've waited for so long to read his books! Masterful writing.

 

I'm a huge fan of Truman Capote. :001_wub:  his writing.

[shukriyya]

I really loved Ducornet's writing in The Fan-Maker's Inquisition & her story was well-told & thought-provoking, imo. The parts about Bishop Landa were very heavily based in true history &, ironically, he is considered one of the most knowledgeable resources for Mayan culture/knowledge. (You'll see the irony if you read the book.) I would definitely like to read more of Ducornet's work. Here is what I wrote about the book here & on Goodreads:

 

A Goodreads friend highly recommended Rikki Ducornet’s novel, The Fan-Maker’s Inquisition. Having never previously read Ducornet’s works, I find that she writes very luscious, provocative prose, which seems especially fitting as the subtitle of the book is A Novel of the Marquis de Sade. Partly, it’s a historical fiction novel based around a fan-maker (of scandalous fans, writings, friendships, & liasions) being tried during the Reign of Terror while also weaving a tale of an earlier reign of terror, that of Bishop Landa’s Inquisition & autos-da-fé of Mayans in the 1500s. Ducornet excels with her alternating transcripts of the court proceedings, personal letters, and various documents used to tell the overlapping stories. Her skillful hand exposes the irony, hypocrisy, and zealotry that drive humans to various extremes – acts from destroying different cultures, destroying individuals, destroying minds – whether done by groups or people on the outside or whether the decay begins from within. It takes an adroit author to create simultaneous plotlines that cover different time periods, while entwining the similar threads of the undoing of both men & civilizations. We certainly repeat the past, don’t we?

 

{Note: Some spoilers ahead…}

 

I especially liked Ducornet’s parallels between Bishop Landa’s destruction of Mayan books/knowledge & the Reign of Terror’s destruction of materials deemed inappropriate. Censorship & fanaticism are timeless topics & this book gave a somewhat lesser-known historical look at topics that still haunt us today. (Looking up Bishop Landa, I found irony in the fact that while he destroyed so much knowledge, he also was one of the most knowledgeable about Mayan learning & his notes & information are still being used today to help decipher the Mayan language.) These are not the only parallels that shine through the text; the topics may be rooted in the past yet are so relevant to each other as well as to today.

 

On a small side note, I enjoyed the fan-maker descriptions because fans had prominence in a different book (The Stockholm Octavo) I read earlier this year. And, the Marquis also figured in another historical fiction I read set during the French Revolution, Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution. Certainly, the Marquis de Sade is a notorious figure, but after reading so much about the Reign of Terror, I imagine it must have been an incredible feat for anyone to stay sane during those times, especially if imprisoned for years, some of the time within seeing/hearing distance of the guillotine during its daily use surrounded by baying crowds.

 

{End of spoilers.}

 

Historical fiction that’s both exquisite & sharp, while pointing out issues that plague society today, especially if you’re concerned with freedom of speech/expression & censorship – what more can you ask for in a novel? The Fan-Maker’s Inquisition provides some savory fodder for discussions & pondering -- & perhaps the dream of learning & growing from our past. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.

 

"What are books but tangible dreams? What is reading if it is not dreaming? The best books cause us to dream; the rest are not worth reading." – Rikki Ducornet, The Fan-Maker’s Inquisition

 

From what you've said, I think I'd suggest the following for People of the Book.... As I remember, the chapters alternated between the 'modern' sections (I didn't like those as I didn't like the main character) & the 'historical' sections telling the story of the actual book. I'd just read the alternating chapters that contain the history & skip the modern day chapters. (For the most part, I think the modern chapters are used as a conceit to plunge into the next historical section, i.e., she discovers a wine stain on the page & then that leads into a section that somehow explains how the wine stain got there in the first place. The modern chapters are not that well done, imo, but I thoroughly enjoyed the historical chapters.)

 

Another book you might enjoy -- The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje; it's quite wonderful. His writing is gorgeous. (I loved his writing in The English Patient too, though I really disliked that story.) Here is what I wrote here & on Goodreads about it:

 

I finished Michael Ondaatje's "The Cat's Table" today. Gorgeous. He's an absolute master of prose, imo. Though he writes that the book is fiction, it reads almost as a mix of an autobiographical rememberance of a series of events (centered around a ship voyage from Ceylon to Britain when the protagonist is 11yo) & musings on how seemingly small events, chance encounters, & memories can alter the path of one's life. Part seems so real, so grounded in reality, yet much of the writing has the dreamy, hazy quality of memories from a long time ago, where you might wonder if you're remembering something as it happened or as you think or wanted it to happen. Some scathingly funny sections had me chuckling, while other sections were more somber & serious & had me musing....

 

Also, all through reading it, I kept thinking that if I could have someone who would write my diaries for me, capture a myriad of fleeting moments, I'd want Michael Ondaatje to be the one writing mine. (It doesn't matter that I don't keep a diary or a journal, or that it would be strange to have someone else putting my memories on paper through a mind meld or something; I would just want him writing, burnishing, perfecting these little life mosaics of mine.)

 

I will make note that I read his book "The English Patient" many years ago. While I adored his prose in that book, I didn't care for the story itself (at all). I'm so glad I gave him another try because I was just transported & blown away by "The Cat's Table". Loved it.

 

Gorgeous, luscious, & highly recommended.

 

Love the GRs reviews you shared, they're wonderfully detailed. And thanks for the 'instructions' on how to read 'People of the Book'. I think you've hit the nail on the the head. The historical story line is fascinating, the modern one, not so much.

 

Michael Ondaatje has a place in my heart as I grew up in Canada. His name was a household word since my mother *adored* his writing. I've not read the book you linked but a quick read-up on it has me thinking I'll add it to my ever growing list.

 

[Lady Florida.]

Did you really mean to type -70?! Cause that's freaking insane!

 

Note to self....cross Wisconsin off list of potential places to live.

 

 

 

I know I will find commiseration here. My library just switched to different software. My saved lists...all my lists of books I wanted to read and have my boys read....gone. Poof. Bye bye. Disappeared. GONE. I had over 100 books saved in various lists. Books from WTM, WEM, recommended books from years of this thread. All. gone. What a way to start the year. 

 

Now I have to pull out my WTM and find all the books for everything again. AAAAAHHHHHH! So many hours of planning gone. (Shakes fist on air) 

 

No! They should have given people a way to carry lists over to the new software. How frustrating!

[Stacia]

I know I will find commiseration here. My library just switched to different software. My saved lists...all my lists of books I wanted to read and have my boys read....gone. Poof. Bye bye. Disappeared. GONE. I had over 100 books saved in various lists. Books from WTM, WEM, recommended books from years of this thread. All. gone. What a way to start the year. 

 

Now I have to pull out my WTM and find all the books for everything again. AAAAAHHHHHH! So many hours of planning gone. (Shakes fist on air) 

 

:crying:  :grouphug:

[Alice]

I’m reading a fascinating non-fiction book, The Riddle in the Labyrinth by Margalit Fox about the deciphering of Linear B, an ancient Minoan language that was discovered in Crete at the turn of the last century. The book centers on the on-told story of a woman who did much of the work of deciphering but died before the final solution so has mostly been overlooked as the person who “solved†the puzzle. If you like codes or linguistics or ancient history or archaeology or just good non-fiction writing, I’d recommend it. 

[Stacia]

Yesterday I finished Thomas Mann's Death in Venice & Other Stories. The title story is, as far as I could tell, about a man who goes to Venice and dies there of Artistic Decadence.

Enjoyed your review of this. I had planned to read this a few years ago (when I was heading to Venice), but didn't get around to reading it. Now I'm thinking I may not have missed much anyway....

Now I have to finish Hadrian the Seventh so I can quickly read The House of the Seven Gables, which I've *ahem* not gotten around to reading before.

Sheesh. Slackers abound. :p ;) (I can say that as I have read neither & my biggest contributions to last week's thread were as bad as 70s fashions. :001_rolleyes: )

The one true began and finished book in 2014 was Eowyn Ivey's "The Snow Child" which was enchanting. I think it would easily be a one night read if I hadn't started it on dh's first day off of our weekend.

I've wondered about reading that one (but thought it might be too much of a 'downer'/somewhat depressing)???

 

Everybody in the winter freeze, stay warm! (We're expected to get it tomorrow, though not as badly as many.)

 

(Jenn, you'll accommodate all of us if we show up in CA to hang out with you, right? :001_smile: )

[mamaraby]

I've wondered about reading that one (but thought it might be too much of a 'downer'/somewhat depressing)???

Not depressing at all. At least I didn't think so. Some of the GR reviews thought it was too sweet, too YA, but I didn't get that vibe. A little sad because of Jack and Mabel's lives turned out, but I think there's a real strong theme of choosing joy in spite of life's circumstances. There's a good contrast between the Jack and Mabel you meet a the beginning with who you leave at the end.

 

Plus, reading the descriptions of winter in the book seemed quite real to me at this present juncture. Of course, if you're not presently freezing your toes off, that might be a difficult picture to get. In the end I thought it was a strong first book for Ivey.

[Stacia]

I’m reading a fascinating non-fiction book, The Riddle in the Labyrinth by Margalit Fox about the deciphering of Linear B, an ancient Minoan language that was discovered in Crete at the turn of the last century. The book centers on the on-told story of a woman who did much of the work of deciphering but died before the final solution so has mostly been overlooked as the person who “solved†the puzzle. If you like codes or linguistics or ancient history or archaeology or just good non-fiction writing, I’d recommend it. 

 

Oh, this sounds fabulous! (Wish my library had it. Drat!)

 

Not depressing at all. At least I didn't think so. Some of the GR reviews thought it was too sweet, too YA, but I didn't get that vibe. A little sad because of Jack and Mabel's lives turned out, but I think there's a real strong theme of choosing joy in spite of life's circumstances. There's a good contrast between the Jack and Mabel you meet a the beginning with who you leave at the end.

 

Plus, reading the descriptions of winter in the book seemed quite real to me at this present juncture. Of course, if you're not presently freezing your toes off, that might be a difficult picture to get. In the end I thought it was a strong first book for Ivey.

 

Ah. Thanks for the info. I had it on my 'to read' list at one time, then removed it. May need to add it again.

[shukriyya]

I'm 100 pages into my book, 'Mary, Called Magdalene' and I am finding myself enjoying it more than I imagined I would. The writing doesn't scream 'amazing' but the story line and the author's ability to create a textured picture of the times back then is enough to keep me reading with a sense of interest.  However I just realized it's an almost 900 page book!!!

[ElaineJ]

I read Eclipse of the Sun by Michael O'Brien this week. It is an apocalyptic novel from a Catholic perspective. Having read Plague Journal the year before and Father Elijah some time before that, I was curious to get the middle of the story. It was definitely a page turner, although I found the writing quality a bit uneven. One page would be beautiful, to be followed by a cliché riddled paragraph or two. I think his concept is sometimes just a bit too heavy handed, so it comes off too much like propaganda here and there. All that said, I enjoyed it and was encouraged by it as well. I would recommend it for Christians. I don't know that it would work very well for those not already comfortable with the book of Revelation. Now I am partway into Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber, which was recommended by someone here (Ladydusk, perhaps?) as well as my mom. :001_smile: 

Elaine

[Negin]

On another note, for those of you looking for a wonderful mystery series, I urge you to check out Alexander McCall Smith's, 'Isabel Dalhousie' series. Wonderful stuff.

 

I love, love, love these. I've read a few of them this year. Can't wait to read more. :)

 

I finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson last night.

I miss reading that series. They were hard to get into at first, but then I just loved the story. 

 

 

[Tress]

I’m reading a fascinating non-fiction book, The Riddle in the Labyrinth by Margalit Fox about the deciphering of Linear B, an ancient Minoan language that was discovered in Crete at the turn of the last century. The book centers on the on-told story of a woman who did much of the work of deciphering but died before the final solution so has mostly been overlooked as the person who “solved†the puzzle. If you like codes or linguistics or ancient history or archaeology or just good non-fiction writing, I’d recommend it.

The kindle price is only 1.99$. I'm really tempted, but I was toying with the idea of no new books the first few months. Do these kindle prices change often? Can I expect it to be this price in a few months or should I snap it up now?

[Rosie_0801]

I've finished my first book of the year, 'Little Women,' which I have been reading to the kids. I used to only sob a little over Beth, but I've become wimpy since I had kids and my little pragmatist doesn't appreciate it at all. :)

[MomOfOneFunOne]

I know I will find commiseration here. My library just switched to different software. My saved lists...all my lists of books I wanted to read and have my boys read....gone. Poof. Bye bye. Disappeared. GONE. I had over 100 books saved in various lists. Books from WTM, WEM, recommended books from years of this thread. All. gone. What a way to start the year.

 

Now I have to pull out my WTM and find all the books for everything again. AAAAAHHHHHH! So many hours of planning gone. (Shakes fist on air)

AMDG

 

Ouch! I can definitely commiserate. Aggravating!

[Onceuponatime]

A quote from Snow Falling on Cedars:

 

"Other people spoke fondly and knowingly of books they had read decades before.  He sometimes wondered what had become of those books he'd read many years earlier-- if they were still somewhere inside him. James Fenimore Cooper, Sir Walter Scott, Dickens, William Dean Howells. He didn't think any of them were still there. He couldn't remember them, anyway."

 

This has happened to me. It makes me feel old sometimes to see lists of books that I read once and not be able to remember more than the basic storyline, if that. I read a great many modern classics in my teens and twenties, but I don't remember half of them. I read The House of Seven Gables, but I couldn't tell you what it is about.  I don't remember some of the DuMaurier books I read, and I collected them at the time. The ones I do remember, I've usually read more than once. But I've  no desire to go back and read everything I've forgotten all over again. It's a little sad, like someone you met once long ago has passed away, and you can't recall anything about them but their face.

[Jane in NC]

A quote from Snow Falling on Cedars:

 

"Other people spoke fondly and knowingly of books they had read decades before.  He sometimes wondered what had become of those books he'd read many years earlier-- if they were still somewhere inside him. James Fenimore Cooper, Sir Walter Scott, Dickens, William Dean Howells. He didn't think any of them were still there. He couldn't remember them, anyway."

 

This has happened to me. It makes me feel old sometimes to see lists of books that I read once and not be able to remember more than the basic storyline, if that. I read a great many modern classics in my teens and twenties, but I don't remember half of them. I read The House of Seven Gables, but I couldn't tell you what it is about.  I don't remember some of the DuMaurier books I read, and I collected them at the time. The ones I do remember, I've usually read more than once. But I've  no desire to go back and read everything I've forgotten all over again. It's a little sad, like someone you met once long ago has passed away, and you can't recall anything about them but their face.

 

David Guterson, the author of Snow Falling on Cedars, also wrote a book called Family Matters:  Why Homeschooling Makes Sense.  I read it around the time I was questioning my sanity with respect to homeschooling.  Although I no longer remember the content (ahem), I remember the comfort it gave.

 

[Jen in NY]

David Guterson, the author of Snow Falling on Cedars, also wrote a book called Family Matters:  Why Homeschooling Makes Sense.  I read it around the time I was questioning my sanity with respect to homeschooling.  Although I no longer remember the content (ahem), I remember the comfort it gave.

Ayup. WTM and Family Matters were the reason we jumped the fence and escaped to hsing .... oh so long ago. WTM told me how... FM told me I wasn't nuts!

[Uff Da!]

Hope you are all feeling better, if not yet, then soon.

We recovered and I'm viewing the whole experience as a forced cleansing and meditation of a sort.  I'm still figuring out my Nook and for some reason it only displayed about a 100 pages of the Pilgrim's Progress at a time.  I hadn't a clue how long it was so imagine my surprise when I finished it yesterday!  Parts I liked and parts I had difficulty attending to but I'm not certain if that was the illness or the book itself.  I have Psalms and Shakespeare's Sonnets going now as well.  

 

I enjoyed Snow Falling on Cedars when I read it way back when.

 

I really enjoy seeing what everyone else is reading.  It is inspiring.

[JennyD]

 

 

Excellent Women by Barbara Pym I think I've read some Pym before... but I'm not completely sure.  Every time Jane mentioned her last year, I meant to pick one up... and I've finally done so!  (Thank you, Jane!).  It was quiet pleasure - just what I needed.

 

 

 

I love Barbara Pym.  Such a sly wit.

 

My first book of the year is The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer.   I'm about halfway through.  I thought I would love it but unfortunately I do not, and I am now somewhat mystified by the rave reviews the book got in the press.  Maybe it will get better (she says hopefully).  

[TeacherZee]

I ended up starting and finishing Hiding in Plain Sight by Marta Perry last night. It was a fluffy romance with a bit to much God thrown in for me. I don't say that to offend anyone, it just seemed to like she was writing a fairly decent story and then every so often realized she hadn't mentioned God and had the character do some fairly cheesy praying. *shrug* not really my thing I guess.

[Jane in NC]

I love Barbara Pym.  Such a sly wit.

 

In Barbara Pym's novels, someone in the background is always working on a kinship diagram.  Imagine my amusement when my son first took an anthropology course and began making kinship diagrams.  "Did you have a nice cup of tea while doing that, dear?" 

 

The Dear Lad thinks his mother is nuts.

[AmandaVT]

I am currently reading: 

 

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie

 

still working on Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson (going to take awhile with this one)

 

I've started adding titles to my Amazon wish list from this list. You guys are reading some really interesting books! I've got a lot of reading ahead of me. :-)

[LostSurprise]

I've read 15 from the Banned and Challenged Classics list and about thirty from the other.  (I suspect Eliana will put me to shame!)

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

30 from the Banned List and 75 from the Canon list (although some of the listings were really broad...someone's whole name and not a specific work--for people I included them if I've read multiple things of theirs with works I chose things I think I've completed--I didn't include The Faerie Queen or anything I've read a little, that's just books and books). 

 

It would be fun to see what Eliana's done. 

[Shawneinfl]

I love Barbara Pym.  Such a sly wit.

 

My first book of the year is The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer.   I'm about halfway through.  I thought I would love it but unfortunately I do not, and I am now somewhat mystified by the rave reviews the book got in the press.  Maybe it will get better (she says hopefully).  

 

I checked The Interestings out from the library last week and only got through about 10 pages and thought I do not want this to be my first book of the year. I promptly sent it back and started Wind-Up Bird as part of the Jan. challenge. I'm about 150 pages in and just starting to get into it. It's a way different style than I'm used to (I'm more of a non-fiction and memoir lover) but I'm hanging in there.

 

Eliana, your posts are inspiring me to step out of my reading comfort zone this year. :001_unsure:

 

Right now I must get back to homeschool books and get everyone on track for the new year. I have to get through The Secret Garden before tomorrow so not much time for personal reading selections.

 

I know I owned Snow Falling on Cedars about 20 years ago but I don't remember finishing it and I don't know what happened to the book. That was waaay back when I was reading "Oprah's Book Club" selections. It was probably given away when we moved. I'll have to add it to my tbr pile, especially now that I know the connection between the author and homeschooling.

 

[LostSurprise]

That's with windchill, so the thermometer will probably read -20 or -30, somewhere around there. In our defense, this is the coldest it's been in 18 years so it's not like we get this cold every year. It os great weaher for reading, though! :0)

 

I live in Central Wisconsin and even with wind chill yesterday was mostly in the -20s (negative single digits without wind chill). Which is cold but your car will usually start and if you stay covered you're fine for short periods outside. 

 

Saturday was beautiful...we were positive digits all day (I think 20 or so during one part of the day). 

 

Today, now today is a different story. Life-long northerner here and I will not go outside in -50s. That's really unusual weather for the far Northern US. We'll have a few nights of -20 or even -30 in January but this is crazy, especially for the daytime. Poor dh is at work today. 

 

Reading, down comforters, and hot chocolate for everyone! (DC have decided that they will go play Magic instead.) Hibernation day for me. 

[trinchick]

Finished Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley, the fifth in the Flavia De Luce series. I'm so glad the new one is coming out this month because I literally gasped at the cliffhanger ending and need to know what happens next!

[welovetoread]

Our temp here in Junction City, Wisconsin is-25. With windchill it is -50!  It was so cold doing chores this am....

[Lady Florida.]

Just popping in.

 

I read once that Steinbeck said with The Grapes of Wrath he wanted to rip readers' hearts out, or something to that effect. He's certainly succeeding with me. My little liberal bleeding heart is bleeding profusely, and I still have about 40% of the book left.

 

 

Also, I started my next audio book - The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are.

 

It's going to get cold for a few days here. Nothing like our northern friends are dealing with of course, and it will be back to 80 F by the weekend, but still. What many don't realize is that our homes are designed to keep heat out, not in. The longer it stays cold, the harder it is to keep the house warm.

[Karen in CO]

I read the Wind-up Bird Chronicles this week.  Last time I read Murakami, I felt entertained and confused and maybe even a bit introspective.  This book was both surreal (random?) and misogynistic.  I really hated the way women were treated in this book.   

 

For something lighter after that, I started what I thought was a steampunk series with Kiss of Steel and Heart of Iron.  They were more bustle-buster than anything else.  The Parasol Protectorate series I read last week was witty and clever and even funny along with a good dose of heroics and intrigue.  

 

 

I'm reading Germania by Tacitus this week along with my older dd.  I'll also either start The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or The Prince of Fire which is the next in a spy series by Daniel Silva.  

[Kim in Appalachia]

I'm still reading Winter's Tale.  I finally got to the plot.  I enjoy steampunk, so I've wanted to stick it out.  The writing is a bit flowery, but the story is ok.  I did finish 2 books during our van ride (on vacation).  They were audio books, both were Agatha Christie.  We listened to Hercule Poirot's Christmas and 4:50 from Paddington.  My kids prefer Poirot to MIss Marple, but they were both enjoyable.  I can't seem to figure out the murderer.  I was sure I had it right in the MIss Marple one, but I didn't. :)  Always fun to listen to a good mystery in the car. 

 

Right now I'm sick again.  I have some stomach thing, plus this cold is holding on.  I can't read much when I'm dizzy, but If I feel better later I plan to sit by the fire and read. 

[Stacia]

.

[Robin M]

Morning, ladies.

 

 

[mamaraby]

Just popping in.

 

I read once that Steinbeck said with The Grapes of Wrath he wanted to rip readers' hearts out, or something to that effect. He's certainly succeeding with me. My little liberal bleeding heart is bleeding profusely, and I still have about 40% of the book left.

I love Steinbeck, though I found "East of Eden" a difficult read just because it was hard to stay in the flow of the story. My copy of "The Grapes of Wrath" is currently sitting on the shelf with about 100 little slips of paper sticking up to mark certain passages. I've also found it interesting to then listen through related songs from folk music like Guthrie's "The Ballad of Tom Joad" and "Do Re Mi" or the more contemporary "The Ghost of Tom Joad" from Springsteen.

[bobbeym]

Fun bucket list - I scored 30. One of our most memorable moments would probably be watching our kittens being born.  Quite an educational experience for all of us. But it was also educational for us as well watching them being conceived.  Yes, our cat had fun right on the patio with two different suitors while we were eating dinner.   :laugh: :leaving:

 

To redeem myself - check out the Banned and Challenged Classics list or the Canonical English Literature and see how many you've read. 

 

I scored 32 on the bucket list, 4 for the banned classics, and 18 for the canonical english.  

 

Audio: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

Fiction: Highlander Claimed by Juliette Miller

Inspirational: To Live Like Christ by Beth Moore

 

My vacation has been extended no thanks to an untimely bout of the flu.  Now that I'm 24 hours and 3 doses of Tamiflu in, I think I can focus enough to read again.

 

It's currently 30 deg with a wc of 19 here just east of Houston so it's a good day to be home sick doing nothing.

[Angel]

Morning, ladies.

 

 

Love Alan Rickman!

 

People wonder why I don't like dystopian...his quote says it all for me "we're governed by idiots..." The last thing I want to read about is what the idiots might end up doing to our own society in the name of "the good of the people."   :ohmy:

 

Our temp is -6 here with a windchill of -31!  We are watching Harry Potter  :001_smile:

[mumto2]

Wind up bird is different. I was charmed but the other reality of 1Q84. I am 35% or so and waiting for the ooooh moment. I hope it is soon. I am enjoying it overall just not loving it which I had expected.

 

Another great steampunk series is written by Mark Hodder, starts with The Strange Affair of Springheeled Jack. Stacia recommended it to me last year. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/20/AR2010102005382.html These and the Parasol Protectorate are the only steampunk books I have found that I really like.

 

I read the Wind-up Bird Chronicles this week.  Last time I read Murakami, I felt entertained and confused and maybe even a bit introspective.  This book was both surreal (random?) and misogynistic.  I really hated the way women were treated in this book.   

 

For something lighter after that, I started what I thought was a steampunk series with Kiss of Steel and Heart of Iron.  They were more bustle-buster than anything else.  The Parasol Protectorate series I read last week was witty and clever and even funny along with a good dose of heroics and intrigue.  

 

 

I'm reading Germania by Tacitus this week along with my older dd.  I'll also either start The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or The Prince of Fire which is the next in a spy series by Daniel Silva.

[CAMom]

The lists quizzes are making me feel like an uncultured swine. I did score fair on the 100 Kids' book list. :lol:

[Stacia]

The lists quizzes are making me feel like an uncultured swine.

 

Me too.

 

However, I decided that I'm too eclectic of a reader to be contained by any single list. ;) :D

[Stacia]

.

[mumto2]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/magazine/the-fierce-imagination-of-haruki-murakami.html?pagewanted=all

 

I was trying to solve a bit of a mystery in Murakami reading and ran into this. It is really about !Q84 (keyboard problem, no number one right now????) but I found the author's interview with Murakami fascinating.

[Stacia]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/magazine/the-fierce-imagination-of-haruki-murakami.html?pagewanted=all

 

I was trying to solve a bit of a mystery in Murakami reading and ran into this. It is really about !Q84 (keyboard problem, no number one right now????) but I found the author's interview with Murakami fascinating.

 

Great article. Thanks for posting it!