Kareni Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Kareni, you are a prolific or is that prodigious reader! I read quickly when the book is fairly fluffy. I am a definite turtle when it comes to Organic Chemistry or something philosophical. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I read quickly when the book is fairly fluffy. I am a definite turtle when it comes to Organic Chemistry or something philosophical. Regards, Kareni No Organic Chemistry happening here :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 The next book is similar (they're married and it's the honeymoon period), but I think it tapers off after that. I am so totally not a romance person, but I did enjoy this series. I love the characters and the humor. Have you read her youth series set in the same world at a girl's finishing school? It's also good (lots of adventure and no sex). Thanks for the info! I might be able to make it through one more ;) I really enjoyed the book and would like to read the rest! I used to read a ton of that kind of stuff in my younger days but now I just don't care for reading it. I love the romance just not the details! My library didn't have the YA series in the day I went, but yes, I will be checking them out, too. I think dd will like those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I finished Unwind last night. What a horrifying premise. Sometimes the thought process behind justifying evil is chilling and you start to wonder if anything like that could ever happen. I guess it can with all of the genocide we've witnessed. I'm still plugging away at Code Name Verity. I'm half way there so I won't give up. :-) If anyone sees me heading in the direction of the library, stop me! Do not let me check out another book until I've read the ones I have! I just had to reorganize my stack to put the ones due in the next week which I can no longer renew at the top. I need some self discipline. ;-) My "to read" list is certainly growing reading this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I cleaned my preschooler's room and finished Number the Stars. Good grief. It had me fighting back tears. I'm guessing a lot of you have read this but here's part of her afterword that I loved: In reading of the Resistance leaders in Denmark, I came across an account of a young man named Kim Malthe-Bruun, who was eventually captured and executed by the Nazis when he was only twenty-one years old. I read his story as I had read many others, turning the pages, skimming here and there: this sabotage, that tactic, this capture, that escape. After a while even courage becomes routine to the reader. Then, quite unprepared, I turned the page and faced a photograph of Kim Malthe-Bruun. He wore a turtleneck sweater, and his thick, light hair was windblown. His eyes looked out at me, unwavering on the page. Seeing him there, so terribly young, broke my heart. But seeing the quiet determination in his boyish eyes made me determined, too, to tell his story, and that of all the Danish people who shared his dreams. So I would like to end this with a paragraph written by that young man, in a letter to his mother, the night before he was put to death. and I want you all to remember - that you must not dream yourselves back to the times before the war, but the dream for you all, young and old, must be to create an ideal of human decency, and not a narrow-minded and prejudiced one. That is the great gift our country hungers for, something every little peasant boy can look forward to, and with pleasure feel he is a part of- something he can work and fight for. And another quote but this is from Tonight No Poetry Will Serve by Adrienne Rich Burn me some music There’s a tune “Neglect of Sorrow†I’ve heard it hummed or strummed My whole life long In many a corridor Waiting for tomorrow Long after tomorrow should’ve come On many an ear it should have fallen But the bands were playing so loud (excerpt from Waiting for Rain and Music) Happy reading everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I've now started Milan Kundera's The Joke. I'm happy to be reading it as I've always meant to read something by Kundera.... From Publisher's Weekly: In this new English-language version of Kundera's classic first novel, completely revised by the author to incorporate the most accurate portions of two previous translations plus his own corrections, the narrator Ludvik wonders, "What if History plays jokes?" This politically charged question, coupled with Ludvik's fate as an unintentional dissident, struck a chord in Czech readers; the novel's 1967 publication was a key literary event of the Prague Spring. Looking back on the tense, McCarthy-like atmosphere of the late 1940s, it chronicles the disastrous results of Ludvik's prankish postcard to a girlfriend criticizing the Czech communist regime. He is expelled from the Communist Party, forced to leave the university and join a special army unit with other enemies of the state. Years later, after he has resumed his studies and become a successful scientist, his lingering anger at the man who engineered his expulsion culminates in an act of destructive sexual revenge that serves only to show Ludvik he has never really understood any woman and is indeed the butt of one of history's many cruel jokes. The fresh descriptions and masterful employment of several narrators testify to Kundera's power as a novelist, unmistakable even in this early work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I remember loving the movie, 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being'. I don't think I've read anything of his though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 The next book is similar (they're married and it's the honeymoon period), but I think it tapers off after that. I am so totally not a romance person, but I did enjoy this series. I love the characters and the humor. Have you read her youth series set in the same world at a girl's finishing school? It's also good (lots of adventure and no sex). Angel -- I read these last year and agree. After the second book very few romatic scenes. The books also got better imo The last two were the best. I read the YA books too and loved them. If they are availiable to you I am tempted to recommend you read them now.....I think I might have liked them even more as a prequel but not sure. Some Soulless characters do appear in these too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Tress - I hope you feel better soon! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovetoread Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Must.stop.downloading.books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I know it was really odd and not needed. Since you enjoyed both of the books I mentioned, do you have any book suggestions for me? I was hoping the library had the other Call the Midwife books but they only have that one right now. I did send them an email suggestion to get the rest. :) I especially enjoy books that deal with faith. Well, here is a link to my Goodreads page. I have been trying to actually write a little something for each book I read. I don't read many "serious" books, but do enjoy memoirs and clean historical romance quite a bit. hth :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Stop the presses --- 50 Essential Mystery Novels That Everyone Should Read. I want to add every single one to my wishlist. :leaving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Stop the presses --- 50 Essential Mystery Novels That Everyone Should Read. I want to add every single one to my wishlist. :leaving: I am so with you! I read a lot of mysteries, but I’d only read 12 on that list. It reminded me of a few that I’ve “meant to read†but haven’t. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Stop the presses --- 50 Essential Mystery Novels That Everyone Should Read. I want to add every single one to my wishlist. :leaving: Oh my! I'm not a huge mystery reader but there are more than a few on that list that look wonderful! And several I've read. Loved seeing 'The 39 Steps'. I remember loving that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Stop the presses --- 50 Essential Mystery Novels That Everyone Should Read. I want to add every single one to my wishlist. :leaving: This mystery reader has read a bunch of those--and if not the specific volume, other works by the author. It is nice to see some classic mysteries mentioned. The list reminded me of the old Dell paperbacks with maps on the back. If you want to read some of the classics, these are fun editions: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Stop the presses --- 50 Essential Mystery Novels That Everyone Should Read. I want to add every single one to my wishlist. :leaving: What a very fun list. I read few mysteries so I was surprised to see that I've actually read a few from the list! Lots of others look really good. Will be adding them to my library list.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 4. "Finding Hope" by S. Michael Wilcox (LDS). Liked the other one better. 3. "When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered" by S. Michael Wilcox (LDS).2. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling. (Read-aloud)1. "The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Our Hearts and Homes" by James L. Ferrell (LDS).It was a tough year for us last year (steadily worsening mental health issues in DH and DS), and it doesn't look to be over yet, so at least for the beginning of the year, I'll be reading not so much for intellectual challenge or entertainment, but more for, um, I don't know, emotional and spiritual recentering. I don't know what else to call it. Also for information needed to understand what's going on. I don't plan to sum up what I'm reading for a while, just list the title and author, and since many will probably be by authors from my faith (LDS), I'll put that in parenthesis when it applies as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 This mystery reader has read a bunch of those--and if not the specific volume, other works by the author. It is nice to see some classic mysteries mentioned. The list reminded me of the old Dell paperbacks with maps on the back. If you want to read some of the classics, these are fun editions: Oh, those covers!!! That's what draws me in. They're works of art in themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Wow, this thread is moving fast! Finished two books this/last week: Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom by Deborah Yaffe. Good read! Several good quotes about sharing beloved books and a fun look at attending a Regency-style ball. I have this on my list. Do any of you have suggestions for Non fiction, Bios, Auto Biography, and/or Memoirs? That is what I am interested in right now. I'm trying to make a list of books available at my library. :) Stick around and your list will be longer than you can keep up with soon. Just like not all of us in Southern California are sexy blond surfers, lol!! Well, shoot. There's goes my mental image of you. Oh, and several of the books re-recommended here were on my library to-read list. You know the list that disappeared. So thanks for the inadvertent reminders. :thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Oh, those covers!!! That's what draws me in. They're works of art in themselves. I love maps which is how I was drawn to old Dell paperbacks. My favorite Wodehouse character is Psmith (the P is silent). One of the Psmith novels was issued in a Dell edition: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Interesting mystery list. I usually think of spy fiction and mystery fiction as two different things. I prefer my mysteries cozy. Some of those don't look like ones I would read, but I have read a number on the list, and some of the spy ones too. Ian Fleming is on my "to read" list for this year. I picked up my holds from the library and have started on Winter Study by Nevada Barr: Isolated Island on the northern border; dead of winter; a small group of rangers, scientists, and homeland security; wolves acting strangely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Stop the presses --- 50 Essential Mystery Novels That Everyone Should Read. I want to add every single one to my wishlist. :leaving: I read 10 of those, some have been on my tbr list for a while, and some I never heard of. There are a few that I didn't read but have read other mysteries by the author. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Interesting mystery list. I usually think of spy fiction and mystery fiction as two different things. I prefer my mysteries cozy. Some of those don't look like ones I would read, but I have read a number on the list, and some of the spy ones too. Ian Fleming is on my "to read" list for this year. No list is ever comprehensive but frankly there were a couple of huge omissions on that one. One of Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee mysteries should be there (not the translation of an original Chinese mystery that Dover published but one of his fictionalized stories) as well as something by Jan van Wettering, namely one of his Gripstra and de Gier novels. Classic stuff all and certainly better quality than some that made the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Jane, I haven't gotten around to Psmith books yet. I love Wodehouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 No list is ever comprehensive but frankly there were a couple of huge omissions on that one. as well as something by Jan van Wettering, namely one of his Gripstra and de Gier novels. Yes!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 HEY!!! Stop the bus! I do believe I'm.... MULTIQUOTING!! First time ever! Still working on Sunjata by Bamba Suso & Banna Kanute. Totally enjoying this, just haven't had time to get back to it in the past few days. It requires a bit of concentration because all the footnotes are in the back of the book, so I read trying to hold open the regular pages along w/ the footnotes section at the same time. :laugh: I meant to read this last year but it somehow made its way too far down the stack to be retrievable... I look forward to hearing what you think of it. “So I kept reading, just to stay alive. In fact, I'd read two or three books at the same time, so I wouldn't finish one without being in the middle of another -- anything to stop me from falling into the big, gaping void. You see, books fill the empty spaces. If I'm waiting for a bus, or am eating alone, I can always rely on a book to keep me company. Sometimes I think I like them even more than people. People will let you down in life. They'll disappoint you and hurt you and betray you. But not books. They're better than life.†- Mark Acito Can anyone else relate? Sigh. One does hate to confess such Scrooge-like proclivities, but... yes. Not sure where else to share my horrible library news with so I will share here...my library is going to be turned into a community library staffed by volunteers. I know it could be far worse, complete closure. I am furious at the wastefulness I see in my local government in many areas (new modern office building for most employees is one prime example) and the one service my family uses extensively is going to be cut to a one or two day a week opening most likely. Almost all our books are transferred in from other libraries (which are also becoming community libraries) so I suspect long waits for all my books in the future. I just can't understand why -- the dcs and I sat in a corner of the library last week for two hours while workmen were at our house. I was amazed by how busy the staff was helping members of the community with various problems . They work hard. Very few free minutes. I don't understand why this particular cutback at all. :grouphug: Aw, that's miserable. How frustrating. I'm currently reading Code Name Verity. It's been slow going because I'm having a hard time figuring out what's going on a lot of the time. Will someone tell me if it is eventually going to make sense?I've been sticking with it because of the great reviews. :-) My daughter and I are reading this together. We didn't have much time last week and are still at it, but we're at the point where we can tell there is a story-behind-the-story -- I wouldn't quite say it "makes sense"; more like "it's easy now to maintain faith that there is sense." Aside from Code Name Verity, I finished a re-read of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. This is considered to be such a masterpiece, and I can see why... but even 20 years later it still reminds me of what I experience reading Hemingway... I can see what is innovative about it, I can see why it's rocked other people's worldviews, but I, myself, just.don't.enjoy it very much. Then I c r a w l e d to the finish line of The Book of Chuang Tzu. This was my first run at Taoism and I found it quite difficult. Hopefully I'll understand it better after my book group discussion! I also finished A Tale of Two Cities: A Comparison Between the Mormon and the Catholic Religious Experience, by William Taylor; and The 13th Apostle: A Novel of a Dublin Family, Michael Collins, and the Irish Uprising, by Dermot McEvoy. Both unexceptional. I'm now in the midst of an audio book I pulled basically at random off the library shelf, and which is turning out to be AWESOME: You Know When the Men are Gone, by Siobhan Fallon. I didn't know anything about it or its author. It's terrific -- interlinked stories of the women left behind on an Army base when their husbands are depoyed in Iraq. I'm also just starting She Matters: A Life in Friendships, by Susanna Sonnenberg, which is also about female friendships over the arc of adulthood. I'm reading that one for an old book group I was part of 20+ years ago. Over the years many of us moved away, but now we're having a reunion!! I plan shortly to start Adin Steinsaltz' The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse on the Essence of Jewish Existence and Belief. And I aspire... drumroll... soon to tackle the Wind Up Bird Chronicle. Though I'm scared. We'll see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I just finished 25. Cherries in Winter by Suzan Colon https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6650923-cherries-in-winter?ac=1 "When Suzan Colon was laid off from her dream job at a magazine during the economic downturn of 2008, she needed to cut her budget way, way back---and that meant home cooking. Her mother suggested, "Why don't you look in Nana's recipe folder?" In the basement, Suzan found the tattered treasure, full of handwritten and meticulously typed recipes, peppered with her grand,other Matilda's commentary in the margins. Reading it, Suzan realized she had found something more than a collection of recipes---she has found the key to her family's survival through hard times." This was a very quick read, somewhat lightweight as well. The modern-day difficulties were not nearly as interesting as stories of past lean times, during the Depression, both World Wars, and into the 1970s. I wish the author had included more about the past generations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Stop the presses --- 50 Essential Mystery Novels That Everyone Should Read. I want to add every single one to my wishlist. :leaving: Well, apparently I am not a big mystery buff. I've read 5. :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I'm also just starting She Matters: A Life in Friendships, by Susanna Sonnenberg, which is also about female friendships over the arc of adulthood. I'm reading that one for an old book group I was part of 20+ years ago. Over the years many of us moved away, but now we're having a reunion!! A book group reunion sounds like a lot of fun. Enjoy! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 About a week ago someone was talking about Faith Hunter's book "Skinwalker" and I downloaded it mainly because I had room on my library card, emergency reading. ;) The covers of her books are so not what I like in my paranormal fluff but I have to say these books are awesome. I rarely download and read back to back same series but I finished the first this morming and will most likely finish the second before I can fall asleep tonight. Not sure why I am enjoying this series .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlbuchina Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 If anyone sees me heading in the direction of the library, stop me! Do not let me check out another book until I've read the ones I have! I just had to reorganize my stack to put the ones due in the next week which I can no longer renew at the top. I need some self discipline. ;-) My "to read" list is certainly growing reading this thread. The thread should come with a posted warning: WARNING Reading this thread is hazardous to your To-Be-Read pile. Mytwoblessings is not responsible for any damages or injuries incurred from said pile toppling over. :lol: Angel -- I read these last year and agree. After the second book very few romatic scenes. The books also got better imo The last two were the best. I read the YA books too and loved them. If they are availiable to you I am tempted to recommend you read them now.....I think I might have liked them even more as a prequel but not sure. Some Soulless characters do appear in these too. Are y'all talking about Soulless by Gail Carriger? Well, apparently I am not a big mystery buff. I've read 5. :p Hey, I've got you beat. I've only read one! LOL :coolgleamA: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 The thread should come with a posted warning: WARNING Reading this thread is hazardous to your To-Be-Read pile. Mytwoblessings is not responsible for any damages or injuries incurred from said pile toppling over. :lol: Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 Amazon Plans to Ship Packages Before They are Ordered. They are becoming alien, mind readers. First it was the drones and now they are mind reading. What next? Hmm! I need to add a few more books to my wishlist. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 The title of the article is a bit misleading. Amazon wants to package items before they are ordered but will be actually delivered only when purchased. Still weird. I've only read 2 from the mystery list. Mystery is not my cuppa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I'm still working on The Narnian by Alan Jacobs and it is excellent. I'm also reading The Liberal Arts Tradition and enjoying it very much. I've gotten a couple of chapters into Perelandra but am not hooked like I was with Out of the Silent Planet. And I'm following the thread which is becoming a book in itself! Hooray for January :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 Okay. I finished Tales of Genji and though interesting, wouldn't go on to read the other volumes. The writing drove me crazy with the lack of commas. I tried diving into Ice Station by Matt Reilly but the writing was really really bad, so delved into Cold Magic by Kate Elliot and unfortunately couldn't get into to it. So my winter reads have melted on the vine, so to speak. Decided to finally read Justin Cronin's The Twelve, since I really enjoyed The Passage. It may not be 12th century, but it has a 12 in the title. But...But... But - it's been over a year since I read The P. and it was really, really good. At least I thought it was at the time. And it does have snow in the story at various points. So, I'm going to follow that rabbit trail for a while and reread The Passage first. Isn't it a bit too soon in the year to already be rereading? Forget I asked that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I finished 'Decoding Anorexia : How Breakthroughs in Science offer Hope for Eating Disorders' by Carrie Arnold. Despite the fairly sloppy editing (the title is a case in point), the author's rather breathless, almost manic style of writing and tendency to a non-linear presentation I found the material interesting, cogent and encouraging. Kudos to her for taking this on. She doesn't exclude environment--cultural imperatives, gender specific issues or family history--rather the biological impulse is informed by environment in ways that have profoundly deleterious effects on those genetically predisposed to anorexia. Biology co-arising with environment which is an interesting study in itself. Subjects like the 'Adapted to Flee Famine' gene, 'Interoception and the Inula' among other fascinating theories make for a very interesting and thought provoking read. Anyone who's been affected by this disorder either personally or through watching family or friends go through it would do well to read this book. And I think it should be a must-read for doctors and folks working with AN clients. I'm now 4 for 4!! :hurray: My tbr stack is almost overwhelming in its scope--a little bit of everything. I just need to settle on one :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Stop the presses --- 50 Essential Mystery Novels That Everyone Should Read. I want to add every single one to my wishlist. :leaving: I've read 7 on the list even though I feel like I've read a ton of mysteries. I guess you're supposed to read widely--only 1 Agatha Christie on the List (I've probably read most of hers, all of the Hercule Poirot) and no Nancy Drew! We're actually reading both Hound of the Baskervilles and Murder on the Orient Express as read-alouds right now. I would love to do Rebecca too, but I don't think we have the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Finished "Lies You Wanted to Hear" today. It was good, the story kept me interested... but it ended rather abruptly. I hate when that happens. :iagree: I never read Angela's Ashes (never had the desire to...). Me neither. Last night I finished Sticks & Stones (Cut & Run) by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux. This is the second book in a series; I mentioned the first book here. Added these to my wish list. I, OTOH, am a plodder. These days, with the book that I'm currently reading especially, that'e exactly how I feel. I read quickly when the book is fairly fluffy. I am a definite turtle when it comes to Organic Chemistry or something philosophical. This. :) I finished Unwind last night. What a horrifying premise. Sometimes the thought process behind justifying evil is chilling and you start to wonder if anything like that could ever happen. I guess it can with all of the genocide we've witnessed. This looks good, but not sure if I have the courage to read it :eek:. Stop the presses --- 50 Essential Mystery Novels That Everyone Should Read. I want to add every single one to my wishlist. :leaving: I've read a few of these. Interesting list. Adding some to my wish list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Stop the presses --- 50 Essential Mystery Novels That Everyone Should Read. I want to add every single one to my wishlist. :leaving: Dearest Robin, and others who so helpfully keep posting lists of wonderful books... Please. Stop. :svengo: My Kindle will explode... or perhaps my husband will, when he sees how many Kindle purchases show up on the credit card this month... :D Amazon Plans to Ship Packages Before They are Ordered. They are becoming alien, mind readers. First it was the drones and now they are mind reading. What next? Hmm! I need to add a few more books to my wishlist. :lol: I can't decide if that's creepy or fabulous. And I'm not sure what that says about me... :LOL: Anyway... today was non-fiction day. I read through two very short books I'd downloaded, both about education, more specifically self education, yet very different in tone. One was "The World's Best Books" by Frank Parsons, a Kindle freebie. This was written in, I think without looking, 1891. The tone is fantastic, rich language, basically an ode to classic literature. It had several sections of literary commentary that I read, and then lots of lists that I really just skimmed through... books by genre, books for children, by time period, etc. Of course, it leaves out the last 120 years or so, but it was really delightful to peruse the pages. The other was "Why School?" by Will Richardson. This was labeled as a TED talk, I'm not sure if it's a writing that developed from a talk, or vice versa, or if there are print versions of TED talks?? Anyway, it was a very short read, just over 50 pages, but it provides much food for thought. The premise is basically that the school reforms currently being implemented are just more of the same... that they're trying to do the wrong things better. He talks about how technology has changed the world so much, we have teachers and collaborators from all over the world literally at our fingertips each day, and that the educational paradigm must change if schools are to be saved. It really gave me some things to mull over in relation to homeschooling too. I am up to 8 titles for the year: 8. The World's Best Books, Frank Parsons 7. Why School?, Will Richardson 6. Lies You Wanted to Hear, James Thomson 5. Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote 4. Beloved Enemy: The Passions of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Ellen Jones 3. The Homemade Atheist, Betty Brogaard (part of a goal to read about different spiritual leanings) 2. Falling for her Soldier, Ophelia London 1. Resisting the Hero, Cindi Madsen Haven't started Winter Garden yet... I will in the next day or two, but I'd really like to make some progress on Little Women. Oh, and then I was reminded that I promised my son I'd read a book... he read "The Bronze Bow" as an assignment shortly before Christmas break, and loved it so much he instructed me to read it as well. :D I am, of course, happy to oblige... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Are y'all talking about Soulless by Gail Carriger? Yes :) One of my favorite series! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlbuchina Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Yes :) One of my favorite series! Thanks. It's already on my tbr list, but I wanted to make sure that was the one. I want to read it, but it keeps getting put off. *sigh* [edited to remove picture] [edited to remove picture] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Another possible stop on the BaW around-the-world tour.... :D That Might Look Like A Book... But It's Not. It's Actually A Completely Brilliant Idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Last night I finished the third book in the Cut and Run series by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban; this one was titled Fish & Chips. This book had the two leads working on a case; they're FBI agents. I continue to enjoy the series and will be requesting that my library purchase more volumes in the series. (Much adult content.) "Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are back on the job, settled into a personal and professional relationship built on fierce protectiveness and blistering passion. Now they’re assigned to impersonate two members of an international smuggling ring—an out-and-proud married couple—on a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean. As their boss says, surely they’d rather kiss each other than be shot at, and he has no idea how right he is.Portraying the wealthy criminals requires a particular change in attitude from Ty and Zane while dealing with the frustrating waiting game that is their assignment. As it begins to affect how they treat each other in private, they realize there’s more to being partners than watching each other’s backs, and when the case takes an unexpected turn and threatens Ty’s life, he and Zane will have to navigate seas of white lies and stormy secrets, including some of their own." Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Last night I finished the third book in the Cut and Run series by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban; this one was titled Fish & Chips. This book had the two leads working on a case; they're FBI agents. I continue to enjoy the series and will be requesting that my library purchase more volumes in the series. (Much adult content.) Well, since I posted myself in tortoise mode yesterday. Here ya go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 HEY!!! Stop the bus! I do believe I'm.... MULTIQUOTING!! First time ever! I meant to read this last year but it somehow made its way too far down the stack to be retrievable... I look forward to hearing what you think of it. Awesome job on the mutiquoting. I finished Sunjata & mentioned it in a different post. Loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 For those of us who feel overwhelmed by our tbr lists, here's some perspective... :eek: [ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Please excuse me for not having any replies here. I had everything all set with multiple quotes yesterday when the boards quit working for me for some reason. Today I don't have as much time, so am merely here to say hi, welcome to all the newcomers here & post what I've read so far. Hopefully the next time I come with some time on my hands I can write, finish & post my replies in there with the forum still working :). 1. Half Lives 2. Brother, Brother Clay Carmichael 3. The Road Cormac McCarthy 4. Lighthouse Island Paulette Jiles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Kareni, I think I'll start the Cut and Run series based on your recommendation! I just finished 26. Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson. I found it to be an interesting read, a combination of the useful and the esoteric. It put me in mind of the old Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. I used to subscribe to her newsletter waaaay back in the 1990s. I still have all the copies (and her first book) that I reread for inspiration about once a year :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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