Robin M Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 Oh, don't say that because then I have to feel ignorant too. I am new to this thread and it's true, it can be a bit overwhelming, but just jump on in. I am a very shallow reader and can't catch symbolism if it throws itself at my feet. But I like to read and talk about books. I'm pretty sure that's all that matters here, eh? Look, this is a truly equalizing place on this forum. Here we are just readers chatting about books. It doesn't matter if you are a rigorous classical mom with accelerated kids who homeschools 6 hours a day 5 days a week, and I am a slacker eclectic mom of average to challenged kids who is taking tomorrow morning "off" so my daughter can photograph the frozen Schuylkill River before it thaws in the afternoon. I know it's frozen because we took the afternoon off today to go to the art museum which is next to the river. Now to come back to books: What are some good art fiction books? You know, like The Girl with the Pearl Earring? What was the name of that novel about Renoir I started and quit two or three years and now want to find again? Is The Last Van Gogh worth reading? The cover looks a bit too romance-y for me but you know what they say about books and covers... Yes, it is a truly equalizing place and we've all worked together to make this a No Snark Zone. Sorry, couldn't resist. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 Also check out Iain Pears Art History Mysteries - they are excellent and I have enjoyed just about every one of them. My sister recently got me Giotti's Hand which I'm looking forward to reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Now to come back to books: What are some good art fiction books? You know, like The Girl with the Pearl Earring? What was the name of that novel about Renoir I started and quit two or three years and now want to find again? Is The Last Van Gogh worth reading? The cover looks a bit too romance-y for me but you know what they say about books and covers... I read Girl in Hyacinth Blue and enjoyed it. A quick GR search yields the following few among many possibilities : Birth of Venus The Painted Kiss The Lady and the Unicorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlbuchina Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Yes, it is a truly equalizing place and we've all worked together to make this a No Snark Zone. Until Stacia decided to incite discord and suggest we should split up into gangs! [edited to remove picture] :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlbuchina Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 :smilielol5: Hey. Back off, girl, or I'm going to pull my superhero book gang move on you... [edited to remove picture] :eek: (Scary, huh?) Oh, I'm really scared!! [edited to remove picture] Here's a book for you, Stacia. You might need it. [edited to remove picture] :rofl: On a side note, I've read Freakonomics, by Stephen J. Dubner, and really enjoyed it. (Notice he is the one who wrote the Foreword of the gang book.) (Maybe I should stop posting so late at night. Why am I still up, anyway???) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 What a GREAT post! I am one of the ignorant, too! I have felt very accepted here, and I agree that this is a very equalizing place on an otherwise somewhat competitive forum. I was terrible at literary analysis in high school. Well, let me elaborate. *I* thought I was great at literary analysis and enjoyed it immensely, only to be told repeatedly that I was wrong. I love to come here and read and soak in, without people trying to get me to talk and then berating me when I'm "wrong". I truly enjoy this thread every week. (And I really like when people "like" my posts, which people seem pretty liberal about doing here - makes me feel important, lol.) I prefer to see analysis by readers who don't think there is a "right" way to think of each piece of literature. I've always been a little stubborn about thinking my own thoughts, even if I've not always been brave enough to state them. Why should everyone like the same things I like and dislike the same things I dislike, and for the same reasons? Even the fact that a book is extraordinarily popular doesn't mean that everyone who reads it must like it. That would be kind of scary to me. Dissenters are often valuable members of society. They teach us to stop and pay attention to what we are thinking and saying, even if it just reinforces our own opinion. ETA: This means I whole-heartedly agree with you. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 This article brought me right back to The Goldfinch and may be of interest to those looking for stolen art books: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/us/a-violinists-triumph-is-ruined-by-thieves.html?_r=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Marbel asked about art fiction and was given some good suggestions. I want to add two things, the cozy mystery Murder at the Gardner by Jane Langton. I mentioned this a week or two ago when someone else read Langton. As a fan of the Gardner museum in Boston, I enjoyed this book which mentions various pieces in the collection throughout. It has been a while, but my son and I both enjoyed the children's mystery Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. Children's mysteries often lack complexity--this one doesn't. Additionally there is a pentomino code in the book, a nice mathematical tie-in. Ah, Vermeer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 This article brought me right back to The Goldfinch and may be of interest to those looking for stolen art books: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/us/a-violinists-triumph-is-ruined-by-thieves.html?_r=0 Wow. I am always amazed at how much art theft occurs. It is sadly all too common. On a slightly related note... I remember hearing a theory once that the reason a Stradivarius sounds better than other instruments is partly that the density of the wood used (based on the mini cold/ice age that Europe went through in the middle ages -- trees grew less during that period so the rings were more densely packed) was different than what many others used. And, that such dense wood is not really available today & that is why modern science & music still can't replicate a Strad. Don't know if the theory was ever actually proven or not, but I thought it was quite fascinating to ponder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Last night I started the second in the Miss Peregrine Peculiar Children series, Hollow City. I just finished the first Miss Peregrine book. I have to say the book was absolutely nothing like I imagined but very good. Really creative. I thought it was going to be some touching tale taking place in an orphanage in Wales,instead I got a somewhat creepy tale (in a good way) that starts in Florida. Enjoyed it and looking forward to hearing if the second one is as good. I hope everyone is feeling better at your house today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I finished Mrs. Dalloway last night. Everyone else was in bed. I was in front of the fire and it was perfect for finishing the book. :wub: Loved it. Septimus....oh. Rezia. Peter. Richard. Clarissa. Just wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I just finished the first Miss Peregrine book. I have to say the book was absolutely nothing like I imagined but very good. Really creative. I thought it was going to be some touching tale taking place in an orphanage in Wales,instead I got a somewhat creepy tale (in a good way) that starts in Florida. Enjoyed it and looking forward to hearing if the second one is as good. I hope everyone is feeling better at your house today! I thought the exact same thing! I didn't know there was a second book, that's cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovetoread Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I am posting this before reading posts from last night or this morning. Sorry if its a repeat. Weren't we just talking about this book? http://www.amazon.com/The-Rosie-Project-A-Novel-ebook/dp/B00BSBR9N6/%3Ftag%3Dbg-u-20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Marbel asked about art fiction and was given some good suggestions. I want to add two things, the cozy mystery Murder at the Gardner by Jane Langton. I mentioned this a week or two ago when someone else read Langton. As a fan of the Gardner museum in Boston, I enjoyed this book which mentions various pieces in the collection throughout. It has been a while, but my son and I both enjoyed the children's mystery Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. Children's mysteries often lack complexity--this one doesn't. Additionally there is a pentomino code in the book, a nice mathematical tie-in. Ah, Vermeer... Thanks for the Langton recommendation. Blue Balliet's books are wonderful. I highly recommend them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I am posting this before reading posts from last night or this morning. Sorry if its a repeat. Weren't we just talking about this book? http://www.amazon.com/The-Rosie-Project-A-Novel-ebook/dp/B00BSBR9N6/%3Ftag%3Dbg-u-20 Great deal! :) People here have definitely been reading it. I gave it a five last year as great fluffy stuff! It starts in Australia with an Australian author if anyone is doing the geography challenge. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Marbel asked about art fiction and was given some good suggestions. I want to add two things, the cozy mystery Murder at the Gardner by Jane Langton. I mentioned this a week or two ago when someone else read Langton. As a fan of the Gardner museum in Boston, I enjoyed this book which mentions various pieces in the collection throughout. It has been a while, but my son and I both enjoyed the children's mystery Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. Children's mysteries often lack complexity--this one doesn't. Additionally there is a pentomino code in the book, a nice mathematical tie-in. Ah, Vermeer... I was thinking of the Blue Balliett books as well. And speaking of Vermeer, I'm reminded of my somewhat recent viewing of 'Girl with a Pearl Earring', the actual painting. I can't remember who curated the exhibit but they certainly knew their work. One wandered through several rooms absorbing the works of various other Dutch artists of a similar time and then you came upon her, seeing her first from afar from another room and then moving towards her as one approached the room. Luminous, purity, subtlety, mystery, these qualities drawing the viewer In with a kind of graceful intensity. My mom had a framed copy of this hanging in her home for years. And seeing the pic brought my mom right into the moment, a shared experience, all the more precious as she's been gone several years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElaineJ Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Well, hey now, I paid a visit to a couple of small Cornish villages 25 years ago too :D Where did you go? I was in Tavistock and Clovelly. I visited Clovelly about 30 years ago........ :001_smile: Elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Reading Happy Potter 5 now. Sorry, this typo made me giggle. :D Harry definitely has the angry/moody teen thing going on in this book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socalmom Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 The same thoughts have run through my head when I find a long line of hold requests at the library for a book discussed here. Is there a huge lurker contingent reading our thread each week, looking for book recommendations?! Yes. :001_smile: I love reading everyone's suggestions have discovered many great books from this board. I also have a huge TBR list. Margie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Shukriyya--I took dh on a tour of King Arthur mythology as part of our first anniversary. We did Bodmin Moor (which they drive accross in the book) and Tintagel? Castle which had a really tiny barely one car road in order to get there. Fabulous views but dh almost had a nervous breakdown ;) and refuses to take me back. I had a couple burial sites etc. We had fun but dh wasn't ready to drive in that part of the country yet -- he learned in the US. In reality we may very well go next summer, the dc's really want to see the Arthur sites and we have friends who live very near. Have you ever watched "Doc Martin"? It is one of my favorites and is set in that area -- north coast Cornwall. Oh my DH would adore that tour! I'll have to check out Doc Martin. I'd love to visit Cornwall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Yes. :001_smile: I love reading everyone's suggestions have discovered many great books from this board. I also have a huge TBR list. Margie I keep adding to my Amazon book wishlist. I'm never going to be able to read them all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 ir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I'm reminded of my somewhat recent viewing of 'Girl with a Pearl Earring', the actual painting. I can't remember who curated the exhibit but they certainly knew their work. One wandered through several rooms absorbing the works of various other Dutch artists of a similar time and then you came upon her, seeing her first from afar from another room and then moving towards her as one approached the room. Luminous, purity, subtlety, mystery, these qualities drawing the viewer In with a kind of graceful intensity. Your description makes me think of the opening chapters of The Goldfinch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Here's a book for you, Stacia. You might need it. :rofl: On a side note, I've read Freakonomics, by Stephen J. Dubner, and really enjoyed it. (Notice he is the one who wrote the Foreword of the gang book.) I never read Freakonomics (though I meant to). Dh read & really enjoyed Freakonomics years ago when it first came out. Looks like my library actually has Gang Leader for a Day. Reading the description, it actually sounds quite interesting. I may end up reading it.... From Publishers Weekly: Honest and entertaining, Columbia University professor Venkatesh vividly recounts his seven years following and befriending a Chicago crack-dealing gang in a fascinating look into the complex world of the Windy City's urban poor. As introduced in Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner's bestseller, Freakonomics, Venkatesh became involved with the Black Kings—and their charismatic leader J.T.—as a first-year doctoral student at the University of Chicago. Sent to the projects with a multiple-choice test on poverty as his calling card, Venkatesh was, to his surprise, invited in to see how the drug dealers functioned in real life, from their corporate structure to the corporal punishment meted out to traitors and snitches. Venkatesh's narrative breaks down common misperceptions (such as all gang members are uneducated and cash rich, when the opposite is often true), the native of India also addresses his shame and subsequent emotional conflicts over collecting research on illegal activities and serving as the Black Kings' primary decision-maker for a day—hardly the actions of a detached sociological observer. But overinvolved or not, this graduate student turned gang-running rogue sociologist has an intimate and compelling tale to tell. On a side note, talking about all the beauty of this particular reading group, this is yet another example that we as a whole can come up with reading suggestions/books to fit any topic. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Also check out Iain Pears- they are excellent and I have enjoyed just about every one of them. My sister recently got me Giotti's Hand which I'm looking forward to reading. I just picked up The Titian Committee a few weeks ago at Goodwill because someone on here mentioned these. Thanks for the reminder. :) I was watching a fascinating documentary about the Greek/Roman physician Galen. Does anyone have any suggestions for further reading? Galen specifically, but I can just Amazon or library search him. Has anyone read any medical history that was really interesting (and lighter than a textbook)? I enjoyed the medical sections from Here is Where last year too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Reading Happy Potter 5 now. I was wondering why I got so many likes. :-) Ds9 is finishing up The Wanted Potter 7. I asked him what title to use and this is what he gave me. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 While we're on the topic of art fiction The Madonnas of Leningrad is one of the Kindle daily deals for 1.99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlbuchina Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 [edited to remove picture] [edited to remove picture] While do enjoy portraits, I seem to gravitate more to landscapes. One of my favorite paintings happens to be in our museum here in town. It is huge, and I could sit in front of it for hours imagining all sorts of things. I can't quite describe the feelings in my being that this painting inspires in me. Love just isn't big, or encompassing, enough. [edited to remove picture] I will definitely have to put some of these art related books in my tbr list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 Check out Teddy Roosevelt's short story - Books for Holidays in the Open written in 1916. The equation of personal taste is as powerful in reading as in eating; and within certain broad limits the matter is merely one of individual preference, having nothing to do with the quality either of the book or of the reader's mind. I like apples, pears, oranges, pineapples, and peaches. I dislike bananas, alligator-pears, and prunes. The first fact is certainly not to my credit, although it is to my advantage; and the second at least does not show moral turpitude. At times in the tropics I have been exceedingly sorry I could not learn to like bananas, and on round-ups, in the cow country in the old days, it was even more unfortunate not to like prunes; but I simply could not make myself like either, and that was all there was to it\ Plus he weighs in on the 100 best lists There remain enormous masses of books, of which no one man can read more than a limited number, and among which each reader should choose those which meet his own particular needs. There is no such thing as a list of "the hundred best books," or the "best five-foot library."Dozens of series of excellent books, one hundred to each series, can be named, all of reasonably equal merit and each better for many readers than any of the others; and probably not more than half a dozen books would appear in all these lists. As for a "five-foot library," scores can readily be devised, each of which at some given time, for some given man, under certain conditions, will be best. But to attempt to create such a library that shall be of universal value is foreordained to futility. Another matter which within certain rather wide limits each reader must settle for himself is the dividing line between (1) not knowing anything about current books, and (2) swamping one's soul in the sea of vapidity which overwhelms him who reads only "the last new books." To me the heading employed by some reviewers when they speak of "books of the week" comprehensively damns both the books themselves and the reviewer who is willing to notice them. I would much rather see the heading "books of the year before last." A book of the year before last which is still worth noticing would probably be worth reading; but one only entitled to be called a book of the week had better be tossed into the wastebasket at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 :smilielol5: Hey. Back off, girl, or I'm going to pull my superhero book gang move on you... :eek: (Scary, huh?) Holy heart failure, Batman! - Robin Bless my dustpan! - Alfred You should have let me in on this. We could have planned it, prepared it, pre-sold the movie rights! - Riddler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 While do enjoy portraits, I seem to gravitate more to landscapes. One of my favorite paintings happens to be in our museum here in town. It is huge, and I could sit in front of it for hours imagining all sorts of things. I can't quite describe the feelings in my being that this painting inspires in me. Love just isn't big, or encompassing, enough. I will definitely have to put some of these art related books in my tbr list. Loveliness!!! Who is the artist? It has a Maxfield Parish quality to it. And where is the landscape? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Holy heart failure, Batman! - Robin Bless my dustpan! - Alfred You should have let me in on this. We could have planned it, prepared it, pre-sold the movie rights! - Riddler :lol: I'm now starting the newest Flavia de Luce book (because it's due back at the library very soon). Also, here's an article that somewhat relates to The Monuments Men... Tiny 10-inch 16th century prayer book confiscated by the Nazis from Rothschild banking dynasty fetches $13.6 MILLION at auction after sparking bidding frenzy. Talk about incredible artistic beauty... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Yes. :001_smile: I love reading everyone's suggestions have discovered many great books from this board. I also have a huge TBR list. Margie Hey Margie, I'd love to hear about what you're reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 :lol: I'm now starting the newest Flavia de Luce book (because it's due back at the library very soon). Also, here's an article that somewhat relates to The Monuments Men... Tiny 10-inch 16th century prayer book confiscated by the Nazis from Rothschild banking dynasty fetches $13.6 MILLION at auction after sparking bidding frenzy. Talk about incredible artistic beauty... Very cool article. This sentence jumped out at me :: 'Christie's Nicholas Hall said: 'Every aspect of this book of hours - from the quality of the parchment to the wealth and refinement of the decoration - marks the Rothschild Prayerbook as one of the most prestigious and exquisite examples of Flemish manuscript illumination.' That there are folks who study the quality of parchment, something so seemingly prosaic, a 'mere' backdrop for the art itself, makes my soul flutter a little :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Michele, that landscape is stunning! I'd also like to know more about it. I stayed up last night to finish Lost Lake. (Note to self: if you are trying to get over an illness, probably best not to stay up until 2am reading...) It was enjoyable... somehow it wasn't my favorite SAA title, I think that still goes to Peach Keeper or The Girl Who Chased the Moon. I know the genre is magical realism, and there are some "out there" things in each novel and that's part of the quirkiness I love, but there were a couple things in this one that just didn't click for me somehow. If anyone else has read it.... I was totally picturing Shirley Maclaine ala "Steel Magnolias" as Selma... that image popped into my head and stuck. :D Anyway, I am going to start The Goldfinch... I keep hearing good things about it, and the art discussion above makes me look forward to it even more. (I also enjoyed Chasing Vermeer, I might read that again, and also try the sequels.) I'm also going to start The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin... I read this a few years back and remember enjoying it, so now round two. I had mentioned Little Women several times... I finally set it aside. I don't know *what* it is, it seems a wonderful book and I enjoyed what I read of it, but anytime I went to grab a book, I considered and ignored it in favor of something else. I'm putting it away for now and will probably try one more time down the road. Oh well. My list of completed in January... ten books, off to a good start!! 1. Resisting the Hero, Cindi Madsen 2. Falling for her Soldier, Ophelia London 3. The Homemade Atheist, Betty Brogaard 4. Beloved Enemy, Ellen Jones 5. Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote 6. Lies You Wanted to Hear, James Whitfield Thomson 7. Why School?, Will Richardson 8. The World's Best Books, Frank Parsons 9. Winter Garden, Kristin Hannah 10. Lost Lake, Sarah Addison Allen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 One of my favorite paintings, The Sleeping Gypsy by Rousseau. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 That there are folks who study the quality of parchment, something so seemingly prosaic, a 'mere' backdrop for the art itself, makes my soul flutter a little :D At times I wonder if I missed my life's callings. I could very well see myself working in some obscure field of study about parchment & paper, puttering along for years & years.... And, of course, prior to becoming an obscure researcher, I would have spent my childhood with these guys, recreating the film in meticulous detail. (I have the book on my shelf to read this year.) I can only hope that quantum physics predictions are true & some of my other selves are right now doing some of these things. :thumbup1: Maybe that's why I feel an affinity to certain things, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I can only hope that quantum physics predictions are true & some of my other selves are right now doing some of these things. :thumbup1: Maybe that's why I feel an affinity to certain things, eh? Wouldn't this be incredibly awesome?? I confess to having the same hope... probably comes from having watched too much Stargate. ;) Although if I think about it too hard... that begs the question for me, what more could I be doing with the reality I'm actually inhabiting? And if I think too much about that, I'll have to put my books away and get off the couch. :D Seriously, it does lead to pondering... mama always said I overthink everything... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I can only hope that quantum physics predictions are true & some of my other selves are right now doing some of these things. :thumbup1: My attempt at a quantum physics/other selves gif...works for me :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Although if I think about it too hard... that begs the question for me, what more could I be doing with the reality I'm actually inhabiting? Begging another question...maybe instead it's reality that's inhabiting you? :thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I wonder if I've started any book gangs in my other realities? <ducking & running... :lol: > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I think I'm in love with Teddy Roosevelt. Since it is the last day of January here is my final list of books read this month: The Winter Ghosts- Kate Mosse (France, early 20th century, 14th century)* Mrs. DeWinter- Susan Hill (Europe, Britain, based on Rebecca) Snow Falling on Cedars- David Guterson (Washington State, WWII, Japanese immigrants, mystery) Troubling a Star- Madeleine L'Engle (Antarctica, juvenile mystery) The Snow Child- Eowyn Ivey (Alaska,19th century, fairytale retelling)* Emily Dickinson is Dead- Jane Langton (Massachusetts, Homer Kelly detective) Winter Study- Nevada Barr (US/Canadian border island, suspense, least favorite) The History of the Kings of Britain- Geoffrey of Monmouth (written in 12th Century, Britain, Europe) Russian Winter- Daphne Kalotay (mid 20th century, Russia, Massachusetts) The Winter Pony- Iain Lawrence (Antarctica, juvenile, historical fiction) My most favorites are marked with an *. I don't know why some are bolded. I can't fix it. I'm currently reading The Rosewood Casket by Sharon McCrumb while waiting for my copy of the Inferno to arrive. I actually decided to buy my own copy (used) instead of reading one of the library's. (gasp) One reason is that while I was looking around I found out that John Ciardi did a translation. Well, I also met John Ciardi when I was in high school. It wasn't quite as thrilling as meeting John Hersey, but still. And I do like his poetry for children. If I'm going to read the "infernal" thing, I might as well get as much enjoyment as possible out of it. (In case you are wondering, I went to high school in Key West, Florida, playground of the rich and famous. My father was stationed there with the Navy. The school was pretty awful, but my English teacher was awesome.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I think I'm in love with Teddy Roosevelt. I was going to ask if anyone has recs of a great bio of him...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Check out Teddy Roosevelt's short story - Books for Holidays in the Open written in 1916. Robin offered several quotes and I would like to bring two more to the table. Fathers and mothers who are wise can train their children first to practise, and soon to like, the sustained mental application necessary to enjoy good books. They will do well also to give each boy or girl the mastery of at least some one foreign language, so that at least one other great literature, in addition to our own noble English literature, shall be open to him or her. Modern languages are taught so easily and readily that whoever really desires to learn one of them can soon achieve sufficient command of it to read ordinary books with reasonable ease; and then it is a mere matter of practise for any one to become able thoroughly to enjoy the beauty and wisdom which knowledge of the new tongue brings. A good reminder to return to my self study of French. And, as we approach the weekend, bear in mind: Tolstoy is an interesting and stimulating writer, but an exceedingly unsafe moral adviser. Shhh..Don't tell the local school board or they'll want to ban his books... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I was going to ask if anyone has recs of a great bio of him...? Yes! David McCullough's Mornings on Horseback covers the early part of his life, in particular the events and people that shape him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 3. The Homemade Atheist, Betty Brogaard This looks good. I put it on my list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlbuchina Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Loveliness!!! Who is the artist? It has a Maxfield Parish quality to it. And where is the landscape? Michele, that landscape is stunning! I'd also like to know more about it. The name of the piece is Looking Down Yosemite Valley, California (1865) by artist Albert Bierstadt. Here is short article about its history. I stayed up last night to finish Lost Lake. (Note to self: if you are trying to get over an illness, probably best not to stay up until 2am reading...) It was enjoyable... somehow it wasn't my favorite SAA title, I think that still goes to Peach Keeper or The Girl Who Chased the Moon. I know the genre is magical realism, and there are some "out there" things in each novel and that's part of the quirkiness I love, but there were a couple things in this one that just didn't click for me somehow. If anyone else has read it.... I was totally picturing Shirley Maclaine ala "Steel Magnolias" as Selma... that image popped into my head and stuck. :D I had mentioned Little Women several times... I finally set it aside. I don't know *what* it is, it seems a wonderful book and I enjoyed what I read of it, but anytime I went to grab a book, I considered and ignored it in favor of something else. I'm putting it away for now and will probably try one more time down the road. Oh well. Oh my goodness, yes! She is the perfect Selma. LOL I know what you mean about the book, overall, though. It was nice, but just didn't seem to be as good as some of her other books. Even still, I'm looking forward to her next book, whenever she writes it. I'm sorry Little Women isn't grabbing you. I loved it when I read it last year. Of course, I was listening to it during a 13 hour car trip, so that helped with my attention, I think. I don't know if I would have stuck with it if I were just reading it whenever. I would probably do the same as you. Same goes for The Swiss Family Robinson. It's amazing what you can get "read" on long car trips. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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