Jane in NC Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 All the Griffin and Sabine talk has me thinking that it would be great to make sketch books that have empty postcards, envelopes and so forth glued in to give to the kids for Nanowrimo. Then they can go to coffee shops and play with me. Oh fun! I did not get to read another play has I fell soundly asleep on the return trip home. I did peak out the window sometimes and there was always a car or semi turned over in the ditch- best to sleep in those cases. I've almost finished Jane Eyre and am going to see if I can't find some string technique books and Alexander technique books to read while I wait for my hands to heal. They are better but I'm worried about picking up the violin too fast after this and then there is that beautiful cello, newly back from the shop, staring at me from across the room. And I now have Augustine's Confessions on my nook....... I picked up a bunch of old postcards at a yard sale. And when I say a bunch, I mean, A Bunch! I would be happy to mail some of these cards to any of my book friends who want to follow through with Winter Wonderland's brilliant Nanowrimo idea. Just drop me a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 He,he. I'm a cat married to a dog. I didn't post that when I first saw the videos because, you know. P.S. I watched them at 5:30 this morning because I was up with insomnia. I had trouble not snorting with laughter. I don't think I will show them to the rest of my family. Too much fuel there. P.S. S. My grandson has a nickname for himself and my youngest boy. They are puppy and kitty respectively, and very accurate. No way I'd allow anyone in my family to see those videos... my husband actually came into the kitchen as I was snorting and asked what was so funny. I just smiled sweetly. Nothing, honey... All the Griffin and Sabine talk has me thinking that it would be great to make sketch books that have empty postcards, envelopes and so forth glued in to give to the kids for Nanowrimo. Then they can go to coffee shops and play with me. Oh fun! And I now have Augustine's Confessions on my nook....... Spectacular idea re: G&S sketchbooks... I will have to find the trilogy and see if I can convince my artsy daughter to do this... Brave, brave woman re: Confessions. Let us know how it goes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 To keep my post slightly bookish, I will say that I rarely, if ever, read books that have animals as characters. I just can't handle sad stuff that happens to animals in books & tend to not like 'animal' based books for that reason (because most stories like that do have stuff meant to pull at your heartstrings). So, for me, no Black Beauty, or Redwall, etc.... (I know those are youth books, but still....) And, I was really hesitant about reading Life of Pi knowing the tiger was a central character (but I steeled myself & read it anyway). :iagree: I can NOT do animal characters. I think it is the cruelest form of punishment! My friends are horrified that I can watch a shoot 'em up action movie and have no problem but I can't watch Bambi or The Fox and the Hound. And don't even get me started on Lassie!!! I'm scarred for life after watching that when I was like 5. I was up in my room sobbing and my mom is like Lassie is ALWAYS ok and ALWAYS comes home. I just. can't. do. it. :crying: From part of Mental Floss' review... This picture reminds me of the Doctor Who episode "The Silence in the Library." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I've almost finished Jane Eyre and am going to see if I can't find some string technique books and Alexander technique books to read while I wait for my hands to heal. They are better but I'm worried about picking up the violin too fast after this and then there is that beautiful cello, newly back from the shop, staring at me from across the room... I somehow missed reading what happened to your hands but they've been mentioned in several of your posts and I wanted to offer a :grouphug: Your references to not being able to play your instruments sound perhaps more (?) painful than what ails your hands. Alexander technique can do wonders and I hope it brings you some relief. At any rate your hands have become part of your posts in a, to me, interesting way. :iagree: I can NOT do animal characters. I think it is the cruelest form of punishment! My friends are horrified that I can watch a shoot 'em up action movie and have no problem but I can't watch Bambi or The Fox and the Hound. And don't even get me started on Lassie!!! I'm scarred for life after watching that when I was like 5. I was up in my room sobbing and my mom is like Lassie is ALWAYS ok and ALWAYS comes home. I just. can't. do.it. You and the other animal lit averse on this thread might try 'Dominic' by William Steig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Oh my goodness. I do believe I am myself a dog, married to a cat... He,he. I'm a cat married to a dog. I didn't post that when I first saw the videos because, you know. :lol: I never even thought about classifying myself re: the videos. I must say, though, that our entire family is cats if that is the case... and we have only cats as pets. My sister is definitely a dog, though. :laugh: :iagree: I can NOT do animal characters. I think it is the cruelest form of punishment! My friends are horrified that I can watch a shoot 'em up action movie and have no problem but I can't watch Bambi or The Fox and the Hound. And don't even get me started on Lassie!!! I'm scarred for life after watching that when I was like 5. I was up in my room sobbing and my mom is like Lassie is ALWAYS ok and ALWAYS comes home. I just. can't. do. it. :crying: Wish we could hang out & go to the movies together, Angel! :thumbup1: I somehow missed reading what happened to your hands but they've been mentioned in several of your posts and I wanted to offer a :grouphug: Your references to not being able to play your instruments sound perhaps more (?) painful than what ails you hands. Alexander technique can do wonders and I hope it brings you some relief. At any rate your hands have become part of your posts in a, to me, interesting way. You and the other animal lit averse on this thread might try 'Dominic' by William Steig. I agree, Winter Wonderland. Hoping your wrists heal quickly so you can get back to your quilting & instruments! shukriyya, I may have to look for that. (But, to be fair, I've not been a fan of Steig ever since I read Sylvester and the Magic Pebble; I find that story horrifying.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I'm about half-way through Mary Stewart's 'The Moonspinners' and as I bounce along with it I can't help but feeling it's like an Enid Blyton adventure book for adults :lol: shukriyya, I may have to look for that. (But, to be fair, I've not been a fan of Steig ever since I read Sylvester and the Magic Pebble; I find that story horrifying.) I've not read the book you mentioned but we've read 'Abel's Island' and 'Gorky Rises' and loved. Ds liked 'Amos and Boris' but found it sad. My mom did 'Dominic' as a read aloud for us when we were kids and it stayed with all of us. It really is a wonderful story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 From the same site that has the Jane Austen tattoos, maybe this will appeal more to this group... Shakespearean Insult Bandages Rapscallion, treat the damage to thy self with Shakespearean Insult Badages. These plasters will help to heal boo-boos and scrapes caused by rapiers both sword and wit. The wound binding of choice for curs, blackguards, scoundrels and wretches. This set of fifteen 3" x 1" assorted bandages have an image of Shakespeare and one of fifteen insults taken directly from his plays. Such hilarious insults as, "Thy wit's as thick as Tewksbury mustard," and "Do thou amend my face, and I'll amend my life." You'll never stop laughing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Mavis Gallant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 This link of vintage ads to encourage book reading and library use has some wonderful retro art work on it. Some of my faves... Originally found through this site which is for a book on Vintage Ski Posters...I'll restrain myself with just two in this image-heavy post but these are gorgeous... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Mavis Gallant Those are lovely pieces. I've never read her work. Any particular ones to recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Those are lovely pieces. I've never read her work. Any particular ones to recommend? From The Fifteenth District and Home Truths are two that come to mind as ones you might enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Wish we could hang out & go to the movies together, Angel! :thumbup1: Anytime ;) Oh my goodness! Where were these when I was teaching Shakespeare a year and a half ago!!! Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I just received my copy of Concealed in Death so I'll be diving into Eve and Roark's world this evening. Any thoughts so far? I'm torn over buying it right now based on the disappointing reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Gah, help, more gorgeous vintageness and nothing to do with books, really except that it's from the Boston Public Library's Print Collection... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 Once again I have abused my likes and have no more until the god of likes decides enough time has passed and grants me more. Maybe a wuv you button. Maybe a hmm button. Maybe an assortment of other buttons would come in handy. Oh well! Consider yourself liked. Stacia beat me with all her links except for the cat and dog videos. Thanks for the wonderful laugh. My son is a dog, just say squirrel and he says where? The millions - 28 books you should read if you want to: Lists serve a purpose if you’re Jay Gatsby furnishing a library or if you’ve, say, just arrived from Mars and have no knowledge of Earth books. What they miss is that one of the greatest rewards of a reading life is discovery. In my 10 years working at bookstores, no one ever came in and asked me what they should read before their death — they would ask me what my favorite book was, or if there were any great new books no one was talking about, or they would just want me to leave them alone so they could explore on their own.I discovered one of my favorite books because the author called our store and charmed the living daylights out of me. I found another in a box of old books that my Russian literature professor left outside his office to give away. So while I do think that you should read the canon if it interests you, I think it’s more important that you read the books that find their own way into your hands. I think we're on the right track. I just had to share since this one of our favorite movies: Today in Geek History - Office Space released into theaters in 1999. I''m going to take my red stapler and go read in the basement with Milton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 Any thoughts so far? I'm torn over buying it right now based on the disappointing reviews. Not yet, I got sidetracked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Okay, I'm restraining myself from posting yet more gorgeous retro art in the form of science ads from the 50s. So I'll mollify my linking desires with something more relevant to this thread--The Daily Routines of Famous Writers Oops, can't resist this ad for data presentation on global defense...seriously, look at that palette...for global defense no less :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Stacia beat me with all her links except for the cat and dog videos. Thanks for the wonderful laugh. My son is a dog, just say squirrel and he says where? The millions - 28 books you should read if you want to: Love this list. That is sometimes how I approach reading & books, so I guess that's why I think the list is great, lol. From the list, which explains why I'm currently reading The French Connection (it was on a shelf of left-behind books in the cabin where we stayed during skiing): You should read the book that you find left behind in the airplane seat pocket, on a park bench, on the bus, at a restaurant, or in a hotel room. And I agree that a variety of buttons sure would be helpful. Just this morning, I was wishing there was a "Love" button instead of just a "Like" button. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 One of the reasons I like being in a book group is that I read books that I otherwise would not. A case in point is Abraham Verghese's Cutting for Stone which I just finished. If I had not committed to reading this for the group, I would almost certainly have put it down when I was fifty or a hundred pages into it. The book is some 650 pages long, and it was not until about the halfway point that I was truly invested in it. Now that I'm finished, I will state that it was an excellent story, and I'm happy to add it to my (mental) books read list. "Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles--and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined." Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 The millions - 28 books you should read if you want to: That was a fun article! Thanks for the link. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 All the Griffin and Sabine talk has me thinking that it would be great to make sketch books that have empty postcards, envelopes and so forth glued in to give to the kids for Nanowrimo. Then they can go to coffee shops and play with me. Oh fun! That's a great idea! :iagree: I can NOT do animal characters. I think it is the cruelest form of punishment! My friends are horrified that I can watch a shoot 'em up action movie and have no problem but I can't watch Bambi or The Fox and the Hound. And don't even get me started on Lassie!!! I'm scarred for life after watching that when I was like 5. I was up in my room sobbing and my mom is like Lassie is ALWAYS ok and ALWAYS comes home. I just. can't. do. it. :crying: This picture reminds me of the Doctor Who episode "The Silence in the Library." Me, too. In books or movies. It's one reason I hated A Song of Fire and Ice so much. I finished Proven Guilty by Butcher and Teaching Children Compassionately (NVC). The second one was meh. The first was pretty good, though a part at the end disturbed me. I'm taking a break from the Dresden Files to finish my huge library pile. :) So I'm finishing the third book in the Mistborn Trilogy (title escapes me) which I'm also meh about. I liked the first two. This one I keep putting aside because I find it tedious and kind of annoying and boring. I'm also reading Happier at Home and On Writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 All the Griffin and Sabine talk has me thinking that it would be great to make sketch books that have empty postcards, envelopes and so forth glued in to give to the kids for Nanowrimo. Then they can go to coffee shops and play with me. Oh fun! I did not get to read another play has I fell soundly asleep on the return trip home. I did peak out the window sometimes and there was always a car or semi turned over in the ditch- best to sleep in those cases. I've almost finished Jane Eyre and am going to see if I can't find some string technique books and Alexander technique books to read while I wait for my hands to heal. They are better but I'm worried about picking up the violin too fast after this and then there is that beautiful cello, newly back from the shop, staring at me from across the room. And I now have Augustine's Confessions on my nook....... Am I utterly oblivious or have you mentioned the violin before? Are you a beginner, a long time amateur or a pro? Classical? Fiddle? Can we jam sometime when (if someone wins the lottery and can finance it) we have our dream BaW in-person get together?? I can't imagine my hands not able to do what I ask of them, though these ageing joints now and again get a bit stiff with a touch of arthritis. Sending my warmest empathetic thoughts your way as you heal and encouragement for staying patient until you can start playing again. Cello, too?! Lovely! In the meantime you can always sing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 One of the reasons I like being in a book group is that I read books that I otherwise would not. A case in point is Abraham Verghese's Cutting for Stone which I just finished. If I had not committed to reading this for the group, I would almost certainly have put it down when I was fifty or a hundred pages into it. The book is some 650 pages long, and it was not until about the halfway point that I was truly invested in it. Now that I'm finished, I will state that it was an excellent story, and I'm happy to add it to my (mental) books read list. <snip> Hmm... There is so much love for this book out there that I've tried to read it twice, but have never gotten very far. Maybe someday when there is nothing else on my list I'll try again. Or maybe even before then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 To keep my post slightly bookish, I will say that I rarely, if ever, read books that have animals as characters.... I've been trying to think of adult books that have animals as narrators or major characters. I can think of Watership Down: A Novel by Richard Adams - rabbit (and his Shardik - bear) Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn - dog the graphic novels Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History and Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman - mouse Was Animal Farm narrated by the pig? Can you add to the list? In particular, have you read any books with an animal narrator that you'd recommend? Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ariasmommy Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Does 400 pages of Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection count? ;) Oh well, hopefully I'll finish another book by the end of the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Hmm... There is so much love for this book out there that I've tried to read it twice, but have never gotten very far. Maybe someday when there is nothing else on my list I'll try again. Or maybe even before then! Re: Cutting for Stone. I felt the same way as you did, marbel. I tried it & didn't make it through. I don't have an interest in trying to revisit it. I remember that the style of writing (inconsistencies, from what I remember) really bothered me & pulled me completely out of the story. I've been trying to think of adult books that have animals as narrators or major characters. I can think of Watership Down: A Novel by Richard Adams - rabbit (and his Shardik - bear) Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn - dog the graphic novels Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History and Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman - mouse Was Animal Farm narrated by the pig? Can you add to the list? In particular, have you read any books with an animal narrator that you'd recommend? Hmmm. Interesting question. I tried Watership Down a few years ago. Really, really disliked it (& didn't finish) -- no surprise there. Have wondered about reading the Maus books, though I don't tend to lump them in the same category of 'animal' books in my head, maybe because I see the characters as humans, not mice? Not sure & I haven't read the books, so I don't know why I categorize them differently. Have never read Animal Farm either, though I don't feel a strong pull to want to.... Animal narrators that I'd recommend? Or books with animals as main characters.... Well, one of my favorite books of all time popped into mind: The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers. Love it! Another excellent book is The Master and Margarita, a Russian classic, which has a talking cat called Behemoth that accompanies the devil around Moscow. The Book of Jhereg (part of a fantasy series) has a wise-cracking dragon type creature in it. Good urban fantasy series if you like that sort of thing. Also, the Iron Druid series has a dog that mentally talks to the main character. Really fun series. I read A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny & it was ok, esp. for an October read. There are human & animal characters in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I finished The French Connection by Robin Moore this afternoon. Even though you know ahead of time that the cops will bust the heroin distributors, it doesn't take away from the interest & pull of the book. I totally enjoyed reading all the details... the painstaking stake-outs, following suspects only to lose them time & again, the reminder that police work in the 1960s didn't have the conveniences of cellphones & GPS tracking, the fact that many of these detectives worked around the clock with rare breaks when tracking a big bust like this, the importance of the Grand Jury, .... If you enjoy non-fiction & true crime sagas (esp. w/out gory details since this was a drug distribution case), I highly recommend it. Now I'd definitely love to see the Oscar-winning movie which the book spawned. Thumbs-up. Serendipity served me well in finding this novel. Great read. -------------------------- My Goodreads Page My PaperbackSwap Page My rating system: 5 = Love; 4 = Pretty awesome; 3 = Good; 2 = Meh; 1 = Don't bother (I shouldn't have any 1s on my list as I would ditch them before finishing)... 2014 Books Read: 01. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (5 stars). Around the World – North America (USA). 02. This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper (3 stars). 03. Aiding and Abetting by Muriel Spark (3 stars). Around the World – Europe (England). 04. Sunjata by Bamba Suso & Banna Kanute (5 stars). Around the World – Africa (Gambia & Mali). 05. The Lunatic by Anthony C. Winkler (4 stars). Around the World – Caribbean (Jamaica). 06. The Joke by Milan Kundera (4 stars). Around the World – Europe (Czech Republic). 07. One Hundred Years of Vicissitude by Andrez Bergen (3 grudging stars). Around the World – Asia (Japan). 08. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley (5 stars). 09. The French Connection by Robin Moore (4 stars). Around the World – North America (USA). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Jealous of your cello, Winter Wonderland. I hope you heal completely, and find plenty to enjoy until then. I follow NoiseTrade, a site which allows musicians to connect to new listeners by giving away music for a donation. They recently started an ebook site which works in a similar way. Books can be free for a shout-out on social media (usually Twitter or Facebook) or you can give as much or as little as you want. I'm not sure how much they have available right now. It's only been open a few weeks, but I saw a Jim Harrison and Cory Doctorow with light browsing. I'm in a bit of a reading slump, so I'm planning on walking around the house, picking 20 books, and then reading a chapter of each until something grabs hold of me. I need something really up-beat right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Can you add to the list? In particular, have you read any books with an animal narrator that you'd recommend? Dh recommends E.T.A. Hoffmann's The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr, which I haven't read. But maybe now I should. (Hoffmann is much better known for The Nutcracker, which I understand was made into some sort of ballet.) http://www.amazon.com/Life-Opinions-Tomcat-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140446311 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Former cello player here :seeya: All the musical instrument talk has me remembering the days of lugging that larger-than-I-was cello to lessons on the bus in a cold, wintery, slushy city. Invariably the bus was full and the cello and I would stand together silently as we lurched our way towards our destination. I didn't play long, a couple of years, but I do have a kinesthetic memory of my relationship with the instrument, the bow, the rosin, the voluptuousness of the cello itself... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Stacia, from that list posted above, I think you've got this one covered: You should read books with characters you don’t like. I still laugh remembering when you were reading Wuthering Heights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Stacia, from that list posted above, I think you've got this one covered: You should read books with characters you don’t like. I still laugh remembering when you were reading Wuthering Heights. :smilielol5: (I actually thought of that too when I read that list!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Don't remember who posted about the Dead Mountain, but THANK YOU! I picked it up yesterday at the library and finished it in one evening. Fascinating stuff! :thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Cat Lovers... From this quasi-animal-centric-view book. I'm not an animal-book reader myself but this looks intriguing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Does 400 pages of Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection count? ;) Oh well, hopefully I'll finish another book by the end of the week. Yes. Yes it most certainly does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 An interesting article on 'Obscure Children's Books by Famous Adult Lit. Authors'. They all look intriguing but the one by Langston Hughes entitled 'The First Book of Jazz' and 'The World is Round' by Gertrude Stein have my heart due to the illustrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Am I utterly oblivious or have you mentioned the violin before? Are you a beginner, a long time amateur or a pro? Classical? Fiddle? Can we jam sometime when (if someone wins the lottery and can finance it) we have our dream BaW in-person get together?? I can't imagine my hands not able to do what I ask of them, though these ageing joints now and again get a bit stiff with a touch of arthritis. Sending my warmest empathetic thoughts your way as you heal and encouragement for staying patient until you can start playing again. Cello, too?! Lovely! In the meantime you can always sing... Yes, we can jam sometime. I do well in back-up situations. :) I was classically trained and I guess you could say I'm a long time amateur. Over the past ten years, I've dabbled in Irish, Gypsy and am now back to classical. I'm thinking of doing Klezmer come fall. I haven't a clue how to play cello. LOL It was given to me and I think it might be freeing to have an instrument where I have no expectations. Thank you for all the well wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Following the meandering memories of my music student career ;)...my flute-playing days are wafting up, snake-charmer style. My flute sits in my closet awaiting fingers and breath to bring it back to life but these days our soprano and alto recorders get more play. I studied flute for several years but the recorder is an instrument I continue to dabble in. Love playing that Early and Baroque Music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I have friends that are exceptional recorder players. It's beautiful when the musician knows what she's doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 Does 400 pages of Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection count? ;) Oh well, hopefully I'll finish another book by the end of the week. Having read this book aloud, to my kiddo when he was in his Thomas phase, some stories over and over again until pages began to fall out, you get a hearty yes in deed it does. Cat Lovers... From this quasi-animal-centric-view book. I'm not an animal-book reader myself but this looks intriguing. Love it! And so true. 4 cats and they all choose different times to go out the door. Some days I feel like I'm playing musical doors and give up after a while and just leave the patio door open. At which point, they just hang out and stay outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I have friends that are exceptional recorder players. It's beautiful when the musician knows what she's doing. Alas that kind of beauty is beyond the reach of my amateur fingers though I agree wholeheartedly. While I wouldn't say practice makes perfect I would say practice makes intimate so perhaps there is hope for a deeper relationship to develop between me and the recorder with my continued dabbling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 And speaking of music...Dh has just taken ds to his music lesson which is a two hour round trip. Add in the hour lesson and I've got three hours of time to work with. My plans include but aren't limited to knitting while listening to 'The Moonstone' and contemplating dinner prep for them. Three hours of uninterrupted time feels endless and full of sparkly light but with a responsibility to make sure I fill it meaningfully, kind of like this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Can you add to the list? In particular, have you read any books with an animal narrator that you'd recommend? The Art of Racing in the Rain (dog) is a more recent one that I loved. Watership Down is one of my all-time favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 My husband sent me a link to a delightful blog post. Darwin's children drew on the original manuscript of On the Origins of Species! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Well, that was indeed a delightful read and those pics are marvelous. There was something so poignant about the pic of 'Annie's Box of Mementos', the smallness of it, the attention to detail. And the diaries of wife, Emma, with their random drawings and thoughts...It made me want to start keeping a journal again, a pen and paper one. Does anyone here do that still? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Well, that was indeed a delightful read and those pics are marvelous. :iagree: Thanks for sharing that article, Jane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Next time you're heading out your door, going down the street, perhaps you will think of this charming little quote from The Way Through Doors (between paragraphs 1245 & 1250): Outside, the street came right up to the sailmaker's loft. It had waited the whole time they were inside speaking to him, and now that they were done, it was ready to go along with them someplace else. Seeing the 'thinking path' in the blog post that Jane linked made me think of it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Two books with animals as main characters that are on my "to read" list: Traveller by Richard Adams and City by Clifford Simak I like many animal books as long as they have a decent ending and don't leave you sobbing with a broken heart. I finished Life after Life. It was okay, pulling me in for the first half, dragging a little in the middle and then speeding up at the end. Like I said at first, it could also have been called Death after Death. I've started The Thief of Venice. This time Jane Langton has themes of art theft, old manuscripts, holy relics, and of course, murder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 The millions - 28 books you should read if you want to: This is a list I can go for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Good reading day for me, I suppose. I finished Jesse Ball's The Way Through Doors tonight. I still wish I could/would have read the entire thing in one sitting (as I think the story rather lends itself to being read that way) rather than in choppy starts & stops that life has tossed me lately. The Way Through Doors is a charming, circuitous, surrealist fairy tale for grown-ups. This is experimental, meandering fiction that reads, in places, almost like poetry; stories fold into new stories, upon old stories, back to variations of previous stories, cycling characters & places through modifications or kaleidoscopic views, casting different, yet similar, beautiful patterns throughout. Paragraph, but not page, numbering lends yet another atypical arrangement to this alternative tale. Probably not for lovers of linear fiction, but it's a lovely, leisurely, dreamy traipse through a slightly surreal landscape. Clever characters, quixotic quests, dreamlike destinations, winsome writing. Consider me a delightfully charmed reader. From the Chicago Tribune: “[The Way Through Doors] is disturbingly original. It is a story about the telling of stories, a narrative about narratives. Like The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro, it keeps the reader enthralled by constantly taking the wrong fork in the road. . . . As long as you don't insist on a strictly literal, cause-and-effect universe, the world of this novel–which feels more like a long poem–will mesmerize you. Here, ends are beginnings. Beginnings don't end. And stories are mirrors, eternally facing each other, bouncing off each other, splitting into dozens of oddly shaped pieces, into harmless shards of magic and longing.†Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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