Negin Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 http://greekgeek.squidoo.com/griffin-and-sabine Lovely! BaWers, Lizzie in Ma had to say goodbye to her furry friend today. :crying: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/505124-saying-goodbye-to-a-dear-furry-friend-today/ Lizzie, :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: . Oh, so sorry Lizzie.... :grouphug: This is from the first review at Amazon--I'll at least start out this way: Now, J&E's notes are not entirely in chronological order. You can generally go by the color of the ink between them to tell what phase of their story you're at. First, there's Eric's pencil notes to himself about the actual book. Then, the convo between J&E begins when Jen picks up Eric's book and sees his notes and begins commenting on them in the margins. He sees this and writes back. Those early messages are Jen: Blue Ink - Eric: Black Ink At some point after they go through the book a first time, they go through again. This time Jen: Orange Ink - Eric: Green Ink. Then a third time Jen: Purple Ink - Eric: Red Ink Finally, a fourth time (which seems to be after the denouement, in which they retrospectively discuss what has transpired). These are less frequent, and both Jen and Eric are in Black Ink. ***Read each chapter of the main text of SoT, ignoring all of Jen & Eric's notes. Upon finishing each chapter, you're going to want to go back and read only the blue/black notes and any referenced inserts. Then, move on to the next chapter. After you finish the whole book, go back and read only the orange/green notes and referenced inserts. Then purple/red, then black/black.*** However you choose to approach it, you're in for a treat. Even after finishing it, I'm still going back and looking for anything I may have missed. The journey was fantastic and the the destination was, well you'll see. Oh my, that sounds quite involved! I'm hoping it lives up to the hype! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I finished Inferno last night. (Blech!!!! Sorry!!!) First off, it was poetry, which I never do well with - and the free Kindle edition to boot, which probably added zip to my reading experience. Secondly, I know I didn't read deep enough into it in some aspects and I read too much into what wasn't there in other areas. Anywho, I did it, check. Hopefully, I am a better reader for it! I will say that it had me contemplating the justice of God a lot, due to much of my struggles with the book coming from that topic. I do not plan to read the other books. Onto other things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Uh oh. B&N is having a buy 2 get 1 free sale on paperbacks. I'd better stay far away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I spent a very nice three hours yesterday evening with my knitting, The Moonstone on audio, some BaW and then dinner prep done in blissful, uninterrupted silence. It was heaven, really, to have that much time alone *in the house*. Wow! And when the lads returned I was ready with a very nice dinner on the table for them and a clean kitchen which stayed remarkably clean after dinner which in turn meant waking up to a clean kitchen. At any rate I spent a fair bit of time reading, The Moonspinners, last night and am now hooked into the mystery aspect of it. She writes very descriptively, spending a lot of time on landscape and environment, the result being a very visual book. I realize I like that if it's done well, with a combination of restraint and texture. In many ways the landscape-environment is more fleshed out than some of the characters themselves. After taking such a long hiatus from fiction I'm coming back to it afresh with a view to noticing what I like, what I don't like and the possible reasons underlying those preferences and aversions. I'm hoping that by undoing the knots of them I'll be able to widen my aperture a little more to include more within the spectrum of a particular genre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Stacia, I thought of you when reading this. Perhaps it will interest you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 And for the writers among us, this article is a beautifully written piece on "trains as writers' garrets". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Stacia, I thought of you when reading this. Perhaps it will interest you? Thank you. Fascinating stuff. I really didn't/don't know much about the Futurism movement in Italy.... Too bad I can't actually go see the exhibit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I finished Howard's End is on the Landing last night. A beautiful, luscious book about books and reading and how one is shaped by the books read. I absolutely loved it ... even the slower parts. I haven't read many of the authors Hill has -never heard of many of them- but she is so skillful I was able to relate and enjoy even though she doesn't love Jane Austen. 4 stars because it slumped a little in the middle section, but the beginning and ending are fantastic. Book Reviews 1. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers 2. A To Z with C.S. Lewis by Louis A Markos 3. Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis 4. Perelandra by C.S. Lewis 5. The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill 6. Why Kill a Butler? by Georgette Heyer 7. When the Sirens Wailed by Noel Streatfield (Family Read Aloud) 8. Howard's End is on the Landing by Susan Hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I'm almost there, I'm almost up to date on the Sigma Force Novels by James Rollins. Yesterday I finished Bloodline. I'm slightly sidetracked right now with Subterranean, one of his individual titles, but I have downloaded The Eye of God to my kindle! Overall I find myself at a loss right now when it comes to reading. I'm having trouble with my eyes and don't want to waste my reading time on junk. I'm also about out of my usual authors and haven't come across anything new of real interest. I guess it's time to go back to old BW threads and start searching. :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I spent a very nice three hours yesterday evening with my knitting, The Moonstone on audio, some BaW and then dinner prep done in blissful, uninterrupted silence. It was heaven, really, to have that much time alone *in the house*. Wow! And when the lads returned I was ready with a very nice dinner on the table for them and a clean kitchen which stayed remarkably clean after dinner which in turn meant waking up to a clean kitchen. At any rate I spent a fair bit of time reading, The Moonspinners, last night and am now hooked into the mystery aspect of it. She writes very descriptively, spending a lot of time on landscape and environment, the result being a very visual book. I realize I like that if it's done well, with a combination of restraint and texture. In many ways the landscape-environment is more fleshed out than some of the characters themselves. After taking such a long hiatus from fiction I'm coming back to it afresh with a view to noticing what I like, what I don't like and the possible reasons underlying those preferences and aversions. I'm hoping that by undoing the knots of them I'll be able to widen my aperture a little more to include more within the spectrum of a particular genre. This is one of the reasons I love her books. She also does one in Scotland called Wildfire at Midnight. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 This is one of the reasons I love her books. She also does one in Scotland called Wildfire at Midnight. :) Thanks for the tip. I have a 3 book Omnibus of hers and that is one of the ones in it. I was planning to read This Rough Magic next but maybe I'll try WaM instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Well, I got tired of my huge stack of library books that had been sitting here awhile. So, I took them all back today (except for The Golden Notebook, which I need to read for book club). ...But, I ended up checking out another big stack, including one book that's almost 1,000 pages long. What is wrong with me? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Another Monuments Men-related article... The Monuments Men did more than rescue Nazi-looted art (Has anyone seen the movie yet? I still need to go....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Thanks for the tip. I have a 3 book Omnibus of hers and that is one of the ones in it. I was planning to read This Rough Magic next but maybe I'll try WaM instead. This Rough Magic is my very favorite Stewart. It's wonderful. Wildfires at Midnight is good too :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 This Rough Magic is my very favorite Stewart. It's wonderful. Wildfires at Midnight is good too :) The allusive title is from one of ds's very favorite Shakespeare soliloquies so it's been lodged in my psyche for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I'm sitting in a small anteroom in a dance studio while ds takes one of his four required weekly dance classes. Today was a long day for us bookended by classes with a long rush commute thrown in for good measure. Dinner in the car for ds, dinner at the studio for me which I've just eaten, zucchini noodles with tomato and four cheese sauce. We won't be home till late but I'm set up here to the sound of ghungroo with wifi, my knitting, various ebooks, and my earbuds in case I want to listen to The Moonstone. Talk about rabbit trails, does this book ever get started??? I'm contemplating Villette on audio, 18 hrs of story telling :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Ok, I'm diving into the almost thousand page book. I think I'm crazy & I will have to see how far I get. I have been wanting to read this to try a book published by McSweeney's. Guess I probably could have found a shorter one from them.... http://www.mcsweeneys.net/books A Moment in the Sun by John Sayles https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/a-moment-in-the-sun Whoo-hoo, I'm up to page 23 already! Lol. Just cranking through at this rate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Well, I got tired of my huge stack of library books that had been sitting here awhile. So, I took them all back today (except for The Golden Notebook, which I need to read for book club). ...But, I ended up checking out another big stack, including one book that's almost 1,000 pages long. What is wrong with me? :lol: Absolutely nothing. I'd be more concerned if someone left the library empty handed! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Ok, I'm diving into the almost thousand page book. I think I'm crazy & I will have to see how far I get. I have been wanting to read this to try a book published by McSweeney's. Guess I probably could have found a shorter one from them.... http://www.mcsweeneys.net/books A Moment in the Sun by John Sayles https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/a-moment-in-the-sun Whoo-hoo, I'm up to page 23 already! Lol. Just cranking through at this rate... Well, I don't think one moment in the sun should take more than a page. 1000 pages is overdoing a bit don'tcha think...can anyone say, sunburn :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 In light of the Olympics...skating anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 This seems relevant to the recent Griffin & Sabine/S discussions... "...how delightful to consider mapping the human experience based on disposition rather than position, on the subjective rather than the capital-O Objective, on the symbolic, metaphysical, and abstract rather than the literal, physical, and concrete. From Geoff Dyer’s bullet-pointed locational autobiography to Sheila Heti and Ted Mineo’s love letter to chance in a six-hexagram miniature of the I Ching, these imaginative and irreverent personal cartographies expand the conception of a map as a flat reflection of geography and reclaim it, instead, as a living, breathing, dimensional expression of the human spirit." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I'm sitting in a small anteroom in a dance studio while ds takes one of his four required weekly dance classes. Today was a long day for us bookended by classes with a long rush commute thrown in for good measure. Dinner in the car for ds, dinner at the studio for me which I've just eaten, zucchini noodles with tomato and four cheese sauce. We won't be home till late but I'm set up here to the sound of ghungroo with wifi, my knitting, various ebooks, and my earbuds in case I want to listen to The Moonstone. Talk about rabbit trails, does this book ever get started??? I'm contemplating Villette on audio, 18 hrs of story telling :D It's been awhile since I read Moonstone, but yes, a real story does take place. I loved the different voices telling the story. And 18 hours of story telling is nothing! My younger ds hates to download anything much shorter than that or he doesn't feel like he is getting the full value of our audible credits!! Villette, btw, is another one that seems to take its time with rabbit trails, but I really enjoyed it. I just wish I knew more French as much of it takes place in Belgium and the book is littered with French sentences and phrases. Much of my homeschool life was spent taking kids to rehearsals or to classes with many a meal eaten in the in the car. I read more, knitted and crocheted more, and wrote more during that phase of life. I somehow feel guilty now, as an empty nester, when I just sit and read, as if I need to be doing productive things to justify my existence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Villette I've read and though it was decades ago I recall thoroughly enjoying it. I'm a passable French speaker but I don't remember the French phrases from Villette. That will be something to look forward to. Living in the US now I rarely hear French spoken or see it. I'll take your Moonstone encouragement and travel a little farther with it. I'm not keen on the idea of an empty nest. :grouphug: to you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Just finished Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. Wow. Kinda left me reeling - I think I need something light and fluffy next like Homer's Odyssey. Oh, and I already know the cat doesn't die at the end of the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Just finished Peter S Beagle's The Last Unicorn, quite possibly the most perfect fantasy story I've ever read. It is sweet, profound and lyrical, a little silly and goofy at times, but just beautiful. It is reminiscent of Neil Gaiman's Stardust, which isn't surprising as Gaiman has said Beagle's work really influenced him. It would make a terrific read aloud, by the way, as it is definitely G-rated. The Last Unicorn is highly quotable, too: "Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed. It is all part of the fairy tale." "No cat anywhere ever gave anyone a straight answer" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I have The Last Unicorn in our library where it has sat for several years. Isn't it terribly sad? Stardust is on my 5/5/5 list for Fairy Tales/Myth/Magic and your brief description has me eagerly anticipating it. On another note this article discusses a curious phenomenon related to book sales and prestigious literary prizes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Ten great meals in literature... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 On another note this article discusses a curious phenomenon related to book sales and prestigious literary prizes. Hmmm. Interesting. I think another thing they need to consider is if the prizes are rigged or at least perceived that way. (I've heard some rumblings about that re: the Caldecott & Newberry Awards.) With the popularity of mass fiction these days, I can see that the average reader of popular fiction would not like nor appreciate the type of book that typically wins a Booker or Nat'l Book Award. The writing styles & depth of story are often quite different between 'popular' and 'prize-winning' books. Generally, I tend to lean toward Booker prize books (whether nominated or winners), but not Nat'l Book Award books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Rigged?? Really? Gosh! One thing that occurred to me was that expectation could be a factor. When one comes to a book that has long, strands of acclaim and 'prize' surrounding it my expectations are almost like a stern, second reader standing over my shoulder as I read along. I find I'm evaluating the book more consciously as I go along whereas if I pick up an award-winning book serendipitously simply because it looks interesting to me my experience with it is more spacious, more forgiving (?). Like you, Stacia, Booker prize tends to get my lens more frequently than the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Just found a cheap secondhand copy of this. I recently bought SWB's 'A Well Educated Mind' and thought it would be a nice balance to it. Has anyone read and followed through on the latter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 And for sacred poetry around the world by century, check out Poetry Chaikhana. Why am I just new seeing this?? Fabulous link, Robin, thank you! And for those intrepid enough to take on Dante, this might be of interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Checking in with my list of to read and have read for this week. READ How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg - This was a library book of DD's that I picked up and decided to read a few pages. She loved it and I can see why. I ended up reading the whole thing and enjoying the kind of gruesome details just like a ten year old would. I highly recommend it if you have an older kid who likes history, autobiographies, or just plain morbid things. (Not for the sensitive kid!) Imprudent Lady by Joan Smith - This was a re-read for me and I loved it the second time through as much as the first. Fun characters in a Regency Romance. I feel the eccentric quirky characters in the book are what every sitcom writer wishes they could pull off. (NOTE TO ANGEL - Have you read this? If not ... get thee to a library stat and pick it up. It's totally your type of book. And if you hate it then please come and post a scathing review. :laugh: ) And also ... DH picked two Shakespeare plays for our book club this month. Geez. I felt like an idiot reading them! The Comedy of Errors and The Tempest. I laughed zero times while reading these stories. Please feel free to start criticizing my uncultured self now. TO READ The Professor and the Mad: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester - this I'm supposed to be reading for my ladies book club but instead of starting on it I decided to buy ... A Winter Wedding by Joan Smith from amazon and read it instead. I'm going to have to do a marathon reading session to get my book club book done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Well, I got tired of my huge stack of library books that had been sitting here awhile. So, I took them all back today (except for The Golden Notebook, which I need to read for book club). ...But, I ended up checking out another big stack, including one book that's almost 1,000 pages long. What is wrong with me? :lol: Your eyes are larger than your time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Amy, The Professor and the Madman is an excellent & fascinating book! Enjoy! Just had to post about my thousand-pager book, A Moment in the Sun. I'm completely enjoying it so far (definitely for history buffs if you want to read about the time from 1897 to the early 1900s). It’s 1897. Gold has been discovered in the Yukon. New York is under the sway of Hearst and Pulitzer. And in a few months, an American battleship will explode in a Cuban harbor, plunging the U.S. into war. This is the unforgettable story of that extraordinary moment: the turn of the twentieth century, as seen by one of the greatest storytellers of our time. Spanning five years and half a dozen countries, A Moment in the Sun takes the whole era in its sights—from the white-racist coup in Wilmington, North Carolina, to the first stirrings of the motion-picture industry, to the bloody dawn of U.S. interventionism in Cuba and the Philippines. The result of years of writing and research, the book is built on the voices of a breathtaking range of men and women—Hod Brackenridge, a gold-chaser turned Army recruit; Royal Scott, an African American infantryman whose life outside the military has been destroyed; Diosdado ConcepcÃon, a Filipino insurgent preparing to fight against his country’s new colonizers; and more than a dozen others, Mark Twain, Damon Runyon, and President William McKinley’s assassin among them. Shot through with a lyrical intensity and stunning detail that recall Doctorow and Deadwood both, this is a story as big as its subject: history rediscovered through the lives of the people who made it happen. And, I'm thrilled to find oodles of photos & info that inspired the author as he wrote the book (esp. because I'm a visual person & I love seeing these old photos as I'm reading the chapters). Take a peek at the photos & notes; if you enjoy them, this may be a (ginormous) book you would enjoy. http://www.mcsweeneys.net/books/amomentinthesun/bonus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Just finished Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. Wow. Kinda left me reeling - I think I need something light and fluffy next like Homer's Odyssey. Oh, and I already know the cat doesn't die at the end of the book. I just finished that one, too, and feel the same way. I'm following up with a Fannie Flagg! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I am so enjoying Don Juan! I can't believe I never got around to reading it before. Byron is shameless - he actually manages to shock me in places. Here's Lord Byron on Don Juan's classical education, as received from his prudish mother, Donna Inez: His classic studies made a little puzzle, Because of filthy loves of gods and goddesses, Who in the earlier ages raised a bustle, But never put on pantaloons or bodices; His reverend tutors had at times a tussle, And for their Aeneids, Iliads, and Odysseys, Were forced to make an odd sort of apology, For Donna Inez dreaded the Mythology. Ovid's a rake, as half his verses show him, Anacreon's morals are a still worse sample, Catullus scarcely has a decent poem, I don't think Sappho's Ode a good example, Although Longinus tells us there is no hymn Where the sublime soars forth on wings more ample; But Virgil's songs are pure, except that horrid one Beginning with 'Formosum Pastor Corydon.' Lucretius' irreligion is too strong For early stomachs, to prove wholesome food; I can't help thinking Juvenal was wrong, Although no doubt his real intent was good, For speaking out so plainly in his song, So much indeed as to be downright rude; And then what proper person can be partial To all those nauseous epigrams of Martial? Juan was taught from out the best edition, Expugated by learned men, who place, Judiciously, from out the schoolboy's vision, The grosser parts; but, fearful to deface Too much their modest bard by this omission, And pitying sore his mutilated case, They only add them all in an appendix, Which saves, in fact, the trouble of an index. For there we have them all 'at one fell swoop,' Instead of being scatter'd through the pages; They stand forth marshall'd in a handsome troop, To meet the ingenuous youth of future ages, Till some less rigid editor shall stoop To call them back into their separate cages, Instead of standing staring all together, Like garden gods--and not so decent either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Hey everybody! I have been late to the party due to a sick computer. Everything is working now but I feel like I have missed a big chunk of my week. I don't have time to respond to all that I would like to so I will just say: Stacia, I always have a huge pile of books to read from the library. We have a small town library and they don't have the kinds of books that I read so I always have to ILL loan my books. It never fails that all of the books come in and the same time. Hence, the huge pile. My pile now is not that big as I weeded out some of the ones that I didn't feel like reading at this time. Here is what is on my pile now: The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout Perfect by Rachel Joyce Goldfinch by Donna Tartt The Circle by Dave Eggers What Women Fear by Angie Smith I have ordered 24 books through ILL and am waiting for them to make their way to me. I also have 58 books on my 'waiting to be ordered' list.' Shukriyya, I have been meaning to tell you that I always enjoy reading your posts. They have a certain zen quality to them that always calms me down. I read The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (I think that is how you spell it.) I loved it! I wonder if he had Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson in mind when he wrote it because they were perfectly characterized in the book. I started to read 'Half-Blood Blues' by Esi Edugyan but just wasn't in the right frame of mind to continue on. It was beautifully written and I do want to read it but not just now. I am now reading 'This is the Story of a Happy Marriage' by Ann Patchett. This is a collection of essays, so far I am enjoying them and her writing immensely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Stacia, I always have a huge pile of books to read from the library. We have a small town library and they don't have the kinds of books that I read so I always have to ILL loan my books. It never fails that all of the books come in and the same time. Hence, the huge pile. My pile now is not that big as I weeded out some of the ones that I didn't feel like reading at this time. Here is what is on my pile now: The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout Perfect by Rachel Joyce Goldfinch by Donna Tartt The Circle by Dave Eggers What Women Fear by Angie Smith The Circle is one I returned (unread) yesterday. Be sure to post your review if you read it. I plan to check it out at another time... We sound similar re: always having a huge library pile, plus a big waiting list of books. :laugh: I read The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (I think that is how you spell it.) I loved it! I wonder if he had Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson in mind when he wrote it because they were perfectly characterized in the book. I love that book. (I've never seen the movie.) To me, it is a perfectly-written novel. I am now reading 'This is the Story of a Happy Marriage' by Ann Patchett. This is a collection of essays, so far I am enjoying them and her writing immensely. Good to know. Ann Patchett is 50/50 for me -- loved Bel Canto, didn't like another of hers that I read (The Patron Saint of Liars). Haven't ventured further in her works to see which side she will fall on.... LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Shukriyya, I have been meaning to tell you that I always enjoy reading your posts. They have a certain zen quality to them that always calms me down. Thank you for your kind words. Though I have to say that I'm not sure my family would always concur with the calm you so generously accord me. :lol: I am now reading 'This is the Story of a Happy Marriage' by Ann Patchett. This is a collection of essays, so far I am enjoying them and her writing immensely. Good to know. Ann Patchett is 50/50 for me -- loved Bel Canto, didn't like another of hers that I read (The Patron Saint of Liars). Haven't ventured further in her works to see which side she will fall on.... LOL. Oh my! Stacia, we have intersection!! I loved Bel Canto but have not been able to find my into any of her other books :D Prairie Girl, I recently heard an interview with Ann Patchett on NPR in which she discussed and read from the book you're reading. It was a good interview and it was interesting to put together the quality of her spoken voice with her written one. They didn't quite match up. The timbre, tone and breath of her spoken voice was far more prosaic than her literary one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Well, I got tired of my huge stack of library books that had been sitting here awhile. So, I took them all back today (except for The Golden Notebook, which I need to read for book club). ...But, I ended up checking out another big stack, including one book that's almost 1,000 pages long. What is wrong with me? :lol: Nothing is wrong with you. I consider the library the one place I can be totally gluttonous without hurting anyone. Better books than food haha. I only wish I could put a "date wanted" on my library requests. I'll spend an evening or two reading these boards, load up my requests and then of course they all come in at the same time. Once I've had the book in my possession and I don't read it, it's rare that I'll request it a second time. That's why I have yet to read the Flavia series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg - This was a library book of DD's that I picked up and decided to read a few pages. She loved it and I can see why. I ended up reading the whole thing and enjoying the kind of gruesome details just like a ten year old would. I highly recommend it if you have an older kid who likes history, autobiographies, or just plain morbid things. (Not for the sensitive kid!) Imprudent Lady by Joan Smith - This was a re-read for me and I loved it the second time through as much as the first. Fun characters in a Regency Romance. I feel the eccentric quirky characters in the book are what every sitcom writer wishes they could pull off. (NOTE TO ANGEL - Have you read this? If not ... get thee to a library stat and pick it up. It's totally your type of book. And if you hate it then please come and post a scathing review. :laugh: ) And also ... DH picked two Shakespeare plays for our book club this month. Geez. I felt like an idiot reading them! The Comedy of Errors and The Tempest. I laughed zero times while reading these stories. Please feel free to start criticizing my uncultured self now. I'm going to check out the "How The Croaked" book. Dd13 might be interested, if not maybe my nephew as he is a big non-fiction/history fan. I will go straight to my library website after posting and see if they have this book!!! I have yet to read a Regency romance this year. I have a Georgette Heyer waiting for me. And of course the two of us have to read "Blackmoore" by Julianne Donaldson ;) so we can post our reviews :lol: No laughs for Shakespeare?!?! I haven't read "The Comedy of Errors" but we did study "The Tempest." I use the quote, "my stomach is not constant" whenever I do not feel well. :) ETA: No "Imprudent Lady" at my library :thumbdown: They have a few of her books, should I try another? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 <snip> We must be tripping across different segments of the market... I keep feeling that the YA books I pull of the shelves are less PG13 than many adult books... <snip> Is that this bio? I wonder if my library has it... I *loved* the movie so much... have you seen it? <snip> . Re: YA books - I agree with the above... my daughter (15) often rejects books as being "too adult," "too much language" or "too awkward." (her preferred euphemism for sexual content) And yes, that is the bio of William Wilberforce. I did see the movie, and loved it. A woman in our book group recommended the book but I am struggling to read it; I just can't seem to engage. I have been really busy though - too busy to read a single page yesterday or today. Too busy to click on the kindle. Bad busy. (Actually not bad busy as in bad things going on. Good or at least normal stuff happening. Just too much of it.) A day without reading is by definition a bad day, yes? The rest of tonight, tomorrow, and much of Sunday are looking grim in that regard as well. I will be ready to breathe a sigh of relief around 3pm on Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 Good to know. Ann Patchett is 50/50 for me -- loved Bel Canto, didn't like another of hers that I read (The Patron Saint of Liars). Haven't ventured further in her works to see which side she will fall on.... LOL. This is how I feel about Patchett as well. I loved Bel Canto but I didn't really like State of Wonders. I felt like she was trying too hard with that one. So far, her non-fiction seems to be more consistent but I am only on the second essay. :laugh: I saw the movie of The Remains of the Day when it first came out. I hadn't read the book so it was just an okay movie for me. I just ordered it from the library because I want to see it now that I have read the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 load up my requests and then of course they all come in at the same time. Once I've had the book in my possession and I don't read it, it's rare that I'll request it a second time. Our library systems (I belong to two) have a button on my online requests/holds page called "Suspend Hold(s)". I can click on that & then put my request 'on hold' for up to a month. Once the date I select arrives, the book then is put in the request line & the library will get it for me. After a couple years of using it, I realized that if I want to extend it out more than a month, I can go in again & change the dates at a later time. (The trick to doing it on our system is that you have to restart the 'suspend' date from the current day you are making the change, then select any time up to a month out.) So, sometimes, I've had stuff on my holds list for a couple of months before I finally get around to actually having the library get it for me. You might want to see if something similar is available through your library. (Since I have that option, my biggest roadblock is that there is a limit to the number of holds you can request at one time. LOL. My list is usually at the limit all the time.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I finally finished The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan and I really had to force myself to finish it. I really wanted to like it but I didn't. I liked parts of it, but that's all. It got quite political in about the last 1/4 and even though they were politics I agree with, I just wasn't expecting that. It was disappointing. Wicked: I read the book several years ago for book club. I was one of the few who didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. And yes, I like politics. I saw the musical last year and loved it. Another Monuments Men-related article... The Monuments Men did more than rescue Nazi-looted art (Has anyone seen the movie yet? I still need to go....) Dh and I saw it last Saturday night. We enjoyed it, but I think that's because we read the book. It wasn't a great movie, but it was good. They took some liberties (of course, it's a movie) but I do think it shed light on a topic a lot of people probably didn't know about. Hey everybody! I have been late to the party due to a sick computer. Everything is working now but I feel like I have missed a big chunk of my week. I don't have time to respond to all that I would like to so I will just say: My computer has been in and out of the shop for the past several weeks. I got it back this afternoon and it appears to be all fixed, but I know how you feel. I missed so much on these threads. I only wish I could put a "date wanted" on my library requests. Does your library let you have a wish list? When I don't think I'll have time to read, but want to keep a book title for future reading, I add it to my wish list on the library website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 My husband has wondered if the clunky prose in Sophie's World is a translation issue... I didn't mind that so much, but I got so irritated with the (necessarily) shallow depictions of the various approaches to philosophy.... and I love philosophy... ********************* I'm starting to think a lot of what I don't like is due to the translation. However, I'm also annoyed by the insinuation that adults don't have a sense of wonder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 BaW friends, eaglei, her son, & her family need your urgent prayers & thoughts: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/498232-urgent-prayer-request-for-ds/?p=5497367 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: , eaglei. P.S. For everyone else, if you are not already on the bone marrow registry list & are interested in it: http://bethematch.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 Which Zumdahl? Chemistry or Introductory Chemistry? (there's a Basic Chemistry too, I think, but I neither own nor have looked at that one.) I have Introductory Chemistry: A Foundation. According to the back of my 6e, they are all just various versions of the same text. Introductory Chemistry: A Foundation is Ch. 1-21, Introductory Chemistry is Ch. 1-19, and Basic Chemistry is Ch. 1-16. They all use the same TE. I finished Subterranean by James Rollins, on to something else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.