Book a Week in 2014 - BW9

[shukriyya]

Little History of the World is a treasure, isn't it... I discovered it when my eldest realized, about two days before classes started, that it was assigned summer reading for her AP Art History class (grrrr), so we had to get it on Kindle to cope with that emergency... anyway, her art history teacher used it as a quick grounding in what-was-going-on-in-the-world during the time that the art was evolving (brilliant, btw). Eminently readable 1 volume overview of major sweeps in the Western (not really global) world.. .

Posting from iPad. I read most of his better known 'The Story of Art' at uni and loved it so I'm curious about taking this whirlwind trip with him.

 

Okay, off we sail into commuter traffic with comestibles etc to carry us through the day. Phone posts from hereon in...

[shukriyya]

Ds's magnetic fridge poetry which I saw as I was pulling out various things for breakfast and lunch...

 

the fountain

inspires

a pearl ray

of luminous lace

embracing

the singing twilight...

 

[Stacia]

Good plot-driven fun, with a lot of well informed backstory. If you liked The Goldfinch, you'll enjoy Dan Brown, and vice versa. I did Dante last year, and read Inferno immediately thereafter; they're fun to do together.

Oh, I don't know about that. I loved The Goldfinch but don't like Dan Brown. I've read 3 of his books (hoping he'd get better) and just couldn't take him anymore. Brown's writing style makes me want to go have a root canal. It doesn't compare to Tartt's writing IMO.

 

Here's my favorite commentary on Dan Brown. Please take it in the spirit of fun. I know there are fans here.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/10049454/Dont-make-fun-of-renowned-Dan-Brown.html

I've got to agree with Kathy on this one -- cannot see the comparison between Brown & Tartt. Imo, Brown writes popular fiction (aka, imo, beach reads), while Tartt is more in the literature category. Different level & depth of writing.

 

That said, if you've never read Dan Brown, I think you'd enjoy reading him (especially the first time; after that, maybe not as much). His books are fairly fun, fast reads. (His writing is SO formulaic, though, it drives me crazy because I've read a few of his books. :lol: , Kathy, about the root canal comparison.) I have his Inferno sitting on my shelves -- dh is a fan -- but I think I may need to wait years before reading it because I just read one of his other books about two years ago. I'm not yet ready to go into his formulaic writing anytime soon, lol.

 

Still working on my epic tome & just read a section that was talking about a bicycle corps that was created as an alternative/test to see about replacing the cavalry with bikes (since bikes don't need food, water, or rest), but wowzers -- can you imagine riding your bike through rough terrain with all your gear, then having to hop off & fight? :huh: Part of the 'testing' of this new idea involved a thousand mile trek from Missoula to St. Louis. Because the cavalry units didn't want to give up their horses, the bicycle corps was tasked to the black soldiers to do.

 

There are just tons of fascinating historical pieces in this book. If you are a history buff, I think you'd love this book.

[Pam in CT]

You've mentioned your note taking before. I'm curious. Do you do this for fiction? Only non- fiction? All books? Do you look back at your notes? As a meditation, a jumping off point? Hard copy notes? And so on....

 

Conference...is wonderful isn't it. I've been each one of them with their various excuses :lol:

 

I'm not the least bit systematic -- I keep a journal, in which I write down thoughts, so... if a book evokes thoughts, LOL, I take notes on it... I suppose I'm more likely to take notes on non-fiction than fiction, just because at any given time I tend to have a "heavy" going on for me, that's challenging in some way or from which I am trying to learn something specific, and those are generally non-fiction.  But I'll jot down anything that pulls me.  I took a lot of notes from Incarnadine, for example -- particularly provoking passages, and then my responses to them.  Hard copy.  I do look back: once when I'm getting to the end of a journal, so I have to re-write any... I dunno, trailing issues... that I want to carry over into the next volume and continue to work on; and then again, every so often.

 

Loving Conference.

 

 

Ds's magnetic fridge poetry which I saw as I was pulling out various things for breakfast and lunch...

 

the fountain

inspires

a pearl ray

of luminous lace

embracing

the singing twilight...

 

Aww... a soulmate!

[mumto2]

Any Dan Brown fans here? I've never read him but was eyeing his Inferno after our read along here. Worthwhile? Fun? Waste of time?

I read Dan Brown and have read the Inferno. Possibliy the least favorite of his books for me but that was probably because I spent tons of time on wiki looking up the real Inferno's storyline. I think it would be a fun read for you now after having read the original. I spent so much time wishing I could remember a book that I read 30 years ago better. I found it rather frustrating.

 

I still plan to do the Inferno read just not the along part. Probably April for me and I might even reread Dan Brown when done! ;)

[Lady Florida.]

I finished Daniel Deronda today, and enjoyed it very much. The only other Eliot I've read is Middlemarch, and while I know it's touted as one of the best ever novels, I found it tedious and depressing. I did recognize her writing as something I wanted more of though, and I chose Deronda because an online book group was reading it. I didn't realize there was talk of a Jewish homeland at that time (which I assume there was for her to have incorporated it into the story). 

 

 

 

I found myself disappointed with the ending of Daniel Deronda.

 

I've seen the BBC Miniseries so I had an idea how it ended, unless of course they made major changes. As it turns out, they rearranged the timing of some events, but it still followed the book fairly closely. 

 

 

 

There's still Les Miserables, which the group will be reading until early June, and my audio book of Vanity Fair. However, I need a modern-day fix, so I started reading This is Where I Leave You. It got my attention right away, and I think it will be my quick read for the week.

[shukriyya]

I'm not the least bit systematic -- I keep a journal, in which I write down thoughts, so... if a book evokes thoughts, LOL, I take notes on it... I suppose I'm more likely to take notes on non-fiction than fiction, just because at any given time I tend to have a "heavy" going on for me, that's challenging in some way or from which I am trying to learn something specific, and those are generally non-fiction. But I'll jot down anything that pulls me. I took a lot of notes from Incarnadine, for example -- particularly provoking passages, and then my responses to them. Hard copy. I do look back: once when I'm getting to the end of a journal, so I have to re-write any... I dunno, trailing issues... that I want to carry over into the next volume and continue to work on; and then again, every so often.

 

Loving Conference.

!

Thanks for taking the time to share that. I'm reading from the car which is parked in a warm, sunny spot on this winter day. The car is a betwixt and between spot for me, contained as I am by the smallness of its parameters yet able to travel quickly and get somewhere else. This makes for a feeling of expansion and possibility much, I imagine, like your journals.

 

I've had a very ambivalent relationship with journaling. I kept one after my mother passed, partly as a way to connect with her prodigious journal keeping self but also as a temenos for my own thoughts and feelings around the shocking fact of her absence. Gradually the need to do so diminished but I do like the idea of keeping track of what might be moving my soul at any given breath.

[Guest]

Okay, I may give him a try! I've never read him and I've also not read Goldfinch yet, so I wouldn't have that to compare him to. I didn't think he was super deep or anything, though.

[Pam in CT]

I've had a very ambivalent relationship with journaling. I kept one after my mother passed, partly as a way to connect with her prodigious journal keeping self but also as a temenos for my own thoughts and feelings around the shocking fact of her absence. Gradually the need to do so diminished but I do like the idea of keeping track of what might be moving my soul at any given breath.

 

Ambivalent.  Right.  I did, and then I didn't, and then I missed it, and so started again, and then came too often to find it as another task, that overwhelmed me when I didn't have time to do it "right"...

 

The breakthrough for me was to adopt two principles: 1. Write something every day; and 2. Two sentences are enough.  That made it 1. into a discipline, like brushing my teeth; and 2. No more overwhelming than brushing my teeth.  Some days I really do only write two sentences, about nothing more interesting than brushing my teeth (!).  Some days I just kvetch about how frustrating my 15 year old son is at the moment.  But some days I work through something I ought to work through, and am a (ever so slightly) wiser person for it.  

 

:grouphug: I am sorry about your mother.  At times of crisis like the death of a loved one... it's particularly important...

[mumto2]

I just placed what is probably my last Rainbow Resource order. Sad day...I love that company and can't believe their part in our home ed journey is probably over because everything they supply that we need has for the most part been purchased. I didn't even get to spend days looking through their wonderful merchandise. It was simply we need the final EIL book etc. My mommy heart feels sad.

 

On a more positive note I was able to read "Henrietta Who?" By Catherine Aird. It was a page turner which everyone here who likes mysteries could enjoy. It starts with the hit and run death of Henrietta's "mother" and quickly becomes a mystery concerning who is Henrietta really because her mother had never given birth. No real violence and a great whodunit.

[Guest]

I just placed what is probably my last Rainbow Resource order. Sad day...I love that company and can't believe their part in our home ed journey is probably over because everything they supply that we need has for the most part been purchased. I didn't even get to spend days looking through their wonderful merchandise. It was simply we need the final EIL book etc. My mommy heart feels sad.

 

On a more positive note I was able to read "Henrietta Who?" By Catherine Aird. It was a page turner which everyone here who likes mysteries could enjoy. It starts with the hit and run death of Henrietta's "mother" and quickly becomes a mystery concerning who is Henrietta really because her mother had never given birth. No real violence and a great whodunit.

 

:grouphug:  Oh man! You're making my mommy heart feel sad!!!

[Robin M]

Thanks for all the well wishes.  Energy is coming and going. Still sounding like Lauren Bacall, which my hubby thinks is sexy, but sure not feeling that way right now.  :svengo:

I finished a collection of Sherlock Holmes and Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina by Michael Casey. Sherlock Holmes was a fun read, although I found myself annoyed with his portrayal of female characters. Sacred Reading was an excellent guide to devotional Bible reading. I borrowed it from a friend, but I think I will get my own copy so that I can refer back to it at my leisure. I would recommend it to my fellow Bible readers. (I notice that several of us are reading through the Bible this year). It isn't a study guide, though; it is about reading the Scripture and Church Fathers to build your faith. It is written from a Catholic perspective, but I think it could be of equal interest to Protestants and Orthodox Christians.

This week I started The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and I can't put it down!

Elaine

You sold me. Checked out the excerpt on Amazon for Sacred Reading and had to buy it.  It will be one of my lenten reads.

 

Any Dan Brown fans here? I've never read him but was eyeing his Inferno after our read along here. Worthwhile? Fun? Waste of time?

I love Dan Brown and have enjoyed reading all his books. I find a lot of the things he writes about fascinating and it always leads me to looking information up.  I've read most of his books more than once.   I remember when Da Vinci code came out and I read it, then heard all the furor about it. I went back, read it again, then looked up information about the different sects and brotherhoods, etc.  My dad was mad (even though he didn't read it) because it made the Catholic church look bad.  I had to remind quite a few people, it's fiction. You are allowed to exaggerate and blow things up in fiction.   Once I finish Inferno, I'll probably go back and read his Inferno again just to see if anything in the read changes for me. 

 

 

 

Laugh for the day:  I just had to share this even though it has nothing to do with books - although someone could probably make the case for it. 

 

 

[shukriyya]

 

You sold me. Checked out the excerpt on Amazon for Sacred Reading and had to buy it.  It will be one of my lenten reads.

 

 

IIRC Julian of Norwich wrote extensively on lectio divina. I like Thelma Hall's, 'Too Deep for Words' as well as what James Finley has to say on the subject. HIs wonderful book, 'Christian Meditation : Experiencing the Presence of God' talks specifically about it with many references to the classical texts (Cloud of Unknowing, Guigo etc) as a basis for his exploration.

[Murmer]

Finished: 3 Steps to a Strong Family by Richard and Linda Eyre (I really liked this book and think I might be able to convince my husband to read it)

The Simple Dollar by Trent Hamm (did not enjoy his writing style)

Mind Organization for Moms by April Perry (I totally need to implement this in my life...when I get some time lol)

Bones of the Faerie by Jani Lee Simner (fun dystopian type fantasy looking forward to reading the rest of the series)

Tapped Out by Natalie M. Roberts (fluffy mystery totally adorable)

A Deliberate Mother’s Guide to Disneyland by April Perry (this will come in handy for our summer disney trip)

 

Working on:

Fiction: Ariana: The Making of a Queen by Rachel Ann Nunes

Kindle: Tahn by L.A. Kelly

Non-fiction: The Act of Teaching Donald Cruickshank, Deborah Jenkins, Kim Metcalf

Phone: Lies, Da** Lies, and Science by Sherry Seethaler

Computer: A Joyful Mother of Children by Linda Eyres

Well Education Mind: Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Angel Girl: The Aesop for Children by Aesop

Sweet Boy: Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tales Book

Autobook: Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith

 

Total Read for 2014: 32

[Lady Florida.]

I couldn't take Vanity Fair anymore. It seems like it will never end, and unlike most stories from this time period it's not holding my interest. I do like having a current audio book though, so I went to the library website and did a search for fiction with copies available. I ended up with The Orphan Master's Son. I started listening to this last year, but it had to go back to the library and I never got around to checking it out again. Since it's been so long I decided to start over from the beginning.

[Onceuponatime]

I'm currently speeding through The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. I've got lots of new choices for the next book. Just picked up a stack at the library and went to the book exchange today. I probably should read off my stacks for a while.

[Lady Florida.]

 I ended up with The Orphan Master's Son. I started listening to this last year, but it had to go back to the library and I never got around to checking it out again. Since it's been so long I decided to start over from the beginning.

 

I'm quoting myself but I just realized the narrator is Tim Kang. For those who watch The Mentalist, he's Cho. :)

[Mom-ninja.]

In a few weeks' time, I will need to find a book with non-human characters - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :)

 

 

As pp Animal Farm and Watership Down are the first books that jump to mind.

[Mom-ninja.]

As for my book with a number is the title I'm continuing Sherlock Holmes The Sign of the Four.

[shukriyya]

I couldn't take Vanity Fair anymore. It seems like it will never end, and unlike most stories from this time period it's not holding my interest.

 

I have something similar going on with 'The Moonstone' except in this instance it seems like it will never get started :lol:

 

[Lady Florida.]

I have something similar going on with 'The Moonstone' except in this it seems like it will never get started :lol:

 

 

 I enjoyed The Woman in White and fully expected to like The Moonstone, but I gave up on it. 

[Stacia]

In a few weeks' time, I will need to find a book with non-human characters - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :)

Walter Moers has two that spring to mind:

The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear

The City of Dreaming Books

 

Negin, I know you've said you're on the fence about reading Bluebear (I found it utterly delightful), but for some reason I'm thinking you would really enjoy The City of Dreaming Books (another wonderful book & truly a book for lovers of books) much more. It's a bit darker than Bluebear, but I think you might like this quirky story. (Even though these are all part of a series, you don't need to read the whole series, nor do you need to read them in order. Imo, each book stands on its own just fine.)

 

German author and cartoonist Moers returns to the mythical lost continent of Zamonia in his uproarious third fantasy adventure to be translated into English (after 2006's Rumo), a delightfully imaginative mélange of Shel Silverstein zaniness and oddball anthropomorphism à la Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Optimus Yarnspinner, a young saurian novelist, embarks on a quest to track down the anonymous author of the most magnificent piece of writing in the whole of Zamonian literature. Traveling to Bookholm, the legendary City of Dreaming Books, the naïve Yarnspinner falls victim to Pfistomel Smyke, a maggotlike literary scholar who poisons Yarnspinner and abandons him in the treacherous catacombs miles below the city's surface. Stranded in an underworld steeped in terror-inducing myth and home to more than a few bizarre inhabitants, Yarnspinner undertakes a long and perilous journey back to the world above. Enchanting illustrations by the author compliment a wonderfully whimsical story that will appeal to readers of all ages.

Read this blog post to get a real flavor for the story: http://gatheringbooks.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/meet-optimus-yarnspinner-in-walter-moers-the-city-of-dreaming-books/

 

Here is the warning in the beginning of Moers' book:

This is where my story begins. It tells how I came into possession of The Bloody Book and acquired the Orm. It’s not a story for people with thin skins and weak nerves, whom I would advise to replace this book on the pile at once and slink off to the children’s section. Shoo! Begone, you cry-babies and quaffers of camomile tea, you wimps and softies! This book tells of a place where reading is still a genuine adventure, and by adventure I mean the old-fashioned definition of the word that appears in the Zamonian Dictionary: ‘A Daring enterprise undertaken in a spirit of curiosity or temerity, it is potentially life-threatening, harbours unforeseeable dangers and sometimes proves fatal.’

 

Yes, I speak of a place where reading can drive people insane. Where books may injure and poison them – indeed, even kill them. Only those who are thoroughly prepared to take such risks in order to read this book – only those willing to hazard their lives in so doing – should accompany me to the next paragraph. The remainder I congratulate on their wise but yellow-bellied decision to stay behind. Farewell, you cowards! I wish you a long and boring life, and, on that note, bid you goodbye!

:lol: Just reading that makes me want to read the book again!

[Pam in CT]

Hey, Negin, I totally missed the obvious: how about joining shukriyya and me on Conference of the Birds?  It's about... drumroll... BIRDS!

 

I couldn't take Vanity Fair anymore. It seems like it will never end, and unlike most stories from this time period it's not holding my interest. I do like having a current audio book though, so I went to the library website and did a search for fiction with copies available. I ended up with The Orphan Master's Son. I started listening to this last year, but it had to go back to the library and I never got around to checking it out again. Since it's been so long I decided to start over from the beginning.

 

I just could not force myself to the finish line with Vanity Fair, which doesn't happen very often.

 

I really, really liked Orphan Master's Son.  I'm not sure it would have been a good audio selection for me though.  The bleak parts are so very bleak -- I tend to tune out if I'm listening, and then I lose the thread...

[mommymilkies]

These threads are bad for my budget!

 

I'm another who actually likes Dan Brown.  I didn't much like his last book, but I do find his books easy and entertaining reads.  

 

I'm *almost* done with The Hero of Ages.  So ready to finish.  I also finished Stardust as my second read through of it-this time on audiobook.  I just lurve Neil Gaiman's voice. 

 

1. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
2. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
3. Death Masks by Jim Butcher
4. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher
5. French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon
6. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman 

7. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher

8. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher

9. Teaching Children Compassionately

10. Hyperbole and a Half

11. Stardust (the Author's Preferred Edition) by Neil Gaiman

[Stacia]

 I just lure Neil Gaiman's voice. 

 

I guess you already know about this....

http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx

 

(Plus, there are some other video clips/recordings/etc... on the website.)

[mommymilkies]

I guess you already know about this....

http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx

 

(Plus, there are some other video clips/recordings/etc... on the website.)

Thank you!  I haven't seen that one!  I have his recordings of a bunch of his books.  He's my favorite voice for audiobooks.  I was already in love with him, but it just really makes my day to listen to him. 

[shukriyya]

 I enjoyed The Woman in White and fully expected to like The Moonstone, but I gave up on it. 

 

Well, I'm in good company then :D

[Onceuponatime]

Walter Moers has two that spring to mind:

The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear

The City of Dreaming Books

 

Negin, I know you've said you're on the fence about reading Bluebear (I found it utterly delightful), but for some reason I'm thinking you would really enjoy The City of Dreaming Books (another wonderful book & truly a book for lovers of books) much more. It's a bit darker than Bluebear, but I think you might like this quirky story. (Even though these are all part of a series, you don't need to read the whole series, nor do you need to read them in order. Imo, each book stands on its own just fine.)

 

 

 

 

Read this blog post to get a real flavor for the story: http://gatheringbooks.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/meet-optimus-yarnspinner-in-walter-moers-the-city-of-dreaming-books/

 

Here is the warning in the beginning of Moers' book:

 

 

:lol:  Just reading that makes me want to read the book again!

 

I absolutely loved The City of Dreaming Books and would like to read it again some day.

[shukriyya]

For the Dante readers among us, Recapping Dante :: Canto 18 or, Beware The Bolognese. The artwork is what caught my eye.

 

 

[Negin]

OK, I have to ask... need to?  What's the compulsion?

 

Animal Farm would be the low-hanging fruit...  Suzanne Collins (of Hunger Games fame) did a YA series, Gregor the Overlander, that my eldest enjoyed (did not read it myself).  Maus? Watership Down?

Pam, it's for the Bingo Reading Challenge. This is the first reading challenge I've ever participated in. It's this specific category (non-human characters) that's giving me the most trouble at the moment.  :lol: 

I read Animal Farm in high school and really don't want to read it again. 

My school forced us to read Watership Down when I was 10. That was the first and last time I've ever lied about completing a book. I loathed it. The movie came out that year and I hated the song also :cursing: . I'm sure it might be a good story, but when something is forced upon you at an age when you're not likely to fully appreciate it, it doesn't exactly lead to positive feelings. 

Maus looks like something I might like. Thank you. My daughter might like Gregor the Overlander. 

 

 

My husband and I actually went to college with Brown... it is very very funny to come across him at reunions (all the rest of us shaking our heads and muttering, who'd a thunk it?  ... he's really rather a good guy.  

That's cool. :)

 

As pp Animal Farm and Watership Down are the first books that jump to mind.

Thank you anyway. :)

 

Negin, I know you've said you're on the fence about reading Bluebear (I found it utterly delightful), but for some reason I'm thinking you would really enjoy The City of Dreaming Books (another wonderful book & truly a book for lovers of books) much more. 

 

Stacia, thank you so much. The illustrations look gorgeous. Off to read the blog post soon. :)

 

Hey, Negin, I totally missed the obvious: how about joining shukriyya and me on Conference of the Birds?  It's about... drumroll... BIRDS!

 

Pam, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that it's never really interested me, and I know that it should. Being Persian, most cultured people that I know have read it. 

 

 

I'm another who actually likes Dan Brown.  I didn't much like his last book, but I do find his books easy and entertaining reads.  

 

:iagree: I only liked his first few books and Da Vinci Code was my all-time favorite. I have no interest in reading his more recent stuff. 

[mumto2]

Negin -- when you posted your question about books with animal characters these http://www.cozy-mystery.com/Rita-Mae-Brown.html came to mind. I used to enjoy them but haven't read the last 10 or so. Took me awhile to remember the name. That got me thinking about some other cat mysteries. Not sure if Lillian Jackson Braun would qualify but Carole Nelson Douglas with Midnight Louie as the narrator would imo. http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2012/06/cat_mysteries_lilian_jackson_braun_rita_mae_brown_and_sheila_rousseau_murphy_books_.html

[Hoot]

Today I finished War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells.  :ack2:  It was just not my cup of tea at all.  I thought it was incredibly dull.  I am, however, about 1/3 of the way through Moby Dick right now and in complete LOVE.  I'm also about halfway through The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston, which is okay but not as good as Hot Zone. 

 

 

 

Completed So Far

 

1. The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright

2. Winnie Mandela: Life of Struggle by Jim Haskins

3. Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner

4. When Did White Trash Become the New Normal? by Charlotte Hays

5. Family Herbal by Rosemary Gladstar

6. Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

7. Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide by Rosemary Gladstar

8. The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

9. War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

 

 

[shukriyya]

Ugh, it's 4 a.m. here and I'm wide awake, posting in the dark from the iPad. I've got a 6:30 wake up set for another day of long commutes to various classes so falling asleep in an hour is going to make for a groggy start. Mary Oliver's line, "what is it you wish to do with your one wild and precious life?" is ringing into the close and holy darkness within and without. Why does that question always choose this time of the pre-dawn to pay me a visit?? And of course any answer is beside the point. So it's sitting there like a stone angel at my side not really expecting a response but compelling in its mossy green gaze nonetheless. I can hear the dog rearranging his black, furred limbs into deeper sleep as a grunt escapes his sweetly whiskered mouth. He is obviously unperturbed by such questions, by the green gaze of stone angels and the sighing darkness.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Ugh, it's 4 a.m. here and I'm wide awake, posting in the dark from the iPad. I've got a 6:30 wake up set for another day of long commutes to various classes so falling asleep in an hour is going to make for a groggy start. Mary Oliver's line, "what is it you wish to do with your one wild and precious life?" is ringing into the close and holy darkness within and without. Why does that question always choose this time of the pre-dawn to pay me a visit?? And of course any answer is beside the point. So it's sitting there like a stone angel at my side not really expecting a response but compelling in its mossy green gaze nonetheless. I can hear the dog rearranging his black, furred limbs into deeper sleep as a grunt escapes his sweetly whiskered mouth. He is obviously unperturbed by such questions, by the green gaze of stone angels and the sighing darkness.

 

:001_wub:  This post will stay with me for a long time.

[Pam in CT]

Pam, it's for the Bingo Reading Challenge. This is the first reading challenge I've ever participated in. It's this specific category (non-human characters) that's giving me the most trouble at the moment.  :lol:

I read Animal Farm in high school and really don't want to read it again. 

My school forced us to read Watership Down when I was 10. That was the first and last time I've ever lied about completing a book. I loathed it. The movie came out that year and I hated the song also :cursing: . I'm sure it might be a good story, but when something is forced upon you at an age when you're not likely to fully appreciate it, it doesn't exactly lead to positive feelings. 

Maus looks like something I might like. Thank you. My daughter might like Gregor the Overlander. 

 

<snip>

 

Stacia, thank you so much. The illustrations look gorgeous. Off to read the blog post soon. :)

 

Pam, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that <Conference of the Birds> never really interested me, and I know that it should. Being Persian, most cultured people that I know have read it. 

 

 

Ah, the Bingo Challenge!!   :laugh: Of course.

 

Well, Maus is a serious and worthwhile book; despite the comic book format, which I confess put me off before I actually read it.

 

But... truly... not to nag, but... consider giving Conference a shot.  You're looking specifically for animals and you're Persian?  Come on!  When will your stars align better than that?  Get with the program, Negin!

 

If gorgeous illustrations enhance your reading experience (and when don't they), I noticed that Peter Sis recently did an (adults') illustrated adaptation of it... we have his (older children's) Tibet and Gallileo and Tree of Life books and they all are brilliant... I was sorely tempted by it, but then I stumbled across another translation at a used book store that practically jumped off the dusty shelves into my receiving hands, so I figured that was the one I was meant to have.

 

It really is very good, emotionally allusive and thought provoking, but with enough of a narrative structure that it isn't at all hard to read.  And...

 

Look what sorts of ruminating reveries it will launch you into:

 

.... Mary Oliver's line, "what is it you wish to do with your one wild and precious life?" is ringing into the close and holy darkness within and without. Why does that question always choose this time of the pre-dawn to pay me a visit?? And of course any answer is beside the point. So it's sitting there like a stone angel at my side not really expecting a response but compelling in its mossy green gaze nonetheless. I can hear the dog rearranging his black, furred limbs into deeper sleep as a grunt escapes his sweetly whiskered mouth. He is obviously unperturbed by such questions, by the green gaze of stone angels and the sighing darkness.

 

:laugh:

 

(QUACK!! squacked the fearful duck... I can't do this!!  I need to stay near water!!)

[mumto2]

Shukriyya -- lovely post. As another person who found herself awake far before I wanted to be :grouphug:. At least I have an easy day planned. No long commutes.

[marbel]

Ugh, it's 4 a.m. here and I'm wide awake, posting in the dark from the iPad. I've got a 6:30 wake up set for another day of long commutes to various classes so falling asleep in an hour is going to make for a groggy start. Mary Oliver's line, "what is it you wish to do with your one wild and precious life?" is ringing into the close and holy darkness within and without. Why does that question always choose this time of the pre-dawn to pay me a visit?? And of course any answer is beside the point. So it's sitting there like a stone angel at my side not really expecting a response but compelling in its mossy green gaze nonetheless. I can hear the dog rearranging his black, furred limbs into deeper sleep as a grunt escapes his sweetly whiskered mouth. He is obviously unperturbed by such questions, by the green gaze of stone angels and the sighing darkness.

 

This is beautiful.  My 4 a.m. thoughts are not so lovely and poetic. 

 

[Hoot]

This is beautiful.  My 4 a.m. thoughts are not so lovely and poetic. 

 

 

Seriously!

Mine belong on the alternative swear words thread.  I am not a very nice person if I don't sleep.

[melmichigan]

I think I've kept up posting what I'm reading in the last week.  :hurray:

 

I finished Concealed in Death by J. D. Robb.  I already posted that the language seemed different to me with this one, so the only rather telling thing I can say about this one is that it took me three days to finish it.  (It has never taken me more than a day to finish a J. D. Robb book before.)  

 

Next up, The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison, which released today.  With this release we readers are now down to one book, maybe two, before the Hollows Series comes to an end.  I am excited because this one is supposed to include romance, like we haven't been building up to that for a while now. ;)

[LostSurprise]

The last few weeks I could feel that anti-reading-grumbly feeling creeping up on me again. I ran into it several times last year. It's really hard to pull out of it and it never signals good things for my general outlook on life (anyone notice that something as central to your life as reading can be a signal that things are either very right or very wrong?).

 

Anyway, I dragged my way through Penumbra (it was fun to talk to dh about Google and the Maker community) and Home Cooking (humorous, even though my tastes don't coincide with the author) trying to jumpstart my reading. I wandered around and pulled out 20 books from my shelves and read a chapter from each until something finally stuck (Replay, a book I started last year and set down because I didn't like the main character but which felt more right this time around).  I just want to keep pushing until I come out on the other side. 

 

Best Book of the Year **

10 Best Books *

 

16. Replay by Ken Grimwood~speculative fiction, time travel, multiple lives.  Finally Finished/Dusty Book

15. Home Cooking: a Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin~ memoir, cooking, recipes, essays, humorous. 

14. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan~fiction, mystery, cults, printing, Google.

13. By Nature's Design by Pat Murphy and William Neill~non-fiction, natural patterns, science, Exploratorium series. *

12. The Lives of the Heart by Jane Hirschfield~poetry, relationships, 1990s. *

11.  The Titian Committee by Iain Pears~mystery, Venice, Art History, Argyll series. 

10. Mort by Terry Pratchett~fantasy, Disc world series, Death.

9. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein~youth fiction, WWII, female pilots and spies.

8. Still Life by Louise Penny~mystery, Inspector Gamanche series, Quebec. 

7. The Maid's Version by Daniel Woodrell~literary fiction, mystery, multiple narrators.

6. The Master Butcher's Singing Club by Louise Erdrich~fiction, northern plains, WWI/WWII, relationships, Finally Finished!/Dusty Book. *

5. Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger~youth fiction, boarding school, spies, steampunk.  *

4. Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown~fiction, pirates, food, colonialism.

3. The Man of Numbers: Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution by Keith Devlin~non-fiction, Mathematics, 13th century, Indian-Persian numbers.

2. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli~youth fiction, 13th century, disability, read-aloud.

1. Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki~fiction, story within a story, Japan/Canada, Zen. *

 

Working on: 

 

The Labyrinths (Borges)

When I was a Child I Read Books (Robinson)

The Painted Veil (Maugham)

Zoo in my Luggage (Durrell)

The Language of Baklava

Harry Potter #6? 

Henry and Clara?

[shukriyya]

Sleep evaded me after all and I offered myself up to reading instead. After all your generous comments we'll see how poetically this day unfolds :lol:

 

Seriously!
Mine belong on the alternative swear words thread.  I am not a very nice person if I don't sleep.

 

Well, blasphemy and faith hold hands with each other. I might even go so far as to call them lovers. Maybe swearing is a little less refined but fervent nonetheless and actively offered up to a Namelessness--traffic Gods, toe-stubbing Gods, weather Gods, sleep Gods, Gods of various Impatiences...

....a monk enters the temple and goes to the shrine room. It's filled with Thangkas, Buddha Rupas, various ritual instruments, incense fills the air, the drum and gongs are sounding, bells being rung...all the accoutrements of a highly ritualistic lineage. The monk takes his place among the crowd and watches the empowerment ceremony with increasing disdain. At the end he sees the head monk, a wise and learned Abbot. He goes up to him and begins a tirade about the hypocrisy, the empty ritual etc etc. He ends his rant by saying, "all this bowing and praying makes me want to spit." And the Abbot after listening to him with interest smiles and nodding, says, "I bows, you spits"
 

 

 

If gorgeous illustrations enhance your reading experience (and when don't they), I noticed that Peter Sis recently did an (adults') illustrated adaptation of it... we have his (older children's) Tibet and Gallileo and Tree of Life books and they all are brilliant... I was sorely tempted by it, but then I stumbled across another translation at a used book store that practically jumped off the dusty shelves into my receiving hands, so I figured that was the one I was meant to have.

 

It really is very good, emotionally allusive and thought provoking, but with enough of a narrative structure that it isn't at all hard to read.  And...

 

 

We have his, 'Tibet through the Red Box' and 'Tree of Life' has been on my Amazon list for awhile now as we delve deeper into our biology studies. I put  his Conference on the list last year and I'd forgotten all about it until seeing your link. That one might need to be purchased. Dh and ds have already read it together but It would be great as a family read-aloud. At least, this family.

 

 

Look what sorts of ruminating reveries it will launch you into:

 

 

:laugh:

 

(QUACK!! squacked the fearful duck... I can't do this!!  I need to stay near water!!)

 

Pam, I laughed at your duck reference. A few weeks ago just after I started 'Conference' I sent my husband an email, identifying as I did with the duck...'The coy duck waddled from her stream and quacked...' But this morning, after giving up on trying to get back to sleep I settled in with our avian friends feeling very much the finch ::

The Finch's Excuse

"The timid finch approached. Her feeble frame
Trembled from head to foot, a nervous flame'
She chirped : "I am less sturdy than a hair
And lack the courage that my betters share;
My feathers are too weak to carry me
The distance to the Simorgh's sanctuary"

And then I got tangled up in the dervish's utter absorption and helplessness in the face of that Christian beauty and being asked to divest himself of all he holds dear in the name of that most exacting and demanding of Mistresses, Love. Not really conducive to sleep :D

[Kareni]

 

In a few weeks' time, I will need to find a book with non-human characters - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :)

 

I asked much the same question last week.

 

This is one I have read ~ Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery  by Spencer Quinn - dog narrator

 

Here are some other replies.

 

 

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.

 

 

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

 

 

Cat Lovers...

 

 

From this quasi-animal-centric-view book. I'm not an animal-book reader myself but this looks intriguing.

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Last night I finished Wild Darkness (A Bound By Magick Novel) by Lauren Dane.  This is the fourth and final book in a paranormal romance series.  I enjoyed it though I do recommend starting with book 1, Heart of Darkness.  There is definite adult content.

 

"The bombing that almost killed Owen witch Molly Ryan has worsened the tensions between the humans and the Others. While the Others desperately campaign to prevent the passage of a law that would strip their people of all rights, the human separatists develop an agenda far worse than anyone imagined. With her position more precarious than ever, security head Helena Jaansen finds herself relying more and more heavily on her personal guard, Faine Leviathan, and, despite her better instincts, falling more deeply into the intimate connection that they share.

As Helena and Faine’s explosive passion grows, a deadly separatist plot is discovered, one that could mean ultimate destruction for the Others, and war breaks out between the two opposing factions. With the Others forced into hiding, Helena must overcome her fear of repeating past failures to save her people—and her heart—before it’s too late…"

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[welovetoread]

Hello reading friends!  I have not had the chance to catch up on the threads from this week or last week, but wanted to pop in and say hello. 

  

Last week I finished The Amish Bride and The Amish Nanny.  Both were nice stories about a few young girls and their journey to find out who they are and where their relationships stand with God and family.  I am waiting for the next in that series.   This week I am working on a stack that is way to big.  I have a serious case of too many books on my kindle. I need to go on a download freeze, but the panic that causes is just not worth the risk to my health, haha!

  Yesterday my daughter and I had a birthday and I am loving my birthday present, the paperwhite. I've had a few weeks now and am in love. :)

 

This week I am wading through my pile of too many books that include:
Non-Fiction: It's so easy by Duff McKagan (I have nO idea how to link) and Behind the beautiful flowers (thanks for the suggestion)

Fiction: Naked in Death by JD Robb, Game of Thrones by Martin and Fall of Giants and The Waiting

Audio-Orphan Train and KJV bible

 

That sums it all up I think :)

[mumto2]

Welovetoread -- Happy Birthday to you and your dd! Glad to hear you like your paperwhite!

[mommymilkies]

Hope you both had a great birthday, Welovetoread!

[welovetoread]

Caught up on thread reading and my pile just grew.......

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

Chandi

[Stacia]

.

[Stacia]

If anyone is in Seattle:

 

 

Join New Directions, NYRB, and Archipelago Books for an AWP mingle at The Elliott Bay Book Company.

Come and chat with us about our exciting upcoming lists over drinks and hors d’oeuvres!

 

Saturday, March 1, 4-5:30pm.

 

http://archipelagobooks.org/event/awp-mingle-elliott-bay/

 

I wish I lived in Seattle. Wow -- 3 fabulous publishing companies!!! :thumbup1:

[Mom-ninja.]

Happy birthday. You received a great gift.