shukriyya Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 For those DQ lovers among us...are there any :lol: Seriously though here are some wonderful illustrations compiled over the years for Don Quixote. I like these below in particular. Full article here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Last night I finished the contemporary romance The Last Man on Earth by Tracy Anne Warren. I believe it's the author's first contemporary romance; I've read a number of her historical romances. I enjoyed it. "Idealistic good girl Madelyn Grayson believes in doing what’s right. Even as a high-powered executive in the mad world of advertising, she doesn’t cut corners, making her ad campaigns sizzle without having to burn anyone along the way.Rival exec Zack Douglas never wastes an opportunity to land the next big deal—especially when it benefits him. A bad boy with a reputation to match, he has no qualms about doing whatever it takes to get ahead, no matter who gets in the way.When a hot promotion pops up at their company, both Zack and Madelyn wind up on the short list for the position. But as the two square off, they discover that being heated rivals in the office makes for scorching bed play behind closed doors. Will Madelyn’s steamy, secret affair with Mr. Vice make her compromise her ideals—or worse, lose her heart?" Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 For those DQ lovers among us...are there any :lol: Seriously though here are some wonderful illustrations compiled over the years for Don Quixote. Have you seen this book, shukriyya? Moby-Dick in Pictures: One Drawing for Every Page by Matt Kish Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Has no one mentioned buck dancing yet? It's popular in parts of the U.S. south and I learned of it when I lived in Georgia. It ties in with tap and Irish dancing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT-6EUMoVnI This guy explains that clogging, buck dancing, and tap are related but slightly different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Have you seen this book, shukriyya? Moby-Dick in Pictures: One Drawing for Every Page by Matt Kish Regards, Kareni I haven't seen that book nor have I read the original but some of those drawings are wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Has no one mentioned buck dancing yet? It's popular in parts of the U.S. south and I learned of it when I lived in Georgia. It ties in with tap and Irish dancing. Floridamom, I want to see a video of you buck dancing! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 <snip> And I am Very Inspired by the BAW accountability program you have instituted in your signature line. I am off now to my own profile to see if I am competent enough to do the same!! Okay, I see your fab siggy and raise you one question..actually a question for any BaWers who care to weigh in...how are y'all approaching your 5/5/5? Are you reading through all five of the books in a given category at a time? Are you reading from one and then going to the next? No plan? Serendipitous? I've got my 5/5/5 mostly decided on but I have yet to read anything from it. Partly that is because my tbr list is growing weekly thanks to this thread and partly because I'm trying to decide how intentional I want to be about it...do I want to keep notes on the overall theme within each group of books and differences/similarities etc I noticed. Or do I randomly plunge in? Or? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 And for my own book reporting...I'm half way through Mary Stewart's 'My Brother Michael'. It's enjoyable and the pace is picking up a bit but I have to say that so far this is my least favorite of hers. I think my next one will be 'Wildfire at Midnight' since that's gotten some good recs here. But I'm finding this past week to be less of a reading week than the previous ones and I don't know how much that's my mood and how much is the book. One thing I've noticed with this current Mary Stewart is that I'm negatively affected by the particular edition I'm reading. It's a re-publish since lots of her stuff is OOP and there is something too generic about this reprinting. It all looks very nice on the surface but I keep being aware as I'm reading of the font, the color of the pages (bright, bright white), the layout, the color of the ink. Of course it could just be persnickety-ness but I have to say that I didn't love the look of them when they arrived. Perhaps it's that they don't have the aura of 'mystery' surrounding their physical selves that I've come to expect Mary Stewart novel should have--those ancient, battered hardcover library books with marked, yellow pages and comfortable font and old-book smell... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Floridamom, I want to see a video of you buck dancing! :D I'm not a native southerner. I grew up dancing the tarantella (but mostly just at weddings). :D ETA: My Italian heritage is southern though. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I'm not a native southerner. I grew up dancing the tarantella (but mostly just at weddings). :D ETA: My Italian heritage is southern though. :) And I just learned this week, thanks to my son's piano studies, about the lore and history behind the musical 'tarantella'. Fascinating stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 No Regrets: How Homeschooling Earned Me a Master's Degree at Age Sixteen is free on Kindle right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Okay, I see your fab siggy and raise you one question..actually a question for any BaWers who care to weigh in...how are y'all approaching your 5/5/5? Are you reading through all five of the books in a given category at a time? Are you reading from one and then going to the next? No plan? Serendipitous? I've got my 5/5/5 mostly decided on but I have yet to read anything from it. Partly that is because my tbr list is growing weekly thanks to this thread and partly because I'm trying to decide how intentional I want to be about it...do I want to keep notes on the overall theme within each group of books and differences/similarities etc I noticed. Or do I randomly plunge in? Or? I haven't done much on mine yet, partly because I've been doing a Coursera class (The Modern and the Postmodern). What I have done: WEM novels: 1 1001 Books list - 21st century: 1 Books of the Bible: 0 Recommendations: 0 Education/Learning: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelAR05 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Started a new book -- Fantomas by Marcel Allain & Pierre Souvestre. (Like I have much time to be reading, lol.) Found this title on a list of 'guilty pleasure' books. If anyone is looking for a French book to read, this might interest you. I think it's basically pulp fiction from early-1900s France. “One episode simply melts away as the next takes over†(The New York Times) in this deliciously sinister turn-of-the-century tale of a French evil genius run rampant. Three appalling crimes leave all of Paris aghast: the Marquise de Langruen is hacked to death, the Princess Sonia is robbed, and Lord Beltham is found dead, stuffed into a trunk. Inspector Juve knows that all the clues point to one suspect: the master of disguise, Fantômas. Juve cleverly pursues him in speeding trains, down dark alleys, through glittering Parisian salons, obsessed with bringing the demon mastermind to justice. As thrilling to read now as it was when first published in 1915, Fantômas “is not a puzzle but an intoxicant†(The Village Voice). Enjoyed some of the links on the Fantomas website, especially the info about the books & the avant-garde/surrealist movements. http://www.fantomas-lives.com/fanto3.htm Was getting too bogged down in my other reading. A Moment in the Sun is wonderful, but slow going. I like the idea behind A Novel Bookstore & it has so many quotes that will appeal to book lovers. But, it just moves at a glacial pace, imo. Not sure if I'll continue it or not, but since I'm wavering so on picking it back up, it may be one that I ditch. I picked up Fantomas because I wanted something quicker-paced & fast to read. ETA: I'm reading a hardcover library version, but I see there is a free kindle version, if you are interested: http://www.amazon.com/Fant%C3%B4mas-Marcel-Allain-ebook/dp/B0082V415O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1394563424&sr=1-1&keywords=fantomas -------------------------- My Goodreads Page My PaperbackSwap Page My rating system: 5 = Love; 4 = Pretty awesome; 3 = Good; 2 = Meh; 1 = Don't bother 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). 10. The Way Through Doors by Jesse Ball (4 stars). 11. Eat for Health by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. (4 stars). 12. LoterÃa by Mario Alberto Zambrano (1 star). No Regrets: How Homeschooling Earned Me a Master's Degree at Age Sixteen is free on Kindle right now. Thanks ladies! I downloaded both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelAR05 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 And I am Very Inspired by the BAW accountability program you have instituted in your signature line. I am off now to my own profile to see if I am competent enough to do the same!! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Okay, I see your fab siggy and raise you one question..actually a question for any BaWers who care to weigh in...how are y'all approaching your 5/5/5? Are you reading through all five of the books in a given category at a time? Are you reading from one and then going to the next? No plan? Serendipitous? I've got my 5/5/5 mostly decided on but I have yet to read anything from it. Partly that is because my tbr list is growing weekly thanks to this thread and partly because I'm trying to decide how intentional I want to be about it...do I want to keep notes on the overall theme within each group of books and differences/similarities etc I noticed. Or do I randomly plunge in? Or? Well, I only recently settled on my 5/5/5 categories; and as with most everything else in my life, LOL, I am working somewhere in between a Full Plan and a Random Plunge... my categories themselves are all, I don't know quite how to put it, Growth Areas? slightly out-of-my-easy-zone genres where I have to work a little harder. Sometimes a lot harder. Based on the threads here early in the year, I've decided to focus on female authors within both War Narratives and Poetry, and see what happens. For War Narratives, I have three books identified, and I'm on the lookout for two more. For Poetry, I've done Incarnadine and planned out Elana Bell's Eyes, Stones and Maxine Kumin's Up Country; looking out for two more. I think I've identified all five of my dusties (Chuang Tzu, Conference of the Birds, Ramayana, the autobiography of Teresa of Avila, and -- I think, though it doesn't quite meet my own definition of "dusty" -- Paul Kriwaczec's book on Zoroasterianism). I only recently, and with significant trepidation, decided to commit to Philosophy. This is the category that will challenge me most... My Rabbit Trail category springs from a different effort I'm working on separately -- a close reading of / written response to all the Psalms over the course of a year. I've identified four of these, and it's a motley bunch that really only makes sense to me! There is no way in the world I could read 5 books in any one of these categories straight in a row. Gah! I can only take so much "growth" at a given point... On the other hand, I very much like the idea of ongoing accountability! I do better with a bit of accountability... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 One more derailment, then I'll stop. Here is some Irish dance with soft shoes. (Dd loves dancing in soft shoes, even though the noise of hard shoes is always a crowd-pleaser, lol.) A quick look at Youtube found a random group doing some soft shoe Irish dancing... It's a small world. A dear friend of mine has a couple O'shea kids depending on the season. I was hoping for a dancer but might have a gymnist. Dancing seems so much safer. Lol I finished Shakespeare's Sonnets today. A couple of them resonated. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Well, I only recently settled on my 5/5/5 categories; and as with most everything else in my life, LOL, I am working somewhere in between a Full Plan and a Random Plunge... my categories themselves are all, I don't know quite how to put it, Growth Areas? slightly out-of-my-easy-zone genres where I have to work a little harder. Sometimes a lot harder. Based on the threads here early in the year, I've decided to focus on female authors within both War Narratives and Poetry, and see what happens. For War Narratives, I have three books identified, and I'm on the lookout for two more. For Poetry, I've done Incarnadine and planned out Elana Bell's Eyes, Stones and Maxine Kumin's Up Country; looking out for two more. I think I've identified all five of my dusties (Chuang Tzu, Conference of the Birds, Ramayana, the autobiography of Teresa of Avila, and -- I think, though it doesn't quite meet my own definition of "dusty" -- Paul Kriwaczec's book on Zoroasterianism). I only recently, and with significant trepidation, decided to commit to Philosophy. This is the category that will challenge me most... My Rabbit Trail category springs from a different effort I'm working on separately -- a close reading of / written response to all the Psalms over the course of a year. I've identified four of these, and it's a motley bunch that really only makes sense to me! There is no way in the world I could read 5 books in any one of these categories straight in a row. Gah! I can only take so much "growth" at a given point... On the other hand, I very much like the idea of ongoing accountability! I do better with a bit of accountability... Yes, well, I thought I had my categories all set and then...the water element entered the scene and a couple of my categories went all fluid on me and evaporated...or trickled away...or caught a bigger wave to be rushed back into the ocean of unknowing from whence they came. So I've got three categories that I'm pretty solidly set on, Food, FairyTale-Myth-Magic and Women Homesteaders but the other two are resisting form. There's the possibility of Women Mystics or The Writings of Hazrat Inayat Khan or Jungian Women Analysts or...hmm, I'll need to really sit with this. OTOH a dusties might be the way to go too as I have a least one shelf full of various and eclectic unread titles, pretty much all non-fiction. I do like your idea of choosing something that will stretch me a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I just finished "Broken Vessel" and agree with the demotion to 4* but I am not sure what I would edit to be honest. While fast paced and hard to put down it made me a bit sad so not as fond of it. I know who I would edit out but not sure that that would make it 5*. Don't get me wrong it was good just not nearly as good as "Cut to the Quick" was. I have number three ready for bedtime. I will try to be vague and give you a quick review of what I thought of them: Cut to the Quick - Wow. Wonderful. - Five Stars A Broken Vessel - Wowza. Another great book with the exception of one character. There were about three pages that I wanted to use a sharpie on in my personal copy and fix the book. - Four Stars Whom the Gods Love - A wonderfully twisted fantastic mystery. - Five Stars The Devil in the Music - It takes about two hundred pages for anything to happen. Slowwwww. And then it's still a slow book. Also during the first fifty pages I said "If such and such event happens then I'm going to throw this book across the room in anger." Said event happened. As I mentioned earlier though none of my friends disliked it like I did though. I'll be eagerly awaiting your review. - Two Stars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Week 10 Last week I finished The Magician's Nephew for my Narnia class. This is another Narnia book that I had read but did not remember. I was really surprised to find that when the book began I wasn't really interested. Around page 98, however, it did a total 180. I can't say this was my favorite book but I believe it may have contained my favorite chapter. The creation of Narnia. I am still amazed at how the description of Aslan creating Narnia touched me. I told my dd13 that it made my soul sing. I couldn't help but envision God creating the heavens and the earth. Did the angels sing as he spoke? What did the words he spoke sound like? Did it sound like a beautiful song as C.S. Lewis had Aslan singing? It would have had to be beautiful as we can't help but look around and see the beauty in every piece of His Creation. I was really just bowled over by how I connected to this part of the book. Unlike the many masses who now read The Chronicles of Narnia in chronological order, I believe that reading them in the order that they were written gives us great moments like these in The Magician's Nephew. After experiencing the magic of entering the wardrobe with Lucy, after exploring Narnia further and learning about Aslan in a deeper, richer way, then we come at last to the beautiful account of how Narnia was created. I feel there is a deeper appreciation for this scene when coming to it after being better acquainted with Narnia and Aslan as a whole. On the lighter side, I loved how things from our world that were "planted" in Narnia grew. Who wouldn't want a toffee tree :D It is hard to rate this book. Do I rate it for the story as a whole or for the chapters I loved or for all the information that fills in the gaps of the story of Narnia as a whole? It seems they would each be a different rating, and I still don't know! Week 11 Today I finished Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury. Dd19 had started reading this out loud to dd13 last summer. After hearing the first few chapters, I thought that they had gone on to finish it without me so I picked it up for a quick light read last week. It is one of older dd's favorite books (though that list is long lol). Once again I found another lovely YA book that truly can live up to its genre. The story takes place in London (I wish I could mark on my world map just how many books I read from one country, I have had a fascination with England for years and already have read numerous books that take place there) during the war with Napoleon and centers around Egyptian artifacts, the Rosetta Stone, and espionage with plenty of Jane Austen references usually quoted in multiple languages! A strong but feminine heroine, a smart, dashing young hero, yet no s*xual tension or inappropriate scenes, makes for a book I would recommend to any young lady who likes historical fiction. It made me want to brush up on my Rosetta Stone history! 4 stars definitely! I'm still trying to finish listening to The Mark of Athena. Did I mention yet that this book is making me wonder what I ever saw in the Percy Jackson series. :ack2: I haven't picked up Dante in two weeks. I really need to get back to it but have really needed the light fluff. Dh has been offered a position in his company that would require a move out to KS, MO, OK, or TX. It is far away from home and family and friends and I'm struggling with finding what God wants for us. Therefore, Dante has remained on the nightstand as I immerse myself in fluffier things. Aggieamy sent me a book that I think will fit this category excellently! I believe I will start it tonight. I'm also still reading Beorn the Proud out loud to dd13. We are enjoying it. *1 – The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs (Isarel) *2 – Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans (USA) *3 – The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis *4 – Michael Vey: The Rise of the Elgen by Richard Paul Evans (USA/Peru) *5 – Soulless by Gail Carriger (England, BaW rec) *6 – Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (England) *7 – A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (12th Century, England/Wales,BaW rec) *8 – Michael Vey: Battle of the Ampere by Richard Paul Evans (Peru) *9 - Divergent by Veronica Roth (USA) *10 - Anna of Byzantium by Tracy Barrett (Turkey, 11th/12th Century, Dusty Book) *11 – Austenland by Shannon Hale (England, Dusty Book) *12 – The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis *13 – Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger (England, BaW rec) *14 - The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis *15 - Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury (England) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I realized that I was unclear on the concept of 5/5/5. For some reason I thought it was 3 categories. I guess because of the 3 5s. Anyway, I think I've got it now. And I think I've come up with my categories. None of my picks are all that challenging or out-of-comfort zone for me, except perhaps in quantity.... Food fiction Nonwestern fiction (author or setting) Art fiction Geographic history (as in City of Fortune or London: The Biography of a City - not sure what else to call it) European Renaissance (15th/16th centuries) nonfiction I like the look of the accountability sig! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Started a new book -- Fantomas by Marcel Allain & Pierre Souvestre. (Like I have much time to be reading, lol.) Found this title on a list of 'guilty pleasure' books. If anyone is looking for a French book to read, this might interest you. I think it's basically pulp fiction from early-1900s France. “One episode simply melts away as the next takes over†(The New York Times) in this deliciously sinister turn-of-the-century tale of a French evil genius run rampant. Three appalling crimes leave all of Paris aghast: the Marquise de Langruen is hacked to death, the Princess Sonia is robbed, and Lord Beltham is found dead, stuffed into a trunk. Inspector Juve knows that all the clues point to one suspect: the master of disguise, Fantômas. Juve cleverly pursues him in speeding trains, down dark alleys, through glittering Parisian salons, obsessed with bringing the demon mastermind to justice. As thrilling to read now as it was when first published in 1915, Fantômas “is not a puzzle but an intoxicant†(The Village Voice). Enjoyed some of the links on the Fantomas website, especially the info about the books & the avant-garde/surrealist movements. http://www.fantomas-lives.com/fanto3.htm Stacia, your post reminds me of one of our favorite fictional characters in this household: Arsene Lupin, the gentleman thief. Author Maurice Leblanc created him in the late 19th century and continued using him as a character in his early 20th century writings. Talk about cultural influence! Japanese animated film director put Arsene Lupin in a film, Castle of Cagliostro. Translations of Leblanc's works are available as free downloads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Okay, I see your fab siggy and raise you one question..actually a question for any BaWers who care to weigh in...how are y'all approaching your 5/5/5? Are you reading through all five of the books in a given category at a time? Are you reading from one and then going to the next? No plan? Serendipitous? I've got my 5/5/5 mostly decided on but I have yet to read anything from it. Partly that is because my tbr list is growing weekly thanks to this thread and partly because I'm trying to decide how intentional I want to be about it...do I want to keep notes on the overall theme within each group of books and differences/similarities etc I noticed. Or do I randomly plunge in? Or? Last year was the first time I did the 5/5/5 challenge, choosing categories to help motivate me. Did I read five books in all five categories? No--but that is OK. I ran out of steam in Sustainability finding most books were preaching to the choir and not enlightening me in the way I had hoped they would. I only read three Dorothy Dunnett novels last year--not five--but that is OK. She is back as a 5/5/5 category but the real intention is not reading any of the Dunnett novels but those in her House of Niccolo series. Three down, five more to go... No, I do not read all of the books in a given category at one time. Nor do I choose the books to be read in the category in advance (with the exception of Dorothy Dunnett). One of my 5/5/5 categories this year is Eastern/Middle European authors. I began the year with the plan of reading Sofi Oksanen's novel Purge and Wieslaw Mysliwski's novel A Treatise on Shelling Beans but the others? This is where serendipity enters my life. Why just today I discovered Ukrainian born author (to Polish parents) Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky. There is a world of magnificent writers from the "Other Europe" who remain unknown to much of the West. I hope to discover a few more before the year is over. So my 5/5/5 categories for the year are Dorothy Dunnett, Eastern/Middle European novels, Dusty books, food novels, and Shaw. The food novels are for fun although I may expand the category to include food memoirs. I haven't decided. I chose Shaw because I regularly say I need to read more Shaw. This year I shall do so! So far I have read 3 Dusty books, 2 Eastern/Middle European novels, 2 food novels, 0 from Dunnett or Shaw. Obviously others may approach their 5/5/5 choices/methodologies/strategies differently. I believe the point of the 5/5/5 is to help us expand as readers or, in my case, to assist in achieving goals that heretofore were more nebulous. Once a month or so I list my reading to date, mentioning the 5/5/5 challenges along the way. 2014 5/5/5 Challenge: Food Novels, Eastern/Middle European Authors, Shaw, Dorothy Dunnett, Dusty Books Chunksters 1) The Lodger, Marie Belloc Lowndes, 1913--Dusty Book #1 2) The Blithedale Romance, Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1852--Dusty Book #2 3) Radiance of Tomorrow, Ishmael Beah, 2014 4) The Mission Song, John le Carre, 2006 5) The Debt to Pleasure, John Lanchester, 1996--Food Novel #1 6) The Cunning Little Vixen, Rudolf Tesnohlidek, 1920, 1985 translation--Dusty #3, Eastern/Middle Europe #1 7) Scoop, Evelyn Waugh, 1938--Dusty #4 8) The Upcycle, William McDonough and Michael Braungart, 2013 9) Red Gold, Alan Furst, 1999 10) Destination Unknown, Agatha Christie, 1954 (audio book) 11) Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte, 1847 12) Purge, Sofi Oksanen, 2008, Eastern European #2 13) The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane, 1895 (audio book) 14) My Year of Meats, Ruth Ozeki, 1998--Food Novel #2 15) The Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England, Ian Mortimer, 2013 16) Cheerfulness Breaks In, Angela Thirkell, 1940 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Last year was the first time I did the 5/5/5 challenge, choosing categories to help motivate me. Did I read five books in all five categories? No--but that is OK. I ran out of steam in Sustainability finding most books were preaching to the choir and not enlightening me in the way I had hoped they would. I only read three Dorothy Dunnett novels last year--not five--but that is OK. She is back as a 5/5/5 category but the real intention is not reading any of the Dunnett novels but those in her House of Niccolo series. Three down, five more to go... No, I do not read all of the books in a given category at one time. Nor do I choose the books to be read in the category in advance (with the exception of Dorothy Dunnett). One of my 5/5/5 categories this year is Eastern/Middle European authors. I began the year with the plan of reading Sofi Oksanen's novel Purge and Wieslaw Mysliwski's novel A Treatise on Shelling Beans but the others? This is where serendipity enters my life. Why just today I discovered Ukrainian born author (to Polish parents) Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky. There is a world of magnificent writers from the "Other Europe" who remain unknown to much of the West. I hope to discover a few more before the year is over. So my 5/5/5 categories for the year are Dorothy Dunnett, Eastern/Middle European novels, Dusty books, food novels, and Shaw. The food novels are for fun although I may expand the category to include food memoirs. I haven't decided. I chose Shaw because I regularly say I need to read more Shaw. This year I shall do so! So far I have read 3 Dusty books, 2 Eastern/Middle European novels, 2 food novels, 0 from Dunnett or Shaw. Obviously others may approach their 5/5/5 choices/methodologies/strategies differently. I believe the point of the 5/5/5 is to help us expand as readers or, in my case, to assist in achieving goals that heretofore were more nebulous. <snip> Me likey the bolded :D Having the tent peg of a category but not necessarily the fabric itself appeals to the ideas I have about the whims and caprices of Wisdom's body. Thanks for the detail of your explanation. And for the reminder that, no, one needn't complete the 5/5/5 but by the end of the year with some modicum of intention one's world will have been enlarged within a given theme. That sense of theme or pattern speaks to the part of me that would like to have a feeling for the underlying breath of It All which I realize is a silly little concept on my part. No matter that it's an utterly futile inclination, it appeases some of the more limited places in my being :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 BaW friends, here is eaglei's latest update on her son, in case you haven't seen it... http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/498232-urgent-prayer-request-for-ds/?p=5529262 Eaglei, continuing to send hugs, prayers, & good thoughts to all of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 FairyTale-Myth-Magic If you have picked out any titles for this category, I'd love to hear them. :bigear: It's a small world. A dear friend of mine has a couple O'shea kids depending on the season. I was hoping for a dancer but might have a gymnist. Dancing seems so much safer. Lol I think Irish dancing is definitely safer than gymnastics (though you could get a nasty problem if kicked with those hard shoes)! :tongue_smilie: Sometimes they're dancing in such close quarters that I don't know how they don't kick each other (hard) with the high kicks in tight places. There have been a few kids that have injured/broken bones in their feet/ankles from dancing. Regardless, it's definitely safer than horse-riding (what dd used to do). (We've done an ER trip from the horse-riding....) Just wanted to let you know that we watched the tap vs. Irish dance video and my 5 yr old loved it. He told me he wants to take tap lessons now. So, yes, I admit I jumped at the chance and called the local dance studio. By golly I may have a dancer in the family after all. I gave up on my first two. :lol: We'll see if his interest continues once he tries a class. How awesome is that! Keep us posted if he sticks with it. A 5yo tap dancer has got to be adorable (& noisy). LOL. My sister did tap dancing as a kid & has gone back as an adult various times to continue classes. She loves it. I loved all the skillful dance performances! My 14yo was born on St. Patrick's Day and he is the only child that exhibited an inclination to dance when young, but alas, I could not convince him to take formal lessons. I wanted an Irish dancer but he turned out to be a comical historian, like his father. Go figure. :laugh: I love the idea of a comical historian (whatever that may be)!!! Re: the Wolf Hall discussion earlier. I was one of those that stopped part way through. (As I remember, life was busy & I didn't have the concentration needed for reading it. Plus, the unclear antecedents & pronouns drove me nuts, even if it was a stylistic choice on the part of the author.) I may consider reading it again someday because I really enjoyed the historical aspects of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 If you have picked out any titles for this category, I'd love to hear them. :bigear: Here you go :: 1. Feminist Fairy Tales by Barbara Walker 2. Stardust by Neil Gaiman 3. The White Goddess by Robert Graves 4. The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle 5. Landscape and Memory by Simon Schama In spite of the tidiness of this group of books I do like Jane's approach of having a category but no titles so I'm looking at this list as fairly fluid and if something additional comes along in this category that moves me then I'll happily change course and tack onto its wave. My intrepid self would like to have the above category ride on the structure of Frazer's, 'The Golden Bough' but I have an idea that would be too ambitious so TGB will be there to dip into but not actually be an active 5/5/5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Awesome... I'll be busy for a while perusing books. Now this would drive me crazy - 12 Books that End Mid Sentence. 10 Must Have bookshelves - I'm kind of digging the secret room bookshelves. Now I just need to find the space for it. I'm coveting new bookshelves now! I kinda dig the Tetris one. I just finished "Broken Vessel" and agree with the demotion to 4* but I am not sure what I would edit to be honest. While fast paced and hard to put down it made me a bit sad so not as fond of it. I know who I would edit out but not sure that that would make it 5*. Don't get me wrong it was good just not nearly as good as "Cut to the Quick" was. I have number three ready for bedtime. I assume we'd edit out the same person. :laugh: I know exactly what you mean by sad. There were lots of broken lives in that book. Week 11 Today I finished Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury. Dd19 had started reading this out loud to dd13 last summer. After hearing the first few chapters, I thought that they had gone on to finish it without me so I picked it up for a quick light read last week. It is one of older dd's favorite books (though that list is long lol). Once again I found another lovely YA book that truly can live up to its genre. The story takes place in London (I wish I could mark on my world map just how many books I read from one country, I have had a fascination with England for years and already have read numerous books that take place there) during the war with Napoleon and centers around Egyptian artifacts, the Rosetta Stone, and espionage with plenty of Jane Austen references usually quoted in multiple languages! A strong but feminine heroine, a smart, dashing young hero, yet no s*xual tension or inappropriate scenes, makes for a book I would recommend to any young lady who likes historical fiction. It made me want to brush up on my Rosetta Stone history! 4 stars definitely! That is going on my to-read list. It sounds like a great read aloud for my England loving DD and my England loving self. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 BaW friends, here is eaglei's latest update on her son, in case you haven't seen it... http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/498232-urgent-prayer-request-for-ds/?p=5529262 Thank you Stacia for letting the group know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookprizes/10602664/Costa-Book-Prize-2013-Debut-author-Nathan-Filer-is-shock-winner.html I found this particular award at the library site in the UK. Never heard of the award or the winner but I do like costa coffee. :) Anyway something to browse when bored. Note, last year's s winner was the sequel to Wolf Hall. Gave me a chuckle considering the comments here today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Here you go :: 1. Feminist Fairy Tales by Barbara Walker 2. Stardust by Neil Gaiman 3. The White Goddess by Robert Graves 4. The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle 5. Landscape and Memory by Simon Schama In spite of the tidiness of this group of books I do like Jane's approach of having a category but no titles so I'm looking at this list as fairly fluid and if something additional comes along in this category that moves me then I'll happily change course and tack onto its wave. My intrepid self would like to have the above category ride on the structure of Frazer's, 'The Golden Bough' but I have an idea that would be too ambitious so TGB will be there to dip into but not actually be an active 5/5/5. Quoting myself :lol: but after some more musing on this category #1 got knocked off the list to be replaced with Marina Warner's, 'From the Beast to the Blonde'. I like this author having read some of her fiction previously. This book is more what I'm looking for within this category though I don't think I could say specifically what it is I'm after :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 Haven't had much time to spend on the thread this week as meeting with IRS again tomorrow. She took creative liberty with our finances and now I get to tell her how wrong she is. Just had to make sure had all my ducks in a row - which they are, so keep me in your thoughts tomorrow for patience. James asked me to read Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan since we are going to watch the movie on Friday. Especially since I made him read The Lightning Thief before we watched the movie. We are also listening to TLT in the car going back and forth from his speech and occupational therapy sessions. So for now, taking another detour from The Name of the Rose. Something tells me I'm just not supposed to read that one right now. Sea of Monsters is just my speed right now between the Taxes and finishing planning my mom's memorial which is coming up on the 21st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I am reading 12 Years a Slave. I read excerpts in high school but never the whole thing. I have not seen the movie and don't know if I will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 ... This book is more what I'm looking for within this category though I don't think I could say specifically what it is I'm after :D OK, this, I relate to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I am reading 12 Years a Slave. I read excerpts in high school but never the whole thing. I have not seen the movie and don't know if I will. Let us know how you liked it. I just got it as well -- it's $.99 on Kindle this month! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I'm continuing to read Looking at Philosophy and have also started Chocolat by Joan Harris. I'm enjoying it immensely: France, fantasy, and food. If I had a 5/5/5 goal, I could fit the book into three categories, but I cheat. I divide everything I've read into 5 categories at the end of the year, wa la! What can I say, when it comes to reading, I prefer not to have too many definite plans. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Haven't had much time to spend on the thread this week as meeting with IRS again tomorrow. She took creative liberty with our finances and now I get to tell her how wrong she is. Just had to make sure had all my ducks in a row - which they are, so keep me in your thoughts tomorrow for patience. James asked me to read Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan since we are going to watch the movie on Friday. Especially since I made him read The Lightning Thief before we watched the movie. We are also listening to TLT in the car going back and forth from his speech and occupational therapy sessions. So for now, taking another detour from The Name of the Rose. Something tells me I'm just not supposed to read that one right now. Sea of Monsters is just my speed right now between the Taxes and finishing planning my mom's memorial which is coming up on the 21st. Not sure if I should "like" your post since it involves meeting with the IRS. So I will wish promising outcomes from the meeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 <snip> Week 11 Today I finished Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury. Dd19 had started reading this out loud to dd13 last summer. After hearing the first few chapters, I thought that they had gone on to finish it without me so I picked it up for a quick light read last week. It is one of older dd's favorite books (though that list is long lol). Once again I found another lovely YA book that truly can live up to its genre. The story takes place in London (I wish I could mark on my world map just how many books I read from one country, I have had a fascination with England for years and already have read numerous books that take place there) during the war with Napoleon and centers around Egyptian artifacts, the Rosetta Stone, and espionage with plenty of Jane Austen references usually quoted in multiple languages! A strong but feminine heroine, a smart, dashing young hero, yet no s*xual tension or inappropriate scenes, makes for a book I would recommend to any young lady who likes historical fiction. It made me want to brush up on my Rosetta Stone history! 4 stars definitely! <snip> I just went to Goodreads to recommend this to my daughter. She reads a ton of YA fiction and I'm always looking for good titles to throw her way. So thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 AggieAmy recommended Joan Smith's Winter Wedding a couple of weeks ago, so I sent it to my kindle. Started it yesterday, finished this morning instead of waking the children :). Nice little Regency romance. An author worth keeping in mind for a quick, light read. Thanks Amy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Haven't had much time to spend on the thread this week as meeting with IRS again tomorrow. She took creative liberty with our finances and now I get to tell her how wrong she is. Just had to make sure had all my ducks in a row - which they are, so keep me in your thoughts tomorrow for patience. Will do. I hope you are able to quickly set her straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 ...and finishing planning my mom's memorial which is coming up on the 21st. :grouphug: I remember the time between my mom's passing and her memorial as being somehow suspended in a kind of netherworld. I had one eye on my outer day to day life and the other directed towards her presence/absence in my life. The planning of her memorial was like a private meditation for me amidst the busyness, a way to be quietly with her while the rest of the world went on without realizing she'd gone. I hope it all unfolds seamlessly for you, Robin, and that are able to celebrate your mom while at the same time honoring the hugeness of her absence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 That is going on my to-read list. It sounds like a great read aloud for my England loving DD and my England loving self. I just went to Goodreads to recommend this to my daughter. She reads a ton of YA fiction and I'm always looking for good titles to throw her way. So thanks! Your welcome! There is one kissing scene and one scene where they are really close together. I still found it highly appropriate but thought I should add that disclaimer just in case ;) Though I think I'm one of the more conservative ones here :D I love that after the scene where they are really close together the heroine says that that is why her mother said young men and women were never allowed to be in closer proximity :lol: AggieAmy recommended Joan Smith's Winter Wedding a couple of weeks ago, so I sent it to my kindle. Started it yesterday, finished this morning instead of waking the children :). Nice little Regency romance. An author worth keeping in mind for a quick, light read. Thanks Amy! I started Imprudent Lady last night by Joan Smith, on AggieAmy's recommendation! Stayed up a little too late reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Angel, I feel moved to comment -- not having read either referenced book -- that this: ... I still found it highly appropriate but thought I should add that disclaimer just in case ;) Though I think I'm one of the more conservative ones here :D .... side by side with this: I started Imprudent Lady last night by Joan Smith, on AggieAmy's recommendation! Stayed up a little too late reading! ... had me doing this: :laugh: (I know, never judge a book by its title....) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Last night I finished Robyn Carr's The Chance (Thunder Point). It's a contemporary romance and was an enjoyable read. I've probably read twenty books by this author, and I've enjoyed them all. "With its breathtaking vistas and down-to-earth people, Thunder Point is the perfect place for FBI agent Laine Carrington to recuperate from a gunshot wound and contemplate her future. The locals embraced Laine as one of their own after she risked her life to save a young girl from a dangerous cult. Knowing her wounds go beyond the physical, Laine hopes she'll fit in for a while and find her true self in a town that feels safe. She may even learn to open her heart to others, something an undercover agent has little time to indulge. Eric Gentry is also new to Thunder Point. Although he's a man with a dark past, he's determined to put down roots and get to know the daughter he only recently discovered. When Laine and Eric meet, their attraction is obvious to everyone. But while the law enforcement agent and the reformed criminal want to make things work, their differences may run too deep…unless they take a chance on each other and find that deep and mysterious bond that belongs to those who choose love over fear." Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Angel, I feel moved to comment -- not having read either referenced book -- that this: side by side with this: ... had me doing this: :laugh: (I know, never judge a book by its title....) :lol: :lol: That does sound funny! I will have to let you know if Imprudent Lady turns out to be more than just a sweet Regency romance. ;) I was only thinking that marbel's dd is older than Amy's and maybe there should be a disclaimer. I would let my 13yo read it, but I have found that even in my conservative state there is always someone more so LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 :lol: That does sound funny! I will have to let you know if Imprudent Lady turns out to be more than just a sweet Regency romance. ;) I was only thinking that marbel's dd is older than Amy's and maybe there should be a disclaimer. I would let my 13yo read it, but I have found that even in my conservative state there is always someone more so LOL! I'm :lol: too. I am pretty conservative myself so I appreciate the details on the book. What is fine and appropriate to some people might be :eek: to others. I'm usually one of the ones going :eek: . But I read a lot of inappropriate material as a teen and young adult and have regretted it. Once seen/read, it can't be undone, and some unwelcome images can stay with us for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I went to a library book sale this morning. I concentrated on curriculum worthy items. Remember what I buy right now needs to be hauled in my luggage so did not dare go near fiction! I now own Norton's Anthology of World Literature -- like new library discardminus one volume which I just bought on Amazon for £5. Perrine's Literature by Thomas Arp which looks great, think some WTM member is a fan, and a significant portion of Knight's physics. I also bought a comparative politics AP book--needs review to see how out of date. Really excited. Didn't necessarily have to have but we will enjoy these books greatly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I went to a library book sale this morning. I concentrated on curriculum worthy items. Remember what I buy right now needs to be hauled in my luggage so did not dare go near fiction! I now own Norton's Anthology of World Literature -- like new library discardminus one volume which I just bought on Amazon for £5. Perrine's Literature by Thomas Arp which looks great, think some WTM member is a fan, and a significant portion of Knight's physics. I also bought a comparative politics AP book--needs review to see how out of date. Really excited. Didn't necessarily have to have but we will enjoy these books greatly! I wondered if you were still in the US. That's a long time to be away from home. Sounds like you're doing great if your library sale scores are anything to go by :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I wondered if you were still in the US. That's a long time to be away from home. Sounds like you're doing great if your library sale scores are anything to go by :D We head home next week. We have been so busy this trip. No down time. Outside of ds we are all exhausted because we can't seem to adjust time zone wise this time. Ds really should sleep as a sport -- Olympic level easily. :lol: I honestly can't wait to get home and hopefully sleep well for 3 or 4 nights in a row. We have had a fabulous time while here but home sounds great right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I took my daughter into a neighboring town's library this afternoon because it's next door to her trumpet lesson and she needed to use the bathroom... and, y'know, just while she was in the bathroom and I was waiting, I took a moment's peek at their "for sale" shelves... ... and found a book by Salman Khan, of Khan Academy fame, called The One World Schoolhouse: Education Re-Imagined -- the story of his development of the current program and his ideas for distributed, personally tailored education in the next generations. I had no idea he'd even written a book (2012). I just read the table of contents and skimmed a bit, but it looks great. I am really looking forward to it -- I have so much respect for the guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Any BaW techies here? I'm having the frustrating experience of having just gotten an ebook from the library that I'd been waiting for for a few weeks only to find it's an ebook and not a kindle download. I went ahead and downloaded it but I cannot figure out how to send it to my kindle. Actually it appears that I can't do that so I'm left wondering if one is expected to read ebooks on the computer?? I uploaded it to calibre but when I try to send it to my kindle it won't allow conversion because it's DRM locked. There's no way I can read it on my laptop. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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