Book a Week in 2014 - BW15

[aggieamy]

I have finished two more books!  After spending last year with the Wheel of Time series I had forgotten what it was like to devour books.  What a pleasant feeling!

 

 

My DH is going to start listening to the Wheel of Time series as an audiobook.  They are ridiculously long ... I think it will take him a month to finish one book.  I've got book 3 sitting on my nightstand but I've been distracted with other books.  What a problem!  

[shukriyya]

 

 

 

"A little library, growing larger every year, is an honourable part of a man's history. It is a man's duty to have books. A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessaries of life." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

 

 

I'm having a visual right now of "knitted dude" climbing this ladder to retrieve a book. Oddly he does not seem out of place here...Is it the combination of well-thumbed leather books with intricate and painstaking knitting, both suggestive of time and patience? Is it the relationship between the organic-ness of the leather with the organic-ness of the yarn? Is it the manly yet refined atmosphere of the library combined with the manly yet refined way knitted dude sports his yarn? These are the kinds of pressing questions that I am pondering right now as I sip my tea :smilielol5:

 

[mumto2]

I'm having a visual right now of "knitted dude" climbing this ladder to retrieve a book. Oddly he does not seem out of place here...Is it the combination of well-thumbed leather books with intricate and painstaking knitting, both suggestive of time and patience? Is it the relationship between the organic-ness of the leather with the organic-ness of the yarn? Is it the manly yet refined atmosphere of the library combined with the manly yet refined way knitted dude sports his yarn? These are the kinds of pressing questions that I am pondering right now as I sip my tea :smilielol5:

 

Sukriya -- even your knit dude pondering s are somewhat elegant.  After your post about how well the suit fits all I could think of was with my luck I would spend months knitting and it wouldn't fit either of my dudes, probably wouldn't even fit anyone I know.  Really did they knit it and then find someone to fit in it.  Think about it,  have you ever managed a fit like that knitting?

[shukriyya]

Sukriya -- even your knit dude pondering s are somewhat elegant.  After your post about how well the suit fits all I could think of was with my luck I would spend months knitting and it wouldn't fit either of my dudes, probably wouldn't even fit anyone I know.  Really did they knit it and then find someone to fit in it.  Think about it,  have you ever managed a fit like that knitting?

 

The crotch alone is mind boggling and inspires in my knitting self feelings of :willy_nilly:

 

Anyway I think this must have been knit in a parallel universe...the one where 'Waldorf Stormtroopers' live :lol:

[mumto2]

I finished "Heresy" by SJ Parris hhttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/mar/13/heresy-sj-parris this afternoon.  It was a 5* read for me.  Set in Tudor England, which is probably my idea of a great time travel destination, it was a great story.  I didn't read the linked review until after I had finished, very surprised to learn that in some ways it was a true story.  This was simply a story of intrigue with the main character, an Italian monk who has fled the Catholic Church because he is accused of being a heretic,   making  his way to Oxford England as part of a group charged with rooting out the Catholics.  His personal aim is to locate a special book which holds the key to the universe's workings, essentially.  No love interests and still a great historical.  Potential for a future love interest does exist but highly doubt it will be developed.

[Stacia]

...

[Robin M]

 

Another thought ~ are you familiar with these books?  New editions come out each year.

 

The Best American Essays 2013

 

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2013

 

The Best American Travel Writing 2013

 

The Best American Sports Writing 2013

 

The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2013

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Awesome list and love the non required reading series.  Bookmarking until decide whether want hard copy (oh those covers!) or ebook.

 

 

My DH is going to start listening to the Wheel of Time series as an audiobook.  They are ridiculously long ... I think it will take him a month to finish one book.  I've got book 3 sitting on my nightstand but I've been distracted with other books.  What a problem!  

I know. #4's been shouting my name lately!

 

 

Well, this is a bummer and not the way I'd like to see the comic end.  Grew up reading Archie comics and so this news is a bit weird:  They are killing off Archie in the final.  Just don't get it.

[Stacia]

Well, this is a bummer and not the way I'd like to see the comic end.  Grew up reading Archie comics and so this news is a bit weird:  They are killing off Archie in the final.  Just don't get it.

 

:eek:

 

My sis was a huge fan of comic books & Mad magazines, so our house always had oodles of Archie comics strewn about. (We always said most everything she knows she learned from a comic strip. :lol:  Fortunately, they seem to be more educational than you would think.)

 

Will have to pass on this sad news to my sis.

 

I can't believe they're doing that!!!

[shukriyya]

 

 

Well, this is a bummer and not the way I'd like to see the comic end.  Grew up reading Archie comics and so this news is a bit weird:  They are killing off Archie in the final.  Just don't get it.

 

I read 'Archie' as a girl, too. Along with 'Betty and Veronica' which I think I preferred. And 'Casper the Friendly Ghost'. Wonder why they saw fit to 'goodbye' Archie after all these years.

[Jane in NC]

I read 'Archie' as a girl, too. Along with 'Betty and Veronica' which I think I preferred. And 'Casper the Friendly Ghost'. Wonder why they saw fit to 'goodbye' Archie after all these years.

My dentist had these comic books and Mad magazine in his office. My sister and I, as adults, wondered about these choices, particularly Mad.

[shukriyya]

My dentist had these comic books and Mad magazine in his office. My sister and I, as adults, wondered about these choices, particularly Mad.

 

'Mad' was off-putting to me as a child. There was a slightly unbalanced/sinister/joyless/snarky overtone to it that I tended to veer widely away from. That's my memory anyway. I haven't looked at in decades.

[JennW in SoCal]

Well, this is a bummer and not the way I'd like to see the comic end.  Grew up reading Archie comics and so this news is a bit weird:  They are killing off Archie in the final.  Just don't get it.

 

Long running comic book series are a challenge to keep fresh.  Editors and writers like to develop new and different story arcs to enliven an old series, even a much beloved series.  Some of those writers are huge fans who are thrilled to finally get a chance to write a "what if" idea they've had for years.  Often these story arcs, and apparently this is one of them, is a mini-series that carries a slightly different title to show that it is outside the main, long running comic series.  The teen-age Archie comics are continuing, but this particular series has this planned ending.  

 

My dh, for those of you who don't know, is in the comic book biz.  He worked on a Batman mini-series a few years ago that was written by Neil Gaiman, and the entire series (maybe it was just 2 books) takes place at Batman's funeral.  But Batman clearly lives on -- they were not responsible for his demise!  Comic book characters, much like soap opera characters, never, ever, die!

 

Oh, and these mini-series are also poplar with publishers because they can then be re-published as a stand-alone graphic novel.

 

And for the record -- I found Mad Magazine to be very creepy, too!!  

[Momof3]

New to the challenge... How do I get started? Just read today that anyone can join anytime? Can someone explain 'Mr. Linky' to me?  :blush:  I'm new to the blogging world (don't have one myself) - what do I do with the URL? Thanks for the help! My apologies for being so blog/link illiterate.  :blushing:

[Pam in CT]

I see differently. I think back to his balled up fists, the fact that his face is not shown in the photo (perhaps too embarrassed to really admit who he is), the fact that he is posing in the bathroom (not even in a regular room of the house) & instead picture him snagged up in the bushes outside the window as he tries to slink around, blending in with the surroundings, hoping the neighbors don't notice his atrocious knitwear. A nice side-effect (for him), might be that the snagging will be the undoing of the entire thing, freeing him of the obligation of wearing it anymore. :p

 

I think this is our dude, busily snagging & shedding....

 

 

:lol:

 

I mean, I like knitwear & all (& wish I knew how to knit), but I feel sorry for the dude who is supposed to wear that contraption, excellent fit or not.

 

:iagree:

 

Not to mention: it has to itch.  Right?  Poor, itchy Knitter Dude...

[shukriyya]

And let's not even go into the, how shall i put it, 'restroom issue'. Seriously you better hope it's not an emergency. I don't see *any* exit points.

 

Ok. I think I've gone far enough with knitter dude. Time to send him on his wooly way...

[JennW in SoCal]

New to the challenge... How do I get started? Just read today that anyone can join anytime? Can someone explain 'Mr. Linky' to me?  :blush:  I'm new to the blogging world (don't have one myself) - what do I do with the URL? Thanks for the help! My apologies for being so blog/link illiterate.  :blushing:

 

Welcome, Momof3!  Pull up a chair, pour yourself your beverage of choice (tea, coffee, a glass of wine?) and just start gabbing about the books you are reading!  Don't worry if the conversation goes off kilter, we always come back to books.

 

Robin will explain her Mr. Linky -- I had a blog many moons ago and linked my book reviews via Mr. Linky.  But most of us just meet here throughout the week and discuss any and every book we are reading, whether it is escapist fluff, educational non-fiction, or classic literature (or murder mysteries or dystopian zombie thrillers).  There is a new thread every week, and while the title is "book a week" we welcome those who read more or less.

[Stacia]

Welcome, Momof3!  Pull up a chair, pour yourself your beverage of choice (tea, coffee, a glass of wine?) and just start gabbing about the books you are reading!  Don't worry if the conversation goes off kilter, we always come back to books.

 

Robin will explain her Mr. Linky -- I had a blog many moons ago and linked my book reviews via Mr. Linky.  But most of us just meet here throughout the week and discuss any and every book we are reading, whether it is escapist fluff, educational non-fiction, or classic literature (or murder mysteries or dystopian zombie thrillers).  There is a new thread every week, and while the title is "book a week" we welcome those who read more or less.

 

:iagree:  & welcome!

 

No worries about blogging or anything. I don't have a blog (& rarely read them either), just chatter away here....

 

Jump in & tell us what you're reading! :lurk5:

[aggieamy]

Welcome, Momof3!  Pull up a chair, pour yourself your beverage of choice (tea, coffee, a glass of wine?) and just start gabbing about the books you are reading!  Don't worry if the conversation goes off kilter, we always come back to books.

 

Robin will explain her Mr. Linky -- I had a blog many moons ago and linked my book reviews via Mr. Linky.  But most of us just meet here throughout the week and discuss any and every book we are reading, whether it is escapist fluff, educational non-fiction, or classic literature (or murder mysteries or dystopian zombie thrillers).  There is a new thread every week, and while the title is "book a week" we welcome those who read more or less.

 

Well said Jenn.  The only thing I would add is that we try to read 52 books a year.  Then there are people that spend a year reading an epic fantasy series and get ten books in but more pages than 90% of the rest of us.  Then there are some gals that read about 10 books a week of the most incredibly eclectic books from poetry to philosophy to novels.  

 

We are a diverse group of readers and I hope you'll like hanging out here.  Read what you want.  Enjoy it.  

 

So, Momof3 - read anything good lately?

[Stacia]

I restarted my try to read 'To kill a mockingbird' this week.

I never heard of it before entering the boards, and am curious to discover why it is so well-known...

 

Loesje, I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on To Kill a Mockingbird. It's such an American (Southern) classic, but I'm very curious as to how it will seem for someone outside the US & from a non-US historical background.

[Kareni]

New to the challenge...

 

Welcome!  I look forward to learning what you're reading, Momof3.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[shukriyya]

Welcome, momof3. The more the merrier!

[mumto2]

New to the challenge... How do I get started? Just read today that anyone can join anytime? Can someone explain 'Mr. Linky' to me?  :blush:  I'm new to the blogging world (don't have one myself) - what do I do with the URL? Thanks for the help! My apologies for being so blog/link illiterate.  :blushing:

Welcome!  Just wanted to add our leader, Robin,  frequently gives us a bit of a mini challenge on Sunday when she starts the "New" thread off.  Since many of us use our libraries pretty exclusively the completion of those tend to trickle in due to loan request timing.  I know my "makes me think of Spring " book is still waiting to be read(I have it,  just haven't read it but plan to :lol:) .  You do not need to participate in any of these challenges to be part of these threads.  They can be fun and I personally love them (Thank you, Robin) but not needed to enjoy the group!

 

Many of us are also attempting to actually complete reading SWB's "History of the Ancient World".  I know I stopped roughly halfway when I bought my copy years ago.  This week is chapters 3 and 4.  So we aren't far along yet.  Planning on two chapters a week and a finish at the end of the year.

[Pam in CT]

Loesje, I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on To Kill a Mockingbird. It's such an American (Southern) classic, but I'm very curious as to how it will seem for someone outside the US & from a non-US historical background.

 

I agree... there is so much here, about coming of age universally, of course, but there is so much else that is so particularistic about American, and within American Souther, history, legacy, culture... I consider it to be a masterpiece, but at the same time I am troubled by its inclusion in the school curricula canon at such a very young age (usually 7 or 8 grade), when imo kids really don't have the background to really receive it...  

[Angel]

I agree... there is so much here, about coming of age universally, of course, but there is so much else that is so particularistic about American, and within American Souther, history, legacy, culture... I consider it to be a masterpiece, but at the same time I am troubled by its inclusion in the school curricula canon at such a very young age (usually 7 or 8 grade), when imo kids really don't have the background to really receive it...  

 

:iagree:  I read it in 8th grade Honor's English.  I was very familiar with it because it was one of my mom's favorite movies.  That said, however, I cannot remember the intricacies of the story nor did I fully grasp what was going on.  It is on my tbr pile to revisit now that I'm older.  I would not (and did not for my older dd) hand this to either of my kids at the same age as when I read it.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Stacia]

Just to break things up a bit, I've got the book Hyde on hold at the library. This is a retake on the Edward Hyde character from Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Stacia, I know that you in particular like spin-offs and reimaginings of Classics. Here is the article from Bookpage that piqued my interest. I have a load of spring projects to work on, but I am hoping to get started on this one over the weekend and will report back.

Oh, THANK YOU for mentioning this. Sounds right up my alley, esp since I love Stevenson's original story. Looking forward to your comments on it!

[Kareni]

...Here is the article from Bookpage that piqued my interest.

 

Once on BookPage, I spent some time browsing and found this author interview:

 

Gabrielle Zevin ~ One bookseller's life-changing discovery

 

The book under discussion is Zevin's The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel, and it sounds intriguing.  I read and enjoyed the author's young adult book Elsewhere some years ago.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Momof3]

Thanks for the welcomes, all! :) 

 

I am attempting to go through the book list in TWEM. Starting with the Ancients, since we'll be going through Ancient History this year (starting May or June)... I'd love to read HOTAW, too! Don't own it yet...but that can be remedied. :)

 

Just started Herodotus' Histories last night. Finished Book 1. Won't be making that kind of progress every night. :)

[Robin M]

Long running comic book series are a challenge to keep fresh.  Editors and writers like to develop new and different story arcs to enliven an old series, even a much beloved series.  Some of those writers are huge fans who are thrilled to finally get a chance to write a "what if" idea they've had for years.  Often these story arcs, and apparently this is one of them, is a mini-series that carries a slightly different title to show that it is outside the main, long running comic series.  The teen-age Archie comics are continuing, but this particular series has this planned ending.  

 

My dh, for those of you who don't know, is in the comic book biz.  He worked on a Batman mini-series a few years ago that was written by Neil Gaiman, and the entire series (maybe it was just 2 books) takes place at Batman's funeral.  But Batman clearly lives on -- they were not responsible for his demise!  Comic book characters, much like soap opera characters, never, ever, die!

 

Oh, and these mini-series are also poplar with publishers because they can then be re-published as a stand-alone graphic novel.

 

And for the record -- I found Mad Magazine to be very creepy, too!!  

Thanks for letting me know and once again the news fails to give pertinent data such as it is just the end of a story arc and not the end of Archie highschool years as they go on and on and on.   Poor guy! :lol:

 

New to the challenge... How do I get started? Just read today that anyone can join anytime? Can someone explain 'Mr. Linky' to me?  :blush:  I'm new to the blogging world (don't have one myself) - what do I do with the URL? Thanks for the help! My apologies for being so blog/link illiterate.  :blushing:

Welcome to the 52 Books challenge. All the wonderful ladies have already filled you in. Don't worry about mr linky since you don't have a blog.  Have fun, enjoy and there are several of us working on well educated mind.  I'm working on fiction and will start biographies in May with a few ladies over on Goodreads.  Please join us in the HOTAW reading. The chapters are pretty short so should be easy to catch up.  Happy reading!

[mumto2]

I have been thinking of Shukriyya while reading Mary Stewart's "Airs above the Ground" and wondering if this was part of her Mary Stewart marathon.  Dd had it from the library an I decided to read it before returning it.  Lovely story and as a bonus it had Lippizzans! :)  Going to have to find my copy of "The Miricle of the White Stallions" and watch it soon.

 

Edited: Just fixed my typo..it is ground not groud

[shukriyya]

I have been thinking of Shukriyya while reading Mary Stewart's "Airs above the Groud" and wondering if this was part of her Mary Stewart marathon.  Dd had it from the library an I decided to read it before returning it.  Lovely story and as a bonus it had Lippizzans! :)  Going to have to find my copy of "The Miricle of the White Stallions" and watch it soon.

 

That was one I didn't end up buying. I've got Nine Coaches Waiting, The Ivy Tree and Wildfire at Midnight on the tbr list once I've finished with my midwifery jaunt.

[NoseInABook]

Welcome Momof3! I butted into the thread myself a few weeks ago. :)

 

Still slogging through Gone Girl and it's definitely the last Gillian Flynn I'll pick up. I have two Rob Bell books waiting which should be interesting seeing that his name makes my pastor jump up and down hollering. *lol*

[Jane in NC]

Josephine Tey is one of the pseudonyms adopted by Scottish author Elizabeth Mackintosh.  She is best known for her mysteries featuring Inspector Grant. Interestingly The Franchise Affair, which I just finished, features the Inspector in a minor role. Taking the detective lead is a small town lawyer. What is perhaps even more interesting is that there is no murder in this book although there is a mystery. Two women are charged with kidnapping.  It is one thing to get them off the hook; it is another for justice to be served.

 

This 1948 novel is a good read. And a clean cut one too for those of you who would prefer not to have conversations peppered with rude language.  No body--no blood. 

 

I think Josephine Tey is a fabulous writer. Here is a nice article from the Guardian making a case for her rediscovery.

 

 

 

ETA:  my new vocabulary word from The Franchise Affair is oleograph.  A character in the novel uses this word to describe a rather gaudy woman of poor taste.  An oleograph is a type of lithographic print with texture that resembles an oil painting. 

 

[Jane in NC]

Have you hugged a book today?

 

 

[MicheleinMN]

I finished Devil's Bones by Jefferson Bass this morning.  I think I'm done with that series for awhile.  I have several on my list that I need to finish instead of reading another Jefferson Bass novel. ;)

[Kareni]

Has this already been posted?

 

12 of America's Most Magical College Libraries

 

I'm drooling ....

 

Regards,

Kareni

[shukriyya]

Here's a sobering article on internet surfing and skimming and its effects on sustained reading. My reading time has definitely declined in the last decade as the internet has so heavily entered into my life. But BaW group is certainly impacting my reading for the better :hurray:

[Mothersweets]

I have been thinking of Shukriyya while reading Mary Stewart's "Airs above the Ground" and wondering if this was part of her Mary Stewart marathon.  Dd had it from the library an I decided to read it before returning it.  Lovely story and as a bonus it had Lippizzans! :)  Going to have to find my copy of "The Miricle of the White Stallions" and watch it soon.

 

Edited: Just fixed my typo..it is ground not groud

 

Glad to hear you enjoyed it! I think it is one of my favorite Mary Stewart books!

[melmichigan]

I've had company in from out of state for the second week in a row.  I can't turn on the wifi on either of my kindles; I'm that far behind.  :(  Everyone heads to the airport tomorrow so I'll try and sit down and update with the new thread on Sunday.  

[Uff Da!]

Quote:

 

"Here's a sobering article on internet surfing and skimming and its effects on sustained reading. My reading time has definitely declined in the last decade as the internet has so heavily entered into my life. But BaW group is certainly impacting my reading for the better "

 

 

I lost my phone for the majority of today and had a beautiful relaxing day with my little boy. He looked for worms and grubs under all my landscaping rock and I raked until my muscles ached. Then I read Gulliver's Travels and have made it to th "Mr Ed" talking horse part. I'm finding this last bit interesting when compared with some Circe lectures- especially the depiction of a severely segmented education and the demise of immortal people. I'm still not a Gulliver's girl but have come to appreciate it and may name the miniature kids garden Lilliput.

 

Excuse the typos please as I am on my found phone. I may "lose" it again tomorrow. ;)

[Jane in NC]

Has this already been posted?

 

12 of America's Most Magical College Libraries

 

I'm drooling ....

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Well I love the Hunt Library at NCSU with its writable walls and amazingly colorful chair collection:

 

 

Which leads to another library list, the 25 Coolest College Libraries!

[Kareni]

Well I love the Hunt Library at NCSU with its writable walls and amazingly colorful chair collection:

 

 

Which leads to another library list, the 25 Coolest College Libraries!

 

There is certainly no lack of color at the Hunt Library, I agree!  Thanks for the other link, Jane -- there are some pretty nifty libraries out there.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[prairiegirl]

I did it!  I did it!  Wahoo!   I did it!    I finally finished  The Luminaries   by Eleanor Catton.

 

Whew!   That  was a massive read.  I enjoyed the story but there were so many characters,  so many back stories that it made the book quite complicated.  I don't  think I fully understood the story due to the complicated plot.     I don't  know whether I would ever read Eleanor Catton again.  I think I would be too scared to try.

 

I am now ready to attach the massive pile of library books waiting for me.   First up  is Lost Lake  by Sarah Addison Allen.  It's  only 291 pages.  This'll be a breeze.  :laugh:

[The Governess]

Well, hi. I've been absent for a few weeks. I've been on a classical education reading kick and my brain is feeling rather full at the moment! I attended the SCL conference last summer, and while I was there I made a list of the books that were recommended by various speakers. I am finally making some progress on that list (thanks to some other posts on these forums that inspired me to pull some books off the shelf), and my understanding of the philosophy of classical education keeps deepening. I thought I understood classical education - yeah, that's laughable now. At any rate, I'm glad I'm finally figuring some things out as my oldest enters the dialectic stage. :)

 

Next up are Reading and Writing by Robertson Davies, Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen.... and The Goldfinch, thanks to all the hype it received here. :D. I also have a children's book, Liesel and Po by Lauren Oliver. Not sure where I heard about that one, but it sounds endearing and I'll be using it to break up some of this more intense reading I've been immersed in lately.

 

This year's books:

 

10. Norms and Nobility by David V. Hicks (5/5)

9. Desiring the Kingdom by James K.A. Smith (5/5)

8. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis (5/5)

7. Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper (5/5)

6. Socratic Circles by Matt Copeland (5/5)

5. 1001 Arabian Nights by Geraldine McCaughrean (5/5)

4. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (3.5/5)

3. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (3.5/5)

2. Smart but Scattered - Dawson and Guare (4/5)

1. Anna Karenina - Tolstoy (5/5)

[Stacia]

Finished Blood Oranges by Kathleen Tierney (aka, Caitlin R. Kiernan) tonight. Very dark urban fantasy fun. Though 'fun' seems like entirely the wrong word here. Riveting, rated-R romp through some rough & nasty paranormal territory. (Nothing 'fun' or pretty about this one.)

If you prefer gritty ghouls, vamps, & werewolves rather than romance or glittery vampires as your poolside reading, this may be the (page-turning) book for you. (If you don't want to read it by the pool, this would be a good candidate for spooky October reading.)

 

My name’s Quinn.

 

If you buy into my reputation, I’m the most notorious demon hunter in New England. But rumors of my badassery have been slightly exaggerated. Instead of having kung-fu skills and a closet full of medieval weapons, I’m an ex-junkie with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time. Or the right place at the wrong time. Or…whatever.

 

Wanted for crimes against inhumanity I (mostly) didn’t commit, I was nearly a midnight snack for a werewolf until I was “saved†by a vampire calling itself the Bride of Quiet. Already cursed by a werewolf bite, the vamp took a pint out of me too.

 

So now…now, well, you wouldn’t think it could get worse, but you’d be dead wrong.

 

[Stacia]

BaW friends, eaglei's latest update on her son:

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/498232-urgent-prayer-request-for-ds/?p=5586996

 

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[Rosie_0801]

I got through the first couple of chapters of HoAW today.

[mumto2]

Stadia -- Thank you so much for posting the link to Eaglei's update.  

[mumto2]

My "What makes you think of Spring" book was wonderful.  When the challenge was announced by Robin I thought of Daffodils and did a library search and requested "Daffodils before Swallows" by Daniel Pelitz.  The title comes from Shakespeare,

 

O Proserpina,

....Daffodils!

That come before the swallow dares, and take

The winds of March with beauty......

 

I found an interesting blog entry pertaining to this quote http://theplaystheblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/daffodilsthat-come-before-the-swallow-dares-and-takethe-winds-of-march-with-beauty/ and plan to go back and give the entire blog /project a better look soon.

 

This book is considered a family saga and is very well done.  Two children born on the same day in very different circumstances grow up,  meet,  from bonds of friendship with others, and eventually marry.  Along the way there is lots of great Flufferton Abbey for the late 20th century, historic house, Eton, Oxford.   Shakespeare's First Folio also takes center stage with a bit of the age old "who" question.  

[shukriyya]

I am both listening to and reading 'Untie the Strong Woman' by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. The author does a fine job of bringing the words off the page and into the heart with her voice. And the book, which manages to be both scholarly and soul-textured, has some gorgeous art and images. This is a situation where both forms of the material complement each other beautifully.