Book a Week in 2014 - BW20

[mumto2]

Sad to say Mary Stewart has passed away.  Coincidentally I'm in the middle of reading The Crystal Cave.  Dedicating this sunday's post to Stewart since she is on my mind now.

Dd and I were just talking about how good her books are this evening.  So sad.

 

Stacia,  just finished watching Tell No One all by myself.  It arrived this morning and I couldn't resist.  The movie is very good.  I know the start and finish are right just not sure about the middle.  I now have a kindle version and will read it soon.  Thank you for the recommendation! :)

[shukriyya]

Sad to say Mary Stewart has passed away.  Coincidentally I'm in the middle of reading The Crystal Cave.  Dedicating this sunday's post to Stewart since she is on my mind now.

 

Gosh, 97, that's a ripe old age! Her pre-married surname, Rainbow, is so lovely. I'm glad I read a few of her books so recently. I've got a few more on the tbr pile and will enjoy them all the more. Robin, I've had the Merlin Trilogy on my kindle for a while now though I've yet to slot it in anywhere time-wise.

[Guest]

Stacia. The Fig Eater. That was...different. NOT my cuppa. Lol.

 

In all seriousness, I do love reading all kinds of different books. Except for extremely disturbing books, I appreciate the experience of reading something I don't particularly like. It grows me as a person. :)

[mumto2]

Currently reading One Night in Winter by Simon Sebag Montefiore.  http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/21/night-winter-simon-sebag-montefiore-review Very interesting but going rather slowly partly because it is a brand new paperback which is rather stiff.  Which made me think of my personal pet peeve of having the spine cracked on a paperback,  especially one I own!  So  for a Saturday topic idea where do all you book lovers stand on the treatment of paperbacks -- do you crack the spines or not?  I once new someone who cracked the book before even starting it.....obviously my books weren't loaned to them!   :lol:

[Jane in NC]

Currently reading One Night in Winter by Simon Sebag Montefiore.  http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/21/night-winter-simon-sebag-montefiore-review Very interesting but going rather slowly partly because it is a brand new paperback which is rather stiff.  Which made me thin of my personal pet peeve of having the spine cracked on a paperback,  especially one I own!  So  for a Saturday topic idea where do all you book lovers stand on the treatment of paperbacks -- do you crack the spines or not?  I once new someone who cracked the book before even starting it.....obviously my books weren't loaned to them!   :lol:

 

Ooo...This book had intrigued me earlier when it appeared on one of the million lists linked.

 

Regarding paperback spines--nope, I would not pre-crack my books.

 

My personal pet peeve is when people mutilate (OK--maybe too strong of a word) library books.  I hate borrowing a book with lots of folded corners.  Use a bookmark for Pete's sake!  A recent library book that I read had some quotes underlined in pencil in the beginning; about half way through the reader switched to a highligher.  In a library book!!  I keep pads of Post-Its in my tote bags and at my desk should I choose to earmark a passage. 

 

As a non-smoker, I have also chosen not to borrow books which stink, i.e. smell like tobacco.  Yuck.

[Uff Da!]

I keep pads of Post-Its in my tote bags and at my desk should I choose to earmark a passage.

 

 

This is a good idea. I write on random scraps of paper and can't keep track of my bookmarks. (I've been using bobby pins as bookmarks this week).

[Onceuponatime]

I finished Immaculate Deception. It was a fun read even though I easily figured out the mystery.

 

I'm currently dipping back into Travels in Hyper Reality by Umberto Eco. The second essay is called "The Return of the Middle Ages."  The book was published in 1979,** one year before he published The Name of the Rose. This knowledge lends a certain ironic perspective to the essay, reading it this far into the future. It is a very fitting topic, considering the current discussions of fantasy and fairy tales. Mr. Eco posits that fascination with the Middle Ages began as soon as the Middle Ages ended. He goes into detail about how the fascination affected European arts and culture and how after Americans "got over 1776" they began to embrace it as well. He describes his experiences walking into American bookstores and being amazed at how popular the MIddle Ages is in fiction and non-fiction. He then goes on to say we've managed to corner a larger share of the popular market on this subject than Italians have. (In fact, at that time, the Italians had made a poor showing outside their own country.)

 

 

And I quote:

"A country able to produce Dianetics can do a lot  in terms of wash- and-wear sorcery and Holy Grail frappe."

 

"Who would have suspected, a decade ago, that people were ready to swallow the registers of a medieval parish in Poitou as if it were the chronicle of an Agatha Christie vicarage?"

 

"What would Ruskin, Morris, and the pre-Raphelites have said if they had been told that the rediscovery of the Middle Ages would be the work of the twentieth-century media?"

 

"We no longer dwell in the Parthenon, but we still walk and pray in the naves of the cathedral."

 

I'm getting a kick out of this section of the book and I'm only a few pages in.

 

**ETA: Apparently the different essays were originally published between 1973 and 1983. I don't know when this particular one first came out.

 

[Jane in NC]

And I quote:

"A country able to produce Dianetics can do a lot  in terms of wash- and-wear sorcery and Holy Grail frappe."

 

:smilielol5:

 

This looks like a book my husband and son would love!

[Stacia]

Stacia. The Fig Eater. That was...different. NOT my cuppa. Lol.

 

Oh no! I feel badly now!

 

So, what didn't you like about it? Was it the story? The style? The characters?

 

As a non-smoker, I have also chosen not to borrow books which stink, i.e. smell like tobacco.  Yuck.

 

:iagree:  I cannot stomach reading a book that has been in a smoker's home. The smell is so overpowering that I feel slightly ill when it's near me.

 

I don't crack the spines on my paperbacks, but admittedly, sometimes they are a darn sight easier to read if someone else has done me the favor & cracked the spine already. I don't actually mind a broken spine as long as the binding job is good enough that the pages are not loose/falling out.

[Guest]

Oh no! I feel badly now!

 

So, what didn't you like about it? Was it the story? The style? The characters?

 

Oh my goodness, don't feel bad. That's why I threw that other little part in - I don't have to like everything I read and I still have many other recs from you on my TBR list. :)

 

I really don't want to give any spoilers - but, throughout the story, I would say that the writing was choppy to me. Jumping around from person to person. I prefer a more extended narrative. I found the relationship between the Inspector, his wife, and Wally somewhat confusing and I didn't feel that it got wrapped up at all. I felt there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the book. The final straw, for me, however, was the ending. So, is that book considered magical realism?!? I wouldn't have said so until the end....I finished the book looking at my husband and crying out, "what?!? what?!?" :D

[Guest]

Currently reading One Night in Winter by Simon Sebag Montefiore.  http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/21/night-winter-simon-sebag-montefiore-review Very interesting but going rather slowly partly because it is a brand new paperback which is rather stiff.  Which made me think of my personal pet peeve of having the spine cracked on a paperback,  especially one I own!  So  for a Saturday topic idea where do all you book lovers stand on the treatment of paperbacks -- do you crack the spines or not?  I once new someone who cracked the book before even starting it.....obviously my books weren't loaned to them!   :lol:

 

Admitted book spine cracker here. :o

[Murmer]

I started and finished Home to Stay by Terri Osburn...it was fluffy cute...something I needed yesterday...still working on dancing in the low country not enjoying it but am 50% through so feel like I have to finish it.

[Robin M]

Erm, some paperbacks are impossible to read without stretching the binding quite a bit.  I don't think I've ever deliberately broken a spine. (sounds painful),  The main reason I don't read library books are the last few times I got books from there, they were either stinky or felt oily as if a million hands had handle them.  Icky.  Which is why I prefer to buy, plus I'm a rereader and love looking at my books on the shelves. Have to say that back when I was a teenager, didn't give a second thought to turning down the corners of a library book to mark my place.  Now I cringe at the thought and have bookmarker's strategically placed in all the rooms to grab when needed. Trained hubby to use them rather than just leaving the book lying open. James is still in training.

 

And I like this definition better than book hoarder.  I am a bookkeeper, in more ways than one.

 

 

Speaking of bookkeeping, our endless audit is finally done and the gal come up with an amount $3k less than I had figured out we owed, even after giving her all the revised figures, soooooo.... not going to quibble and pay it.   Happy to be rid of that stress and move on.

 

 

 

 

For those who like or want to read Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, books 1 through 7 are the kindle daily deal today for $1.99 each.

 

 

[Stacia]

I really don't want to give any spoilers - but, throughout the story, I would say that the writing was choppy to me. Jumping around from person to person. I prefer a more extended narrative. I found the relationship between the Inspector, his wife, and Wally somewhat confusing and I didn't feel that it got wrapped up at all. I felt there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the book. The final straw, for me, however, was the ending. So, is that book considered magical realism?!? I wouldn't have said so until the end....I finished the book looking at my husband and crying out, "what?!? what?!?" :D

 

:lol:  Ok, yes, admittedly, the ending was a little... odd?

 

**My post contains spoilers in case anyone is thinking of reading The Fig Eater**

 

I understand about the choppy feeling, but I thought it fit the book's environment perfectly, reflecting the cold/winter/harsh conditions & the constant back & forth between the 'new' (fledgling practice of scientific criminal investigation) vs. the 'old' (superstition, divination, etc...). I thought it also reflected the coldness of the personalities, the unknown things, the male vs. female angle... Basically, the choppiness just underscored & emphasized all the juxtapositions in the story; the choppiness was almost like a character itself, driving the narrative forward.

 

Remember how if I could use one word to describe 1Q84, I said I would use 'basket'. I think if I had one word to describe this book, it would be 'cold'. Not cold in a heartless manner, but cold in temperature, weather, presentation, that cut-off/distant feeling, the fear of the unknown, ....

 

There were unanswered questions. To me, that is ok. Not everything has to or needs a final, neat wrap-up. Real life is rarely like that & I don't mind that in my books (but I know it bugs many readers).

 

The ending was a surprise, imo. And, from many reviews I read, that's why many did not like it. To me, though, I'm not sure I'd say it was a magical realism ending. Did that ending really happen or was it just in the minds of the person/people involved (was it imagined)? The power of suggestion is very strong (why marketing is such big business these days), so perhaps the suggestion of the old supernatural ways was enough to scare the other person? Is it a weighted statement saying that the old ways will still overrule/have their place, even with newer methods emerging? Is it saying that even with science, people will, in times of stress or uncertainty, return to their old superstitious beliefs? Is it a meshing of the old & new together as being the only real way to handle things in life? I'm not sure, really, about the ending other than I found it unexpected &, in a way, raising more questions. Regardless of the why or how of what happened, was justice served? Or were there other people/elements that were just as guilty? Does superstition reign in the winter & logic reign in the summer? If so, how would the story have changed if it had taken place in the summer? Will the investigation change/be wrapped up in summer? Winter? Never? Will the detective ever know what happened or will the 'magic' of superstition keep it hidden from him, something that even science can't discover or explain?

 

I guess I liked the ambiguity of the ending, the questions it raised, the not-quite-knowing feeling, leaving it open to interpretation. But, I also realize, I may be an anomaly in liking those things. :tongue_smilie:

[Guest]

**My post contains spoilers in case anyone is thinking of reading The Fig Eater**

 

:lol:  Ok, yes, admittedly, the ending was a little... odd?
 
**My post contains spoilers in case anyone is thinking of reading The Fig Eater**
 
I understand about the choppy feeling, but I thought it fit the book's environment perfectly, reflecting the cold/winter/harsh conditions & the constant back & forth between the 'new' (fledgling practice of scientific criminal investigation) vs. the 'old' (superstition, divination, etc...). I thought it also reflected the coldness of the personalities, the unknown things, the male vs. female angle... Basically, the choppiness just underscored & emphasized all the juxtapositions in the story; the choppiness was almost like a character itself, driving the narrative forward.
 
Remember how if I could use one word to describe 1Q84, I said I would use 'basket'. I think if I had one word to describe this book, it would be 'cold'. Not cold in a heartless manner, but cold in temperature, weather, presentation, that cut-off/distant feeling, the fear of the unknown, ....

Yes, I didn't connect with anyone in the story. I think cold is a very apt description!
 

There were unanswered questions. To me, that is ok. Not everything has to or needs a final, neat wrap-up. Real life is rarely like that & I don't mind that in my books (but I know it bugs many readers).

The last story that I read with a lot of untied endings didn't go over to well with me, either, now that I am remembering it.
 

The ending was a surprise, imo. And, from many reviews I read, that's why many did not like it. To me, though, I'm not sure I'd say it was a magical realism ending. Did that ending really happen or was it just in the minds of the person/people involved (was it imagined)? The power of suggestion is very strong (why marketing is such big business these days), so perhaps the suggestion of the old supernatural ways was enough to scare the other person?

Are you saying that you think it was imagined by the reader or the (unreliable) narrator? The whole scene where the Inspector was attacked in the church and then met Karl in the sanitarium - it felt so out of place at the time I read it in the book, but when I read the ending, that scene influenced what I read and how I interpreted what happened. However, no one seemed to have a very good memory in the story, which led to some pretty unstable narrating.
 

Is it a weighted statement saying that the old ways will still overrule/have their place, even with newer methods emerging? Is it saying that even with science, people will, in times of stress or uncertainty, return to their old superstitious beliefs? Is it a meshing of the old & new together as being the only real way to handle things in life? I'm not sure, really, about the ending other than I found it unexpected &, in a way, raising more questions.

If you went with this, which is the old and which is the new? Erszebet seems steeped in the mythological and the magical. And yet, the Inspector seems to base all his actions on his traditional book, Kriminalistik. (At least I read it as being an old book - but since I have a hard copy and it's not on my Kindle, I'm having a hard time locating where they introduce this book - maybe it is a new methodology for detectives? Or it's a book that everyone knows about but me...totally possible, lol. If so, I missed that and that would change my perspective on this point.) So, maybe rather old vs. new it's more logic vs. superstition as you speculate below:

 

Regardless of the why or how of what happened, was justice served? Or were there other people/elements that were just as guilty? Does superstition reign in the winter & logic reign in the summer? If so, how would the story have changed if it had taken place in the summer? Will the investigation change/be wrapped up in summer? Winter? Never? Will the detective ever know what happened or will the 'magic' of superstition keep it hidden from him, something that even science can't discover or explain?
 
I guess I liked the ambiguity of the ending, the questions it raised, the not-quite-knowing feeling, leaving it open to interpretation. But, I also realize, I may be an anomaly in liking those things. :tongue_smilie:

And see here is where my black and white personality throws the book across the room: justice was not served (IMO), at least justly :p and logic will always reign. Point taken, I don't think the book could have been written in the summer, to the same effect. I guess I leave the book feeling that the author says superstition reigned and did so in an unjust manner, which leaves me feeling...empty.

 

I will say, I love this thread - just hearing people's thoughts, having a few questions posed, re-reading a few parts of the story and articulating thoughts (good and bad) totally makes the whole effort worth it.

[Stacia]

**My post contains spoilers in case anyone is thinking of reading The Fig Eater**

 

 

Yes, I didn't connect with anyone in the story. I think cold is a very apt description!

 

The last story that I read with a lot of untied endings didn't go over to well with me, either, now that I am remembering it.

 

I think that's true for many people. As I said, in that respect, I often feel like an anomaly. Sometimes I like being left with more questions at the end, not fewer. LOL.

 

Are you saying that you think it was imagined by the reader or the (unreliable) narrator? The whole scene where the Inspector was attacked in the church and then met Karl in the sanitarium - it felt so out of place at the time I read it in the book, but when I read the ending, that scene influenced what I read and how I interpreted what happened. However, no one seemed to have a very good memory in the story, which led to some pretty unstable narrating.

 

I think there were a variety of unreliable narrators, as well as ones who were purposefully hiding info &/or deceiving others, making it hard to tease out who or why certain things were said/done/happening. There was much left unsaid.

 

As far as the ending being imagined, I'm referring to the possibility of werewolves. I think that's imagined, where the power of superstition, the thought that it might be real is enough in a strange, tense, late environment to make the character(s) wonder if it is real (Zellenka & Wally)? And that is scary for him/them. And the fear causes the death, not an actual werewolf. But, the mythology of the superstition is so strong (& Erszebet understands & uses that power of suggestion), it is what the witness (Wally) believes she saw, it's what Zellenka thought he was experiencing.

 

So, I guess I see the ending in two ways. The scientific side had the 'closure' of a sort from Rosza's letter, the fact that Zellenka was gone (did he run away because he was guilty?), etc..., wrapping up the case (somewhat) in a neat, tidy, clean, scientific manner. The superstitious side extracted vengeance (death of Zellenka), a much more primal way of wrapping up the case, hidden from view (in keeping with the secretive/mysterious side of the superstitions). Both sides have closure in a way, a real way, though the end of Zellenka had whiff of being magical realism (intro of werewolves), but I think the werewolf part was only imagined through hysterical minds/beliefs of the characters.

 

How did you see the ending?

 

And, yes, the whole sanitarium section had a dream-like quality.

 

 If you went with this, which is the old and which is the new? Erszebet seems steeped in the mythological and the magical. And yet, the Inspector seems to base all his actions on his traditional book, Kriminalistik. (At least I read it as being an old book - but since I have a hard copy and it's not on my Kindle, I'm having a hard time locating where they introduce this book - maybe it is a new methodology for detectives? Or it's a book that everyone knows about but me...totally possible, lol. If so, I missed that and that would change my perspective on this point.) So, maybe rather old vs. new it's more logic vs. superstition as you speculate below:

 

The Kriminalistik actually refers to the new field of criminology emerging at that time (in real life), based on methods put forth in various books/publications by an Austrian named Hans Gross. So, I think a lot of the 'new' investigative techniques that the Inspector was using in the book were based off of the very real, new way of investigating crime at that period of time, combining things like psychology, science, & crime scene photography. Early CSI methods, if you will.... The book copy has a quote from Hans Gross at the beginning, from his System der Kriminalistik book (1904):

 

"But an Investigating Officer must never and under no circumstances allow himself to follow the paths along which he is pushed, be it designedly or accidentally, by the various witnesses. Apart from the fact that the reconstitution of the crime for oneself is the only effective method, it is the only interesting one, the only one that stimulates the inquirer and keeps him awake at his work."

 

I think another reflection of this old vs. new was even present in the naming conventions. The Inspector is always known as just that -- the Inspector. It keeps us at a cold, clinical, scientific distance from him (reflecting the new science he's embodying); he often lives in his own mind, mulling things over. Erszebet, however, is called by her first name, is very earthy (food, art, tarot), reflecting her embodiment of the old, 'grounded' superstitious ways; she is often in touch with the people, the foods, the smells, the touches around her.

 

 And see here is where my black and white personality throws the book across the room: justice was not served (IMO), at least justly :p and logic will always reign. Point taken, I don't think the book could have been written in the summer, to the same effect. I guess I leave the book feeling that the author says superstition reigned and did so in an unjust manner, which leaves me feeling...empty.

 

Why was it unjust? Was the wrong person blamed/punished? Or, should it have been handled/finished through the legal system rather than through a personal one?

 

I will say, I love this thread - just hearing people's thoughts, having a few questions posed, re-reading a few parts of the story and articulating thoughts (good and bad) totally makes the whole effort worth it.

 

I totally agree. I feel sorry that you didn't like it, but I'm loving this discussion!
 

[Kareni]

 I haven't read The Fig Eater, but this statement

 

There were unanswered questions. To me, that is ok. Not everything has to or needs a final, neat wrap-up. Real life is rarely like that & I don't mind that in my books (but I know it bugs many readers).

 

makes me wonder if you've ever read Frank Stockton's The Lady, or the Tiger?  If you haven't, you'd probably enjoy the story.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

 I haven't read The Fig Eater, but this statement

 

 

makes me wonder if you've ever read Frank Stockton's The Lady, or the Tiger?  If you haven't, you'd probably enjoy the story.

 

No, have never even heard of it. Will have to find it! Thanks.

[Stacia]

**More Fig Eater spoilers**

 

Also, since scientific criminal investigation was a new field at that time, perhaps the fact that the old way (superstition) had more of a closure in the end of the story, is it showing that until a new system is completely & strongly in place, the fallback/better closure reverts to/depends on the old ways? The Inspector's case was not totally, scientifically closed (still quite a few open things, questions), maybe reflecting that, at that time, scientific investigation still couldn't figure out all everything related to a case, whereas superstition has probably been around & in use ever since mankind has existed?

 

If so, that may even still be true today. Science is much stronger in investigation, but people will often resort to superstitious behavior when met with something unexplained. So, there's still a dichotomy between the logical & the earthy, between the thinking & the feeling....

[Guest]

**My post contains spoilers in case anyone is thinking of reading The Fig Eater**

 

Hopefully these answers will explain how I saw the ending, (or didn't see an ending):

 

**My post contains spoilers in case anyone is thinking of reading The Fig Eater**
  
As far as the ending being imagined, I'm referring to the possibility of werewolves. I think that's imagined, where the power of superstition, the thought that it might be real is enough in a strange, tense, late environment to make the character(s) wonder if it is real (Zellenka & Wally)? And that is scary for him/them. And the fear causes the death, not an actual werewolf. But, the mythology of the superstition is so strong (& Erszebet understands & uses that power of suggestion), it is what the witness (Wally) believes she saw, it's what Zellenka thought he was experiencing.

 
Okay, well, herein lies one of my problems, then. I read it as actual. (A common issue for me - the line between fact and fiction must be very clear or I get lost.) Now I feel like Erszebet cast a veil over my own eyes! I guess this makes more sense, the idea of an actual werewolf at that point in the story was just so absurd, but I can see what you are saying. I want to point out, though, as I mentioned above, what the Inspector experienced. I mean, that would show that in the setting of this book, werewolves did actually exist, right?
 

So, I guess I see the ending in two ways. The scientific side had the 'closure' of a sort from Rosza's letter, the fact that Zellenka was gone (did he run away because he was guilty?), etc..., wrapping up the case (somewhat) in a neat, tidy, clean, scientific manner. The superstitious side extracted vengeance (death of Zellenka), a much more primal way of wrapping up the case, hidden from view (in keeping with the secretive/mysterious side of the superstitions). Both sides have closure in a way, a real way, though the end of Zellenka had whiff of being magical realism (intro of werewolves), but I think the werewolf part was only imagined through hysterical minds/beliefs of the characters.
 
How did you see the ending?

 
Ah! But, I don't know that I trusted Rosza! Or that darned narrator planting suspicions in my mind - did she really write the letter? No one had ever seen her handwriting? Could Egon have written it? (I felt that Egon really got shortchanged in the end...I think I missed a lot of *who* he was in the story and don't know that I rule out him being bigger than what he is credited for on the surface...) And Rosza disappeared. And then after reading the letter, Erszebet says nothing's resolved yet. Then, when talking with Zellenka and in his "confession", he says it was an accident. So, that's where I cannot say without a shadow of a doubt that I believe that it is wrapped up, neat and tidy. I mean, if we're talking about Erszebet playing mind tricks and using the power of suggestion, where can we draw the line here? (My brain kind of feels like it wants to explode right now!)
 

Why was it unjust? Was the wrong person blamed/punished? Or, should it have been handled/finished through the legal system rather than through a personal one?

 Because I am not 100% certain that 1) he did it and 2) his motivation (the whole description of how it happened was a little unclear to me, that there could be a lot of wiggle room for interpretation of what went down) I would say I couldn't find him without a doubt guilty of cold blooded murder, at this point. I also don't think that Erszebet was justified in being the one to kill him (in whatever manner that was done) or that the punishment was fair, especially if it were an "accident".

 

The Kriminalistik actually refers to the new field of criminology emerging at that time (in real life), based on methods put forth in various books/publications by an Austrian named Hans Gross. So, I think a lot of the 'new' investigative techniques that the Inspector was using in the book were based off of the very real, new way of investigating crime at that period of time, combining things like psychology, science, & crime scene photography. Early CSI methods, if you will.... The book copy has a quote from Hans Gross at the beginning, from his System der Kriminalistik book (1904):
 

"But an Investigating Officer must never and under no circumstances allow himself to follow the paths along which he is pushed, be it designedly or accidentally, by the various witnesses. Apart from the fact that the reconstitution of the crime for oneself is the only effective method, it is the only interesting one, the only one that stimulates the inquirer and keeps him awake at his work."

 
I think another reflection of this old vs. new was even present in the naming conventions. The Inspector is always known as just that -- the Inspector. It keeps us at a cold, clinical, scientific distance from him (reflecting the new science he's embodying); he often lives in his own mind, mulling things over. Erszebet, however, is called by her first name, is very earthy (food, art, tarot), reflecting her embodiment of the old, 'grounded' superstitious ways; she is often in touch with the people, the foods, the smells, the touches around her.

 

 
 Oh, thank you for clarifying this! I didn't pay much attention to it in the beginning and as the book progressed, I felt it had a stronger significance that I was giving it credit for. This helps me see the comparison a lot clearer.

 

I feel like I've opened a can of worms in my mind with this post, lol. Also, I will say that discussing this may be increasing it from the 1 star I gave the book last night... :D

 

[mumto2]

Erm, some paperbacks are impossible to read without stretching the binding quite a bit. I don't think I've ever deliberately broken a spine. (sounds painful), The main reason I don't read library books are the last few times I got books from there, they were either stinky or felt oily as if a million hands had handle them. Icky. Which is why I prefer to buy, plus I'm a rereader and love looking at my books on the shelves. Have to say that back when I was a teenager, didn't give a second thought to turning down the corners of a library book to mark my place. Now I cringe at the thought and have bookmarker's strategically placed in all the rooms to grab when needed. Trained hubby to use them rather than just leaving the book lying open. James is still in training.

 

And I like this definition better than book hoarder. I am a bookkeeper, in more ways than one.

 

 

Speaking of bookkeeping, our endless audit is finally done and the gal come up with an amount $3k less than I had figured out we owed, even after giving her all the revised figures, soooooo.... not going to quibble and pay it. Happy to be rid of that stress and move on.

 

 

 

 

For those who like or want to read Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, books 1 through 7 are the kindle daily deal today for $1.99 each.

I used to be a serious book keeper also. Dh would say I still am but my collection had to be greatly reduced when we moved. Quite frankly it broke my heart, silly but one of the hardest bits. Bf tried to take as many as she could -- we also got rid of duplicates between us and she just has the best copy. Countless boxes still ended up at library book sales. Somehow this has really made me think before I buy, I never want to have to do that again! I try really hard to get library books a majority of the time. I love e-books but have realized I am better off checking them out from the library if I actually want to read them. Somehow the pressure of a return date makes me finish books that would otherwise sit on a shelf.

 

The library books here all have a clear thick rubbery plastic cover placed on them. I will admit I usually wipe them down when I get them but overall I think people treat them with a bit more respect then I have encountered in past systems. Anything too yucky or smelly gets returned and looked for elsewhere.

 

At a previous library there was obviously someone with my taste who was a bit more efficient and managed to read most books before me. I always knew because she pencilled in spelling and grammar corrections as she read. :lol:

 

Since I don't crack spines it should come as no surprise that I don't turn pages down either. Neither do the dc's. Lots of bookmarks lying around. I always pick up the free ones at libraries etc. I tend to lose them so prefer the freebies.

[Jane in NC]

OK folks.  This has absolutely nothing to do with books.  I just heard one of the most exquisite pieces of music and had to share with someone.  Skip this post if you want.

 

Performance Today (Public Radio) Young Artist in Residence Boson Mo moved me to tears with his performance of the last movement of Quatour pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time) by Olivier Messiaen.  The quartet was written while Messiaen was a prisoner of war in a Nazi camp where fellow prisoners included a clarinetist, a violinist and a cellist.  A kind guard gave the devout Catholic Messiaen paper and pencil--and beauty was born.

 

You can hear it here. (Envision this being performed for fellow prisoners in the pouring rain.)

 

More on Boson Mo from the PT Website.  Such a talented young person.  Great hope for the universe!

[Onceuponatime]

No, have never even heard of it. Will have to find it! Thanks.

 Yes, it is a must read. Then after that you must read The Discourager of Hesitancy by the same author. They are very quickly read short stories.

 

http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/LadyTige.shtml

 

http://voiceofveronica.awardspace.com/The%20Discourager%20of%20Hesitancy.html

[mumto2]

OK folks.  This has absolutely nothing to do with books.  I just heard one of the most exquisite pieces of music and had to share with someone.  Skip this post if you want.

 

Performance Today (Public Radio) Young Artist in Residence Boson Mo moved me to tears with his performance of the last movement of Quatour pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time) by Olivier Messiaen.  The quartet was written while Messiaen was a prisoner of war in a Nazi camp where fellow prisoners included a clarinetist, a violinist and a cellist.  A kind guard gave the devout Catholic Messiaen paper and pencil--and beauty was born.

 

You can hear it here. (Envision this being performed for fellow prisoners in the pouring rain.)

 

More on Boson Mo from the PT Website.  Such a talented young person.  Great hope for the universe!

Beautiful!

[Mom-ninja.]

 

At a previous library there was obviously someone with my taste who was a bit more efficient and managed to read most books before me.  I always knew because she pencilled in spelling and grammar corrections as she read.   :lol:

 

Since I don't crack spines it should come as no surprise that I don't turn pages down either.  Neither do the dc's.  Lots of bookmarks lying around.  I always pick up the free ones at libraries etc.  I tend to lose them so prefer the freebies.

That is hilarious! I often have the urge to make corrections when I find them.

 

I also lose bookmarks all the time. I'm always ripping off a random piece of paper from junk mail or such and using that as bookmarks. Post it tabs are great when I can find where I last put them.

 

I sometimes crack spines. Depends on if I have to in order to read the book. I hate it when the pages then fall out. I once loaned a favored book and it was returned with the spine cracked and many pages were loose. I was angry, but the person never brought it up or offered to buy me a new book. If I ruined a book that belonged to someone I'd buy a new one. 

 

 

Okay, so I've put myself on probation in order to catch up with my Bible schedule. So I've spent the day trying to catch up and working on Rosie's crochet square. The square is done, but I'm not completely caught up in the Bible yet. I think Rosie's square was more important and I'm happy I did it even though it was difficult. I'm a very very new beginner so I'm proud of myself.

[Stacia]

...

[Stacia]

**My post contains spoilers in case anyone is thinking of reading The Fig Eater**

 

Okay, well, herein lies one of my problems, then. I read it as actual. (A common issue for me - the line between fact and fiction must be very clear or I get lost.) Now I feel like Erszebet cast a veil over my own eyes! I guess this makes more sense, the idea of an actual werewolf at that point in the story was just so absurd, but I can see what you are saying. I want to point out, though, as I mentioned above, what the Inspector experienced. I mean, that would show that in the setting of this book, werewolves did actually exist, right?

 

About Erszebet casting a spell -- I remember thinking about halfway through the book that she had done exactly that to Wally; Erszebet had woven such a spell that Wally was her puppet. And, now that I think about it more, I believe Erszebet did a similar thing (though not with as quite a strong effect) to the Inspector. All those special winter meals & other things went into her pulling him into her orbit also. She was manipulating not only the other characters, but us as readers too, imo. And in that respect, I think she was a strong sorceress. Perhaps *that* would be the part I would term magical realism in this book (& not the werewolf part)? Do you believe in the tarot, in hypnosis, in the power of suggestion? Erszebet had it & used it to extreme (& deadly) effect.

 

Remind me again what the Inspector experienced...? He thought he saw one or he was smelling/inspecting something that Erszebet said would indicate werewolves, right? Am I remembering correctly? (The details are escaping me right now.) Again, I think this may show Erszebet's power of convincing others of things, not necessarily that these things were true in reality. Even though he's a man of science, we saw him getting pulled more away from the science as the story progressed, leaning more & more into Erszebet's world of superstition, intuition, ....

 

Ah! But, I don't know that I trusted Rosza! Or that darned narrator planting suspicions in my mind - did she really write the letter? No one had ever seen her handwriting? Could Egon have written it? (I felt that Egon really got shortchanged in the end...I think I missed a lot of *who* he was in the story and don't know that I rule out him being bigger than what he is credited for on the surface...) And Rosza disappeared. And then after reading the letter, Erszebet says nothing's resolved yet. Then, when talking with Zellenka and in his "confession", he says it was an accident. So, that's where I cannot say without a shadow of a doubt that I believe that it is wrapped up, neat and tidy. I mean, if we're talking about Erszebet playing mind tricks and using the power of suggestion, where can we draw the line here? (My brain kind of feels like it wants to explode right now!)

 

Ok, now I just need to go back & read the whole thing w/ a fine-toothed comb. I just fell into the beauty of the story during my read & it has now been a few weeks since I finished, so now I feel like I've forgotten some of the details. It was all very nebulous about Rosza, her leaving, her role/intentions, whether or not she wrote the letter. There are so many shadows in this book, so many people you could question the motives (Rosza, Egon, Zellenka, Z's wife, the doctor, the gypsy, ...) & what really happened.... Nobody was really clear-cut or who they seemed to be (w/ the exception of Wally, imo, & she was really just Erszebet's puppet). Plus, you have the Inspector trying to be methodical & Erszebet manipulating people & situations....

 

 Because I am not 100% certain that 1) he did it and 2) his motivation (the whole description of how it happened was a little unclear to me, that there could be a lot of wiggle room for interpretation of what went down) I would say I couldn't find him without a doubt guilty of cold blooded murder, at this point. I also don't think that Erszebet was justified in being the one to kill him (in whatever manner that was done) or that the punishment was fair, especially if it were an "accident".

 

I think Erszebet felt it was justified because, based on her investigations & intuition, Zellenka did it & she was serving justice for both the dead girl & for her husband. That doesn't necessarily mean she was correct, though, & I think there are various things that were put there to make the reader doubt the final outcome.

 

I feel like I've opened a can of worms in my mind with this post, lol. Also, I will say that discussing this may be increasing it from the 1 star I gave the book last night... :D

 

LOL. I think there's a lot to mull over & explore in this story. There are so many layers. And, even though the prose is cold, I found it gorgeous. No, it's not a typical mystery or thriller & it is definitely not a book for people who want a straightforward mystery or thriller. This is very different & there are no clear-cut answers, imo.

[Stacia]

What is it with all you people who lose bookmarks or resort to scraps of paper and bobby pins??? :001_tt2:

 

Am I the only one who has a few favorite bookmarks & guards them jealously??? :lol:  I keep a stack of bookmarks in my desk drawer, but my favorites are from a freebie pack that I got once when visiting the Smithsonian Postal Museum in D.C. They are just the right size & the the right 'heft' cardstock, plus have some pretty pictures of stamps on them. No other bookmarks are 'just right' like these are -- I guess I could call these my Goldilocks bookmarks since they're just right for me.

[NoseInABook]

Now I feel like I should get some bookmarks but I know my children would just run away with them. Most of the time, I try to remember what page I was on but I'll confess that I am a dirty dog-earer. *shame* I also crack spines sometimes. I try not to crack them but I definitely do stretch them. 

 

Man, I was out with some friends today and we were talking books. I came home with The Name Of The Wind and The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. Tossing them on my stack of To-Be-Read books but my husband might get to them first if he can't find American Gods. I finished reading it, handed it to him, and he set it on a shelf. Four hours later, he was looking for it and it was nowhere to be found. Note those children I mentioned above... *sighs*

 

Almost done with Blood and Beauty. I feel like it's taking me longer to get through than it should. It's an interesting story and when I'm reading it, I'm going through it at a good pace but it doesn't compel me to pick it up like others do. A week to get through a 500 page book seems a little much.

 

 

[Guest]

 

Man, I was out with some friends today and we were talking books. I came home with The Name Of The Wind and The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. Tossing them on my stack of To-Be-Read books but my husband might get to them first if he can't find American Gods. I finished reading it, handed it to him, and he set it on a shelf. Four hours later, he was looking for it and it was nowhere to be found. Note those children I mentioned above... *sighs*

 

Ohhhhhh! The Name of the Wind is probably, if not my most, favorite book. LOVED it. The Wise Man's Fear was good, too, but I need the third to be published (maybe someday...hopefully...) for it to make complete sense to me. I hope you enjoy them - I think you must truly be a fantasy lover to enjoy them. I was waiting for #3 to be published, but since it's not getting done anytime soon I may have to re-read just those two. (Especially now that I am getting better at analyzing books, thanks to you BaW-ers!)

[Guest]

 

LOL. I think there's a lot to mull over & explore in this story. There are so many layers. And, even though the prose is cold, I found it gorgeous. No, it's not a typical mystery or thriller & it is definitely not a book for people who want a straightforward mystery or thriller. This is very different & there are no clear-cut answers, imo.

 

You know, I think this is just a great way to describe this story, especially having talked through it with you. When I started the first page, I thought it was going to be your run of the mill mystery, albeit with some figs. :) I have to say that our discussion has brought me full circle to, while maybe not having enjoyed it, to at least come to appreciate it.

[NoseInABook]

I do like fantasy but it's something that I'm expanding more with lately because it's not always my first choice of genre. So this should be interesting for me! Everyone I was chatting with today were reading it for a book club. So, of course, I had to go buy it too just because I was curious and will probably end up with them when they're discussing it. 

[Stacia]

Stacia,  just finished watching Tell No One all by myself.  It arrived this morning and I couldn't resist.  The movie is very good.  I know the start and finish are right just not sure about the middle.  I now have a kindle version and will read it soon.  Thank you for the recommendation! :)

 

Let me know how the book compares to the movie. I've never read the book, but I did like the movie. Glad to hear you liked the movie!

[Stacia]

Currently reading One Night in Winter by Simon Sebag Montefiore.  http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/21/night-winter-simon-sebag-montefiore-review

 

Can't wait to hear your final review on this one.

 

Hurry up, woman! ;) :lol:

[shukriyya]

I started my day standing in the midst of grasses watching something like this. It was lovely to experience the air element turn the earth element into the water element...

 

 

[NoseInABook]

Well, that was dumb. I stayed up until 2am finishing Blood and Beauty. I told myself I'd read a chapter of The Fault In Our Stars then crash out because the kids are usually up around 7:30am. 4 hours later, I had read the entire book. Eeps. I should probably try to go to bed now... thankfully my husband is cool with me sleeping in on the weekends.

[Murmer]

What is it with all you people who lose bookmarks or resort to scraps of paper and bobby pins??? :001_tt2:

 

Am I the only one who has a few favorite bookmarks & guards them jealously??? :lol:  I keep a stack of bookmarks in my desk drawer, but my favorites are from a freebie pack that I got once when visiting the Smithsonian Postal Museum in D.C. They are just the right size & the the right 'heft' cardstock, plus have some pretty pictures of stamps on them. No other bookmarks are 'just right' like these are -- I guess I could call these my Goldilocks bookmarks since they're just right for me.

 

I have been using the same bookmark for over 15 years...it started with a plastic cover and at this point it is ripped in two and starting to disintegrate but I like it so much I can' t seem to let it go.

[Guest]

I have been using the same bookmark for over 15 years...it started with a plastic cover and at this point it is ripped in two and starting to disintegrate but I like it so much I can' t seem to let it go.

 

I've been using a library receipt. :sad:  Forget a postcard exchange, we need to do a bookmark exchange!!!!

[Robin M]

Link to week 21 - please continue conversation in new thread