Robin M Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Happy Sunday, my lovelies! Today is the start of week 33 in our quest to read 52 Books. Welcome back to all our readers, to all those who are just joining in and to all who are following our progress. Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 Books blog to link to your reviews. The link is below in my signature. 52 Books Blog - Armchair traveling through the 19th Century: The 19th century, from 1801 to 1900, brought us the continued development of the United States and Canada, civil war between the north and the south and ending of slavery; the Victorian age with the reign of Queen Victoria and the Golden Age of romanticism and poetry in Russia.Alexander Puskin pushed Russian literature to a whole new level and influenced a new generation of poets including Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy (2nd cousin to Leo Tolstoy), Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov and Konstantin Nikolayevich Batyushkov to name a few. The Victoria period revolved around Queen Victoria and writers who were born and died during that period of time include Lord Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning Emily Bronte and Charles Dickens to name a few. In the later half of the century, the United States saw the evolution of penny dreadfuls, later know as dime novels about the Old West with themes of gunslingers, outlaws, and lawmen. Currently in my backpack are: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian, Daughters of the Loom by Tracie Peterson, Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson and Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy. Be sure to check out Historical Novels online for their huge selection of 19th Century European, 19th Century American and Old West selection of books as well as Goodreads Popular 19th Century literature. History of the Ancient World: 38 and 39 What are you reading this week? Link to week 32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 Continuing with my reread of J.D. Robb's In Death series and currently on Vengeance in Death while immersing myself in Alice LePlante's The Making of a Story: Norton Guide to Creative Writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 A little fiction - ironically given my last week's reflections on women writers, a very forthrightly feminist writer of a century ago, Katherine Mansfield. From her suite of short stories, In a German Pension: "Whom then," asked Fraulein Elsa, looking adoringly at the Advanced Lady—"whom then do you consider the true woman?" "She is the incarnation of comprehending Love!" "But my dear Frau Professor," protested Frau Kellermann, "you must remember that one has so few opportunities for exhibiting Love within the family circle nowadays. One's husband is at business all day, and naturally desires to sleep when he returns home—one's children are out of the lap and in at the university before one can lavish anything at all upon them!" "But Love is not a question of lavishing," said the Advanced Lady. "It is the lamp carried in the bosom touching with serene rays all the heights and depths of—" "Darkest Africa," I murmured flippantly. She did not hear. "The mistake we have made in the past—as a sex," said she, "is in not realising that our gifts of giving are for the whole world—we are the glad sacrifice of ourselves!" "Oh!" cried Elsa rapturously, and almost bursting into gifts as she breathed—"how I know that! You know ever since Fritz and I have been engaged, I share the desire to give to everybody, to share everything!" "How extremely dangerous," said I. --Katherine Mansfield, "The Advanced Lady" ---------------------------------- Starting Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, which I've never read in its entirety. My copy is a hefty enough book that I'll have to choose something more purse-sized to read concurrently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Skippedy hopped all over with my reading last week reading a few chapters here and a few there. Rilla of Ingleside L.M. Montgomery Re-read. I love that you get to see the home front somewhere other than the US or the UK. I also love Montgomery's descriptive language. Common Threads Sally Dwyer-McNulty Okay but I think I would get more out of it if I was Catholic and didn't have to look up a lot of the religion specific words. Real Talk for Real Teachers Rafe Esquith I had a bad year teaching last year. I felt like an ineffective teacher. This book has helped me look at my teaching in a different way and also set some good goals for the year to come. I finished my David Eddings binge and think I will join Robin for some J.D. Robb. My audio books will be re-listens since I fall asleep listening to them :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 A fun blog post: 100 Actual Titles of Real Eighteenth-Century Novels collected By Lawrence Evalyn A couple of my favorites: The Egg, Or The Memoirs Of Gregory Giddy, Esq: With The Lucubrations Of Messrs. Francis Flimsy, Frederick Florid, And Ben Bombast. To Which Are Added, The Private Opinions Of Patty Pout, Lucy Luscious, And Priscilla Positive. Also The Memoirs Of A Right Honourable Puppy. Conceived By A Celebrated Hen, And Laid Before The Public By A Famous Cock-Feeder. and “I Can’t Afford It.†And Other Tales. and The Happy Art Of Teazing. (Which leads one to wonder if teazing is an archaic form of teasing or whether it's something else entirely!) Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Oh my word..."we are the glad sacrifice of ourselves!" That whole conversation taken out of context like that has rather piqued my interest. I may have to read that particular short story.As for my own reading trajectory, it's still sluggish. I started the mystery set in Victorian-era San Francisco, 'Maids of Misfortune'. It's holding my interest but just. Others in the line up are a peculiar mixture, Cynthia Bourgeault's 'The Wisdom Jesus'. I've dipped into this from time to time over the years but have not read it cover to cover. The author is a wonderfully eclectic Episcopalian priest whom I had the good fortune to do a retreat with several years ago. I enjoy her writing very much. Also on the list is Jennifer Worth's ' Call the Midwife'. I enjoyed the series so much and am curious about how faithful the series was to the books. And I just took a look at my kindle library to discover lots of intriguing books I'd forgotten I bought!Hoping to refind my reading groove this week with a bit more time on my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Not much to report here. I'm still working on Oliver Twist, and I read the first two chapters of A People's History of the United States. One of Amazon's daily deals today is The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan for $1.99. I believe this is on the Well-Educated Mind reading list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 From Moscow in the Plague Year, Marina Tsvetaeva (translated by Christopher Whyte): **************** This poem swept me away but a second reading brought questions. "I get it now"--Isn't that a modern day American idiom? The contractions puzzle me here as "I have" seems a more powerful statement. Eliana had wondered about translations. Now she has me wondering too! Nonetheless, I love the idea of the ancient smoke of Arctic villages, of life and love in desolation. Still reading Arturo Perez-Reverte's novel The Nautical Chart. I wonder if some readers might be bogged down with the nautical meanderings and jazz references. Both are quite appealing to this reader. I heard Miles Davis in my head when Perez-Reverte had a character listening to Kind of Blue. I have loved the discussion on nautical bearings used before the Greenwich Meridian is the established standard for reference. And the rabbit trails I follow! I had no idea that the Jesuits were tossed out of Spain 1767 due to political infighting. Robin, I failed to report that I continue to read the HoAW but am dreadfully behind. Last week I read a single chapter. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I'm listening to Simon Winchester read his own book, Krakatoa: The Day the Earth Exploded. I love it. I love how beautifully he writes, I love his voice, and I love the rabbit trails he weaves into his books. It's funny - the people who leave bad reviews on Goodreads and on Audible complain about those very rabbit trails, but it is, to me, what makes his books so very rich and fascinating. I find myself saying "Really?!" out loud as I'm listening in the car! So far he's given a concise history of the Dutch in the Indonesia, a history of the thinkers and geologists responsible for the concept and proof of plate tectonics, including a few delightful diversions into his own days reading geology at Oxford. What's even better is that I have a 40-45 minute commute to the theater for my current gig (Music Man!!!) so I can indulge in long stretches of listening. I did start a re-read of Gaudy Night, my very favorite Dorothy Sayers, and am savoring it. The Inspector Montalbano mystery, The Voice of the Violin, was a quick and very pleasant diversion. It is a perfect airplane or beach read, with colorful characters, tasty pauses for the Inspector to eat marvelous food, and a good mystery that is cleverly solved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 So basically a bland cookie? And because I'm gf I of course had to google a gf recipe. There are ready made versions to buy as well. The recipe actually sounds yummy with the seed mix. I found Nairn's gf oat biscuits by the boxes of digestive biscuits today. The ingredients were almost identical except no wheat, of course. Who knew the BAW thread could lead one down such shady aisles of specialty stores... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I read complete & total fluff: 101 Unuseless Japanese Inventions by Kenji Kawakami. :tongue_smilie: :lol: Frivolous, silly, & entertaining enough. Presents the Japanese art of chindogu in which items are designed to be almost, but not quite, useful in real life, resulting in an often-amusing look at different ways to solve some of the nagging little irritations & problems of daily life. Kind-of the equivalent of reading a cereal box when you have nothing else to do, but more interesting & funnier. Even though it's completely light, I'll give it 3 stars for the view into the Japanese psyche & for the amusing photos/text. ETA: This also quite nicely complemented the Bob Edwards radio program today, when Edwards talked with science writer Marc Abrahams (author of This is Improbable Too: Synchronized Cows, Speedy Brain Extractors and More WTF Research -- a book I would like to read) & their discussion of the Ig Nobel prizes (which Abrahams started). Have now started The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis. Apparently even Montaigne was intrigued & fascinated by this bit of history.... I'm still on the fence about finishing The Blazing World or putting it aside for now & coming back to it at a later date. -------------------------- My Goodreads Page My PaperbackSwap Page My rating system: 5 = Love; 4 = Pretty awesome; 3 = Good/Fine; 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). 13. Fantômas by Pierre Souvestre & Marcel Allain (3 stars). Around the World – Europe (France). 14. The Ways of White Folks by Langston Huges (5 stars). Around the World – North America (USA). 15. Asleep in the Sun by Adolfo Bioy Casares (3 stars). Around the World – Latin America (Argentina). 16. Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett (5 stars). 17. Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi (5 stars). 18. Boxer, Beetle by Ned Beauman (3 stars). Around the World – Europe (England). 19. Blood Oranges by Kathleen Tierney (3 stars). 20. Atmospheric Disturbances by Rivka Galchen (4 stars). Around the World – Latin America (Argentina). 21. The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason (3 stars). 22. The Fig Eater by Jody Shields (5 stars). Around the World – Europe (Austria). 23. Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie (4 stars). Around the World – Asia (Pakistan). 24. I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal (5 stars). Around the World – Europe (Czech Republic). 25. My Kind of Girl by Buddhadeva Bose (3 stars). Around the World – Asia (India & Bangladesh). 26. Background to Danger by Eric Ambler (3 stars). Around the World – Europe (Austria). 27. Aurorarama by Jean-Christophe Valtat (3 stars). Best Cover Art. 28. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (2 stars). 29. Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon (4 stars). Around the World – North America (USA). 30. Decline of the English Murder by George Orwell (3 stars). Around the World – Europe (England). 31. The Miracle Cures of Dr. Aira by César Aira (4 stars). Around the World – Latin America (Argentina). 32. The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders (3 stars). 33. Mink River by Brian Doyle (5 stars). Around the World – North America (USA). 34. Ru by Kim Thúy (4 stars). Around the World – North America (Canada) & Asia (Vietnam). 35. The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad (4 stars). Around the World – Asia (Pakistan) & Middle East (Afghanistan & Iran). 36. Strange Bodies by Marcel Theroux (3 stars). Around the World – Europe (England). 37. The Lemur by Benjamin Black (2 stars). 38. Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips (3 stars). 39. Lexicon by Max Barry (4 stars). Around the World – Oceania (Australia). 40. Silence Once Begun by Jesse Ball (5 stars). Around the World – Asia (Japan). 41. Asunder by Chloe Aridjis (4 stars). Around the World – Europe (England). 42. Hot Lead, Cold Iron by Ari Marmell (4 stars). 43. The Book of Embraces by Eduardo Galeano (5 stars). Around the World – Latin America (Uruguay). 44. Masters of Atlantis by Charles Portis (4 stars). Around the World – North America (USA). 45. The Weirdness by Jeremy Bushnell (3 stars). 46. 101 Unuseless Japanese Inventions by Kenji Kawakami (3 stars). Around the World – Asia (Japan). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Reading Evil Genes by Barbara Oakley. I shouldn't have been the least surprised to see Machiavelli mentioned throughout. I swear the man is following me, or I am following him.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Have now started The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis. Apparently even Montaigne was intrigued & fascinated by this bit of history.... This is on my READ SOON shelf. It's been there for quite some time.... :blushing: I'm curious to hear your thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Alright, BaW friends. Before you click on this link, get yourself comfy because here is a delightful 15 minute animated short featuring a dreamscape of flying, walking, and dancing books. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore Vencedor do Oscar, by one of my favorite children's author/illustrators, William Joyce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Have now started The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis. Apparently even Montaigne was intrigued & fascinated by this bit of history.... Gerard Depardieu! I saw the French film with the same (translated) title a million years ago. Well, maybe thirty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I finished Norms and Nobility. The first half I enjoyed. He is very hard on educators, especially when his thoughts are applied to today's teachers who often do not much liberty in their classrooms. I really did not connect much with what he said in the second half of the book. I'm working Beth Moore's "Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent" and highly recommend it for Christians. Between her study and Andrew Kern's lecture on Teaching from a State of Rest, Psalm 127 is ingrained in my brain forever. So now I'm waiting on a bunch of "fun" books to arrive at the library and reading The Scarlet Letter in the meantime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Here's my reading list so far. I can't remember at this point what book I started the new year with. :leaving: List Started December 12, 2013 1) The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers 2) The Pilgrim’s Progress 3) One thousands Gifts by Ann Voskamp 4) Tonight No Poetry Will Serve by Adrienne Rich 5) She Stoops To Conquer 6) Don Quixote 7) Shakespeare’s Sonnets 8) Bible Reading so far: Genesis, Exodus, Judges, 1 Samuel-Chronicles, Psalms 9) The Secret Garden 10) The Alexander Technique by Richard Brennan 11) Number The Stars 12) The Trumpet of the Swan 13) Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry 14) Jane Eyre 15) The Confessions by St. Augustine 16) For the Children’s Sake 17) Gulliver’s Travels 18) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 19) The Language of Baklava 20) Heaven is for Real 21) The Mismeasure of Man 22) Herodotus’s Histories “Nothing mortal travels faster than a Persian with a message.†23) T.S Elliot, The complete Poems and Plays 24)Elie Wiesel, All Rivers Run to the Sea 25) The Lost World of Genesis 26) Beth Moore’s “The Patriarchs†27) Epic of Gilgamesh 28) Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis 29) Chocolat 30) Possession by A.S. Byatt 31) The Book of Marjorie Kempe 32) C.S. Lewis Reflection on Psalms 33) Norms and Nobility 34) Beth Moore’s Psalms of Ascent- Currently Reading 35) The Scarlett Letter- Currently Reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Today I finished Forged in Ash (A Red-Hot SEALs Novel) by by Trish McCallan. It's the second in a series; I haven't read the first book, but this one stood alone pretty well. "Kait Winchester inherited a special gift from her Arapaho ancestors: she can heal with her touch. And there is no one she would like to get her hands on more than the super-sexy SEAL who seems determined to ignore their off-the-charts chemistry. When the wounded warrior finally seeks her help, she’s ready to nurse him back to health…and into her bed. Navy SEAL Lieutenant Marcus “Cosky†Simcosky is no stranger to hot water, but recent events have boiled over into one hell of a mess. His team is under investigation for a hostage rescue gone wrong, a crazy female stalker is on his trail, and the last few bullets he took just may sideline him for the rest of his career. The kicker? The one woman who can help him get back on his feet—and has haunted his fantasies for years—is his teammate’s sister. He’s looked but never touched. When his stalker targets Kait, though, Cosky will have no choice but to do whatever is necessary to keep her safe." Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I haven't read this book, but it sounds intriguing and it's currently free to Kindle readers. This Most Amazing by Jenny Benjamin (The title sounds curiously unfinished to me!) "This Most Amazing – multigenerational love stories that span two continents and two centuries. Join the quest for answers: can passionate lives from the past resurface in ones in present day?In 1797, in the mountains of Italy, Vincenzo Lupo deserts Napoleon Bonaparte’s army after he kills an Austrian boy during battle. Plagued with night terrors and guilt, he crosses the Apennine Mountains to reach his village, Villetta Barrea.In 2012, Italian-American Dahlia Conti teaches poetry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. While leading a workshop on “found poetry,†she meets artist Jonas Nickle, and a passionate romance begins even though Dahlia is reluctant to be consumed by a relationship because she is about to embark on a new teaching job in Rome.When Dahlia reaches Italy, she continues a long-distance relationship with Jonas, and while taking in the sights, smells, and tastes of Italy, something shifts in Dahlia’s body and mind. Not only has she traveled to a new country, when she sleeps, she travels to a different time where she re-lives scenes from Vincenzo’s life.Drawing together two time periods along the same Italian landscape, these stories collide during Dahlia’s dreams. Experiencing what she believes are auditory and visual memories where she embodies Vincenzo, or his lover, Ottavia, Dahlia searches for answers to the mysteries of Vincenzo’s life: what happened after his fellow villagers put him in jail for desertion? Here he fell in love with the doctor’s daughter, Ottavia, who supplied Vincenzo with meals. Were they able to fulfill their romance outside the jail cell?Dahlia pulls her own lover along in this search, answering the past with new life. In This Most Amazing, a historical romance reaches a modern female artist, and in this curious mix, creation means redemption." Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I found Nairn's gf oat biscuits by the boxes of digestive biscuits today. The ingredients were almost identical except no wheat, of course. Who knew the BAW thread could lead one down such shady aisles of specialty stores... I love Nairn's Oat Cakes. No idea if the ones I buy are gluten free but they are yummy. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I finished The Silkworm earlier today. Really good detective novel. I wasn't t crazy about the first one in this series and thought the release of the Harry Potter connection a bit ratings contrived but this one was really good. :) Currently reading The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness, the last of the Discovery of Witches series. Enjoying this one too. I am only 25% in so far from a final verdict but so far it is good. Finally back reading White Wedding by Milly Johnson. To be honest I almost gave up but decided if I am going to go and hear her speak I should read her book. Glad I continued as it is a pleasant read with some humorous moments. Not sure how popular her books are in the US as it strikes me as quite a British bit of chick lit. Lots of hen parties and snogging going on. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Gerard Depardieu! I saw the French film with the same (translated) title a million years ago. Well, maybe thirty. Jane, you beat me to it. As I read Stacia's post I thought, 'hang on a sec I saw that decades ago' :lol: Current pics of Monsieur Depardieu are rather alarmingly...different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 From Moscow in the Plague Year, Marina Tsvetaeva (translated by Christopher Whyte): I've loved you every day of my whole life, like a huge shadow cast on me, or like the ancient smoke of Arctic villages. I've loved you every hour of my whole life. Your lips, your eyes, though, are superfluous. It all began--and ended--without you. I can recover something--a rainbow of sounds, a giant collar, untouched snow, horns lowered against a backdrop of stars... They cast a shadow over half the skyline... The ancient smoke of Arctic villages... I get it now: you are a northern stag. **************** Swooning over the bolded... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I finished Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and Attributes of God by Arthur Pink last week. I am now reading The Rock That is Higher by Madeleine L'Engle (I am so enjoying this one) and, she says sheepishly, The One and Only by Emily Giffin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Jane & Shukriyya, the author (Natalie Zemon Davis) worked on the screenplay. Basically, in the preface, she mentions working on the screenplay, getting interested in knowing more of the background story (esp. as some facts were changed for the movie) & then researching the history & writing the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Ladies, I'm thoroughly enjoying the erudite and inspired conversation here. And as I returned from our afternoon's outing to make a cup of tea and sit down with you all I had a moment of quiet gratitude for what each of you bring to this little micro-community within the wider WTM group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Have now started The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis. Apparently even Montaigne was intrigued & fascinated by this bit of history.... Ooh. I've never read or seen this, but I do *love* my cd of the musical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Reading Evil Genes by Barbara Oakley. I shouldn't have been the least surprised to see Machiavelli mentioned throughout. I swear the man is following me, or I am following him.... Machiavelli makes an extended appearance in The Romance of Leonardo Da Vinci, which I read a couple weeks ago. I think you should check it out. ;) I love Nairn's Oat Cakes. No idea if the ones I buy are gluten free but they are yummy. :) I never saw those in Scotland. You'd think they'd show up there, what with the oats and all. I'll look more closely next time. Maybe they were in the "Better Biscuits" aisle. (As opposed to just the "Biscuits" aisle. How I loved Morrison's. And a much better Indian Foods section than HEB.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 See, some of you gals know Martin Guerre through the movie or music(al) & I had never even heard of him/the book until I stumbled across it at our nearby used-bookstore & thought it looked interesting. I feel woefully behind the times! (And in the case of Martin Guerre himself, that would put me behind by quite a few hundred years.) ;) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Ooh. I've never read or seen this, but I do *love* my cd of the musical. Musical? Not something I would have imagined but how interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I finished The Aeneid, and my paper. :hurray: As a reward I read Born in Blood (Sentinels Book 1) by Alexander Ivy, which was a random pick from the pile I have out from my library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I'm still working on Rilla of Ingleside so I'm a bit behind. I did finish Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer and I'm conflicted about my reading of it. It got better and the ending would have been sweet if I could have forgotten that Vidal had rape-y tendencies. I don't recommend it. Happy Sunday, my lovelies! Today is the start of week 33 in our quest to read 52 Books. Welcome back to all our readers, to all those who are just joining in and to all who are following our progress. Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 Books blog to link to your reviews. The link is below in my signature. 52 Books Blog - Armchair traveling through the 19th Century: The 19th century, from 1801 to 1900, brought us the continued development of the United States and Canada, civil war between the north and the south and ending of slavery; the Victorian age with the reign of Queen Victoria and the Golden Age of romanticism and poetry in Russia.Alexander Puskin pushed Russian literature to a whole new level and influenced a new generation of poets including Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy (2nd cousin to Leo Tolstoy), Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov and Konstantin Nikolayevich Batyushkov to name a few. The Victoria period revolved around Queen Victoria and writers who were born and died during that period of time include Lord Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning Emily Bronte and Charles Dickens to name a few. In the later half of the century, the United States saw the evolution of penny dreadfuls, later know as dime novels about the Old West with themes of gunslingers, outlaws, and lawmen. Currently in my backpack are: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian, Daughters of the Loom by Tracie Peterson, Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson and Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy. Be sure to check out Historical Novels online for their huge selection of 19th Century European, 19th Century American and Old West selection of books as well as Goodreads Popular 19th Century literature. Let's not forget the Regency in England too. It happened during that time frame. So gals in honor of BaW I think we should all meet for a little while at Flufferton Abbey. :) As a textbook case of the "apple doesn't fall too far from the tree" my DD just informed me that she wants to dress up as a young Queen Victoria for Halloween. Good thing she gave me a few months warning to figure out that costume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Hi friends. I've been trapped in Flufferton Abbey and must claw my way out. I've lost track of the books and novellas I've read this year. It is a ridiculous number. Because of my encarceration in the Abbey I haven't even logged on here for months. No More. I've missed you. Back to my regularly scheduled reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Hi friends. I've been trapped in Flufferton Abbey and must claw my way out. I've lost track of the books and novellas I've read this year. It is a ridiculous number. Because of my encarceration in the Abbey I haven't even logged on here for months. No More. I've missed you. Back to my regularly scheduled reading. I was just thinking about you when I posted my Flufferton Abbey comment. I couldn't remember the last time I had "seen" you around these parts. Glad your back. Anything to recommend from your time time trapped at the Abbey? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Machiavelli makes an extended appearance in The Romance of Leonardo Da Vinci, which I read a couple weeks ago. I think you should check it out. ;) I never saw those in Scotland. You'd think they'd show up there, what with the oats and all. I'll look more closely next time. Maybe they were in the "Better Biscuits" aisle. (As opposed to just the "Biscuits" aisle. How I loved Morrison's. And a much better Indian Foods section than HEB.) I think they should have been there but not positive I will check the next time I go to Morrison's. I shop at all of the big three TESCO, Morrison's, and Sainsbury, and not everything is standard in the biscuit line, especially when it comes to what we call crackers. Also since you were where oat cakes come from they may have had local stuff instead of national if you weren't at a superstore. If you ever get a chance to go to a Waitrose go in and look. Lovely store, rather posh and their prepackaged ready to cook things are so good. As you can guess I don't have a Waitrose nearby but wish I did. I'm still working on Rilla of Ingleside so I'm a bit behind. I did finish Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer and I'm conflicted about my reading of it. It got better and the ending would have been sweet if I could have forgotten that Vidal had rape-y tendencies. I don't recommend it. Let's not forget the Regency in England too. It happened during that time frame. So gals in honor of BaW I think we should all meet for a little while at Flufferton Abbey. :) As a textbook case of the "apple doesn't fall too far from the tree" my DD just informed me that she wants to dress up as a young Queen Victoria for Halloween. Good thing she gave me a few months warning to figure out that costume. :lol: The first thing that popped into my head when I read this is could be worse, Elizabeth 1's collar would be really hard to make!!!! Needless to say we will need photos. Hi friends. I've been trapped in Flufferton Abbey and must claw my way out. I've lost track of the books and novellas I've read this year. It is a ridiculous number. Because of my encarceration in the Abbey I haven't even logged on here for months. No More. I've missed you. Back to my regularly scheduled reading. Glad to see you back. I recently thought of you while I was on my Julia Quinn reading spree. Hopefully I will have more of those this week.....the interlibrary loans haven't been delivered in over a week in a half. Can't decide which is sadder that they haven't or that I am aware of it. :lol: Anyway welcome back. I agree with Amy btw, we could use a couple of favorite recommends from the flufferton reading spree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Hi friends. I've been trapped in Flufferton Abbey and must claw my way out. I've lost track of the books and novellas I've read this year. It is a ridiculous number. Because of my encarceration in the Abbey I haven't even logged on here for months. No More. I've missed you. Back to my regularly scheduled reading. I have missed you and was about to write an old fashioned letter to see if things were fine on your end. There are worse things than being trapped in Flufferton Abbey, you know. You might have been dating mutant vampires or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I have missed you and was about to write an old fashioned letter to see if things were fine on your end. There are worse things than being trapped in Flufferton Abbey, you know. You might have been dating mutant vampires or something. That kind of makes me wish I'd waited! It was actually kind of mind-numbing. Finish one book, search out the next, stare at a screen, sit on the couch, avoid real life ... and my real life is pretty great! It was a foggy abbey and I feel like I'm coming out of it. I enjoyed several Barbara Metzger books (be cautious because some of hers go beyond kissing) and Lizzie Church's The Girl in Red Lion Squad was great. There are a prequel and sequel that are fine, but the middle book, written first, was the best of the three. Some of Candace Horn's books were pretty good - also require care in selection. Um Judith Lown has two nice books. Kathleen Baldwin, Audrey Harrison, and Catherine Moorhouse's were pretty good too. The Widow's Redeemer was plotted based on the Book of Ruth with a Regency Setting, but very well done. I liked Anna Willman's two Regencies available for Kindle. I think I've read all of Joan Smith's kindle books except Reprise and maybe one other, definite variation in quality. Everything I read was on Kindle. I didn't stress to much about editing errors (or lack of editing FTM) ... It was all about the next story. Anyway, I started on Bridget Jones' Diary which I picked up when we were in OBX. I'm not enjoying it very much; I just don't care about Bridget. Is it worth trying to finish? I've missed you all so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 As a textbook case of the "apple doesn't fall too far from the tree" my DD just informed me that she wants to dress up as a young Queen Victoria for Halloween. Good thing she gave me a few months warning to figure out that costume. I almost wonder if you could take a wedding dress (like an old one with big poofey sleeves) and change it to make it work. . I have one that wants to be a squirrel or Circe. Circe looks easier to make than the squirrel costume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Dawn, so glad to see you! :seeya: :grouphug: So glad you're back to the BaW Abbey! Have never read Bridget Jones, but if the book is like the movie, there might be too much raunch factor for you??? (Fwiw, I love the movie & think it's hilarious -- all the actors did such a great job w/ their characters, but I've never been interested in reading the book. Of course, they put Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in the Bridget movie, so how can you go wrong there?!) Are there any other Bridget Jones movies fans out there among the BaWers? :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I've seen the movie and mostly enjoyed it, and it is supposed to be a P&P update so I though I'd like the book. Bridget in the movie is much more Lizzie Bennet than Bridget in the book. I just don't like her and find it kind of a slog to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 BaW Abbey has a rather plummy, tweedy ring to it. I rather fancy the image of us all there gathered round a fire in a comfortable room with damasks and Persian carpets and tea trays and comestibles of smoked salmon sandwiches, sharp cheeses and branston pickle, a variety of sweets... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Are there any other Bridget Jones movies fans out there among the BaWers? :bigear: I saw it years ago and wasn't keen on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Are there any other Bridget Jones movies fans out there among the BaWers? :bigear: I liked it. When she went running outside in just her underwear, my brother laughed and told me, "I can so see you doing that." So that's what he thinks of me.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I am winding down my library binge. Finished The Buried Book, abandoned Frames Of Mind. Too academic for me right now. Which is silly considering I've abandoned it for Homeric Moments. Ah well, c'est la vie. More once I'm back from the parents' home and I'm able to concentrate a big more, but I do like the sound of Flufferton Abbey... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Alright, BaW friends. Before you click on this link, get yourself comfy because here is a delightful 15 minute animated short featuring a dreamscape of flying, walking, and dancing books. by one of my favorite children's author/illustrators, William Joyce. Very Neat. I saw it last year, so looks like they fixed it up a bit and new and improved. Let's not forget the Regency in England too. It happened during that time frame. So gals in honor of BaW I think we should all meet for a little while at Flufferton Abbey. :) I was thinking of you the whole time I was writing the post, thinking Amy's going to be upset I didn't mention Flufferton Abbey and regencys, but that would have made the post rather long, so figured would save it for another day. Hi friends. I've been trapped in Flufferton Abbey and must claw my way out. I've lost track of the books and novellas I've read this year. It is a ridiculous number. Because of my encarceration in the Abbey I haven't even logged on here for months. No More. I've missed you. Back to my regularly scheduled reading. So happy to see you. We missed you too~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 ...we watched it in my French class... as well as 75 million other films starring Gerard Depardieu... Though he wasn't the most memorable part of this film for me...it was the wife who stayed with me over the years... her choices and courage and challenges. (All these years later, however, his role in Jean de Florette is still with me). I liked him in 'Tous les Matins du Monde' which I think translated to 'All the Mornings of the World' Oh, dear. I shouldn't have looked. I warned you :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 It is beautiful... but I join you in questioning the translation. ...some translations go for modern (usually American) idiom and phrasing to make the material more accessible, but there is such a risk of losing the heart of the original... though some of the hybrids are powerful, wonderful works of art in and of themselves. (I felt that way about Rilke's Book of Hours - from what I've read about it since reading it, it isn't anything close to a faithful translation, but it is an amazing work... just not the one Rilke wrote!) ...others not so much. There are other translations you know, even online. At least one has a wildly different interpretation in the Comments section. I thought they both were beautiful. I'd say in this matter the success is all Rilke's. While I'm enjoying the book, I don't like this particular translation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I'd say in this matter the success is all Rilke's. While I'm enjoying the book, I don't like this particular translation. When the translation differs from the original so obviously and yet remains true in some intrinsic way I like to think there is a third poet at work, some intangible hand penning the essence of what the author was trying to say in a way that is shaped by a combination of grace and gravity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 My copy of the Rilke's Book of Hours is a New Direction paperback that I purchased around 1980--$1.95 back then. The translator is Babette Deutsch, the same translation which Lost Surprise linked. Forgive the lack of umlauts: Wenn du der Traumer bist, bin ich dein Traum. Doch wenn du wachen willst, bin ich dein Wille und werde machtig aller Herrlichkeit und runde mich wie eine Sternenstille uber der wunderlichen Stadt der Zeit. Dreamer, it is I who am your dream.But would you awake, I am your will,and master of all splendor, and I growto a sphere, like stars poised high and still,with time’s singular city stretched below. **** This is where I have kept the bookmark all these many years.... Anyone have a copy from another translator about? This is from "Ich bin, du Angstlicher." or "I am, you anxious one". Rilke is so soothing. Thank you fellow readers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Slowly meandering through Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. If only I had more time! It's been pretty hectic here with not much time for reading, sadly. I always get in a few pages but it's literally only a few pages before I crash out hard these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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