Book a Week in 2014 - BW33

[Kareni]

ETA: Someone last week asked about "teaze." In the eighteenth century, it meant to annoy or badger someone. The equivalent of the modern "teasing," in a pleasant, friendly sense, was "raillery." P.S. This information came from my memory, not from Johnson's Dictionary. :D

 

That was me!  Thank you for the answer, Violet Crown.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[shukriyya]

 

I'm hoping the drought has abated by now, dear, but if it hasn't I strongly recommend Thaliad by Marly Youmans ... it is a remarkably innovative book in its structure, set in a post-(nuclear?) apocalyptic future, written in the form of an ancient epic, peppered with Greek and biblical references, steadily building towards redemption despite obstacles and hardships throughout.  (Categorized as YA, not just for YA...)

 

... and, in a different vein, as you know, Rumi...  :001_wub: ... I am unfamilar with Rabia of Basra, just ordered  one of her collections...

 

Thank you, the drought has lifted some though the waters trickling in are rather...fluffy? foamy perhaps is more apt with a mystery set in Victorian San Francisco. It's holding my interest just enough for me to say I'm reading it. Thaliad went on my tbr list last week :D

 

 

I'm interested in learning about all faith traditions, really -- I think of religion as one of the Great Conversations that link us across space and time and culture... the different ways we connect with the infinite / ineffable and seek to develop our Best Selves... 

 

I certainly read, and sometimes enjoy, personal journey / faith transition / conversion narratives when I come across them; but I look more actively for more -- I'm not sure how to put it -- descriptive? (I don't want to say scholarly, because that sounds so dead and dry, but maybe that's what I mean...) books... I think I've read everything that Karen Armstrong and Elaine Pagels have ever written; and I am the only person I know IRL who even finished, let alone was riveted by, Amy-Jo Levine's book...  Male authors outside Judaism whom I love include Thomas Merton, Thich Naht Hanh, Parker Palmer, Huston Smith...

 

 

Have you looked at any of Saadi Douglas-Klotz's work? He has a wonderful book on the aramaic Lord's Prayer and Beatitudes called Prayers of the Cosmos....

 

"This book compares with the Dead Seal Scrolls and Elaine Pagels’ Gnostic Gospels in its revolutionary presentation of Jesus’ most beloved utterances–and it goes beyond them in making the material experiential. Here we find a Lord’s Prayer and Beatitudes that call even the most agnostic of ecofeminists and deep ecologists to reverence–and to a glad reconnection with forgotten roots of our shared culture. For the many of us who want to peel away centuries of dualistic, patriarchal forms and recover the life-affirming beauty of our Christian roots, nothing could be more welcome than this exquisite little volume. Breath a sigh of relief as you open Prayers of the Cosmos! It is high time we reclaimed the ecstatic love of creation that is at the heart of Jesus’ mission and message".

–Joanna Macy, author of World as Lover, World as Self and Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age

 

This and this might be of interest to you as well.

 

 

... and, in a different vein, as you know, Rumi...  :001_wub: ... I am unfamilar with Rabia of Basra, just ordered  one of her collections...

 

I think you will very much enjoy Rabia's poetry and will be interested to hear your experience of her.

 

This is weird.  I've been "liking" stuff on here but it's going away.  Just so everyone knows ... I like you guys!  

 

There's a thread here about the 'likes' all disappearing so you're not alone. I've liked many posts and while the likes don't show up I'm getting notification of posts of mine that have been liked.

[Shawneinfl]

 

 

 

There's a thread here about the 'likes' all disappearing so you're not alone. I've like many posts and while the likes don't show up I'm getting notification of posts of mine that have been liked.

 

 

I was wondering why there were no "likes" here. I've been off the forums all week with the start of school. Of course that along with my new addiction to the tv show Continuum means my reading has come to a grinding halt. Hopefully I'll make some progress this weekend. I'm almost through with the audio version of Son of Hamas and I'm almost finished with All Quiet on the Western Front which I'm reading for the first time thanks to you all. I received The Seige by Helen Dunmore in the mail this week and hope to start it this weekend.

 

[Stacia]

a quick little book called TheJournal of Abraham Van Helsing by Allen Kupfer.

 

How was it?

 

Some samples from Boswell's Life of Johnson. If you don't already know, Samuel Johnson was the great essayist and lexicographer of the eighteenth century, and James Boswell was his friend and kind of a Regency-era TMZ crew.

 

---------------------

 

Dr. Adams found him one day busy at his Dictionary, when the following dialogue ensued.... "ADAMS. But, Sir, how can you do this in three years? JOHNSON. Sir, I have no doubt that I can do it in three years. ADAMS. But the French Academy, which consists of forty members, took forty years to compile their Dictionary. JOHNSON. Sir, thus it is. This is the proportion. Let me see; forty times forty is sixteen hundred. As three to sixteen hundred, so is the proportion of an Englishman to a Frenchman."

 

Sounds like he'd probably feel the same way about French authors that I do. ;) :p :lol:

[Angel]

There's a thread here about the 'likes' all disappearing so you're not alone. I've like many posts and while the likes don't show up I'm getting notification of posts of mine that have been liked.

 

 

I was wondering why there were no "likes" here. I've been off the forums all week with the start of school. Of course that along with my new addiction to the tv show Continuum means my reading has come to a grinding halt. 

 

Glad to know that I'm not the only one wondering where the "likes" went!  

 

Dh and I started Continuum this week while the girls are away.  Only a few episodes in but we are enjoying it!  It will go on the back burner when the girls get home, however, as we have X-Files seasons to finish, the new Once Upon a Time season to watch, the last season of Warehouse 13 (hoping that comes out soon, Aly is driving us all nuts waiting for it), and finally Arrow season 2.  Then we will cycle around to Continuum again  :laugh:  We watch tv together as a family every night during dinner (GASP!) so it won't take long for us to get through it all.

[Onceuponatime]

How was it?

 

 

l:

It is in the form of a diary with commentary written by a friend and the friend's grandson, after he finds the diary in his grandmother's house. The story is very much like an old black and white B vampire movie, slightly creepy in an almost amusing way.

[mumto2]

Well, I finally finished The Evolution of God, and a quick little book called TheJournal of Abraham Van Helsing by Allen Kupfer.

I went through a period of spending my free time doing cryptic crosswords because every time I looked at my library stacks I was uninspired. So, I decided to trade all the unread ones in for new selections. That was a relief. Now I'm waiting for my holds to arrive.

 

 

 

Not sure how well this will work because the multiquote function just put both of these together with no boxes. First the likes now the quotes....

 

Onceuponatime -- I am so tempted just to return the entire pile. I have been weeding, taking 4 or 5 back unread each week which is a bit freeing......Also reading what I want to read lately, not what I must return soon. Of course that philosophy has brought on a huge desire to read historical romances so not sure where this is going.

 

Also started Tigerman by Harkaway. Love it so far......

 

 

 

 

 

Glad to know that I'm not the only one wondering where the "likes" went!

 

Dh and I started Continuum this week while the girls are away. Only a few episodes in but we are enjoying it! It will go on the back burner when the girls get home, however, as we have X-Files seasons to finish, the new Once Upon a Time season to watch, the last season of Warehouse 13 (hoping that comes out soon, Aly is driving us all nuts waiting for it), and finally Arrow season 2. Then we will cycle around to Continuum again :laugh: We watch tv together as a family every night during dinner (GASP!) so it won't take long for us to get through it all.

 

We watch the telly during dinner too. Just finished the Tour de France, it took forever just to get through the daily recaps. My kids love Once Upon a Time, we are only through the second season. Warehouse 13 is good also. I need to look at our Amazon Prime and see if Continuum is there.

 

ETA. This looks normal with big spaces which is intentional because I wanted to separate the text and didn't expect the boxes to appear. Let me know if multiquote works normally for the rest of you.

[Onceuponatime]

I'm currently reading Like Water For Chocolate and enjoying it very much.

[Rosie_0801]

I've just finished a delightfully silly story called 'The Monarch of the Glen,' about a war between hikers and a Scottish highland landowner. :)

[mumto2]

I've just finished a delightfully silly story called 'The Monarch of the Glen,' about a war between hikers and a Scottish highland landowner. :)

I have only watched a couple of episodes but there is a television show by that title that matches the basic description. I didn't know that books existed.

[LostSurprise]

Finished Rilke's Book of Hours. Loved it. Savored it. I'm planning on getting a copy, but one more faithful to Rilke's intention. It really bothered me that they took whole lines and stanzas out of Rilke's poetry (in addition to the changes in word choice normal to translation). As a poet I find faithfulness very important. I couldn't let someone repaint my picture taking out and adding what they thought was better. It wouldn't be my picture anymore. Translation is always a necessary uncertainty. I think it can give freshness and interest to see how others see a poem, but in my heart I never believe I'm reading the real thing unless I am connecting directly to the author and forming a bond just between us. Reading this book was like listening to a remix of a beautiful aria. It's still beautiful, it may even be better than the original, but unless you know the original it's distracting. You can't honor and connect to the individual contributions because it's busy with multiple personalities and visions. There's a lack of wholeness, of single vision. It's the studio cut of a movie, not the director's cut. 

 

Anyway, I loved Rilke and I look forward to reading his other poetry. 

 

Also finally finished That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week. It advertises helping boys be organized for school and life and it had a few unique things (Disorganization Styles for one thing) but it never takes those styles and gives specific approaches for each. Basically it all comes down to get a binder, organize it, keep a planner, check everything on Sundays, stay positive. Eh. 

 

I was working on a few books (Labyrinths, Before I Go to Sleep, July's People) but most are lost in the house or car. 

 

 

 

I've been working on Color: a Natural History of the Palette which is a fun look at how different colors (dyes, paints, etc.) have been discovered and used over the centuries. Lots of Art and Culture. Yesterday I developed an obsession with architecture books so I ordered a bunch of them from the library. Any suggestions? I mostly focused on small houses with some world history and design theory thrown in for interest. 

 

I need to find some fiction, at least one of the lost ones. And clean my house now that ds2's birthday is over. His cake took all day and it's a wreck in here. 

[ladydusk]

I was mostly asleep to NPR's Morning Edition this morning when I heard the name "Barbara Pym." That was enough to get me to listen vaguely more closely to this interview (http://www.npr.org/2014/08/15/340411514/mystery-writer-weaves-intricate-puzzles-in-sleepy-french-town) which got me to look it up. Sounds like an interesting mystery series set in the south of France. I wish my library had the books. I thought someone here might be interested. The pics on the web page are nice at the least.

[mumto2]

This is just fun, not book related exactly.

 

The dc's rang for a Steampunk themed wedding today. Refreshments of ice cream (ice cream van with free cones) in the cemetery. The dc's and their friends had a great time....invited for ice cream when they were done with their job. Best wedding ever (until another one that feeds them happens ;) ) dd says the outfits were great.......they didn't run home and get me so I am a bit disappointed.

[Stacia]

Wow, that sounds really fun, mumto2. Wish there were photos or that you had been there so you could describe it to us!

[Robin M]

Morning ladies. Today's Free Friday nook book from Barnes and Noble is The Budapest House
 

A Hungarian Jew traumatized by the loss of half her family in Auschwitz returns to Budapest to retrace her roots. She discovers a dramatic personal history that enables her eventually to shed the burden of her past and move forward to a new life.

 
Shop locally - what a good idea.  A Teachable Moment  from Shelf awareness on the dispute between Hachette and Amazon. 
 
I'm enjoying The Art of Conversation: Timeless Timely Do's and Don'ts from 1866.
 
 
New Murakami book - How about a round of Murakami Bingo
 






Erm, what's up with the weird like button?

[Jane in NC]

Finished Rilke's Book of Hours. Loved it. Savored it. I'm planning on getting a copy, but one more faithful to Rilke's intention. It really bothered me that they took whole lines and stanzas out of Rilke's poetry (in addition to the changes in word choice normal to translation). As a poet I find faithfulness very important. I couldn't let someone repaint my picture taking out and adding what they thought was better. It wouldn't be my picture anymore. Translation is always a necessary uncertainty. I think it can give freshness and interest to see how others see a poem, but in my heart I never believe I'm reading the real thing unless I am connecting directly to the author and forming a bond just between us. Reading this book was like listening to a remix of a beautiful aria. It's still beautiful, it may even be better than the original, but unless you know the original it's distracting. You can't honor and connect to the individual contributions because it's busy with multiple personalities and visions. There's a lack of wholeness, of single vision. It's the studio cut of a movie, not the director's cut. 

 

Anyway, I loved Rilke and I look forward to reading his other poetry. 

 

Also finally finished That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week. It advertises helping boys be organized for school and life and it had a few unique things (Disorganization Styles for one thing) but it never takes those styles and gives specific approaches for each. Basically it all comes down to get a binder, organize it, keep a planner, check everything on Sundays, stay positive. Eh. 

 

I was working on a few books (Labyrinths, Before I Go to Sleep, July's People) but most are lost in the house or car. 

 

 

 

I've been working on Color: a Natural History of the Palette which is a fun look at how different colors (dyes, paints, etc.) have been discovered and used over the centuries. Lots of Art and Culture. Yesterday I developed an obsession with architecture books so I ordered a bunch of them from the library. Any suggestions? I mostly focused on small houses with some world history and design theory thrown in for interest. 

 

I need to find some fiction, at least one of the lost ones. And clean my house now that ds2's birthday is over. His cake took all day and it's a wreck in here. 

 

Although he lived in France, most of Rilke's poetry was written in German.  I have one volume of his French poetry, The Roses & The Windows, translated by A. Poulin.

 

I see you, rose, half-open book

filled with so many pages

of that detailed happiness

we will never read.  Magus-book,

 

opened by the wind and read

with our eyes closed...,

butterflies fly out of you, stunned

for having had the same ideas.

_____

 

My library has the Color book!  Thank you!  Added to my list. 

 

I was mostly asleep to NPR's Morning Edition this morning when I heard the name "Barbara Pym." That was enough to get me to listen vaguely more closely to this interview (http://www.npr.org/2014/08/15/340411514/mystery-writer-weaves-intricate-puzzles-in-sleepy-french-town) which got me to look it up. Sounds like an interesting mystery series set in the south of France. I wish my library had the books. I thought someone here might be interested. The pics on the web page are nice at the least.

 

Well pfui.  None of these mysteries live on my library shelves.  They do sound interesting!

This is just fun, not book related exactly.

 

The dc's rang for a Steampunk themed wedding today. Refreshments of ice cream (ice cream van with free cones) in the cemetery. The dc's and their friends had a great time....invited for ice cream when they were done with their job. Best wedding ever (until another one that feeds them happens ;) ) dd says the outfits were great.......they didn't run home and get me so I am a bit disappointed.

 

What fun! 

[Stacia]

Shop locally - what a good idea.  A Teachable Moment  from Shelf awareness on the dispute between Hachette and Amazon.

 

:thumbup1:  Our small, local, used bookstore will order any (new) book I want. They offer 10% off the cover price, I don't pay for shipping, & they usually have it in 1 to 2 days. It's right down the road from my house, so it's very easy for me to go by & pick up any orders. Love doing this & it supports a local business owner too.

 

To find a local indie bookseller near you, look on Indie Bound.

 

And, speaking of indie booksellers, Powell's books is currently running a special of 30% off all Murakami titles.  :D  Powell's offers $3.99 flat rate shipping or free shipping on orders of $50+.

 

ETA: It's interesting in the article that Robin linked, there was mention of amazon misquoting/misusing a quote from 1984. Remember quite a few years ago (when Kindles were still fairly new, I think) that amazon hadn't secured the proper rights for ebook versions of 1984? Rather than telling customers that, they just remotely deleted the titles from customers' accounts, leading to many outcries about the irony of such an Orwellian response. After all, if you end up w/ an illegally printed copy of a book, the book police don't sneak in your house in the middle of the night to take it off your bookshelves. I think amazon needs to stop using/quoting/referring to Orwell, if they're smart. Lol. Obviously, they are entirely (& repeatedly) missing the point....

[MicheleinMN]

 

 

Also finally finished That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week. It advertises helping boys be organized for school and life and it had a few unique things (Disorganization Styles for one thing) but it never takes those styles and gives specific approaches for each. Basically it all comes down to get a binder, organize it, keep a planner, check everything on Sundays, stay positive. Eh. 

 

Thank you for the review!  I've looked at it a couple of times at Amazon, but couldn't decide if it would really be of any help or not.  Guess not.  

[aggieamy]

 

Also finally finished That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week. It advertises helping boys be organized for school and life and it had a few unique things (Disorganization Styles for one thing) but it never takes those styles and gives specific approaches for each. Basically it all comes down to get a binder, organize it, keep a planner, check everything on Sundays, stay positive. Eh. 

 

 

DH just recommended this to me (he heard about it on a podcast).  DD is smart but so disorganized and it's frustrating.  I'm super organized gal so I don't even know where to begin something in helping her.  

 

"You forgot your dance shoes?  How?  Weren't they in your dance bag?"  

 

It unfathomable to me how she doesn't just instinctively know that the second you take your dance shoes off they go back into the dance bag which gets restocked with a clean pair of socks and is hung on the hook beside the door to be ready for next week.  That's just the way I am and it's NOT the way she it.   :confused1:  Then we end up at dance class with no shoes or worse ... one shoe!   :cursing:

 

Kids .. they're a work in progress, right?  Parents ... also a work in progress.  

[ladydusk]

Well pfui. None of these mysteries live on my library shelves. They do sound interesting!

My sentiments exactly. I could ILL though ...

[Stacia]

You might want to see if your library has a copy of Conquering Chronic Disorganization by Judith Kolberg. I'm suggesting that as something for you to read (not that you need any tips on organizing), but it might give you some strategies to use w/ your dd/ways of teaching her to become organized but w/in her spatial frame of seeing the world.

[LostSurprise]

Thank you for the review!  I've looked at it a couple of times at Amazon, but couldn't decide if it would really be of any help or not.  Guess not.  

 

I'd say it was a library request, not one to own. There was stuff to like...Disorganization Styles, writing goals and steps to achieve them, recognizing your role in what might be holding them back, see the good in your child...but I thought the answers were all the same for every style. Mr. Disorganized here won't do some of those things. 

[Kareni]

I enjoyed reading this article and hope others might also.

 

The Pleasure of Reading to Impress Yourself by Rebecca Mead

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I enjoyed reading this article and hope others might also.

 

The Pleasure of Reading to Impress Yourself by Rebecca Mead

 

This brought back so many memories of my high school and university years, as well as memories of my own notebook. Thank you! 

[Jane in NC]

I enjoyed reading this article and hope others might also.

 

The Pleasure of Reading to Impress Yourself by Rebecca Mead

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Thank you for the link! 

 

I keep my reading lists in two locations, one digital for the sake of the periodic update in these threads, the other written in pencil in one of my hand sewn notebooks.  It is my hope that the latter remains my tradition from here on out; the former is a convenience, but not one that is as meaningful for me as my chicken scratchings.

 

Mead's comments on the concept of "guilty pleasure" reading resonated with me.

 

The distinction partakes of a debased cultural Puritanism, which insists that the only fun to be had with a book is the frivolous kind, or that it’s necessarily a pleasure to read something accessible and easy. Associating pleasure and guilt in this way presumes an anterior, scolding authority—one which insists that reading must be work.

 

But there are pleasures to be had from books beyond being lightly entertained. There is the pleasure of being challenged; the pleasure of feeling one’s range and capacities expanding; the pleasure of entering into an unfamiliar world, and being led into empathy with a consciousness very different from one’s own; the pleasure of knowing what others have already thought it worth knowing, and entering a larger conversation.

[Pam in CT]

Aww, Jane beat me to the same passage *I* was going to quote!!

 

So, I'll do my second favorite part:  "we should not underestimate the very real pleasure of being pleased with oneself."

 

Tee hee...

[Kareni]

Those who've experienced reading slumps might enjoy this column from Book Riot.

 

The Reasons I Don’t Read: Causes of the Dreaded Book Slump by Peter Damien.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Also from Book Riot is this fun post.

 

10 Fantastic Book Dedications by Wallace Yovetich

 

Regards,

Kareni

[bobbeym]

I've given up trying to follow anything remotely resembling a list when it comes to books this year. My reading habits are across the board and it's so much more freeing to just randomly pick the next book based upon the time of day or mood I'm in at the moment. :)

 

I'm up to 31/52 read, although technically 2 of those I gave up on.

 

Currently in progress:  

• No Fear Shakespeare versions of Hamlet and Macbeth in preparation for school
• Boston Noir by Dennis Lehane - a collection of crime stories set in Boston, and only being read because it includes an Alex Shanahan novella
• The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon - a re-read b/c the TV show just started

 

[Giraffe]

I think I'm late to this, or at the very least missing something, but: postcards?? If someone(s) would like Turkish postcards, clue me in? I return next week....

[Rosie_0801]

Ooooh! I think I had to read certain chapters of HoAW to "qualify" for a Sirens postcard or something like that. I don't know what chapters they are, but I know I haven't read them yet...

[mumto2]

Also from Book Riot is this fun post.

 

10 Fantastic Book Dedications by Wallace Yovetich

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Thanks for the fun lists. I love the dedications one. Marriage proposals ..... so sweet, just hope she read it! :lol: Wouldn't it have been embarrassing it she skipped that part? Also I might just have to read Dark Places because of that dedication. I have been avoiding it because I didn't like Gone Girl much, overrated imo, but obviously the author might be more interesting than I thought.

 

 

  

Those who've experienced reading slumps might enjoy this column from Book Riot.

 

 

The Reasons I Don’t Read: Causes of the Dreaded Book Slump by Peter Damien.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Onceuponatime]

Well, Like WaterFor Chocolate ended in a blaze of....glory( ?).

 

I started The Carpet People by Terry Pratchett, which is absolutely hilarious, and I' m only on page 3.

 

"And so from th dust came us, the Carpet People. We gave the Carpet it's name, and named the creatures, and the weaving was complete. We were the first to give the Carpet a name. Now it knew about itself.

"Though Fray, who hates life in the Carpet, may tread upon us, though shadows grow over us, we are the soul of the Carpet, and that is a mighty thing. We are the fruit of the loom."

[mumto2]

Just finished Tigerman and loved it. Not at all what I was expecting which is why I had it sitting in my pile for awhile. I thought it was going to be some sort of a Clark Kent with speeding trains aka Angelmaker. I was convinced disappointment lurked for me when I read it and I really didn't want to go first. In my pile reduction efforts I started it expecting to return it and await your reveiws before continuing. All I can say is I was hooked a very few pages in.

 

No speeding trains just a really nice guy with a military background in a series of extraordinary circumstances. I suspect this one has movie written all over it. More Die Hard than Bond...... Anyway I found a good review that doesn't really contain spoilers and gives a good idea of what Tigerman is about for those who didn't have it on their list. I gave it 5* and would not be surprised if it makes my top ten list.

 

 

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/books/book-review-tigerman-by-nick-harkaway-1-3414430

[shukriyya]

Still plodding through 'Maids of Misfortune'. I'm enjoying the 'Call the Midwife' audio book and will likely finish that up today. It seems unlikely that I'll finish MoM this week.

 

We are still on holiday and will soon be wrapping up our time away which has been very nice for everyone. A relaxed teaching gig for dh combined with a wonderful children's program for ds and chunks of time for me spent with a great group of women. I got a minimal amount of reading done and a small amount of knitting. We've been surrounded by woods with access to a swimming hole which has been used daily by the kids. It's a nice counterpoint to our more urban setting at home.

 

School will soon be upon us and I'm anticipating the commuting-lunch packing-organizing for the day merry-go-round that we'll soon embark on.

 

But before that the country of Laundry awaits my presence upon our return. Its citizens are already lining up in our various suitcases as I write, eager for their baptism-by-agitation in the purifying waters of the washing machine :lol:

[Stacia]

Oh, mumto2, thanks for the non-spoiler review of Tigerman. My libraries don't carry it, so I think I may have to order it. I've purposely not read any summaries of the storyline, but I so loved Angelmaker, that reading this one is just a given for me. And that's not something I say lightly as I don't like to read the same author too often, usually.

 

And, now, like always, when I make blanket statements like that, I'll turn around & contradict myself immediately...

 

I picked up my copy of Murakami's Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki from the library yesterday & have started reading it. :thumbup1: And, just a few pages in, I understood the cover art -- very clever.

 

ETA: It's kind of funny on my Goodreads page when I added Murakami's book. Yesterday, I put Color (the book LostSurprise recommended) on my page & now it's right beside Colorless... :lol:

[ChristyB in TN]

I just finished A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. It was wonderful. I knew so little about the wars in Chechnya, or about Chechnya at all, really. I couldn't stop reading it. I typically fall into bed, read a few pages of something and go immediately to sleep. I work 12 hour days and am just toast by the time I hit the bed. Last night I couldn't put the iPad down until I finished reading it! I didn't go to sleep until 1:30 this morning and I had to be up at 5 because I had an auction and needed to be in the office all day! It was worth it. 

[JennW in SoCal]

I'm curious what my BaW buddies think.

 

What do you do with really old paperbacks that are falling apart?  Is there ever a point where you don't even bother donating them because they are in such poor condition?  I have an aversion to throwing a book away!  (The recyclers say they don't want them....)

 

I now own 3 sets of the Lord of the Rings and am definitely keeping the hard bound edition because it has a sensible font and clean white paper so my middle aged eyes can reread in comfort.  But the other 2 sets are old paper backs --  one I inherited from my brother and read when I was 13 or so, the other I married into.  My set is about to disintegrate but I have a stupid sentimental attachment to it because those are the actual books where I first crushed on Aragorn, where I attempted to learn Elvish.  Is that enough of a reason to keep it?  My husband's set is at least in good donate-able condition.

 

Two weeks til all the talk of replacing the old carpet becomes reality so I'm emptying bookshelves.  Not as many shelves as Eliana has, but between my books, all the kid books and my husband's collection of art books and comic books it is hugely daunting!!  And good exercise with all the trips up and down stairs, arms loaded with books.  

 

 

[Onceuponatime]

I'm curious what my BaW buddies think.

 

What do you do with really old paperbacks that are falling apart?  Is there ever a point where you don't even bother donating them because they are in such poor condition?  I have an aversion to throwing a book away!  (The recyclers say they don't want them....)

 

I now own 3 sets of the Lord of the Rings and am definitely keeping the hard bound edition because it has a sensible font and clean white paper so my middle aged eyes can reread in comfort.  But the other 2 sets are old paper backs --  one I inherited from my brother and read when I was 13 or so, the other I married into.  My set is about to disintegrate but I have a stupid sentimental attachment to it because those are the actual books where I first crushed on Aragorn, where I attempted to learn Elvish.  Is that enough of a reason to keep it?  My husband's set is at least in good donate-able condition.

 

Two weeks til all the talk of replacing the old carpet becomes reality so I'm emptying bookshelves.  Not as many shelves as Eliana has, but between my books, all the kid books and my husband's collection of art books and comic books it is hugely daunting!!  And good exercise with all the trips up and down stairs, arms loaded with books.  

 

If you are crafty, there are all kinds of projects you can do with old books.

[Stacia]

If you are crafty, there are all kinds of projects you can do with old books.

 

Yeah, I was thinking you could overlap the covers & a few favorite pages in a frame...?

[Violet Crown]

Pitch 'em, unless they're genuinely irreplaceable.

[Robin M]

I think I'm late to this, or at the very least missing something, but: postcards?? If someone(s) would like Turkish postcards, clue me in? I return next week....

 

I'd love a turkish postcard. 

[Robin M]

I'm curious what my BaW buddies think.

 

What do you do with really old paperbacks that are falling apart?  Is there ever a point where you don't even bother donating them because they are in such poor condition?  I have an aversion to throwing a book away!  (The recyclers say they don't want them....)

 

I now own 3 sets of the Lord of the Rings and am definitely keeping the hard bound edition because it has a sensible font and clean white paper so my middle aged eyes can reread in comfort.  But the other 2 sets are old paper backs --  one I inherited from my brother and read when I was 13 or so, the other I married into.  My set is about to disintegrate but I have a stupid sentimental attachment to it because those are the actual books where I first crushed on Aragorn, where I attempted to learn Elvish.  Is that enough of a reason to keep it?  My husband's set is at least in good donate-able condition.

 

Two weeks til all the talk of replacing the old carpet becomes reality so I'm emptying bookshelves.  Not as many shelves as Eliana has, but between my books, all the kid books and my husband's collection of art books and comic books it is hugely daunting!!  And good exercise with all the trips up and down stairs, arms loaded with books.  

 

Yes yes, yes, those are good reasons to keep the books. I'd make a special shelf for those books have sentimental attachment too.    My dad actually used duct tape to bind together an old prayer bible of my grandmother's before he gave it to me.  Kind of odd yes, but works.  If you are feeling craftsy, make a shadow box or like Stacia said, frame the covers or special pages of the book.

.

Pinterest ideas

 

 

[aggieamy]

Amy, is this you & your dd?

 

 

 

:lol:  (I'm in the spatial camp myself.)

 

If so, you might want to see if your library has a copy of Conquering Chronic Disorganization by Judith Kolberg. I'm suggesting that as something for you to read (not that you need any tips on organizing), but it might give you some strategies to use w/ your dd/ways of teaching her to become organized but w/in her spatial frame of seeing the world.

 

Thanks for the recommendation.  That is totally us.  Particularly if there was an army of Playmobils around her!  

[mumto2]

I'm curious what my BaW buddies think.

 

What do you do with really old paperbacks that are falling apart? Is there ever a point where you don't even bother donating them because they are in such poor condition? I have an aversion to throwing a book away! (The recyclers say they don't want them....)

 

I now own 3 sets of the Lord of the Rings and am definitely keeping the hard bound edition because it has a sensible font and clean white paper so my middle aged eyes can reread in comfort. But the other 2 sets are old paper backs -- one I inherited from my brother and read when I was 13 or so, the other I married into. My set is about to disintegrate but I have a stupid sentimental attachment to it because those are the actual books where I first crushed on Aragorn, where I attempted to learn Elvish. Is that enough of a reason to keep it? My husband's set is at least in good donate-able condition.

 

Two weeks til all the talk of replacing the old carpet becomes reality so I'm emptying bookshelves. Not as many shelves as Eliana has, but between my books, all the kid books and my husband's collection of art books and comic books it is hugely daunting!! And good exercise with all the trips up and down stairs, arms loaded with books.

Here are several ideas for the pages. http://www.pinterest.com/lizpal80/book-page-crafts-repurposed-old-books/ These Christmas ornaments look like fun.

 

I think the picture frame/memory box idea is a good one for the covers if you really want to keep them. Maybe add a family photo of something LotR ish into the frame if you have something. Dh used to collect autographs (sold collection during the big move) and we framed most of them with a bit of memorabilia. Looked great and made them really interesting.

[mumto2]

Oh, mumto2, thanks for the non-spoiler review of Tigerman. My libraries don't carry it, so I think I may have to order it. I've purposely not read any summaries of the storyline, but I so loved Angelmaker, that reading this one is just a given for me. And that's not something I say lightly as I don't like to read the same author too often, usually.

 

And, now, like always, when I make blanket statements like that, I'll turn around & contradict myself immediately...

 

I picked up my copy of Murakami's Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki from the library yesterday & have started reading it. :thumbup1: And, just a few pages in, I understood the cover art -- very clever.

 

 

 

ETA: It's kind of funny on my Goodreads page when I added Murakami's book. Yesterday, I put Color (the book LostSurprise recommended) on my page & now it's right beside Colorless... :lol:

I think you will really like Tigerman especially since you are a fan of action movies. Seriously reading it was a bit like watching a movie imo. Make sure to get the one with the cute comic book cover if you buy it--not the boring cover I linked. Even dh liked that cover.

 

Glad the Murakami arrived. I am looking forward to figuring the cover art out now. I may be second on the list but the libray system that I had to use for Murakami takes ages.

[Mom-ninja.]

So now that I've finished the 2 non-fiction books from the library I had to finish to return, I'm way behind in Bible schedule.  :sneaky2:  Can I just skim? 

[Stacia]

I think you will really like Tigerman especially since you are a fan of action movies. Seriously reading it was a bit like watching a movie imo. Make sure to get the one with the cute comic book cover if you buy it--not the boring cover I linked. Even dh liked that cover.

Well, it looks like my sister's library system has Tigerman. So, I've scored there (assuming I can get it when I visit)! I actually went through her library system today, requesting books that I've been wanting to read for ages, but neither system here has. I am just so freaking, insanely, jealous of all the cool, cool, cool books her system has. Some of them are books I've been wanting to read for years & figured I would have to buy them because they've never appeared in my library system. Seriously, someone in their ordering department must be my doppelganger.

 

And, because I was trolling through my various book lists & entering them into her library system, just to see what they have, one came up as an ebook & I downloaded it & have started reading it: Evel: The High-Flying Life of Evel Knievel: American Showman, Daredevil, and Legend :lol:

 

Tell you what -- this dude was nuts. And, on top of that, you've got serious 1970s fashion going on. I guess he was reality tv before reality tv. Fun macho fluff so far, lol.

[Stacia]

Giraffe, I'd love a postcard from Turkey! Thanks for the kind offer!

 

I read My Name is Red a couple of years ago, so does that count for my brownie-point reading? ;) :D

[Stacia]

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