Stacia Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Ohh, thanks for the bigger view! So lovely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 A little book PSA... David Mitchell's newest book was released today: The Bone Clocks http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781400065677 Definitely on my to-read list. Not much reading done today, instead errand-running & hanging out with my sis, including watching The Usual Suspects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Here's the whole thing. It was stunning. A deep outbreath.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Hmmm. Another Murakami book is coming out this year... http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/01/new-96-page-murakami-work-coming-in-december/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Has anyone read The Two Faces of January (thriller/mystery written in the 1960s by Patricia Highsmith)? A movie version (Viggo!) is coming out, so I'll probably read the book & see the movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 It was harder than it needed to be. Done now :) The new photo is truly beautiful. I like your pink sky avatar, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Ladydusk -- Your new avatar is beautiful! Love the big picture! A little book PSA... David Mitchell's newest book was released today: The Bone Clocks http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781400065677 Definitely on my to-read list. Not much reading done today, instead errand-running & hanging out with my sis, including watching The Usual Suspects. This one has been on my list as a Booker Prize long list book. To be fair pretty sure it has popped up on several lists. I was planning a 5/5 Booker category. So far I have read two...not loved them but interesting. I have also been extremely relieved to drop two others back with the librarians. :lol: Hmmm. Another Murakami book is coming out this year... http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/01/new-96-page-murakami-work-coming-in-december/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 This one sounds great.....96 pages. Can't imagine it being that short! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Also, I thought I'd make sure you all noted that I'm changing my avatar. I've used a public domain pic for years, and thought I'd change to this photo I took on our way to the Outer Banks in June. We drove along Skyline Drive which follows the northern part of the Blue Ridge Parkway along the Appalachian Trail. It was absolutely stunningly beautiful. We saw a bear. Amazing and highly recommended. So, it is still a sunset picture (ladydusk doncha know) but it isn't so bright and pink LOL. Love both pics! Thanks for sharing. We did that drive years ago when the kids were small, staying in the park lodges and going to ranger talks all the way down... great vacation. A little book PSA... David Mitchell's newest book was released today: The Bone Clocks http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781400065677 I might have, um, preordered this. Report forthcoming soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Also, I thought I'd make sure you all noted that I'm changing my avatar. I've used a public domain pic for years, and thought I'd change to this photo I took on our way to the Outer Banks in June. We drove along Skyline Drive which follows the northern part of the Blue Ridge Parkway along the Appalachian Trail. It was absolutely stunningly beautiful. We saw a bear. Amazing and highly recommended. So, it is still a sunset picture (ladydusk doncha know) but it isn't so bright and pink LOL. How lovely, Dawn! The last time we planned a meander on the Parkway, we found ourselves in dense fog. In fact, the National Park Service closed parts of it due to lack of visibility. What a disappointment! Cool. What did she think of the book? If you remember any more of the books from that class, I'd love to hear them. I've never read Germinal but it's one that has been at the back of my mind as a "should read one day". Germinal is on my list too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 How lovely, Dawn! The last time we planned a meander on the Parkway, we found ourselves in dense fog. In fact, the National Park Service closed parts of it due to lack of visibility. What a disappointment. That would have been disappointing and frustrating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 That would have been disappointing and frustrating! We were doing a zig zag trip to Ohio. With the Parkway off the agenda, we decided to investigate some of the interesting rock formations at a state park in southern Ohio--only to find that the road to the park was closed due to flooding! Sometimes you need a Plan C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Thank you, Eliana and Pam. Pam, the title of the Nabokov is Despair. Yes, I know. Ladydusk, that is unearthly! Good work. Some day I have to see that part of the country. Re: Germinal. I started it this summer, and abandoned it, unimpressed. If it improves and I quit too soon, someone let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Ladydusk, that is unearthly! Good work. Some day I have to see that part of the country. Thanks. Did I mention it was from my phone? Our kids do not get the time when all you could do on a phone was call someone. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 re "accessible" Nabokov: Pam, the title of the Nabokov is Despair. Yes, I know. :svengo: Well, bless his heart. You just let me know how it goes, will you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Please don't click on the smilies on spambot "Da85vid"'s post above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Has anyone read The Two Faces of January (thriller/mystery written in the 1960s by Patricia Highsmith)? A movie version (Viggo!) is coming out, so I'll probably read the book & see the movie. That looks exciting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I re-read the first six chapters in The Giver and the discussion of precision of language sent me off to 1984 as my seniors are doing a unit on linguistics and entymology right now. Now I need to re-read 1984 again :001_smile: . I read it the first time in high school and then again in grad school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Please don't click on the smilies on spambot "Da85vid"'s post above. Did you report the post? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Our day yesterday included a discussion of Kipling's, Rikki Tikki Ravi (ds felt Kipling abandoned the story right at the point where the tension was to be resolved and I must say I agree with him), dipping our toes delightfully into Latin--Mumto2, CL is proving to be just the thing!--drawing free-hand a map of Iraq with its rivers and tributaries, mountains and bordering countries, and the baking of cuneiform cookies among other things. None of our outside classes have begun yet so I'm making sure to enjoy this relaxed pace fully. Next week the various commutes begin. :driving: In the reading realm, I'm about 3/4 off the way through Tara Brach's, 'Radical Acceptance' and I've started Mary Stewart's, 'The Ivy Tree', one of my 5/5s. I'm barely in so can't comment much on the story but Stewart begins in her inimitable style with a lovely description of the landscape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I finally finished up Mindfulness and have started A Guide For the Perplexed by Dara Horn, which promises to be intriguing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Did you report the post? Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Our day yesterday included a discussion of Kipling's, Rikki Tikki Ravi (ds felt Kipling abandoned the story right at the point where the tension was to be resolved and I must say I agree with him), dipping our toes delightfully into Latin--Mumto2, CL is proving to be just the thing!--drawing free-hand a map of Iraq with its rivers and tributaries, mountains and bordering countries, and the baking of cuneiform cookies among other things. None of our outside classes have begun yet so I'm making sure to enjoy this relaxed pace fully. Next week the various commutes begin. :driving: Ahhh, those idyllic homeschooling days! I still have the cuneiform clay tablets we made -- didn't occur to me to do cookies! There is an idyllic quality to the rhythm of commutes to classes, too, but nothing compares to the lazy days of exploration and discussions at home. Do you have knitting projects planned? I finished my flintlock fantasy, The Thousand Names. It wasn't bad at all, with interesting characters and well paced action, but there is a high body count and a "twist" that I saw coming a mile away. The magic was nicely understated, a change from most fantasy. I'm not rushing out to read the next in the series, though. (It is a trilology, naturally. Why can't an epic fantasy be told in a single book?) Based on yesterday's and this mornings posts, the rest of you seem to be inhabiting a higher plane of fiction theses days! I'm feeling a little sheepish coming in to report on my latest epic fantasy tome! But Stacia and others who read literature from 'round the world, any book suggestions for Indonesia? The book on Krakatoa gave a brief, tantalizing glimpse of the country's history and culture, and I'd be interested in reading more -- historical fiction, modern literature, colonial literature. I ought to balance my fantasy and sci-fi reading with works based in this world I live in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Thanks. Did I mention it was from my phone? Our kids do not get the time when all you could do on a phone was call someone. Lol ... while tethered to a short curly cord attached to the phone which attached to the wall. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Ahhh, those idyllic homeschooling days! I still have the cuneiform clay tablets we made -- didn't occur to me to do cookies! There is an idyllic quality to the rhythm of commutes to classes, too, but nothing compares to the lazy days of exploration and discussions at home. Do you have knitting projects planned? I finished my flintlock fantasy, The Thousand Names. It wasn't bad at all, with interesting characters and well paced action, but there is a high body count and a "twist" that I saw coming a mile away. The magic was nicely understated, a change from most fantasy. I'm not rushing out to read the next in the series, though. (It is a trilology, naturally. Why can't an epic fantasy be told in a single book?) Based on yesterday's and this mornings posts, the rest of you seem to be inhabiting a higher plane of fiction theses days! I'm feeling a little sheepish coming in to report on my latest epic fantasy tome! But Stacia and others who read literature from 'round the world, any book suggestions for Indonesia? The book on Krakatoa gave a brief, tantalizing glimpse of the country's history and culture, and I'd be interested in reading more -- historical fiction, modern literature, colonial literature. I ought to balance my fantasy and sci-fi reading with works based in this world I live in! Hmm. The only thing I've read recently on Indonesia was VS Naipul's non-fiction Beyond Belief: Islamic Excursions Among the Converted Peoples, which was interesting in its concept but underwhelmed me in its execution. I have a vague memory that many years ago I enjoyed Year of Living Dangerously by Christopher Koch, though truth be told I can't really now recall much about it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Jenn, I don't think I've actually read anything from Indonesia. (Note to self -- need to remedy that.) Idea(s) here? http://ayearofreadingtheworld.com/2012/03/18/indonesia-talking-about-revolution/ Don't feel sheepish! Lol! You saw that I read the Koko book -- total popcorn/brain candy (needed because heat index has been well over 100 for days).... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted September 3, 2014 Author Share Posted September 3, 2014 Book news: 10 gorgeous buildings made out of books - giving me ideas what to do with the books climbing my walls. How about a bookshelf made out of books. Think I'll try a small one first and see how it goes. Like I have the time. Literary Saloon is a great resource for translated and foreign novels - check out South East Asian Literature Index. World Literature today's current issue and the poetry of Mikeas Sanchez September is: September is ... Adult Literacy Awareness Month, American Newspaper Month, Be Kind to Editors & Writers Month, Children's Books Month, Library Card Sign-Up Month, National Humor in Business Month, National Literacy Month, National School Success Month, National Shameless Promotions Month, Read-A-New-Book Month, and Self-Improvement Month I think we've pretty much got that covered. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Robin, I was just over at World Lit Today too.... Think this is neat -- audio recording of a poem in its original Mongolian: http://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2014/september/audio-recording-swallows-g-mend-ooyo#.VAdTPWK9KSM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 (edited) Book news: 10 gorgeous buildings made out of books - giving me ideas what to do with the books climbing my walls. How about a bookshelf made out of books. Think I'll try a small one first and see how it goes. Like I have the time. Literary Saloon is a great resource for translated and foreign novels - check out South East Asian Literature Index. World Literature today's current issue and the poetry of Mikeas Sanchez September is: September is ... Adult Literacy Awareness Month, American Newspaper Month, Be Kind to Editors & Writers Month, Children's Books Month, Library Card Sign-Up Month, National Humor in Business Month, National Literacy Month, National School Success Month, National Shameless Promotions Month, Read-A-New-Book Month, and Self-Improvement Month I think we've pretty much got that covered. :laugh: Don't forget Banned Book Week at the end of the month. Edited September 11, 2014 by Susan Wise Bauer Photo removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Hmm. The only thing I've read recently on Indonesia was VS Naipul's non-fiction Beyond Belief: Islamic Excursions Among the Converted Peoples, which was interesting in its concept but underwhelmed me in its execution. I have a vague memory that many years ago I enjoyed Year of Living Dangerously by Christopher Koch, though truth be told I can't really now recall much about it... Well I never knew that the film The Year of Living Dangerously was based on a book! Jenn, I don't think I've actually read anything from Indonesia. (Note to self -- need to remedy that.) Idea(s) here? http://ayearofreadingtheworld.com/2012/03/18/indonesia-talking-about-revolution/ Don't feel sheepish! Lol! You saw that I read the Koko book -- total popcorn/brain candy (needed because heat index has been well over 100 for days).... The heat index has been over the top here too. Yuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Don't forget Banned Book Week at the end of the month. Every year at Banned Book Week I tell myself, "Violet, this is the year you read Ulysses." And then it isn't. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted September 3, 2014 Author Share Posted September 3, 2014 Don't forget Banned Book Week at the end of the month. It's on the radar. Along with Grapes of Wrath and To Kill a Mockingbird. Say I'm going to read it every year and don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 For Banned Books week, I think I may read Cory Doctorow's Little Brother. We talked a bit about his book being censored in FL earlier this year & what he did in response: http://boingboing.net/2014/06/06/why-im-sending-200-copies-of.html You can download a free copy of the book here: http://craphound.com/littlebrother/download/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Cool. What did she think of the book? If you remember any more of the books from that class, I'd love to hear them. I've never read Germinal but it's one that has been at the back of my mind as a "should read one day". Re: Germinal. I started it this summer, and abandoned it, unimpressed. If it improves and I quit too soon, someone let me know. Hmm, the board ate my previous response to these questions. My daughter's favorite genre is fantasy, and she enjoyed Pedro Paramo because of its magical realism. She found Germinal depressing and likened it to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. The other book that the class read was God's Bits of Wood by Sembene Ousmane. After having read Germinal, my daughter said that any other book was an enjoyable read! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Hey gals! I was wondering if you all could help me out on a little book related project. Our co-op has shrunk to just 3 families this year but we are plunging in anyway with a more Charlotte Mason flavor. We meet every two weeks and one of the "classes" we are doing is Tales with Tea. We are going to alternate between poetry and a children's lit selection every co-op. I've compiled a list of Children's poetry books and authors, as well as a list of some children's books. I was wondering if you all had anything to add. The girls are going to be 9, 13, and 14. The 9 year old is an excellent reader but a bit young for her age. She read all of the Narnia books last year. I'm looking for some middle ground here. Here's what I have so far. Poetry Favorite Poems Old and New by Helen Ferris (large collection of different poetry) Poetry for Young People by Robert Frost A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson How Now, Brown Cow? by Alic Schertle Book of Poems by Eloise Wilkins When We Were Young by A.A. Milne Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein Ogden Nash (fun animal poems) Emily Dickinson (a classic) Sonnets by Shakespeare Edgar Allen Poe (great for October lol) Lit - having trouble figuring out a happy medium here Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie * Heidi by Johanna Spyri * The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney The Good Master by Kate Seredy The Princess Bride by William Goldman * Redwall by Brian Jacques The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett * Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine Princess Academy by Shannon Hale *maybe too hard for 9yo?? Oh, and we want to do Haiku for one of our poetry days. Is there a good children's Haiku book? Thanks for your help! I know you all will think of things I haven't yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Oh, Eliana, I have to agree with Pam that Cloud Atlas is just wonderful. Do read it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Angel, My go-to poetry anthology when my son was younger was Read-Aloud Poems for Young People, edited by Glorya Hale. There are classic poets (Longfellow, Rossetti, Stevenson) as well as contemporary (Seamus Heaney, Maya Angelou) and silly poems by Nash and Lear. There are traditional poems like the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful as well as poems by poets less familiar to us (Michael Rosen or Virginia Hamilton Adair). I think it is a wonderful introduction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 For those that read & enjoyed The Monuments Men, you might like this article: Archaeologists Train "Monuments Men" to Save Syria's Past http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140903-syria-antiquities-looting-culture-heritage-archaeology/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Angel, My go-to poetry anthology when my son was younger was Read-Aloud Poems for Young People, edited by Glorya Hale. There are classic poets (Longfellow, Rossetti, Stevenson) as well as contemporary (Seamus Heaney, Maya Angelou) and silly poems by Nash and Lear. There are traditional poems like the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful as well as poems by poets less familiar to us (Michael Rosen or Virginia Hamilton Adair). I think it is a wonderful introduction. Thanks! That's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 "the central theme: the art of crime and the crime of art..... poking fun as it does at the conventions of the novel even as it exploits each and every one of them." See, now I feel as if I've read the book, batted around clever insights in seminar, written the paper and turned it in, and then gone with guilty relief to read something less obviously literary. Do I need to actually read it now, I wonder? Wifely duty, I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Angel, My go-to poetry anthology when my son was younger was Read-Aloud Poems for Young People, edited by Glorya Hale. There are classic poets (Longfellow, Rossetti, Stevenson) as well as contemporary (Seamus Heaney, Maya Angelou) and silly poems by Nash and Lear. There are traditional poems like the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful as well as poems by poets less familiar to us (Michael Rosen or Virginia Hamilton Adair). I think it is a wonderful introduction. My library has this version of the poetry book. I love the wide array of poets and their poetry, so I put it on hold to see if I'd like it for our library. Thanks for the recommendation for Angel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 ... while tethered to a short curly cord attached to the phone which attached to the wall. Regards, Kareni My mom and I had an agreement. I would clean the dining room and kitchen and wash all the dinner dishes IF I could talk on the phone, so she bought me a 12 or 15 foot (curly-que) phone cord for the kitchen phone. (Do you all remember when the one phone in the house was the kitchen phone?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I'm trying to read The Book Thief. Will I ever get into it and like it? Should I listen to the audio book? Do I give up and watch the movie? Should I try watching the movie first? Am I going to cry through the whole thing? Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Did you like The Dreamtime? ...and which book of Roman Myths? Heroes, Gods and Emperors Yes, I enjoyed 'The Dreamtime.' There were some repeats from the previous couple of books we read, but that's to be expected and there were a few myths I have read in a more expanded form, but we enjoyed them anyway. Many were based in South Australia, and they are still new to me. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 My library has this version of the poetry book. I love the wide array of poets and their poetry, so I put it on hold to see if I'd like it for our library. Thanks for the recommendation for Angel! A newer version! Ours has a copyright date of '97. Our version has a couple of sentences about each poet in the margins. I enjoyed these tidbits of background information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I'm trying to read The Book Thief. Will I ever get into it and like it? Should I listen to the audio book? Do I give up and watch the movie? Should I try watching the movie first? Am I going to cry through the whole thing? Help! I did the audio book and enjoyed it immensely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 The One Year Bible just arrived in the mail for me today. I didn't know there was a blog to go along with it. How exciting! I also got this to try to do some "immersion" Minimus like thing in Greek with the kids. Good grief. I like it but even with the translation at the bottom of the page I will need a lexicon. http://www.amazon.com/Mark-GlossaHouse-Illustrated-Greek-English-Testament/dp/0692206000/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1409704086&sr=8-7&keywords=book+of+mark+greek (And I am so proud of the few words I can pick out in Greek!) I love the look of the Greek book. I couldn't resist ordering one for us. The dc's did the Elementary Greek books a couple of years ago but never went to the next step. It has probably been discussed but which One Year Bible? I showed dh your post while looking at the Greek book, he thought I wanted the Bible too. ;) I started looking and discovered several different versions. Maybe I do want a One Year Bible but not sure which one. I keep meaning to start my Chronological Bible project again (just reading one that is already printed chronologically, very interesting format. I never finished mainly because my Chronological Bible it is huge. I noticed several of the One Year Bibles are advertised as small sized... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 A dear friend of ours, who was niftar (died) two years ago (may his memory be for a blessing) was a Reconstructionist Rabbi... and one of his (many) gifts was sharing his own observance in a way that made it accessible... and sharing its intrinsic, personal value... he was Shomer Shabbos, but saw mitzvos (lit commandments) as 'sacred opportunities' not as obligations (not that the two are mutually incompatible), and he expressed powerfully the Reconstructionist view of traditional observances as being... transmitted folk wisdom? (I'm not doing it justice at all... these conversations were twenty-ish years ago and it isn't an approach I know well at all). There were so many sukkah's built in our little town in those years... and not just by the handful of frum (observant) families... and so many people making Havdalah (short ceremony marking the end of Shabbos). ...I still miss Michael's Havdalahs... he used vodka instead of wine or grape juice, so when he extinguished the havdala candle in the remaining vodka (on a little tray) it caught fire and glowed as we sang... What a long-winded way to say 'I agree'. Watching folks gong through the traditional process with death and mourning has given me a strong appreciation of the healing benefits... though nothing can make it easy... I've often thought that if I were starting with a clean sheet of paper, Reconstructionist might be the best denominational "fit" for me... first because I do see the mitzvot that way -- not as obligations per se, but as opportunities to connect with the sacred as well as with people across time and space; and also because, well, evidently I am hardwired to reconstruct the wheel itself, lol... ... there are so many traditions and rituals that I am drawn to / nurtured and sustained by, even though I don't feel obligated towards them, nor do most others in our community here often practice them... ... including havdalah, which we don't mark every week by a long shot in my family, but each time we do I am struck anew by its beauty and metaphoric power. I think my favorite havdalah experience ever was last December, when my husband and I stumbled into a weekend retreat fusing the Grateful Dead with Jewish Renewal and sustainable agriculture ("Blues for Challah," :lol: they call it). After a mostly-traditional Shabbat filled with study and prayer (and, er, yoga, and a lot of pondering re Jerry Garcia and Leonard Cohen, and a good bit more vodka than I'd personally expected), we -- a motley crew of mostly observant, mostly musical, mostly younger-than-my-husband-and-I -- convened in this large soaring-ceilinged room with a full wall made of glass. We did the blessings, breathed in the spices, lit and dipped the candles, and were murmuring Carlebach niggun -- then some of the musicians started to wander around, picking up their guitars and tossing the straps over the shoulders and strumming the occasional chord... until the person standing outside who'd been counting the stars gave a signal, at which point they plugged in. All of a sudden, Shlomo morphed (though the melody remained), our movement shifted, the vibe shifted... and yet, the joy and the peace carried over, too... this beautiful transitional moment at the cusp between one type of time and the other. Just lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I'm trying to read The Book Thief. Will I ever get into it and like it? Should I listen to the audio book? Do I give up and watch the movie? Should I try watching the movie first? Am I going to cry through the whole thing? Help! Michele, I would try the audio book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 A newer version! Ours has a copyright date of '97. Our version has a couple of sentences about each poet in the margins. I enjoyed these tidbits of background information. In the 'Look Inside' on Amazon, it looks like there are some tidbits (I enjoy them, too), but not for every poet. If I like the looks of the newer version, I might buy the older version through Amazon. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 In the 'Look Inside' on Amazon, it looks like there are some tidbits (I enjoy them, too), but not for every poet. If I like the looks of the newer version, I might buy the older version through Amazon. Thanks again! Some poets have multiple poems in the anthology. The "tidbit" appears with their first poem in the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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