Book a Week in 2014 - BW41

[ladydusk]

So after my debacle yesterday, last night I read almost all of St Cyr #4 and finished it this morning then finished #5 this afternoon. I'm glad the series really picked up after #3 and the icky factor was cleared up to my satisfaction. The cliffhanger at the end of #5 ... that was just mean.  Sadly, I'm at the beach, and will have no way to get #6, 7, 8, and 9 until we return, otherwise I suspect I would finish the series this week. 

 

Thanks, ladies! (Oh, and Angel, I do *not* recommend these for you <grin>)

[Nan in Mass]

Wow.  Do you guys always move this fast?  How am I going to keep up with this thread?  Although maybe I don't have to worry too much about that since most of the time I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.  I didn't really know what a cultural icon is (I would have guessed something like Monopoly or the 9th symphony.  I read through the list and only had ever heard of 10 out the 50 people.  Hmmm...  Obviously I am still just as out of it as I was when I was in high school lol.  I have, however, heard of Mistborn, as unlikely as that seems, and have read all three and am in the middle of Alloy of the Law.  I would not have picked these for myself.  My cynical engineering-minded, gymnast of a youngest son gave these to me as a present, along with a bunch of new music, when he left for his freshman year at college, so of course I read them.  And enjoyed them, actually.  They were just right for the bad spell right after he left when I was rebuilding my life.  And I can see why they appealed to my gymnast lol.

 

Angel, it depends what you mean by clean.  Some of the Dorothy Sayers are pretty suggestive.

 

duskylady, Lady Susan is fun.  It is all letters.

 

Nan

[Violet Crown]

Wow. Do you guys always move this fast? How am I going to keep up with this thread? Although maybe I don't have to worry too much about that since most of the time I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. I didn't really know what a cultural icon is (I would have guessed something like Monopoly or the 9th symphony. I read through the list and only had ever heard of 10 out the 50 people. Hmmm... Obviously I am still just as out of it as I was when I was in high school lol. I have, however, heard of Mistborn, as unlikely as that seems, and have read all three and am in the middle of Alloy of the Law. I would not have picked these for myself. My cynical engineering-minded, gymnast of a youngest son gave these to me as a present, along with a bunch of new music, when he left for his freshman year at college, so of course I read them. And enjoyed them, actually. They were just right for the bad spell right after he left when I was rebuilding my life. And I can see why they appealed to my gymnast lol.

 

Angel, it depends what you mean by clean. Some of the Dorothy Sayers are pretty suggestive.

 

duskylady, Lady Susan is fun. It is all letters.

 

Nan

Ah, don't worry about the quickness of the thread. You'll soon find that many regulars aren't here chatting away every day, but check in once or twice a week. I figure we won't hear from Eliana until Sukkot is done.

 

And I didn't know who a lot of those people were, nor did I have a clue about their books. :) We're all in our little book bubbles, floaring along in the sea of texts, now and then bumping into each other....

[Jane in NC]

I continue with 'The Ivy Tree' and am finishing up the sample of 'Gaudy Night' which I'm reading on my phone and loving. The library has a copy so that'll be coming my way soon. I've got The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro on hold at overdrive. Like Jane, I'm (uncharacteristically) veering towards mysteries these days and this would meet that inclination as well as fit nicely into the Art focus for my 5/5.

 

 

I am quite the fan of mysteries but I have a problem.  I feel as though I have read all of the good ones!  :lol: Of course, with my mind that is a sieve, I could reread those mysteries that I haven't read in 20 or 30 years and enjoy them all over again.

 

A couple of notes on mysteries:  I like mine complex.  I love series with character development over the course of the books. While mysteries usually involve murder, I do not like gore.  Nor do I care for hideous sexual crimes or crimes against children.

 

Some series start out with such promise. Then the author gets bored with a character (often the detective's spouse or love interest it seems) and bumps off that character or has them walk out of the marriage/relationship. Other series seem to grow darker and darker with each book. 

 

Sometimes the first book in a series has a weak mystery aspect since the author is so occupied establishing the characters.  Unless I am really drawn into someone in the book, I will probably not read the second one, assuming that there won't be much of a mystery.

 

While I love complexity in my mysteries, I do not like loose ends being tidied through a series of coincidences.  I do not like sudden out of the blue plot twists at the end.

 

I seem to like brooding detectives.  I also like reading about what kind of music they listen to or what they are eating for dinner. 

 

Since I have had a hard time finding a new series with a detective that I can latch on to, a series with a compelling storyline and good writing, I seem to satisfy my mystery quotient through BBC Radio 4 Extra serial dramatizations.  These are often of books that I have read but they seem to provide my MDMR, i.e. Minimal Daily Murder Requirement.

 

:laugh:

 

[Violet Crown]

Finished 45. Daniel Defoe, A Journal of the Plague Year. Interesting reading when ebola is at the top of every news source and conversation in Texas.

 

An interesting point Defoe makes is that the Great Fire of London, which broke out the next year, wasn't just a second disaster on top of the first, but helped to rescue London. The plague led to huge levels of unemployment and was a disaster for English manufacturing (understandably enough, no one wanted English ships unlading cargo in their ports); but the Fire created a huge demand for goods, not least because it burned up warehouses where merchants had their inventory, and construction materials and labor. Basically it turned around London's plague-caused recession.

[Kareni]

Jane,

 

Have you ever read Robert Goddard's books?  You might find them of interest. 

 

Past Caring

and

 

In Pale Battalions  were his first two as I recall.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[shukriyya]

I am quite the fan of mysteries but I have a problem.  I feel as though I have read all of the good ones!  :lol: Of course, with my mind that is a sieve, I could reread those mysteries that I haven't read in 20 or 30 years and enjoy them all over again.

 

A couple of notes on mysteries:  I like mine complex.  I love series with character development over the course of the books. While mysteries usually involve murder, I do not like gore.  Nor do I care for hideous sexual crimes or crimes against children.

 

Some series start out with such promise. Then the author gets bored with a character (often the detective's spouse or love interest it seems) and bumps off that character or has them walk out of the marriage/relationship. Other series seem to grow darker and darker with each book. 

 

Sometimes the first book in a series has a weak mystery aspect since the author is so occupied establishing the characters.  Unless I am really drawn into someone in the book, I will probably not read the second one, assuming that there won't be much of a mystery.

 

While I love complexity in my mysteries, I do not like loose ends being tidied through a series of coincidences.  I do not like sudden out of the blue plot twists at the end.

 

I seem to like brooding detectives.  I also like reading about what kind of music they listen to or what they are eating for dinner. 

 

Since I have had a hard time finding a new series with a detective that I can latch on to, a series with a compelling storyline and good writing, I seem to satisfy my mystery quotient through BBC Radio 4 Extra serial dramatizations.  These are often of books that I have read but they seem to provide my MDMR, i.e. Minimal Daily Murder Requirement.

 

:laugh:

 

Our requirements are rather similar though I've read so few mysteries. Re the bolded...have you read any of the Isabel Dalhousie mysteries by Alexander McCall Smith? There is lots of talk of food both the preparing and eating of it and Isabel's inamorato is a bassoon player so there is always some tangential description of pieces of music throughout each book. She is an art lover, too, and there is usually reference to obscure and not so obscure works of Scottish art in a lot of the books as well as lovely descriptions of the Scottish landscape and towns. The mysteries are somewhat incidental to the ponderings and ruminations of our protagonist. The novels meander in a leisurely but not careless way and perhaps the slow pace would frustrate your feet-on-the-ground self but I enjoyed them so much I read all ten books in the series.

 

Jane,

 

Have you ever read Robert Goddard's books?  You might find them of interest. 

 

Past Caring

and

 

In Pale Battalions  were his first two as I recall.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Kareni, these look promising. Thanks for sharing the link :D

[Stacia]

Jane, thought of you with Powell's list of some new cookbooks, especially Shroom since you mentioned the 'no mushroom picking' sign.

http://www.powells.com/blog/handpicked/new-cookbooks-for-september-making-the-most-of-the-harvest-by-traceyt/?utm_source=powellsbooks.news&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_cookbooks&utm_content=New%20Cookbooks

[Guest]

Okay, I am on my phone and in an extremely bad mood, but this is the first time I have a moment to check in and I might not get another chance in the next day or so.

 

Finished Frakenstein, totally different than what I expected. (I may have shared that already?) Currently reading Sixty-One Nails, which I am thoroughly enjoying, and The Husband's Secret came in, so I started that last night, too.

 

Angel, I read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow a few weeks ago and actually laughed when I finished it!

 

Hugs, Amy!

 

VC, still praying for your dh.

 

Welcome, Nan!

 

Ok, gonna try and get some reading done!

[aggieamy]

So after my debacle yesterday, last night I read almost all of St Cyr #4 and finished it this morning then finished #5 this afternoon. I'm glad the series really picked up after #3 and the icky factor was cleared up to my satisfaction. The cliffhanger at the end of #5 ... that was just mean.  Sadly, I'm at the beach, and will have no way to get #6, 7, 8, and 9 until we return, otherwise I suspect I would finish the series this week. 

 

Thanks, ladies! (Oh, and Angel, I do *not* recommend these for you <grin>)

 

I slugged through the first three because Mumto told me they got better and then I read #4 in one night and then bought #5 immediately on the kindle and then in the morning bought #6.  I haven't read the rest yet because I'm just too busy to spend the whole day reading like I'd like.  

[Robin M]

Okay, I am on my phone and in an extremely bad mood, but this is the first time I have a moment to check in and I might not get another chance in the next day or so.

 

Finished Frakenstein, totally different than what I expected. (I may have shared that already?) Currently reading Sixty-One Nails, which I am thoroughly enjoying, and The Husband's Secret came in, so I started that last night, too.

 

Angel, I read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow a few weeks ago and actually laughed when I finished it!

 

Hugs, Amy!

 

VC, still praying for your dh.

 

Welcome, Nan!

 

Ok, gonna try and get some reading done!

 

:grouphug:  Sorry to hear about the bad mood.  Hope everything calms down a bit for you. Glad to hear you are enjoying Sixty-one Nails. 

 

 

Will be interesting tomorrow to find out who wins the Nobel Prize for Literature.  Fingers crossed for Murakami.

 

I recognize 35 out of the 50 cultural icons which means I've been reading daily mail showbiz way too much.  Dolly Parton and the Little Engine That Could. Yep, I'd say that sums up her intelligence.

 

Missed the moon sighting last night but my sister dragged her hubby out to chase the moon so to speak in the early morning and couldn't stop talking about it.    Singing the praises of the book - Four Blood Moons by John Hagee.  Sounds interesting and intriguing. Can't wait for Eliana's take on it since occurred during Sukkot.

 

[Negin]

 

Negin, you are brave. I think I'd be way too scared to read The Hot Zone. Yikes!!!

Stacia :lol:  - I'm laughing since I never thought of myself as brave. I didn't think it was that bad, but then again, I guess can tolerate some types of books and others (Dean Koontz, for example), I tend to avoid. 

 

Negin, I'm off to read your review of 100 now. I really liked the writing and the whimsy (an elephant?) and the odd gentleness, and I have a very high tolerance for chaos lol, but it is truly a wacky book and I can see why someone might not like it. My Dad complained that it dragged a bit during the history bits. My Mum said she enjoyed those bits. We all liked the wording. It made us laugh out loud at times.

Nan, I agree with your dad. The history bits started to bore me. Like you, I enjoyed the writing. Since I read it back in February or so, I don't remember what else I liked or disliked. I do remember really loving it at first, but then it just dragged on and on. Maybe it was my mood/impatience at the time. Enjoying books has so much to do with timing, distractions, and what's going on in our lives at that point. 

 

Wow.  Do you guys always move this fast?  How am I going to keep up with this thread?  Although maybe I don't have to worry too much about that since most of the time I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.  

 

 

This is me pretty much all the time also. I seldom have time to keep up with this thread and really don't have the foggiest as to what everyone's talking about after the 2nd page or so.  :lol: Nice to know that I'm not the only one :D. 

 

Oh, and talking about full moons. I've been enjoying the moon for the past two mornings. I've always been crazy about the moon. I love waking up in the early morning hours while everyone's sleeping and wishing that I could throw a lasso around it. I love "It's a Wonderful Life". Need to see it again this Christmas. :)

[Pam in CT]

 

I recognize 35 out of the 50 cultural icons which means I've been reading daily mail showbiz way too much.  Dolly Parton and the Little Engine That Could. Yep, I'd say that sums up her intelligence.

Yah, OK, no shockers there maybe (though I suppose I can find elements to admire in both Engine and Dolly's life).  But Lady Gaga and Rilke?  I have to admit I've been underestimating that icon...

 

 

 

 

 

Negin, I ate your header-

"Oh, and talking about full moons. I've been enjoying the moon for the past two mornings. I've always been crazy about the moon. I love waking up in the early morning hours while everyone's sleeping and wishing that I could throw a lasso around it. I love "It's a Wonderful Life". Need to see it again this Christmas. :)"

The moon here last night was HUGE!!!  And it was so clear.  You could see every crater...

[Jane in NC]

Jane,

 

Have you ever read Robert Goddard's books?  You might find them of interest. 

 

Past Caring

and

 

In Pale Battalions  were his first two as I recall.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Kareni, you know me well.  Past Caring looks like just the ticket so I have placed it on my library list.  Thank you!

 

Our requirements are rather similar though I've read so few mysteries. Re the bolded...have you read any of the Isabel Dalhousie mysteries by Alexander McCall Smith? There is lots of talk of food both the preparing and eating of it and Isabel's inamorato is a bassoon player so there is always some tangential description of pieces of music throughout each book. She is an art lover, too, and there is usually reference to obscure and not so obscure works of Scottish art in a lot of the books as well as lovely descriptions of the Scottish landscape and towns. The mysteries are somewhat incidental to the ponderings and ruminations of our protagonist. The novels meander in a leisurely but not careless way and perhaps the slow pace would frustrate your feet-on-the-ground self but I enjoyed them so much I read all ten books in the series.

 

 

Kareni, these look promising. Thanks for sharing the link :D

 

After reading several (and burning out) on McCall Smith's Number One Ladies' Detective Agency series, I never tried any of his other books.  A slow pace does not bother me; I do wonder if these are something that I might like listening to while driving (recognizing that most of my driving is rural not urban).

 

[Pam in CT]

Patrick Modiano won the Nobel.  I've never read anything by him.  This (older) article makes him sound quite interesting.

[Nan in Mass]

Violet Crown - Thank you for the bit about the plague and fire.  Interesting.  I'd never make it through a book on the subject, but it is interesting to think about.

 

Jane - I know exactly what you mean about it being distressing when the authors becoming bored with a series.  I hate that.  You write well and have obviously done lots of research lol.  Perhaps you could write a mystery?  By the way, can you give me the name of the Caroline Graham (think I got the name right?) that was so much fun when I read it?  Something about a brother and sister drinking up a celler of good wine during a mystery weekend?  Middle son took off with my copy and I would like to reread it.  I loved the sign!  More picts?

 

ladydusk - I know what you mean about 100.  I thought the history bits dragged at times, too (probably corresponding to when the main character's life was dragging) and it descended from mildly unlikely into highly unlikely at the end.  Not a perfect book or one of my favourites, but I still enjoyed it for the writing.  I look hard for books with Pooh-type writing and am willing to put up with quite a lot when I find them.  I read House of Many Ways recently and that series has that sort of writing, too.  There is a little of it in the chocolate pot series I am reading now.  My mother just handed me Wild Strawberries to reread.  That is another.

 

Nan

[Jane in NC]

 

Jane - I know exactly what you mean about it being distressing when the authors becoming bored with a series.  I hate that.  You write well and have obviously done lots of research lol.  Perhaps you could write a mystery?  By the way, can you give me the name of the Caroline Graham (think I got the name right?) that was so much fun when I read it?  Something about a brother and sister drinking up a celler of good wine during a mystery weekend?  Middle son took off with my copy and I would like to reread it.  I loved the sign!  More picts?

 

Nan

 

The Caroline Graham Inspector Barnaby novels were the inspiration for the Midsummer Murder television program on British TV.  But the one I gave you was not from that series. It was a silly book, right?  I think this is it.

 

[Nan in Mass]

That's it, Jane. Yes, excessively silly. I need silly at the moment. Thank you, Dearest Jane!

 

Nan

[shukriyya]

After reading several (and burning out) on McCall Smith's Number One Ladies' Detective Agency series, I never tried any of his other books. A slow pace does not bother me; I do wonder if these are something that I might like listening to while driving (recognizing that most of my driving is rural not urban).

 

Well just ftr I could not find my way into TNOLDA series, hopeful as I was since there were so many books. The Isabel Dalhousie series is quite different in both style and content.

[shukriyya]

Yah, OK, no shockers there maybe (though I suppose I can find elements to admire in both Engine and Dolly's life). But Lady Gaga and Rilke? I have to admit I've been underestimating that icon...

Oddly I had no trouble believing this "cultural icon's" ;) reading favorite. But some of the others gave me pause. Like most of the BaWers though I didn't recognise a lot of them :lol: and I have to say that what stood out for me most was not what anyone claimed as their fave lit but rather the astonishingly...transparent...detailed...unalloyed...picture of Joan Didion.

[Guest]

:grouphug:  Sorry to hear about the bad mood.  Hope everything calms down a bit for you. Glad to hear you are enjoying Sixty-one Nails.

 

Thank you! I needed that hug! I'm better this morning but yesterday was just super stressful! I know we all have those days. Yay, for new mornings. Did you read Sixty-One Nails? I thought someone had read it here and then I thought you were going to read it based on a recent email you sent out from your blog. It's a good book for me - it's not scary, but a few of the chapters have left me with a little cliffhanger - oh my gosh, there's a creak on the stairs, what's going to happen?!? I'm a total scaredy cat. :lol:

[mumto2]

Patrick Modiano won the Nobel. I've never read anything by him. This (older) article makes him sound quite interesting.

Very few of his books appear to have been translated. Missing Persons looks quite interesting. I would like to read it potentially. Perhaps I should rephrase that and say try reading it. ;) Suspect it may appear in one of my libraries soon. One of my goals at the beginning of 2014 was Nobel Prize authors works which has not happened!

[Pam in CT]

Very few of his books appear to have been translated. Missing Persons looks quite interesting. I would like to read it potentially. Perhaps I should rephrase that and say try reading it. ;) Suspect it may appear in one of my libraries soon. One of my goals at the beginning of 2014 was Nobel Prize authors works which has not happened!

Yes, Missing Persons is the one I just put in my wish list.  I expect translators are calling upon him at this very moment, and we'll soon have much more to choose from!

[mumto2]

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-skeleton-road-by-val-mcdermid--book-review-an-ingenious-thriller-with-dark-roots-in-the-balkan-wars-9780778.html

 

Before I forget I just wanted to post that I have finished my Val McDermid. I really liked it. Gave it 5*. It was extremely well done. Great descriptions without being too descriptive in the Balkan atrocities parts which kept it highly readable for me. It definitely stands alone.

 

Finally, I still think Jane would enjoy it. I also think a couple of others here would too!

[shukriyya]

:grouphug: Phoenix and yes, yay for the grace and gift of new mornings!

[Angel]

Lord Peter may call someone an ass (as in jackass) but they usually deserve it; there is also the occasional "damn".

 

Yes there are dead bodies but the scenes are not gruesome.

 

Sayers offers more classical allusions than Christie. 

 

I don't have a problem with Clouds of Witness but does anyone here think that Angel might be offended by it?

 

 

The only Sayer I didn't let dd read was Busman's Honeymoon. There was just too much violence against women. Not sure how else to phrase it and not do spoilers for those who haven't read it. It had an intensity that I didn't want dd to read at roughly 14 when she read the others. She still talks about going back and reading it but thus far has experienced a lack of availability. ;)

 

I agree that there is some swearing. I considered them to be one step beyond Christie in terms of dd reading them. Everything moves up a notch...One thing that may concern you is Harriet Vane was accused poisoning her lover. That is the the subject matter for Strong Poison and the issue rears it head through subsequent books.

 

As far as Whose Body is concerned I don't remember there being anything objectionable. I was good with Clouds of Witness also.

 

 

I, not having a 10 year old yet (until Monday) and being a more conservative reader with similar sensitivities to Angel, don't think I'd give this series to a teen.  As an adult, however, I think Sayers' series has a decidedly moral, Christian worldview when tackling difficult issues (despite some culturally sensitive things that have changed since Sayers' time).   While the church and faith are rarely mentioned directly, allusions and strictures are often there below the surface.  I'm only to Gaudy Night, so I can't say for the whole series, but I think they are worth reading as quality literature, but more for a reader who is willing to put in the work to plumb the depths.

 

Many times the things that would bother Angel are discussed or mentioned, but not described.  I think that is where the difference lies.  If she can handle Silk and Barak and Belgarath in Eddings, I think she could manage Sayers ;)

 

Thanks for the input!  I so appreciate it!  

 

Silk and Barak and Belgarath are calling my name, I believe.  I used to read them every year or so and it's been a couple years since I've sat down and visited with them.  Of course, I also hear Sparkhawk calling my name...  I'm not sure who might win out.  Dh owes me a read and I want him to do either the Belgariad or The Elenium, I just can't make up my mind which he would enjoy more.

 

So after my debacle yesterday, last night I read almost all of St Cyr #4 and finished it this morning then finished #5 this afternoon. I'm glad the series really picked up after #3 and the icky factor was cleared up to my satisfaction. The cliffhanger at the end of #5 ... that was just mean.  Sadly, I'm at the beach, and will have no way to get #6, 7, 8, and 9 until we return, otherwise I suspect I would finish the series this week. 

 

Thanks, ladies! (Oh, and Angel, I do *not* recommend these for you <grin>)

 

Thanks!  I've had these off and on my Amazon list, trying to decide if they were appropriate  :laugh: Enjoy the beach!!

[Stacia]

Tea gals, don't want you to miss hornblower's thread about a new Murchie's tea called Baker Street...

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/530657-if-you-like-to-lick-gun-shell-casings/

 

:huh: :lol:

[Nan in Mass]

You are all so inspiring! There appears to be an endless amount of interesting material stretching backwards.

Perhaps with the support here, I can actually read a few of the serious books I tried to read for years, like that one by Nichidatsu Fujii.

Nan

[Robin M]

Patrick Modiano - Info from Nobel Prize site

 

Here's his website. In French so. can translate it with Google Translate

 

Translated site --

 

Original if translated doesn't work.

 

Amazon has been caught with their pants down as none of his books are immediately available.  Snooze, you lose.

 

 

[shukriyya]

Tea gals, don't want you to miss hornblower's thread about a new Murchie's tea called Baker Street...

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/530657-if-you-like-to-lick-gun-shell-casings/

 

:huh: :lol:

 

Here's the tea for us, BaWers...Library Blend. As they describe it..."Anything but boring, and as great as the classics in literature!"

[shukriyya]

Oy, a little research yielded that the Nobel prizes have been awarded to 803 men and...are you ready...44, yes that two digits, four_four women! The first woman to win it was Marie Curie who won it for physics alongside her husband and Henri Becquerel. She won it again less than a decade later for chemistry. Her daughter went on to win it for chemistry two decades or so later. Fifteen women have won the Nobel Peace Prize and thirteen have won it for Literature, Alice Munro being the most recent winner in 2013.

 

A chart here for those interested.

 

 

 

[mumto2]

Oy, a little research yielded that the Nobel prizes have been awarded to 803 men and...are you ready...44, yes that two digits, four_four women! The first woman to win it was Marie Curie who won it for physics alongside her husband and Henri Becquerel. She won it again less than a decade later for chemistry. Her daughter went on to win it for chemistry two decades or so later. Fifteen women have won the Nobel Peace Prize and thirteen have won it for Literature, Alice Munro being the most recent winner in 2013.

 

A chart here for those interested.

Shocking, the situation hasn't improved much through the decades either!!!!

 

Sadie, Welcome!

[prairiegirl]

 

I LOVED Surprised by Oxford and Holy is the Day (her second book). I powered through both of them very quickly.  I couldn't keep my nose out of them.  I think Carolyn Weber is amazing and follow her blog and writings.  I really think what made Surprised by Oxford so wonderful to me was the way the Christian community there gathered and strengthened and taught her in loving fellowship.  Fantastic book, and despite its length a very quick read.  Madeleine L'Engle has long been my favorite author, Weber's writing reminds me of her in vocabulary, cadence, and syntax.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I totally agree about the similarity of writing styles between Carolyn Weber and Madeleine L'Engle.  I read Holy is the Day and then right after it read The Rock That is Higher by L'Engle  and it was like I never really finished the first book.  There was a flowing between the two.   I tried to read Surprised by Oxford last year but was not enamored with it so I put it aside but after reading and loving Holy is the Day, I am going to try SbO again.

[JennW in SoCal]

Sometimes with this thread I feel like I'm always running to catch the bus. The conversation moves quickly and the titles everyone talks about come then go quickly too. I'm finally reading Cinnamon and Gunpowder, a book that was quite the topic of conversation last Christmas.  Late to the party, but I finally got here! 

 

So many threads of conversation this week. 

 

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series is a very good on audio.  The narrator is a South African woman who brings the books to life with her accents.  My kids even liked listening to them in the car, back in my active homeschooling days. I had read several of the titles before I tried the audio, and it made a big impression on me because of how much better I liked hearing everything pronounced properly.  

 

The Brandon Sanderson Way of Kings is quite good, though long.  And I liked Mistborn, too.  He builds amazing worlds, and populates them with great characters and interesting plots, but the relationships between characters can be a bit clunky, especially romantic relationships.  But he is very readable, and is worth catching at a bookstore for a signing to hear him talk about his work and to read from it.

 

So odd not to have an opinion on Sayers being appropriate for teen girls -- I haven't had to read with my mommy filter on in several years now!

 

 

I'm still lugging loads of books upstairs, sorting and shelving them.  I'm getting worried now because shelf space is running low.  Did they make like rabbits and multiply while piled up around the fireplace downstairs?  Did all the books I donated slip back in during the night?  And bring friends? It feels like a library episode of the Twilight Zone.  

 

 

[Angel]

 

 

 

I'm still lugging loads of books upstairs, sorting and shelving them.  I'm getting worried now because shelf space is running low.  Did they make like rabbits and multiply while piled up around the fireplace downstairs?  Did all the books I donated slip back in during the night?  And bring friends? It feels like a library episode of the Twilight Zone.  

 

:lol:  :lol:

[Kareni]

 

 

It feels like a library episode of the Twilight Zone.  

 

"Franklin ....  Franklin ...."    (How many Twilight Zone watchers do we have here?)

 

If it's a library episode, perhaps it should be "Dewey ....  Dewey ...."!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Shawneinfl]

Oy, a little research yielded that the Nobel prizes have been awarded to 803 men and...are you ready...44, yes that two digits, four_four women! The first woman to win it was Marie Curie who won it for physics alongside her husband and Henri Becquerel. She won it again less than a decade later for chemistry. Her daughter went on to win it for chemistry two decades or so later. Fifteen women have won the Nobel Peace Prize and thirteen have won it for Literature, Alice Munro being the most recent winner in 2013.

 

A chart here for those interested.

 

Interesting! My ds is doing a report on Marie Curie this week for CC. He was just telling me the same thing.

[PrairieSong]

Hello! I've wanted to jump into this thread so many times. I've loved reading some of the BAW threads because I love reading about books. I know I haven't read a book a week this year. I haven't even kept a list, but here are some of mine:

 

The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

The Dumbest Generation by Mark Bauerlein (these two may have been before Jan. 1 though)

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (love him, this is a quick read)

Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff (fast moving, kept my mind occupied during transatlantic flight, but not a favorite)

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (re-read after not reading it for years)

The Magic Summer by Noel Streatfeild (loved as a child, found a used copy recently)

Catching Fire &

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (read Hunger Games long ago, for some reason did not finish series till now)

Something Other than God by Jennifer Fulwiler (her blog is funny and insightful...the book was okay but did not live up to the hype surrounding its publication, IMO)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (hadn't read in a long time)

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

A bunch of stuff from the library! Some were wedding idea books.

Some nutrition books (I know! I'm so specific.)

I've started too many books, trying to finish one at a time:

The Book Thief

The Fault in Our Stars (dd strongly recommended it)

The Happiness Project

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (read aloud with ds)

 

I know I'm "way behind" but maybe this will give me some incentive to aim for a BAW in 2015.

 

Happy reading!

[Pam in CT]

Hello! I've wanted to jump into this thread so many times. I've loved reading some of the BAW threads because I love reading about books. I know I haven't read a book a week this year. I haven't even kept a list, but here are some of mine:

 

The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

The Dumbest Generation by Mark Bauerlein (these two may have been before Jan. 1 though)

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (love him, this is a quick read)

Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff (fast moving, kept my mind occupied during transatlantic flight, but not a favorite)

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (re-read after not reading it for years)

The Magic Summer by Noel Streatfeild (loved as a child, found a used copy recently)

Catching Fire &

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (read Hunger Games long ago, for some reason did not finish series till now)

Something Other than God by Jennifer Fulwiler (her blog is funny and insightful...the book was okay but did not live up to the hype surrounding its publication, IMO)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (hadn't read in a long time)

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

A bunch of stuff from the library! Some were wedding idea books.

Some nutrition books (I know! I'm so specific.)

I've started too many books, trying to finish one at a time:

The Book Thief

The Fault in Our Stars (dd strongly recommended it)

The Happiness Project

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (read aloud with ds)

 

I know I'm "way behind" but maybe this will give me some incentive to aim for a BAW in 2015.

 

Happy reading!

 

Welcome!  Nice to have you here.

 

Three Gaimans so far this year, eh?  Impressive.  The ladies here recently turned me on to  my first -- Good Omens, which I greatly enjoyed -- and I have Neverwhere floating around somewhere in my car awaiting me...

[shukriyya]

I started my audiobook today, 'Some Kind of Fairy Tale'. Really enjoying it so far. I'm tempted to get the library kindle version so I can toggle back and forth by chapter.

[*Inna*]

Welcome, Sadie! :)

[aggieamy]

The saga continues ...

 

Closed on the house today.  Everything went off perfectly.  A bunch of friends came over to help us move the library and then we had pizza and sat around and talked.  It was finally starting to feel like home with everyone in my kitchen laughing and having fun.  

 

Despite all that my stress level is still high and will be for the next few days.  I have a major project deadline on Monday.  I'm going on the Girl Scout campout this weekend and it's supposed to be cold.  DS has had a horrible cold for the last three days.  It's taken me three solid days of being coughed on, thrown up on, and breathed on but I finally managed to catch his cold.

 

I just have to make it until noon on Monday and my stress level will seriously decrease.

 

 

 

I'm struggling with finding an audiobook series that I like.  I've given up on the Hamish MacBeth series after half a book.  All the descriptions I read just don't grab me.  I've loved and listened to most of the Georgette Heyer, Agatha Christie, and Lillian Jackson Braun book.  

 

Any recommendations?  I really want a cozy mystery or a historical mystery or anything wonderful set in England.  Nothing too gruesome.  A fantastic narrator is a huge plus.  

[MicheleinMN]

I'm struggling with finding an audiobook series that I like.  I've given up on the Hamish MacBeth series after half a book.  All the descriptions I read just don't grab me.  I've loved and listened to most of the Georgette Heyer, Agatha Christie, and Lillian Jackson Braun book.  

 

Any recommendations?  I really want a cozy mystery or a historical mystery or anything wonderful set in England.  Nothing too gruesome.  A fantastic narrator is a huge plus.  

 

Have you tried the Flavia de Luce books on audio?  I love the narrator!  

[mumto2]

I started my audiobook today, 'Some Kind of Fairy Tale'. Really enjoying it so far. I'm tempted to get the library kindle version so I can toggle back and forth by chapter.

Can't wait to hear more about this one. It sounds so good but I remember doing my search and not being able to find it already. Will try again tomorrow.

 

Amy :grouphug: Congratulations on the new house. Glad to hear that part went smoothly and is over except for the move.

 

Prariesong -- Welcome!!!!!

 

Currently reading Aunt Dimity's Good Deed while waiting to feel sleepy again.

[Kareni]

Welcome, PrairieSong!

 

I know I haven't read a book a week this year. I haven't even kept a list, but here are some of mine:

...
A bunch of stuff from the library!

 

Hey, I read those, too!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[PrairieSong]

Welcome, PrairieSong!

 

 

Hey, I read those, too!

 

Regards,

Kareni

What a coincidence! I hope you enjoyed them every bit as much as I did.

[Violet Crown]

Welcome Sadie and PrairieSong!

 

Amy, I don't have any book recommendations, but much sympathy.

[mumto2]

This is Day Three of carrying The Bone Clocks around the house with me. I haven't read a single page of it yet. Just can't seem to make myself start it. I think someone here has readit already but can't remember who. Went hunting for reviews this morning and found thishttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/07/bone-clocks-review-david-mitchell-lot-of-fun-booker. I just can't decide if I am really interested or if I should just let the next person on the wait list have it. Any encouragement either way?

 

Positive side to my reading is I finished my Aunt Dimity and moved on to Anita Blake during the night. Really enjoying the Anita Blake, I read the first six or so while pregnant for ds.

[Jane in NC]

Welcome to Sadie and PrairieSong! 

 

VC, my copy of The Golden Legend arrived yesterday. The initial plan had been to read about a random saint on a weekly basis.  Looking at the book, I now wonder if I might want to attempt to read it from cover to cover--although certainly not quickly.

 

I am only fourteen chapters behind in HoAW (cough, cough).  I must share a footnote from the book (Chapter 38) that completely cracked me up.  SWB is commenting on the use of the word "nimrod" to mean a "foolish and ineffectual man":

 

 

The only etymology I can find for this suggests that, thanks to some biblically literate scriptwriter, Bugs Bunny once called Elmer Fudd a "poor little Nimrod" in an ironic reference to the "mighty hunter." Apparently the entire Saturday-morning audience, having no memory of Genesis genealogies, heard the irony as a general insult and applied it to anyone bumbling and Fudd-like.  Thus a distorted echo of Tukulti-Ninura's might in arms bounced down, through the agency of a rabbit, into the vocabulary of the twentieth century.

 

Jenn and Nan may recall that I often thought my son was receiving a Monty Python based education in high school (consisting of all the classics and historical references necessary to understand the comedy) but I suppose one could also create a Bugs Bunny educational plan. My husband and I have commented on how many pieces of classical music were introduced to us via the old Saturday morning cartoons.

[Pam in CT]

Good morning ladies-

 

I've followed news from their foundation for a long time, but I only recently came across Bill Gates' personal blog... here's his list of six summer book recommendations.  Several are just what you'd expect from a, you know, run-of-the-mill gazillionaire-turned-philanthropist, but one of them is the BAW-beloved Rosie Project!!!   :laugh: