prairiegirl Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I just finished Elizabeth Gilbert's The Signature of All Things: A Novel. It was, in my opinion, an excellent read. It was also a quick read in the sense that the pages kept turning, and I didn't have to do the math of number of pages in the book --------------------------------- days to the book group is equal to how many pages I have to read today. The author has clearly researched many topics -- botany, history of sea voyages, history of the 1800s, and Dutch to name just a few -- but it didn't feel as though I was being lectured at all. All of the research was smoothly incorporated into the writing. I recommend it. That said, I do think that more conservative readers will find aspects of the book problematic. I'm looking forward to tomorrow evening's discussion of the book. Regards, Kareni Kareni, I have been waiting for your opinion on this book. I, too, liked this book very much. I love Gilbert's writing style. I don't consider myself conservative but I had some problems, okay, one big problem with the book. I read this book in Jan. so my memory is a bit foggy but I remember close to the end of the book the main character interacted with a minor character in a way that made me feel manipulated. I felt like the interaction was was written in solely for shock value. I truly didn't see the purpose of this interaction. I didn't see that it helped the storyline at all. This is similar to Anne Patchet''s State of Wonder. That book, too, had a scene that did not need to be there. It was only there to shock me. I don't like it when author's do that to me. If the shock has something to do with the story, then, okay, I can handle it but when it comes out of nowhere it taints the story for me. A question - When do you do your reading? You all seem to be reading so much. I am jealous. I want more escape time. Or maybe you just read faster than I? I read pretty slowly and I am totally not interested in changing that because books are too short as it is grin. Anyway, I'm just curious how other people manage... Nan As others have said, Nan, my reading life and the amount that I read changes according to my life season. Right now I am not reading that much, I am lucky if I can get one book done a week but usually it's one book every two or three weeks. Right now my life revolves around chauffeuring so I bring a book with me so I can read in the truck while I wait for kids to come out of youth group, 4H, the movies, etc. I also try to read for an hour or so before bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 So clearly if I learn to multi-task while reading then my book count will go up, right? :smilielol5: Seriously how do you all read and do something else? Reading is an area where I can only do that and nothing else except for perhaps drinking tea and nibbling chocolate. Even audio books require me to be focused primarily on the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Echoing what others have said about reading. I'm not a fast or slow reader & I'm definitely not a multi-tasking sort. I tend to do much of my reading when waiting on my dc at activities or in the evening. I can manage coffee/chocolate & reading like shukriyya. :lol: (Except when I'm out at a cafe. Then, I can manage reading only if there's not loud conversation going on near me & if the music is instrumental, but not when there's singing.) The one time I think I multi-task when reading is that I sometimes will read when stuck in traffic jams or at long lights. I do tend to carry a book with me everywhere & will grab the opportunity to read, even when I have just five minutes. I also watch very little tv. Ds will be getting braces soon, so I suspect I'll have some more reading time in 2015/16 while I'm waiting around at the orthodontist's office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Does anyone else find it disturbing that more waiting rooms are adding television sets? I cannot read while these idiot boxes blast away. The other day when at the car dealership for a quick service thing, I found a quiet table outside of the service area (which had a television) where I wrote a paper letter. Yes, I am your archaic friend. Even doctors' offices have televisions. The world has gone mad, I tell you! (Saying this for Stacia's benefit so she can post my curmudgeon emoticon again!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I don't have a tv. We had one growing up, but I wasn't allowed to watch it except for special occasions. Ditto for my husband. We have a dvd player and watch dvd's sometimes. When there is a tv in the room, I find it extremely distracting, not having grown up with one on in the background. I HATE tv's in waiting rooms or restaurants. If I want to read in the waiting room, I bring headphones and put on music. Stacia - Good luck with the orthodontist wait. Ours plays the most dreadful music, all the horrid stuff I was forced to listen to on the bus on the way home from high school. Maybe yours will play something more innocuous. I used to read during the long gymnastics practices, but only after I'd walked around the building about 50 times with the dog and practised guitar. I don't do much waiting these days. I can see days ahead when I'll be waiting at dr.'s apt.'s with elderly relatives, but for now, they are still driving themselves. I always have a panicky feeling if I set foot out the door without a book. Heaven forbid I should have to wait for a minute without a book lol. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Does anyone else find it disturbing that more waiting rooms are adding television sets? I cannot read while these idiot boxes blast away. I've been a curmudgeon about the trend for many years. Airport gate areas, car repair places, the doctor's office. When my kids were little I once or twice demanded it be turned off or the channel changed. I would think the trend will reverse because everyone will be absorbed in their own smart phones. And I hate the volume of the music in stores now, too, no matter the genre of the music. Especially in book stores -- I can't think, can't read titles, preview books. Background music is one thing but blaring music is an assault! One nearby grocery store has the volume really cranked. Make room for my rocking chair on the porch Jane. We'll rail against the modern world together!! (Only if I can have my iPhone with me so I can make status updates on Facebook.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Does anyone else find it disturbing that more waiting rooms are adding television sets? I cannot read while these idiot boxes blast away. The other day when at the car dealership for a quick service thing, I found a quiet table outside of the service area (which had a television) where I wrote a paper letter. Yes, I am your archaic friend. Even doctors' offices have televisions. The world has gone mad, I tell you! (Saying this for Stacia's benefit so she can post my curmudgeon emoticon again!) So my plan was to come and be all curmudgeony with you and I was getting ready to type out a reply when Nan ... I don't have a tv. We had one growing up, but I wasn't allowed to watch it except for special occasions. Ditto for my husband. We have a dvd player and watch dvd's sometimes. When there is a tv in the room, I find it extremely distracting, not having grown up with one on in the background. I HATE tv's in waiting rooms or restaurants. If I want to read in the waiting room, I bring headphones and put on music. . Nan ... kindly typed up exactly what I was going to say to save me the trouble. Thank you Nan. Exactly what I was going to say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 For all the anti-tv BaW curmudgeons (including myself)... My preference is definitely for NO tv when out in places (including airports). Ugh. Hate it. I would happily chuck ours in the garbage except dh loves tv & dd likes it too. Hate loud music & even most quiet music. Years ago, I turned off the radio in the car because I was just tired of noise. Now I hardly ever have it on. Dd (a teen) wants music on in the car, so I'll accommodate her sometimes. The cool thing is that ds is like me & enjoys the quiet in the car, so when it's the two of us, we never have the radio or music on when driving. I avoid music in waiting rooms often by staying in my car to read instead. Of course, that doesn't work at Irish dance because it is so loud (even outside the building) that you can hear the music & the hard shoes. :tongue_smilie: Of course, since I'm one of those sensory defensive people, lots of things like that bother me. I don't like cars idling near me (smell of exhaust, vibrations from the car running), people smoking near me (even if they're in their own vehicles), seeing videos/screens in other people's vehicles when I'm sitting in traffic, etc.... I'm probably the biggest curmudgeon of all! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Kareni, I have been waiting for your opinion on this book. I, too, liked this book very much. I love Gilbert's writing style. I don't consider myself conservative but I had some problems, okay, one big problem with the book. I read this book in Jan. so my memory is a bit foggy but I remember close to the end of the book the main character interacted with a minor character in a way that made me feel manipulated. I felt like the interaction was was written in solely for shock value. I truly didn't see the purpose of this interaction. I didn't see that it helped the storyline at all. This is similar to Anne Patchet''s State of Wonder. That book, too, had a scene that did not need to be there. It was only there to shock me. I don't like it when author's do that to me. If the shock has something to do with the story, then, okay, I can handle it but when it comes out of nowhere it taints the story for me. I'm wondering if the scene you're referring to is the one with Alma and Tomorrow Morning; it was somewhat unexpected but given Alma's fondness for the binding room (how's that for a new euphemism?), I wasn't terribly surprised by it. It was certainly a fascinating read all told. I think I only rarely notice an author's writing style; I suspect I read solely for the story. Anyone else here do likewise? Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Oh, Jane, I apologize in advance for sending you around the bend, but I do have to post one more Buzzfeed list in light of our BaW curmudgeonliness... :lol: 17 Books For People Who Hate People Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I think I only rarely notice an author's writing style; I suspect I read solely for the story. Anyone else here do likewise? Not me. I often read for the style, even if there's not always much of a story. Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Oh, Jane, I apologize in advance for sending you around the bend, but I do have to post one more Buzzfeed list in light of our BaW curmudgeonliness... :lol: 17 Books For People Who Hate People I refuse to look Stacia because I don't hate people. I'm rather fond of them--despite their foolishness. :p How about an uplifting story? A Coopers Hawk arrived at the shelter this week via a strange route. The woman who called said that she had been driving down the highway and was horrified, upon returning home, to find a hawk attached to the grill of her car. (I cannot imagine not hearing the impact that this bird must have made, but maybe she was playing the radio loudly.) One of our volunteers donned gloves and extricated it. It was in shock and had to be force fed chopped mice for a couple of days. She is now eating on her own and is doing beautifully. We like to release birds near where they were found but this poor girl will need to adapt to a new environment since we are clueless where home is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 On weekends, I read in the morning (in bed, ahhhhh ... everyone in the household except the dog is trained to bring me mugs of coffee. I'm still working on the dog). I listen to audio books in the car (and so should you, Julia: I would be a complete curmudgeon re: chauffeuring responsibilities were it not for audio books) and during the kids' activities (particularly the karate dojo, too far from home for drop-off and not close to any of my errands either). I read in the bathtub maybe once a week (though I have to limit what: no library books, no hard cover books, no kindle) and in bed before I go to sleep just about every night. On Saturdays I unplug from electronics and only read, so I always get at least one book read just on that one day. We do have a TV, but since I don't know how to turn it on, that doesn't much interfere... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 How about an uplifting story? A Coopers Hawk arrived at the shelter this week via a strange route. The woman who called said that she had been driving down the highway and was horrified, upon returning home, to find a hawk attached to the grill of her car. (I cannot imagine not hearing the impact that this bird must have made, but maybe she was playing the radio loudly.) One of our volunteers donned gloves and extricated it. It was in shock and had to be force fed chopped mice for a couple of days. She is now eating on her own and is doing beautifully. Uplifting for everyone except the mice, and the perhaps person who chops up the mice? Perhaps my imagination is the victim of too many cartoons, but the image in my head of "chopped mice" is cartoonishly horrific!! As for Nan's question on when to find time for reading. When life is busy, as it has been, I only manage audio books in the car, though sometimes after a rehearsal or gig or lessons I need utter quiet in the car on the drive home. Stacia -- you are the only other person I've heard talk about being sensory-sensitive! That's me. I couldn't multitask and read snippets of a deep, profound, densely written book while the pancakes are grilling, but suppose I could with fluff. I haven't tried it while cooking!! I read at lunch, sometimes before bed, and sometimes on lovely grey days like today, I will just plop down on the couch and read just because I want to. It is hard to push the "to do" list out of my head though and just focus on the book. And now I can't focus with that chopped mice image in my head. I actually want to know about those poor mice. Yet I don't. But I'm really curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Pam - Laughing over the can't turn on the tv so it doesn't bother me. I have a plan. We should all encourage tech companies to make ever "better" clickers. Perhaps the ever increasing clicker complexity will encourage reading. I read many things for the writing. Jane does too grin. And she is one of the more people-loving people I know. Thirkell (Plot? What plot? I see no plot.). Wodehouse (recycled plots). And then there are the McKillips, which have both. Yum. I can't read in the bath. There are too many stars in it. Jane, what a wild story! At least the horrified lady DID something. I can't help wondering if her eyes were on the road when she hit the poor thing. I suppose it might have sprung up off the roadside too low to see. Jenn - You can buy freeze-dried mice for snakes. In case you need something to go to sleep and Jane isn't available to give you a better (and possibly more gruesome) answer. You might be better with mine until morning, anyway. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 And now I can't focus with that chopped mice image in my head. I actually want to know about those poor mice. Yet I don't. But I'm really curious. Sorry. I just take wild birds for granted since I have been a volunteer at the shelter since its inception. Squeamish types need to move along now while I tell Jenn about mice. Mice are actually one of our largest expenditures at the shelter. We buy them frozen from companies that raise mice and rats as food for zoos and pet stores although there is also a gentleman who raises live mice for us too. Before a raptor is released back into the wild, it has to pass "mouse school", finding a live mouse in a tub filled with greenery. Until that time, whole dead mice are given to the raptors. (Really, if you eat factory farmed chicken there is no difference. They are factory farmed mice.) If a bird is doing poorly, it will be fed mouse bits (tail discarded--yes, we cut defrosted mice. Again, think chicken.) Basically you don gloves, wrap the hawk or owl up in a towel, then offer it mice bits on forceps. It gets an occasional squirt of water on its beak as it eats. Sorry, it is not Redwall. And, as I said, I just take it all for granted since I have been doing this for so long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Stacia -- you are the only other person I've heard talk about being sensory-sensitive! That's me. A few weeks ago, I skimmed Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight. You might find it interesting to skim too, if your library carries it. I've always been sensory defensive as long as I can remember. My sister keeps telling me that if she ever wins the lottery, she's going to buy me a sensory deprivation tank. (I keep hoping she wins! :laugh: ) Noise, touch, smells, & visual input can overload me very quickly. Especially noise. Oh how I hate noise. I think noise pollution is an overlooked danger in today's society. My mom has always suggested that I would be happier if I wore earplugs 24/7. I think karaoke is some insane, devilish invention (who would want to hear drunks & bad singers amplified with cheesy music???)! The movie Minority Report also showcased my version of hell where there are talking billboards that target you & talk to you specifically as you walk by. I think I manage to act presentable in public while coping (or maybe I don't?), but perhaps I should really be living in an isolated cave. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Pam - Laughing over the can't turn on the tv so it doesn't bother me. I have a plan. We should all encourage tech companies to make ever "better" clickers. Perhaps the ever increasing clicker complexity will encourage reading. The only kind of clicker one needs... http://cornfieldelectronics.com/tvbgone/tvbg.home.php (Yes, they do actually work. Ask me how I know. ;) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Oh, and I started another book today. I Hotel by Karen Tei Yamashita, published by Coffee House Press. 2010 National Book Award Finalist 2010-2011 Asian/Pacific American Library Association (APALA) Book Award Winner in Adult Fiction 2010 California Book Award Winner Publishers Weekly starred review: In Yamashita's latest, she strings together a stunningly complete vision of San Francisco's Asian American community in the late 1960s and early '70s, using the titular inn as a meeting point for ten loosely-connected novellas, each covering a single year. Focusing on the struggle for equality and peace as it involved this particular community, Yamashita's work also incorporates a broad view of the Asian and Asian American experiences, from Japanese internment camps to the Marcos dictatorship. Yamashita accomplishes a dynamic feat of mimesis by throwing together achingly personal stories of lovers, old men, and orphaned children; able synopses of historical events and social upheaval; and public figures like Lenin and Malcolm X (Yamashita's opening line: "So I'm Water Cronkite, dig?"). Despite its experimental and fictionalized nature, the novel reads more like a patchwork oral history, determined to relate the facts of its setting and, more importantly, the feelings of it; with varied commingling of voices and formats (stream-of-consciousness, slangy first person, quotes, dossiers, academic papers, even written-out choreography), the narrative reads like a collection of primary sources. Though it isn't for everyone, this powerful, deeply felt, and impeccably researched fiction is irresistibly evocative and overwhelming in every sense. 30 b&w photos and illus. I found this book quite by accident (like I did with Galore) because I was searching my library's collection for books by some of the smaller, indie publishing companies. Seems like a promising book so far, but I'm not quite sure why I'm tackling a 600+ page book. (Ugh.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I'm enjoying the rambliness of this conversation, as though the collective BaW consciousness has sat down to meditate and we're being taken on a lovely trajectory of the mind's rabbit trail proclivities. Though perhaps they're not rabbit trails at all. We're another house that doesn't have a television. We've not had one for 12 years but the computer has certainly managed to fill a significant amount of pyschic space. As for noise, when I used to watch movies at a theater (can't do it anymore due to the loudness factor) I was constantly running back to tell the kids to 'please turn down the volume'. It would go down an infinitessimal amount and back I'd trot. As for books, I've got 'Airs Above the Ground', 'The Birth of Venus' and now 'The Lady in Gold' going. Not keen on reading so many at once but they came available and have been on my list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Sorry. I just take wild birds for granted since I have been a volunteer at the shelter since its inception. I had this cartoon image of Jane with a large cleaver in her hand holding a squirming mouse by the tale. "Hold still you little rodent! This won't hurt a bit!" Reality is much more sensible. Speaking of cartoons... Oh how I hate noise. This brings to mind the scene where the Grinch has drum sticks hitting his head while he declares "how I hate the noise, noise, noise, noise!" Ican't hold a conversation when the music is too loud in the car or in a restaurant. I've started wearing earplugs at night to block out the little noises of the house and dog. And here I am a musician! In the last 2 months I've been crammed into several different small pit orchestras, sitting so close to a piccolo that I could feel, on my cheek, the air coming out of her instrument! Or I've been with percussion (timpani, bells, cymbals) directly behind me or the amp for the electric piano right in front of me. Add to that the noise of musicians practicing while someone is trying to explain cuts in the music before the rehearsal begins -- oh!! I come unglued!! It exhausts me so that the next day I just want to stay in bed. My library system has that book -- I'm putting in on hold tonight. Thanks for the tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I can't hold a conversation when the music is too loud in the car or in a restaurant. I've started wearing earplugs at night to block out the little noises of the house and dog. And here I am a musician! In the last 2 months I've been crammed into several different small pit orchestras, sitting so close to a piccolo that I could feel, on my cheek, the air coming out of her instrument! Or I've been with percussion (timpani, bells, cymbals) directly behind me or the amp for the electric piano right in front of me. Add to that the noise of musicians practicing while someone is trying to explain cuts in the music before the rehearsal begins -- oh!! I come unglued!! It exhausts me so that the next day I just want to stay in bed. My library system has that book -- I'm putting in on hold tonight. Thanks for the tip! This is so wonderfully visceral. As a very basic recorder player and former flute player in my teen years I appreciate your sensitivity to the air element. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 On weekends, I read in the morning (in bed, ahhhhh ... everyone in the household except the dog is trained to bring me mugs of coffee. I'm still working on the dog). I'm envisioning a Saint Bernard carrying a barrel full of coffee instead of brandy .... Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 17 Books For People Who Hate People The cover art for Scum Manifesto is certainly ... memorable! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 When cooking and reading fluff is definitely required! :) ETA. Have to laugh, I just spent 10 minutes cutting and pasting while responding to a long list of multi quotes from all of you and that bit of wisdom is all that actually posted. Cannot believe it and no desire to recreate what I said. The highlights..... Jane, Thank you for spending your time caring for wild birds. So glad that poor hawk is doing well, I keep imagining her terror while attached to that grill..... Stacia, that list could make anyone hate people if they actually read all of those books. Kareni, I am exactly the same way. I don't really notice a writer's style unless it somehow effects the flow of words into my brain. I read quickly and don't mind slowing down for a great story but do mind it when I am forced to because the words don't flow properly. Jenn, My fluff in the kitchen was in response to you. I get quite a bit of reading done by just setting my fire down flat and being able to glace over at it. Much easier than propping a book open. I read a chapter of something fluffy while drying my hair for instance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 The only kind of clicker one needs... http://cornfieldelectronics.com/tvbgone/tvbg.home.php (Yes, they do actually work. Ask me how I know. ;) ) Wait. HOLD THE BUS. Are you actually saying this thing work on all TVs? Like, for example, the one in the dentist office, the one in the bank, the one at the gas station tank? And such a thing could be stored, in, say, a commodious purse, and surreptitiously aimed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Back when I was in grad school, I took advantage of the free hearing tests that the Audiology lab at the university gave. When it was over and nothing wrong was found, the doctor asked me what led me to have my hearing checked. I told him that I was having difficulty processing conversations at gatherings when surrounded by other conversations, music, etc. He commented that he found there were certain personality types who wanted not just to hear everything around them but to process everything as well. The older I get, the more challenging it is for me to process the single conversation in a world of distraction. NPR may be on but if I am reading this thread, I don't hear it. On writing styles and plots: Reading Jacqueline Winspear's new novel, The Care and Management of Lies, has reminded me why I quit reading the Maisie Dobbs series. I think Winspear is a good story teller. While I particularly appreciate her passion for WWI on the homefront, there is something in her writing that is just lacking for me--or is too much for me. Perhaps I prefer some subtlety. So, yes, writing style is important to me. Probably more than plot. But as Nan pointed out, some of my favorite books are those in which nothing happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Pam - You beat me to it lol. I was going to tell everyone that there is a lovely little electronics kit by Make magazine called TV-B-Gone. http://www.makershed.com/products/super-tv-b-gone-kit-unassembled There are some advantages to having grown up in open concept schools. One is good concentration. I draw the line at trying to teach math while my husband is discussing his mother's health loudly on the phone with her in the same room. I have thought for a long time that the popularity of headphones in public places has a lot to do with this issue. It gives a sense of peace and privacy. I think the reason more older people don't use them is because they didn't grow up with them and don't realize how nice it can be. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 So, yes, writing style is important to me. Probably more than plot. But as Nan pointed out, some of my favorite books are those in which nothing happens. Trying to write in the dark with a pup snuggled into the crook of my arm like a toddler but I wanted to say yes! yes! to the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 DH is out of town and I've been meaning to make progress on my book club books but instead I've been totally sucked into a new series: Look at that cover! It's like it was designed to catch my attention as I walked by the shelves. It's a manga series (my first!) and it's taking me awhile to get used to reading in the wrong direction but I'm enjoying it. It's a love story between a Victorian maid and a young rich aristocrat. There's ten books in the series and I've read the first two. Super fast reads. I read one while I was waiting for DS's dinner to bake. (Now I'm reading and cooking too!). There doesn't seem to be the depth that a traditional book has in story but I also feel like I might be missing things because I'm so unfamiliar with the format. Has anyone here read any of these books? On writing styles and plots: Reading Jacqueline Winspear's new novel, The Care and Management of Lies, has reminded me why I quit reading the Maisie Dobbs series. I think Winspear is a good story teller. While I particularly appreciate her passion for WWI on the homefront, there is something in her writing that is just lacking for me--or is too much for me. Perhaps I prefer some subtlety. I feel the same way about Maisie Dobbs. I really enjoyed the first one and then it quickly tapered off into 'meh' land for me. I love homefront and WWI stories so I had hoped to find a new series to love and was disappointed that I didn't. I enjoy writing style but plot and fun characters are my biggest draws in books. My DH on the other hand loves books with lots of character development and almost refuses to read anything written in first person. (*ahem* Speaking of curmudgeon-y he has a rant about first person narrative and why it's the worst writing style ever.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Wait. HOLD THE BUS. Are you actually saying this thing work on all TVs? Like, for example, the one in the dentist office, the one in the bank, the one at the gas station tank? And such a thing could be stored, in, say, a commodious purse, and surreptitiously aimed? Looks like it's small enough to fit on a keychain! I like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Here's a book for Jane...Lives in Ruins : Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble.... Marilyn Johnson’s 'Lives in Ruins' is an absorbing and entertaining look at the lives of contemporary archaeologists as they sweat under the sun for clues to the puzzle of our past. Johnson digs and drinks alongside archaeologists, chases them through the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and even Machu Picchu, and excavates their lives. Her subjects share stories we rarely read in history books, about slaves and Ice Age hunters, ordinary soldiers of the American Revolution, children of the first century, Chinese woman warriors, sunken fleets, mummies.What drives these archaeologists is not the money (meager) or the jobs (scarce) or the working conditions (dangerous), but their passion for the stories that would otherwise be buried and lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Wait. HOLD THE BUS. Are you actually saying this thing work on all TVs? Like, for example, the one in the dentist office, the one in the bank, the one at the gas station tank? And such a thing could be stored, in, say, a commodious purse, and surreptitiously aimed? I know it works on restaurant tvs. :lol: Someone gave me one years ago & I know it works at one of the local restaurants. My teen nephew was so taken with it, I passed it on to him at that point. I know he got it to work in a sports bar. (Don't know how he didn't end up getting killed, though.) Hadn't thought about the gas pump screens -- I'm curious now to know if that would work. And, yes, it's small enough to fit in a purse or pocket. I've started a very, very, very dry humor book called: How to Sharpen Pencils by David Rees, published by Melville House. :laugh: It's a quick read that actually does go into significant detail about sharpening pencils, while also being very, very dryly humorous. (The humor will not appeal to everyone.) **SHORTLISTED FOR THE DIAGRAM PRIZE FOR ODDEST TITLE OF 2012** Have you got the right kind of point on your pencil? Do you know how to achieve the perfect point for the kind of work you need out of that pencil? Deep in New York’s Hudson River Valley, craftsman David Rees—the world’s number one #2 pencil sharpener—still practices the age-old art of manual pencil sharpening. In 2010, he began offering his artisanal service to the world, to the jubilation of artists, writers, draftsmen, and standardized test takers. Now, in a book that is both a manifesto and a fully-illustrated walk-through of the many, many, many ways to sharpen a pencil, he reveals the secrets of his craft. By the time you’re through this book, you will know how to get the perfect point on your pencil without injuring yourself. And if you think it’s a joke, why don’t you poke yourself with your newly sharpened pencil? Or better yet, don’t—because it’ll really hurt. The author has an 'artisanal craft' video. If the dryness of the video appeals, you will enjoy the book. (Fyi, there is some bad language in the video.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 A question - When do you do your reading? You all seem to be reading so much. I am jealous. I want more escape time. Or maybe you just read faster than I? I read pretty slowly and I am totally not interested in changing that because books are too short as it is grin. Anyway, I'm just curious how other people manage... Nan Before I go to bed, in the bathroom, while brushing/flossing, waiting for kids. I do not/can not read first thing in the morning. I have to get up and move or I'll just go right back to sleep and be grumpy. Does anyone else find it disturbing that more waiting rooms are adding television sets? I cannot read while these idiot boxes blast away. The other day when at the car dealership for a quick service thing, I found a quiet table outside of the service area (which had a television) where I wrote a paper letter. Yes, I am your archaic friend. Even doctors' offices have televisions. The world has gone mad, I tell you! (Saying this for Stacia's benefit so she can post my curmudgeon emoticon again!) Yes! Add me to group of people who desire waiting rooms sans tv sets. I can't get my youngest to listen to me trying to read him a book in waiting rooms cause there is always a tv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Here's a book for Jane...Lives in Ruins : Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble.... Marilyn Johnson’s 'Lives in Ruins' is an absorbing and entertaining look at the lives of contemporary archaeologists as they sweat under the sun for clues to the puzzle of our past. Johnson digs and drinks alongside archaeologists, chases them through the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and even Machu Picchu, and excavates their lives. Her subjects share stories we rarely read in history books, about slaves and Ice Age hunters, ordinary soldiers of the American Revolution, children of the first century, Chinese woman warriors, sunken fleets, mummies. What drives these archaeologists is not the money (meager) or the jobs (scarce) or the working conditions (dangerous), but their passion for the stories that would otherwise be buried and lost. My library system has the book on order and I am the second person to request it. I hope that it is available when The Dear Lad is home for the holidays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 While DH is out of town DS and I have been on a quest to read 50 books over 5 days. We're at 23 books and DH won't be home until Sunday evening so we're almost half way there. In my search to find books I came across this Goodreads list and have truely loved so many of the books on it. There's quite a few that are better for older kids which I love because DD and I still enjoy sitting together and reading picture books. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/72305.2015_Mock_Caldecott I think that the art found in children's picture books is some of my favorite art in the world. Before I go to bed, in the bathroom, while brushing/flossing, waiting for kids. I do not/can not read first thing in the morning. I have to get up and move or I'll just go right back to sleep and be grumpy. Yes! Add me to group of people who desire waiting rooms sans tv sets. I can't get my youngest to listen to me trying to read him a book in waiting rooms cause there is always a tv. Our pediatricians office has TV's and it irks me. Aren't we supposed to be limitiing the TV our children watch?!? Then again I'm almost rabid in my dislike of most TV so please ignore me and my rants if they are offensive. :ph34r: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Amy, have you guys read Marguerite Makes a Book? I think you all would love it. http://themarlowebookshelf.blogspot.com/2010/11/marguerite-makes-book.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Amy, have you guys read Marguerite Makes a Book? I think you all would love it. http://themarlowebookshelf.blogspot.com/2010/11/marguerite-makes-book.html Thanks for the suggestion. I've been meaning to post a picture of DD in one of her Halloween costumes but haven't gotten the pictures off my camera yet. She raided the dress up box for a friend's Halloween party and then told her dad that she needed a wooden stake and told me she needed me to paint bite marks on her neck. She was going as Evaline Stoker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 re: Guerilla Clicker: I know it works on restaurant tvs. :lol: Someone gave me one years ago & I know it works at one of the local restaurants. My teen nephew was so taken with it, I passed it on to him at that point. I know he got it to work in a sports bar. (Don't know how he didn't end up getting killed, though.) Hadn't thought about the gas pump screens -- I'm curious now to know if that would work. And, yes, it's small enough to fit in a purse or pocket. :svengo: This is going to Change My Life. This, from a generally Luddite woman who still, ten years into my ecstatic ownership of a programmable coffee maker that I can set up the night before, still says a blessing each morning when I hear the beep go off and inhale the brewing wafts... Amy, have you guys read Marguerite Makes a Book? I think you all would love it. http://themarlowebookshelf.blogspot.com/2010/11/marguerite-makes-book.html Both I and my artsy daughter love this book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Thanks for the suggestion. I've been meaning to post a picture of DD in one of her Halloween costumes but haven't gotten the pictures off my camera yet. She raided the dress up box for a friend's Halloween party and then told her dad that she needed a wooden stake and told me she needed me to paint bite marks on her neck. She was going as Evaline Stoker! How cool. I would love to see her photo! :hurray: ETA: Your post reminds me that I got the second book in the Stoker & Holmes series through a Goodreads giveaway. I'm not sure when I'll read it, but I'm happy to send it on to your dd when I'm done, if you are interested. (Your PM box is full, btw.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 While DH is out of town DS and I have been on a quest to read 50 books over 5 days. We're at 23 books and DH won't be home until Sunday evening so we're almost half way there. In my search to find books I came across this Goodreads list and have truely loved so many of the books on it. There's quite a few that are better for older kids which I love because DD and I still enjoy sitting together and reading picture books. I still love reading picture books and have bought a few over the past year just for myself :D I thought of you all as I sat waiting for ds's haircut to be done while the inane 'music' went on and on. We, as a culture, have a deep mistrust of silence, it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I still love reading picture books and have bought a few over the past year just for myself :D Me too. I have always loved picture books. Always will, I suspect. I thought of you all as I sat waiting for ds's haircut to be done while the inane 'music' went on and on. We, as a culture, have a deep mistrust of silence, it seems. Yes, yes, yes. So true. It drives me crazy. People don't know how to stop &/or be silent with themselves. Sadly, I think society is quickly forgetting this art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 re: Guerilla Clicker: :svengo: This is going to Change My Life. This, from a generally Luddite woman who still, ten years into my ecstatic ownership of a programmable coffee maker that I can set up the night before, still says a blessing each morning when I hear the beep go off and inhale the brewing wafts... And, it's Luddite-friendly, imo. Just sort-of point & click. (Definitely easier than programming a coffeemaker.) Are we going to start reading reports of mysterious silences & tv outages all across the state of CT soon? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Here's a homemade gift of fun photo bookmarks: http://www.cometogetherkids.com/2012/03/fun-photo-bookmarks.html Might be a neat or fun idea for kids to make for their bibliophile relatives & friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 How cool. I would love to see her photo! :hurray: ETA: Your post reminds me that I got the second book in the Stoker & Holmes series through a Goodreads giveaway. I'm not sure when I'll read it, but I'm happy to send it on to your dd when I'm done, if you are interested. (Your PM box is full, btw.) Thank you for letting me know. I have it cleaned up now. When DH gets back in town I'll have him download the pictures ... she's a pretty funny kid with her tastes in everything Victorian and I know she would love the second book in the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Stacia - I had to laugh when I read the part about hurting yourself in the review of the pencil sharpening book. Middle son has a small grey tatoo right between the bridge of his nose and his eye due to an argument over a pencil when he and his brother were small. Brother let go suddenly. And I have another pencil sharpening tidbit for you - my grandmother's father was the head industrial arts in a school system and used to sharpen her pencils on the lathe for her. This was at a time when everyone had a pocket knife and sharpened their pencils with them. (And played mumbldeypeg at recess - my grammy had only brothers and was really good at it and taught us as children lol. Things have certainly changed...) Anyway, she was the envy of her grade because of her lovely pencils. I'll have to add Lives in Ruins to my list to read. Good thing we aren't all sharing the same library system. My sisters and I still give each other picture books for Christmas. Amy - Please tell me how you like your manga series. : ) Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 A lathe, huh? Well, I might have to deduct a point (haha) from the pencil book's rating because he doesn't cover lathe-sharpening in there. (Maybe that's too advanced? :laugh: ) Yeah, I remember my grandfather sharpening his pencils with his pocketknife. This book is making me think I'll try that next time I need to sharpen a pencil. Because I was reading this book, ds felt the need to sharpen all his school pencils & now he has a pencil box full of sharp weapons. Dd, otoh, likes mechanical pencils & was huffy when I showed her chapter 11, which effectively states that mechanical pencils are bull@%. :lol: Amy, I'm curious about the manga series too. I have read some manga, but they were some of the Death Note series (per my nephew's request a few years ago), so I think it was a bit different from your storyline. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 A lathe, huh? Well, I might have to deduct a point (haha) from the pencil book's rating because he doesn't cover lathe-sharpening in there. (Maybe that's too advanced? :laugh: ) Yeah, I remember my grandfather sharpening his pencils with his pocketknife. This book is making me think I'll try that next time I need to sharpen a pencil. Because I was reading this book, ds felt the need to sharpen all his school pencils & now he has a pencil box full of sharp weapons. Dd, otoh, likes mechanical pencils & was huffy when I showed her chapter 11, which effectively states that mechanical pencils are bull@%. :lol: Please let DD know that I am in full agreement with her on this important issue. Rolling my eyes, Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 In ds's nature immersion course the requirements for knife certification include sharpening a dozen pencils to a good, sharp point with smooth edges. Nan, I time-traveled back a bit with your lovely story of your grandmother and her father and the boys and playing mumbledypeg which I had to look up... "A children's game played with a pocketknife, the object being to cause the blade to stick in the ground or a wooden surface by flipping the knife in a number of prescribed ways or from a number of prescribed positions." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Jane, as you are apparently a wooden pencil heathen, you may want to avoid the pencil book. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.