Robin M Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Happy Sunday, dear hearts! Today is the start of week 49 in our quest to read 52 Books. Welcome back to all our readers, to all those who are just joining in and to all who are following our progress. Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 Books blog to link to your reviews. The link is below in my signature. 52 Books Blog - Delightful and Inspirational December: What inspires you? Flowers, dogs, books, prayer, poetry, cats, children, friends, artwork, God, trees, horses, fairies, beauty, love, bubbles, family or butterflies. The list is endless since we are all unique in what inspires or delights us. Whether it is painting a picture or just looking at a masterpiece; reading a book or poetry or writing one of our own. The desire to fly, to float, or freewheel through the universe. December is a month full of celebrations: Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, St Lucia Day, Boxing Day, St Nicolas Day, and the winter solstice. All things to celebrate and which bring us inspiration. I'm declaring this month to be Delightful and inspirational December.One of my favorite non fiction writers is Thomas Merton, a trappist monk. I read The Seventh Storey Mountain a few years ago and have been hooked on his writing ever since. He's also friends with numerous authors and continually mentions them, so his books have lead me on many rabbit trails over the years. Another writer whom I found to be inspirational spiritually is Pope Benedict. Whether you are Catholic or not, he is an excellent writer and theologian. Last year I read "Jesus of Nazareth" (review) which just blew me away and made me want to read more of his books.Writing wise, I'm hooked on several different authors who inspire my creativity including James Scott Bell, K.M Weiland, Nora Roberts,and Alice La Plante to name just a few. I generally don't read poetry, however, I'll make an exception for Robert Frost. He really speaks to me with his words such as in The Road Not Taken.In my meandering around the internet I found the ever present Goodreads has an interesting selection of Popular inspirational reads as well as Beliefnet's Top 100 Inspirational Books Need a bit of motivation? Check out Inc.'s Top 10 Motivational Books of all time. Since I've read Think and Grow Rich, How to Win Friends and Influence people, Power of Positive Thinking and Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, I highly recommend checking it out.What books do you find inspirational? History of the Ancient World: Chapters 70 and 71 Secret Santa Gift exchange: Put your name in the pot by pming me your name and address. Come on, don't be shy. What are you reading this week? Link to week 48 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 This past week I finished # 3 and #4 in Dean Koontz Frankenstein series - Dead and Alive and Lost Souls. He throws in enough humor to keep it from being to macabre. I'm off to B&N today to pick up the closing book The Dead Town in the series. Especially since he ended the story in mid action. Yesterday I dove into Devon Monk's newest paranormal series The House Immortal and loved the first book. The only sad thing about it, I have to wait until march for the next book in the series. Today I'm starting # 3 in Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori - Brilliance of the Moon. I didn't do too well with additional nonfiction reading last month. Too busy editing my current work in progress.. Didn't make 50k goal for nanowrimo but made a lot of progress and worked out plot points for story. Yeah! I am keeping on track with my one year bible read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 I finished Mrs. Dalloway, which was amazing, and with the completion of this book, I finished my 5/5/5. Yay! As I was reading it I thought of The Body Artist by Don Delillo and wondered if the latter was influenced by the former. Both detail the thousand thoughts, impressions, etc. a person experiences in a moment. I also read Blessing the Boats by Lucille Clifton. I wasn't into the tone and content of most of this, but liked the style and rhythm. I continue with Journey to the Center of the Earth and I have just started Anna Karenina and Selected Poems by Gwendolyn Brooks. My favorite poem from the Lucille Clifton book: adam thinking she stolen from my bone is it any wonder i hunger to tunnel back inside desperate to reconnect the rib and clay and to be whole again some need in me struggling to roar through my mouth into a name this creation is so fierce i would rather have been born Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 I finished up 'The Lady in Gold' a few days ago. As I mentioned last week, a compelling and heart-breaking read. In a bit of a (perhaps obscure) lateral association we all watched the BBC's 'Merchant of Venice' last night. Dh has taught it but never seen this version. Shylock was compellingly played and Portia and her maid, Nerissa, were among the strongest of the portrayals. It was very well done but with Nazi-occupied Vienna still so fresh in my mind the mirror Shakespeare was holding up to nature was difficult to absorb.I've yet to begin my 50th book which will be either Stewart's 'Airs Above the Ground' or 'Primavera' by Mary Jane Beaufrand. Whichever one doesn't get read will be next in line, it's just a matter of inclination at this point. I'll have one more book to read to complete my 5/5 after that and it's going to be either 'Homer's Daughter' by Robert Graves or 'I am Livia' by Phyllis Smith.Crstarlette, congrats on finishing your 5/5! Have you read Clifton's Good Woman? Part memoir, party poetry collection, fully wonderful. And yes! to Mrs. Dalloway. I read it in college and loved it. Read it again in my thirties and loved it.And those with Shakespeare/Star Wars lovers--a rather unusual pairing--have you seen this? Take a listen, it's rather brilliant.It's rainy, rainy, rainy here. Dogs have been out already and looked properly cute in their raincoats. Hope everyone's Sunday is unfolding nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Crstarlette, congrats on finishing your 5/5! Have you read Clifton's Good Woman? Part memoir, party poetry collection, fully wonderful. And yes! to Mrs. Dalloway. I read it in college and loved it. Read it again in my thirties and loved it. I have not. Blessing the Boats is the only Clifton book they have at my library. Good Woman sounds better though. I think I would appreciate some of her poetry more if it were accompanied by memoir. Thanks for mentioning it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Ah, rain. Hoping upon hope that the promised storms this week swing far enough south for us to get some. The warm weather over Thanksgiving was lovely, but it doesn't put one in a holiday mood. Last week I finished the 2nd Dresden Files book, Fool Moon, which was good action packed fluff to enjoy while I was flattened by a nasty cold. Then I read How the Light Gets In, the 9th Inspector Gamache novel by Louise Penny. I love those characters, love the writing and how poetry is always woven into the story. This particular book had the kind of plot that annoys me, revolving around a giant conspiracy, but to the author's credit it was still a compelling and lovely read. Thanks to lying in bed in a stupor most of the week, I managed to re-listen to several audio favorites: Guards, Guards by Terry Pratchett, Jane Austen's Persuassion and I'm about half way through Bryson's In a Sunburned Country. I've got several books lined up but haven't decided which to start. On audio it could either be Tigerman or the next Aubrey/Maturin novel and on my iPad I've got The Gift of Rain and the Garden of Evening Mists both by Tan Twan Eng, and from the library a Mary Stewart, The Stormy Petrel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Slave driving Santa prevents me from reading! I am making progress on my sewn and knitted gifts, but at the expense of books. Or is it Thanksgiving festivities that prevented me from reading? Pesky families. ;) We had a terrifically fun week visiting, eating--and gaming. Ravensburger First Games came out of the attic to play with a three old. After bedtime for wee ones, we pulled out Pairs, a social card game. (If you scroll down on the link, you'll find a link to a free version of the game--print and play Fruit Deck --that you can print at home.) French, Dutch and Slovak rules are also linked at the bottom. Boy, this would have been a fun French assignment back in our homeschool days. Figure out how to play this game! ETA: Forgot to mention that there is a Name of the Wind Pairs deck*. Nice stocking stuffer! Books? Still reading Jaroslav Hašek's short stories, Behind the Lines, as well as the Mary Stewart novel, Gabriel Hounds. *Edit to the edit: my husband points out that there are three Name of the Wind Pairs decks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Still reading Angela's Ashes. Actually haven't been reading much at all this week--kids have been out of school and activities since Wednesday. Lots of baking/cooking for Thanksgiving and then Christmas prep going on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 My posts disappeared on the forum, so I can't check what mentioned the last time I wrote. I finished Ferdinand Huyck finally. I reread some books: Heren van de thee (lords of the tea) Chaim Potok ( in Dutch) I reread a teenerbook that can dd prepare on books like 1984, Animal Farm etc. I think she is ready for it. We watched the movie of one of Netherlands' most famous plays: 'op Hoop van Zegen'. I didn't make it to read something of Vondel, maybe in more restfull times. I bought a book Soerabay about the time my father lived in Indonesia (WWII), And I plan to read more about African History, Just not sure where to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We enjoyed some unexpected guests this year that really helped reinforce the holiday for me. In reading I finished The Cathar Secret by Greg Loomis and Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain Book 2) by Kristen Ashley (thanks Kareni). I didn't think The Cathar Secret was all that special but I think that James Rollins has raised the bar with his Sigma Series. I did order more of the Colorado Mountains books from my library and hope to enjoy those in the coming week or two. I have Black Widow An Elemental Assassin Book by Jennifer Estep and Hard to Come By A Hard Ink Novel by Laura Kaye in my TBR pile so I'll be settling in with those tonight. I've been having a hard time with my fibromyalgia this last week and have been taking some strong prescription painkillers the last few days. Maybe they are affecting my posting, I don't know, but the recent turn in discussion on the Ferguson thread and the irony that I was born and raised in Cleveland wasn't lost on my husband. At his suggestion I'm going to take a board break for a few weeks. I hope to see everyones reading lists from the coming weeks and look forward to the year end wrap ups. Until then happy reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We enjoyed some unexpected guests this year that really helped reinforce the holiday for me. In reading I finished The Cathar Secret by Greg Loomis and Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain Book 2) by Kristen Ashley (thanks Kareni). I didn't think The Cathar Secret was all that special but I think that James Rollins has raised the bar with his Sigma Series. I did order more of the Colorado Mountains books from my library and hope to enjoy those in the coming week or two. I have Black Widow An Elemental Assassin Book by Jennifer Estep and Hard to Come By A Hard Ink Novel by Laura Kaye in my TBR pile so I'll be settling in with those tonight. I've been having a hard time with my fibromyalgia this last week and have been taking some strong prescription painkillers the last few days. Maybe they are affecting my posting, I don't know, but the recent turn in discussion on the Ferguson thread and the irony that I was born and raised in Cleveland wasn't lost on my husband. At his suggestion I'm going to take a board break for a few weeks. I hope to see everyones reading lists from the coming weeks and look forward to the year end wrap ups. Until then happy reading! Hope you get feeling better and if I don't "see" you before Christmas than I hope you and your family have a lovely holiday season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Summer Solstice. (grumble, grumble) I'm up to date with HoAW and have books in place to begin my Jewish reading challenge for next year! Somehow next year seems more achievable than this year, iykwim? :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Uff Da! - That is quite a piece of music to have played 100 times! Shukriyya - The Star Wars thingy is much fun! I can't wait to play the sample for my Mum. Jane - I have the same Santa problem lol. The hazards of making most of your presents... I pulled out my old First Games last week, too, and discovered that I had forgotten the rules and the poor 4yo had to wait while I reread them. I couldn't believe it. I've played those games more often than fish or war. I should have pulled them out sooner. He loved them but I can tell that he will be ready for other games soon. I'm looking forward to checking out your links. Our Thanksgiving featured the game Liar's Dice. The name alone was enough to discourage me from trying. My youngest (now 20) was beaten soundly by his actuarial uncle, to his immense surprise. He usually plays games so statistically that he has become very picky about what he will play with whom. I am too much of a wild card to make a satisfactory game partner because I'm usually playing for a different goal than he is (his is to win) and it messes up the whole game lol. I can see the problem but refuse to change. His cousin introduced him to a very cute video game, a cooperative/solve-the-puzzles/physics-engine-based one. Äfter they'd played for a bit, he told his cousin, "Thanks for making me flunk my finals." Thanksgiving had its moments, like when one cousin, after having been told by his mother he couldn't eat any more pastel mints, began passing them out to all the adults in the next room one by one so he could lick the dust his fingers on the way back to the dish. We had snow! It was so lovely! And we had Thanksgiving in a tent because an elderly family member is occupying my sister's diningroom and we didn't want to burden Mum. Fortunately, it was a very pointy tent and shed the snow. And it came with a giant propane heater. And it was set up before the snow so the grass was more or less dry. Jenn - We listened to In a Sunburned Country. Did you enjoy it? We like A Short History of Nearly Everything better. I hope your cold is better! Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 crstarlette - I looked up Blessing the Boats, since this is a holiday event for us, not a poem. Wow! So simple but so true for those on the water! So, so true. I suppose it is supposed to be a metaphor or something, but taken literally, it works really, really well. : ) Nan Blessing the Boats by Lucille Clifton may the tide that is entering even now the lip of our understanding carry you out beyond the face of fear may you kiss the wind then turn from it certain that it will love your back may you open your eyes to water water waving forever and may you in your innocence sail through this to that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Jenn, I hope you are feeling better. Crstarlette, Congrats on 52! Melmichigan, Wishing you a lovely holiday season. I hope you return to us feeling much better! My posts disappeared on the forum, so I can't check what mentioned the last time I wrote. I finished Ferdinand Huyck finally. I reread some books: Heren van de thee (lords of the tea) Chaim Potok ( in Dutch) I reread a teenerbook that can dd prepare on books like 1984, Animal Farm etc. I think she is ready for it. We watched the movie of one of Netherlands' most famous plays: 'op Hoop van Zegen'. I didn't make it to read something of Vondel, maybe in more restfull times. I bought a book Soerabay about the time my father lived in Indonesia (WWII), And I plan to read more about African History, Just not sure where to start. I seem to completely lose this thread from the boards every week on Monday or Tuesday. It normally reappears on Friday. I have started saving a couple of my likes instead of clearing my box. Same for any other threads I am enjoying reading, midweek vanished from my sorts if I posted. Anyway I can click on a like and go to the thread. I am very grateful when people like me because of this problem. Summer Solstice. (grumble, grumble) I'm up to date with HoAW and have books in place to begin my Jewish reading challenge for next year! Somehow next year seems more achievable than this year, iykwim? :rolleyes: Hugely impressed that you have caught up on HotAW. I really do want to finish it but it doesn't seem to be happening. It doesn't help that it looks so huge sitting beside the bed. I don't think I have read I book in paper form this month. Lots of grab the kindle and go combined with insomnia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We enjoyed some unexpected guests this year that really helped reinforce the holiday for me. In reading I finished The Cathar Secret by Greg Loomis and Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain Book 2) by Kristen Ashley (thanks Kareni). I didn't think The Cathar Secret was all that special but I think that James Rollins has raised the bar with his Sigma Series. I did order more of the Colorado Mountains books from my library and hope to enjoy those in the coming week or two. I have Black Widow An Elemental Assassin Book by Jennifer Estep and Hard to Come By A Hard Ink Novel by Laura Kaye in my TBR pile so I'll be settling in with those tonight. I've been having a hard time with my fibromyalgia this last week and have been taking some strong prescription painkillers the last few days. Maybe they are affecting my posting, I don't know, but the recent turn in discussion on the Ferguson thread and the irony that I was born and raised in Cleveland wasn't lost on my husband. At his suggestion I'm going to take a board break for a few weeks. I hope to see everyones reading lists from the coming weeks and look forward to the year end wrap ups. Until then happy reading! Darlin', I hate to see you go but understand given you are in so much pain. I'll say one thing about the Ferguson thread is it seemed civil, productive and intelligent for a while, then as with all things someone has to get snarky and it goes downhill from there. No doubt it will be closed in a couple days. I make a point of staying out of those conversations and one of the reasons our 52 weeks threads are no snark zones. You can't go wrong discussing books. I hope you feel better soon. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 Summer Solstice. (grumble, grumble) I'm up to date with HoAW and have books in place to begin my Jewish reading challenge for next year! Somehow next year seems more achievable than this year, iykwim? :rolleyes: Yeah for being up to date on HoAW. Yes, I know. While we are celebrating the winter solstice, you all are celebrating the Summer Solstice. At least its all warm and cozy there while we are dealing with the cold and rain. What events are being celebrated in Australia this month? You just gave me an interesting idea for next year for our BaWer's on the other side of the hemisphere. Have to mull it over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Warm and cozy isn't how I'd describe it! Poor Sadie is further north than I am and has been living on ice blocks for weeks already. Australia is celebrating all the same things as the rest of the Western world, only it's the summer solstice, not the winter. Except there are some SCA groups that run a Yule event in December, mostly wearing very non-winterish Roman garb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 We had a terrifically fun week visiting, eating--and gaming. Ravensburger First Games came out of the attic to play with a three old. Oh, wow, I remember the Ravensburger First Games from (cough, cough) a few years ago. My husband had names for some of the games -- I recall the sausage snapping game as well as the flower game. I'm also remembering my daughter playing those games with her grandmother (now deceased). Thanks for a good memory, Jane. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 In reading I finished ... Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain Book 2) by Kristen Ashley (thanks Kareni). ... I did order more of the Colorado Mountains books from my library and hope to enjoy those in the coming week or two. Oddly enough, I came to the thread to get caught up and to post that I'd been on a rereading kick. Books reread include Sweet Dreams and Jagged (Colorado Mountain). I'm also putting in a request for the upcoming print version of Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain) on my holiday wish list. I'm glad you enjoyed the book. Good wishes that you'll soon be pain-free and posting here once again. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Still reading The Historian and The Secret History. I have put a bunch of new stuff on my Kindle, but haven't really looked at any of it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 The grand nephew with whom we played the bird's nest and flower game from First Games was most enthusiastic about his die roll. Whatever the color, he did a little dance: "Orange, oh yeah!" or "Blue, oh yeah!" He also asked me to read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to him. Maybe I need to rent a three year old periodically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Melmichigan, hugs to you. I hope you are feeling better soon. I read The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin this week. This was a delightful book. I absolutely loved it! My dd and I finished Evil Under the Sun (she is a huge Agatha "Christie fan..) Continuing on with my year-long stretch of fluff I am now reading "The MIssing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I finished Mrs. Dalloway, which was amazing, I loved that book. I read it earlier this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I wanted to test the hypothesis that it was the raciness of Year of Wonders that I didn't like, so I read 55. Colette, The Innocent Libertine. Which was good. So it was definitely not the raciness. Instead of an excerpt from the book, an excerpt from the preface: -------------------------- When I wrote Minne [the original title], I intended to write only a long short story, in the hope that I could sign it with my own name. It was necessary therefore, since any work of the dimensions of a novel was bound to be appropriated by covetous hands, that my story should be quite short. It was; but not for long. Its success proved fatal to it. I heard words of praise from a husband's mouth; I also heard other words, too strong for me to quote in this preface. I had to pad out Minne somewhat. --------------------------- I tried to start another plague book, Alessandro Manzoni's The Betrothed, but it was long and I need a break (The Last Man was a dozen pages short of chunkstertude) and am reading The Ox-Bow Incident instead. Other than some jarring passages in which characters break into didactic exposition, pretty good so far. Also I picked up some more Dobie on the clearance shelf and may read that. In general, feeling like leaving France and England and Italy to themselves for a while and resting here in the American west. Where's that McMurtry gone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 1, 2014 Author Share Posted December 1, 2014 Oddly enough, I came to the thread to get caught up and to post that I'd been on a rereading kick. Books reread include Sweet Dreams and Jagged (Colorado Mountain). I'm also putting in a request for the upcoming print version of Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain) on my holiday wish list. I'm glad you enjoyed the book. Good wishes that you'll soon be pain-free and posting here once again. Regards, Kareni You two have sold me. I read the first chapter of Sweet Dreams on Amazon and had to download it to read more. The power of suggestion.. Hee Hee! Thanks! Off to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 No book reading progress to report here. I seem to be stuck & things have been so busy the past week, I haven't had time to sit down & read. I love the Pynchon book, but think I need to restart it entirely when I have enough time to read it in one sitting. Not sure that I'll have much reading time between now & Christmas, so I'm considering shelving everything I have in progress & (maybe) picking up something short & brainless. Really brainless. And really short. :lol: On the upside, I got a lot of stuff done during the Thanksgiving week. Wish that meant I could rest & hide & read, but it just means I won't feel as run-over as normal as our faster-than-crazy weeks start up again tomorrow morning very early. :tongue_smilie: Teen dd really wanted to go see Big Hero 6, so ds & I kind of reluctantly went along. (I'm not really into most kids movies.) Surprise! We all LOVED it. Quite excellent. Robin & Shukriyya, I'm thinking your guys might like it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I picked up The Golem and The Jinni tonight and am enjoying it. Not terribly far into it but it does tend to grab you. Of course, still poking through Ten Ways To Destroy Your Child's Imagination and desperately wishing we could buy a house in the country. ;) My kids are outdoors plenty but there's nothing like being able to explore out in the woods or on acres of land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Of course, still poking through Ten Ways To Destroy Your Child's Imagination and desperately wishing we could buy a house in the country. ;) My kids are outdoors plenty but there's nothing like being able to explore out in the woods or on acres of land. And if you did that, your kids would still want to go out because your acres of land would get all same-y and they'd want to go look at someone else's, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I generally don't read poetry, however, I'll make an exception for Robert Frost. He really speaks to me with his words such as in The Road Not Taken. Someone linked to those 10 poems of late fall in the last thread (one of which was a Frost...he and Shakespeare had the best ones I thought) and at the bottom of the page was a linked article about what a jerk Frost was in real life with a funny story from Wallace Stegner about how he heckled Archibald MacLeish at a poetry reading and even (accidentally? on purpose? accidentally-on-purpose?) started a fire in the back of the room after the heckling didn't appear to do its job. The reading continued despite the small fire. So did Frost and his pointed comments. Uff Da! - That is quite a piece of music to have played 100 times! I really enjoyed the music too. We had a terrifically fun week visiting, eating--and gaming. Ravensburger First Games came out of the attic to play with a three old. After bedtime for wee ones, we pulled out Pairs, a social card game. (If you scroll down on the link, you'll find a link to a free version of the game--print and play Fruit Deck --that you can print at home.) French, Dutch and Slovak rules are also linked at the bottom. Boy, this would have been a fun French assignment back in our homeschool days. Figure out how to play this game! ETA: Forgot to mention that there is a Name of the Wind Pairs deck*. Nice stocking stuffer! Thanksgiving is a great time for games. My husband loves that aspect of the holidays. We had half the family sick, but we played a few games with the boys when they were on the mend (Kingsburg, Travel Blog) and I had to promise a longer game sometime this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I almost forgot! I want to thank the one who mentioned :'Black Potatoes'. I ordered the book and I loved it. It was well written and engaging to read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I'm still working on The 50 Greatest Mysteries, nearing the end. I'm about half way through The Man in The Empty Suit. That one is very surreal. There are so many time paradoxes that you just have to give up trying to figure them out and just surf with the story, which is rather crudely written. However, it's one of those that I'm determined to see to the end, for closure. Of course, I'm assuming there will be closure. Silly me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 The grand nephew with whom we played the bird's nest and flower game from First Games was most enthusiastic about his die roll. Whatever the color, he did a little dance: "Orange, oh yeah!" or "Blue, oh yeah!" He also asked me to read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to him. Maybe I need to rent a three year old periodically. We loved Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. We read Chicka, Goodnight Moon, and Madeleine, everynight for about two years for our night night stories. Dd thought they were just what her baby brother needed to hear nightly. Daddy could fill in the next line in all the stories from another room. Thanks for the memory..... Oddly no one here has ever read Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom. I was talking about favorite children's books with my librarian friend who runs great storytimes and even she doesn't know the book. I can still quote the first lines.... Going to bring a copy back with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Oddly no one here has ever read Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom. GASP! "A told B, and B told C, "I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree." " ~ I hadn't even realized I remembered this until you wrote about it. I guess we read it a time or two (thousand) when my daughter was young. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 GASP! "A told B, and B told C, "I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree." " ~ I hadn't even realized I remembered this until you wrote about it. I guess we read it a time or two (thousand) when my daughter was young. Regards, Kareni Which is why I was surprised that I no longer had the entire book committed to memory! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Some Best Books of the year lists: Library Journal Amazon Publishers Weekly The ten best books of 2014 - The Washington Post Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I love filling in for my dd (the nanny) when she is out of town, which she was last week! Though we watched movies instead of reading (two of the three were sick), I did get lots of little cuddles and interesting conversation. The little boy is almost 3 and we read before nap time. Usually we read Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny, dd's favorites as a child, but he picked Goldilocks and the Three Bears and a rainbow book. Seeing as how he refuses to learn his colors, the rainbow book was appropriate :lol: Dd is reading Farmer Boy to the older girls as their read aloud, but they wanted to wait and do that when she got back. We played Blokus, Dutch Blitz, Farkle, and Bananagrams at Thanksgiving. Well, I only played Dutch Blitz, which I stink at since I cannot multi-task. Farkle is the new favorite and has become a tradition. I was wondering if you all could help me out. Is Monument's Men ok for a 13yo boy? I didn't make it through all of it before it had to go back to the library. My "nephew" is still really into WWII and I wanted to get him a book for Christmas. Do you all have an age appropriate list of suggestions??!! He likes historical fiction and non-fiction. I'm just not well versed in the WWII department! I'm reading another Georgette Heyer book, though it will be slow going, I'm afraid, over the holidays! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I just finished The Scorch Trials (book 2 in The Maze Runner series) & just started Manage Your Day to Day - Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, & Sharpen Your Creative Mind & I'm dipping in and out of Mindset I was thinking about these books in the context of the December "delightful & inspirational" theme & I've decided that they really fit because the thing that inspires me is change & esp the possibility of changing ourselves.For delightful, there's a Courtney Milan here somewhere which has been calling to me for a few weeks & I think it's going to the top of the TBR pile today :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Hello ladies! We just got back last night from meeting up with my eldest in Barcelona (where -- improbably -- we managed to procure a turkey and rummage up a proper feast). So happy belated Thanksgiving to all celebrants! Still catching up on last week's thread... Mumto2, we were highly entertained by all the Black Friday sales signs in all the Barcelona shops. Dunno about how significant the bargains really were, but the idea that we've exported THAT of all phenomena is telling... shukriyya, :grouphug: and :eek: re: tapeworms. You're getting quite the biology lesson, sigh. VC, so sorry... Pam, please forgive me; I started Year of Wonders and just can't continue. I know it's much loved by many and so I will shut up about why I hated it. :) The relative numbers would indicate a character defect on my part. I'm going to read Manzoni's The Betrothed instead. Sorry.... Not all of us. ;) ... for the strike out! I'll carry on with Bel Ami notwithstanding... These look like fun gifts for others or yourself ~ A collection of beautifully designed temporary literary tattoos. These and the related shirts are so fun! thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 My "nephew" is still really into WWII and I wanted to get him a book for Christmas. Do you all have an age appropriate list of suggestions??!! He likes historical fiction and non-fiction. I'm just not well versed in the WWII department! Elizabeth Wein has two awesome historical fiction books set in WW2 Code Name Verity & Rose Under Fire. My ds really liked both of these. I think they're officially recommended Gr. 9 & up so it would depend a bit on your nephew's maturity. The Book Thief is another WW2 book, much more well known & possibly he's already read it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Did you all have a wonderful holiday weekend? We saw Porgy and Bess at the Lyric Opera and Iphigenia at Aulis at the Court Theatre. And although we are not shoppers, we did our part on "Small Business Saturday": I dropped a bundle at 57th Street Books. Heh, heh, heh. Since my last post, I finished: ■The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder (Charles Graeber; 2013. 320 pages. Non-fiction.)■Fatale, Book 1: Death Chases Me (Ed Brubaker; 2012. 144 pages. Graphic fiction.)■The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 1) (Joss Whedon; 2010. 136 pages. Graphic fiction.) This puts me at 91 books for this "year of reading slowly." My goal is 104. We'll see, huh? My complete list: ■The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder (Charles Graeber; 2013. 320 pages. Non-fiction.)■Fatale, Book 1: Death Chases Me (Ed Brubaker; 2012. 144 pages. Fiction.)■The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 1) (Joss Whedon; 2010. 136 pages. Graphic fiction.)■Lazarus Volume 2 (Greg Rucka; 2014. 104 pages. Graphic fiction.)■Lazarus Volume 1 (Greg Rucka; 2013. 96 pages. Graphic fiction.)■The Adversary: A True Story of Monstrous Deception (Emmanuel Carrère; 2002. 191 pages. Non-fiction.)■Pericles (William Shakespeare (1606?); Folger ed. 2005. 304 pages. Drama.) *■So Much Pretty (Cara Hoffman; 2011. 320 pages. Fiction.)■Revival Volume 4: Escape to Wisconsin (Tim Seeley; 2014. 128 pages. Graphic fiction.)■The Walking Dead Volume 22: A New Beginning (Robert Kirkman; 2014. 135 pages. Graphic fiction.)■The Walking Dead Volume 21: All Out War Part 2 (Robert Kirkman; 2014. 135 pages. Graphic fiction.)■Iphigeneia at Aulis (Euripides. (Merwin / Dimock trans.; 1992). 128 pages. Drama.)■Neurocomic (Hana Ros; 2014. 144 pages. Graphic non-fiction.)■The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College (Jacques Steinberg; 2003. 336 pages. Non-fiction.)■Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel; 2014. 352 pages. Fiction.)■Gabriel: A Poem (Edward Hirsch; 2014. 96 pages. Poetry.)■My Friend Jeffrey Dahmer (Derf Backderf; 2012. 224 pages. Graphic non-fiction.)■Adult Literacy Handbook for Students and Tutors (Anita H. Pomerance; 1999. 141 pages. Non-fiction.)■How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens (Benedict Carey; 2014. 272 pages. Non-fiction.)■Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell; 2013. 448 pages. Fiction.)■Don’t Try to Find Me (Holly Brown; 2014. 368 pages. Fiction.)■Better by Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong (Alina Tugend; 2011. 304 pages. Non-fiction.)■Brothers Emanuel: A Memoir of an American Family (Ezekiel Emanuel; 2013. 288 pages. Non-fiction.)■The Wasp Factory (Iain Banks; 1998. 192 pages. Fiction.)■Be Safe I Love You (Cara Hoffman; 2014. 304 pages. Fiction.)■Insurgent (Veronica Roth; 2012. 544 pages. Fiction.)■The Book of You (Clare Kendal; 2014. 368 pages. Fiction.)■Bird Box (Josh Malerman; 2014. 272 pages. Fiction.)■Snowpiercer, Vol. 2: The Explorers (Jacques Lob; Benjamin Legrand (1999 and 2000); 2014. 140 pages. Graphic fiction.)■LITSTART: Strategies for Adult Learners and ESL Tutors (Patricia Frey; 1999. 246 pages. Non-fiction.)■The Good Girl (Mary Kubica; 2014. 352 pages. Fiction.)■Snowpiercer, Vol. 1: The Escape (Jacques Lob (Le Transperceneige, 1999); 2014. 110 pages. Graphic fiction.)■Eleanor and Park (Rainbow Rowell; 2013. 336 pages. Fiction.)■Brave New World (Aldous Huxley (1932); 2006 ed. 288 pages. Fiction.) *■What the Best College Teachers Do (Ken Bain; 2004. 207 pages. Non-fiction.)■Big Little Lies (Liane Moriarty; 2014. 480 pages. Fiction.)■Shakespeare: The World as a Stage (Bill Bryson; 2013. 208 pages. Non-fiction.)■Monument 14 (Emmy Laybourne; 2013. 352 pages. Fiction.)■Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (Susan Cain; 2012. 352 pages. Non-fiction.)■The Three (Sarah Lotz; 2014. 480 pages. Fiction.)■A Season of Gifts (Richard Peck; 2009. 176 pages. Fiction.)■Landline (Rainbow Rowell; 2013. 320 pages. Fiction.)■Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die (Eric Siegel ; 2013. 320 pages. Non-fiction.)■Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think (Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Kenneth Cukier; 2013. 256 pages. Non-fiction.)■Magritte: The Mystery of the Ordinary, 1926-1938 (The Museum of Modern Art, New York; 2013. 256 pages. Non-fiction.)■Magritte (Marcel Paquet; 2012. 96 pages. Non-fiction.)■Kandinsky (Hajo Duchting; 2012. 96 pages. Non-fiction.)■In the Basement of the Ivory Tower: Confessions of an Accidental Academic (Professor X; 2011. 288 pages. Non-fiction.)■Antony and Cleopatra (William Shakespeare (1606); Folger ed. 2005. 336 pages. Drama.)■The Girl with All the Gifts (M.R. Cary; 2014. 416 pages. Fiction.)■Python for Informatics: Exploring Information (Charles R. Severance; 2013. 244 pages. Non-fiction.)■The Stranger (Albert Camus (1942); 1989 edition. 123 pages. Fiction.) *■Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë (1847); 2005 B&N edition. 592 pages. Fiction.) *■The Fever (Meg Abbott; 2014. 320 pages. Fiction.)■Burial Rites (Hannah Kent; 2013. 336 pages. Fiction.)■The Other Side of Sadness (George A. Bonanno; 2010. 240 pages. Non-fiction.)■The Blue Fox (Sjón; 2013. 128 pages. Fiction.)■The Dance of Death (August Strindberg (Conor McPherson, trans.); 1900 (2012). Drama.)■We Were Liars (E. Lockhart; 2014. 240 pages. Fiction.)■The Detainee (Peter Liney; 2014. 352 pages. Fiction.)■Annihilation (Jeff VanderMeer; 2014. 208 pages. Fiction.)■All’s Well That Ends Well (William Shakespeare (1604); Folger ed. 2006. 336 pages. Drama.)■Soft Apocalypse (Will McIntosh; 2011. 239 pages. Fiction.)■One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Alexander Sozhenitsyn; 1962/2009. 208 pages. Fiction.) *■Masterpiece Comics (R. Sikoryak; 2009. 64 pages. Fiction.)■Infected (Scott Sigler; 2008. 384 pages. Fiction.)■Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line (Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham; 2014. 336 pages. Fiction.)■Running Wild (J.G. Ballard; 1989. 116 pages. Fiction.)■The How and the Why (Sarah Treem; 2013. Drama.)■Blood Will Out: The True Story of a Murder, a Mystery, and a Masquerade (Walter Kirn; 2014. 272 pages. Non-fiction.)■Dope (Sara Gran; 2007. 256 pages. Fiction.)■People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo (Richard Lloyd Parry; 2012. 464 pages. Non-fiction.)■The Troop (Nick Cutter; 2014. 368 pages. Fiction.)■The Mayo Clinic Diet (2012. 254 pages. Non-fiction.)■This Is Where I Leave You (Jonathan Trooper; 2009. 352 pages. Fiction.)■Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck; 1937. 112 pages. Fiction.) *■Gideon’s Knot (Johanna Adams; DPS new acquisition / unbound. Drama.)■The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2013 (ed. Siddhartha Mukherjee; 2013. 368 pages. Non-fiction.)■Lexicon (Max Barry; Folger ed. 2013. 400 pages. Fiction.)■The Circle (Dave Eggers; 2013. 504 pages. Fiction.)■The Good Sister (Drusilla Campbell; 2010. 352 pages. Fiction.)■The Two Gentlemen of Verona (William Shakespeare (1589); Folger ed. 2006. 304 pages. Drama.) *■Hedda Gabler (Henrik Ibsen; 1890. Drama.) *■Labor Day (Joyce Maynard; 2009. 256 pages. Fiction.)■The Living (Matt De La Peña; 2013. 320 pages. Fiction.)■Henry V (William Shakespeare (1599); Folger ed. 2004. 294 pages. Drama.) *■Henry IV, Part II (William Shakespeare (1599); Folger ed. 2006. 400 pages. Drama.) *■Henry IV, Part I (William Shakespeare (1597); Folger ed. 2005. 336 pages. Drama.) *■The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum; 1895 / 2008. 224 pages. Juvenile fiction.)■Cartwheel (Jennifer duBois; 2013. 384 pages. Fiction.)■The Wicked Girls (Alex Marwood; 2013. 384 pages. Fiction.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 GASP! "A told B, and B told C, "I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree." " ~ I hadn't even realized I remembered this until you wrote about it. I guess we read it a time or two (thousand) when my daughter was young. Regards, Kareni In case an impromptu poetry recital breaks out I'm prepared with a number of Sandra Boyton books memorized. "Red hat, blue hat, green hat, oops." I was wondering if you all could help me out. Is Monument's Men ok for a 13yo boy? I didn't make it through all of it before it had to go back to the library. My "nephew" is still really into WWII and I wanted to get him a book for Christmas. Do you all have an age appropriate list of suggestions??!! He likes historical fiction and non-fiction. I'm just not well versed in the WWII department! I'm reading another Georgette Heyer book, though it will be slow going, I'm afraid, over the holidays! What about non-fiction? The DK Inside History books are pretty cool and even DH and I will enjoy looking at them. http://www.amazon.com/DK-Eyewitness-Books-World-War/dp/0756630088/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1417459789&sr=8-5&keywords=dk+war+world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Negin - I can't find the other thread about your trip but I thought you'd see it here. DH recommend staying at Hotel Malleberg in Bruges. Sorry for OT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Hello ladies! We just got back last night from meeting up with my eldest in Barcelona (where -- improbably -- we managed to procure a turkey and rummage up a proper feast). So happy belated Thanksgiving to all celebrants! Still catching up on last week's thread... Pam wins the prize for the most miles traveled for turkey! What an amazing holiday that must have been! I just finished The Gabriel Hounds. This Mary Stewart novel is a little more melodramatic than the others I have read but I still enjoyed it. I doubt if I would have continued to read her novels though had I begun with this one. There are some attitudes that are dated if you know what I mean. Nonetheless, I like Stewart's feisty young women who venture forth (often alone) in interesting locations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Amy-- The Going to Bed Book was my now 14 yo's favorite when she was about 2. She had the whole thing memorized and acted it out. Our little board book was pretty banged up, so I bought a new one several years later so we would always have it around. The sun has set not long ago Now everybody goes below To take a bath in one big tub With soap all over-scrub, scrub, scrub! (That may not be perfectly memorized, but close enough!) Happy memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 GASP! "A told B, and B told C, "I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree." " ~ I hadn't even realized I remembered this until you wrote about it. I guess we read it a time or two (thousand) when my daughter was young. Regards, Kareni I don't think the book works quite right in British. Certainly "zed" isn't going to rhyme. And the Scots do something odd to J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I really want to curl up in a blanket with The Golem and The Jinni. Alas, not gonna happen for another 4+ hours! It is my darling second daughter's birthday today. She's 5 and unbelievably big and sweet. :001_wub: As soon as the baby finishes up his bottle, there is a cake cooling that will be ready to frost and decorate for my birthday girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Negin - I can't find the other thread about your trip but I thought you'd see it here. DH recommend staying at Hotel Malleberg in Bruges. Sorry for OT. Thank you so much! I didn't even think that I would have time to read this thread. I happened to skim it just now and saw my name. Please thank your husband and thank you for remembering. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I don't think the book works quite right in British. Certainly "zed" isn't going to rhyme. And the Scots do something odd to J. VC, You are so right about it no longer rhyming right. It never occurred to me somehow. H is pronounced differently also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 So, when I asked my dad a few days ago to tell me again which British mystery writers he likes, he thought I was asking because I want to read some. Today, he showed up at my house w/ a Martha Grimes book for me to try. :lol: I guess I'm going to have to fit it in somewhere. In the meantime, I had a few minutes to eke out a teensy-weensy bit of reading today. I decided to shelve everything I've been reading & start something else. So, I started the futuristic Ubik by Philip K. Dick. "Futuristic" in that the future in question is 1992. :laugh: (The book was written in the 1960s.) Decided on Ubik because it was on the <cough, cough... Jane's favorite> Buzzfeed list of 33 Books You Should Read Now, Based On Your Favourite Films. Since I love (really, really love!!!) Inception, it recommends reading Ubik. So far, so good... :thumbup1: From Time's All-TIME 100 Novels: An accident has occurred. Joe Chip and his colleagues—all but one of them—have narrowly escaped an explosion at a moon base. Or is it the other way round? Did Joe and the others die, and did the one fatality, Glen Runciter, actually survive? If Glen is dead and Joe alive, why does Joe keep getting weird messages from Glen? Is Joe’s experience of his post-accident life just a hallucination, played out as his flash-frozen body lies in suspended animation? Joe’s reality begins to fall apart, and a mysterious, vaguely mystical substance called Ubik—available in a handy spray can—appears to be the only thing that can stabilize it. From the stuff of space opera, Dick spins a deeply unsettling existential horror story, a nightmare you’ll never be sure you’ve woken up from. Having never read Philip K. Dick before, I thought this was an interesting article: A Prince of Pulp, Legit at Last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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