Robin M Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Happy Sunday, dear hearts! Today is the start of week 50 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 - Best Books of 2014: We have three and half weeks left in the year and I have been perusing all the Best Books of 2014 lists. It's left me scratching my head and wondering what universe I''ve been living in. Although I may have read books by the authors mentioned, I haven't read any of the books on the lists. Hmm! More books to add to my wishlists. *grin* Since it is time to start thinking about next year, thought I'd spark your appetites and pocketbooks with The Best Of Lists. Wall Street Journal's compilation of Best Books The Economists Books of the Year Publisher Weekly's Best The Telegraph's Best Of Goodreads Best Books of 2104 Amazon's Best Books of 2014 History of the Ancient World - Chapters 72 and 73 If you want to go on to the next book and continue with History of the Medieval World next year, let me know and I'll work it into the schedule. Secret Santa Gift Exchange - Last call to get in on the gift exchange. Whatever you celebrate this month, who can say no to receiving a gift. Not me. :thumbup: Details: Cost is up to you, but for those who like parameters - Keep it in the $10 to $25 range including shipping. Pm your name and address by end of day if you haven't already to get on board. I'll let everyone know tomorrow who their giftee is. Week 52 - Since the last week of the month is short, I'm combining like always and it will run from Dec 21st through Dec 31 which is how we are on week 50. I'll post the wrap up questions next week or if you want to get a head start, here are the questions from last year. Speaking of 2015 - If there are any mini challenges or you have ideas for the theme months let me know. Here are the themes we did this year. All ideas will be appreciated as I'm :willy_nilly:at this moment in time. What are you reading this week? Link to week 49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 7, 2014 Author Share Posted December 7, 2014 I have no idea what I'm going to be reading next. Just finished a marathon read of Kristen Ashley's first four e-books in her Colorado Mountain Man Series and my brain is full of fluff. Time for something a bit more literary and refined. Still need a Z book to finish out my A to Z challenge. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 7, 2014 Author Share Posted December 7, 2014 Happy Birthday to our very own AggieAmy!!!!! We Love You!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 I have no idea what I'm going to be reading next. Just finished a marathon read of Kristen Ashley's first four e-books in her Colorado Mountain Man Series and my brain is full of fluff. Time for something a bit more literary and refined. Still need a Z book to finish out my A to Z challenge. Any suggestions? Zemindar by Valerie Fitzgerald? It's long at 800 pages but IIRC it moves fairly quickly. I read it in my twenties. My mom did PR for a publishing company in our hometown. She set up all the interviews etc for all the authors who came through on their book tours. We got to meet some cool folks and I believe this book was one of the ones she set up stuff for. Valerie Fitzgerald's novel, Zemindar, won in 1980 the Georgette Heyer Historical Novel prize and in 1982 the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association. This incomparable saga of love and war, tragedy and trumph, is drawn from personal experience. Her grandmother lived through the Indian mutiny so vividly recreated in this splendid novel. And when Ms. Fitzgerald's soldier father was posted to Luchnow during World War II, she spent her adolescent years in the city and her summers on a zemindari estate similar to Oliver Erskin's fabulous realm. Valerie says of the writing of Zemindar which took place over a span of nine years, "l have no recollection of just when, or more important, why l set about telling the story of the Siege. l suppose it was because l realized l had the right background - and because no one else, as far as I knew, had ever tried it." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Amy, have a wonderful day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Neil Gaiman fans BBC World Book Club has an interview with him on their site along with podcasts with folks such as Edna O'Brian, Maya Angelou, Umberto Eco, Michael Oondatje, Mario Vargas Llosa, John LeCarre, Orhan Pamuk, Kurt Vonnegut, Zadie Smith, PD James, Anita Desai, A.S. Byatt and so many more. The site doesn't allow for individual author links but here is the list in total and you can scroll down for your faves. The interviews are between 30-60 minutes. Very enjoyable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 I guess I should post about my book-week though I've barely read anything this week, the essay on the rescue dog and a little more of 'Airs Above the Ground' and that's it. I'll have to get in gear if I'm going to complete my 52 in 52 and my 5/5. I seem to have lost interest amidst the swirl of activity required at this time of year. Robert Graves's Homer's Daughter came available at the library and I'm pretty sure that's going to be my 5th novel for my ancient women's pov. For some reason we've been on a family Shakespeare run this week. In the past week ds, dh and I have watched, 'The Merchant of Venice', A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado about Nothing and dh and ds watched Julius Caesar. Several months ago we were all riveted by Helen Mirren's 'Prospera' in The Tempest and ds has requested a repeat of this for our next Shakespearen movie night. He has already had some experience exploring and acting in abridged versions of various of Shakespeare's plays through a wonderful 'Shakespeare for Homeschoolers' program so that has informed his experience to a large degree already. And yet the material in its entirety seems accessible to him. It's really a delight to watch. He was roaring with laughter last night through Much Ado as we all were. Really, Kenneth Branagh is brilliant in this and Micheal Keaton gives a ridiculously wonderful performance as well. And in the car the other day he was reciting one of his favorite Prospero's speeches, 'Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves...' and he said I think I'm going to change how I interpret this. I love that his tween self has already gone through at least one interpretation of this speech :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Happy Birthday Amy! With the flurry of holiday related activities both inside and outside of home, the last thing I needed to do was borrow a one weeker from the library. Last week's discussions however led me to pull Sharona Muir's Invisible Beasts off the shelf. The novel is published by Bellevue which says on its web banner "Books at the intersection of the arts and science". About Invisible Beasts, Anthony Doerr (whose novel All the Light We Cannot See was recommended to me last week by a friend) writes: Invisible Beasts is a strange and beautiful meditation on love and seeing, a hybrid of fantasy and field guide, novel and essay, treatise and fable. With one hand it offers a sad commentary on environmental degradation, while with the other it presents a bright, whimsical, and funny exploration of what it means to be human. It’s wonderfully written, crazily imagined, and absolutely original. It is as though all of the threads of last week's discussion led me to this one little book. Still reading the silly Dorothy Dunnett novel, Send a Fax to the Kasbah. Still behind on HoAW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Happy Birthday Amy! :) I read Station Eleven - 5 Stars. One of my favorite quotes in this book: “Hell is the absence of people you long for.†Station Eleven is gorgeously written and the characters are truly memorable. I simply didn’t want it to end. I would prefer to give it 4.5 Stars, but am feeling generous, so I’ll go ahead with five. As a nice bonus for me, much of the story takes place in Toronto where we recently vacationed. I also just finished Revival - 4 Stars. Stephen King is, without a doubt, a fabulous writer. I’ve read a few of his books this year and had never read his books before, although I’m a huge fan of some of his movies (Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile).He does seem to enjoy writing lengthy books, so patience seems to be a requirement here. One of my favorite quotes in this book: “Home is where they want you to stay longer.†I would give this one 3.5 Stars, but again I’m feeling generous, so I’ll go ahead with 4. I thought that I would be frightened at parts, but I wasn’t. This is not horror. I could see that the parts that address faith and religion may upset some readers. That was not the case for me. Funny little tidbit: My family and I were vacationing at Niagara-on-the-Lake (a beautiful town near Niagara Falls) last summer. We saw a guy on the street and were fully convinced that he was Stephen King. I plucked up the courage to approach him, since no one else would. He responded back to me, “Who? No! I wish I was him!†We all had a good laugh. :lol: I just noticed that my book covers look rather similar - tents, nighttime :D. MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 I zipped through a fun book last night and shared many a humorous snippet with my husband. 101 Two-Letter Words by Stephin Merritt with illustrations by Roz Chast "A one-of-a-kind celebration of the 101 two-letter words allowed in Scrabble. Rolling Stone has called singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields “the Cole Porter of his generationâ€; O, The Oprah Magazine has hailed cartoonist Roz Chast as “the wryest pen since Dorothy Parker’s.†Together they have crafted a wonderfully witty book that is sure to prove useful to Scrabble players and Words With Friends addicts—and to delight anyone in thrall to the weirder corners of the English language. With the mordant wit and clever wordplay of Edward Gorey or Shel Silverstein, Stephin Merritt has written an original four-line rhyming poem for each of the 101 two-letter words included in The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary. Here are poems about familiar words (such as at, go, hi, no, and up) as well as obscure ones (such as aa, ka, oe, qi, xu). And every one of the 101 poems is accompanied by a full-color illustration by the incomparable cartoonist Roz Chast. 101 Two-Letter Words is perfect for any language lover or Scrabble player (it may even improve your score!)." This was truly a quick and enjoyable read; I'm glad to have read the library copy though rather than having purchased a copy. Two of the recommendation blurbs on the back cover give a feel for the contents: “This little book of tiny wordsby Stephin Merritt is superb;it’s funny and it’s useful too.(This is the Neil Gaiman blurb.)†(Neil Gaiman, best-selling author of The Ocean at the End of the Lane)“I love this book of Scrabble twos,with art and wit for mi and ye;so now please do the thousand threes,from aah to zzz.†(Stefan Fatsis, best-selling author of Word Freak) Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 And speaking of Kristen Ashley, Robin .... Yesterday I read her book Raid: An Unfinished Hero Novel. This is the third volume in a series of which I've already read the first. This is one of the author's edgier series in that the heroes are often described as anti-heroes due to some of their more questionable actions, professions, etc. I enjoyed it nonetheless though I think most here would not. "Hanna Boudreaux has lived in the small town of Willow all her life. She’s sweet, cute and quiet. Hanna has a moment of epiphany when she realizes her crush for forever, Raiden Ulysses Miller, is not ever going to be hers. She sees her life as narrow and decides to do something about it. Raiden Miller is the town’s local hero. A former Marine with the medal to prove his hero status, he comes home, shrouded in mystery. It takes a while, but eventually Hanna catches his eye. After all these years of Raid and Hanna living in the same town, the question is why? Is Raid interested in Hanna because she’s sweet and cute? Or does Raid have something else going on?" Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Amy, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Still need a Z book to finish out my A to Z challenge. Any suggestions? Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald I haven't read it, but I've been thinking I would like to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Count buying books also? I bought Congo, a history from David van Reybrouck. It starts at 1870 and I am in 1921 now. That man can write! It recieved several awards and I think you should read it.... :blush: It is translated although I don't know it is a 'good' translation: http://www.amazon.com/Congo-The-Epic-History-People/dp/0062200119 I also ordered a History of Belgium, and IB 20th world history... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Almost done with Angela's Ashes. I'll need to find a new book to read on the treadmill. Maybe there is some fluff waiting for me on my kindle. I'm thinking I would like to return to S. and try to finish it by the end of year. The schedule is still crazy this week, maybe next, but the last two weeks of the year should provide some time to sit in one place and read this book with all of its inserts. I don't think I read many books the year they come out (I'm only about 18 years behind with Angela's Ashes...), but All the Light We Cannot See would be on my top 2014 books list. Then again, it might be my only 2014 read, but I did think it was good! Trying to think up some categories for my first 5/5 challenge next year. Some of the categories might be along the lines of "5 books by a female author"--okay, not quite that bad, but some will be designed for success, like "5 kid-lit books". I'm really hoping to finally dive into my mom's old books that I adopted after she passed away 7 years ago. I may have more than one category for dusty books. Happy birthday Amy! Happy reading week everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald Zelda Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo The Zero GameZel I haven't read any of these, but they all looked interesting when they came up at Goodreads. :)I' I finished The Historian. I'm sad to see it end. Thank you again to all of you who recommended it! I started listening to A Fistful of Charms again last night, and I have several new Dracula/vampire books to start soon. My 18 yo son had shoulder surgery last Thursday, so I'm mostly playing nurse, and am stressed and not getting enough sleep, but hope to be able to spend some time reading here soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Happy Birthday Amy!!! I have barely been able to keep up reading the thread. Busy weekend. Nan, Thanks for the warning about the salt dough. It did go slightly rubbery so I retrieved them after Evensong tonight and am trying to dry them out again in a cooling oven. Trees come down tomorrow so they survived the festival. I did manage to read Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell, the latest Scarpetta. The ending was rushed but otherwise quite good. This is one of the series where the author badly lost their way but seems to be getting back to what was good about the original books. While reading I thought of your discussion of how we read.....I am definitely a words to pictures. Sort of a movie after I get comfortable. This book reminded me why I like series, the movie can start on page one, no figuring out the pictures. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 :party: Woohoo, Amy! Party on down for you birthday!! I'm listening to and thoroughly enjoying Tigerman by Nick Harkaway. I could use print version of it as there are a few things I want to be able to re-read, words to see in print, but I am loving the narrator's various accents. His American CIA agent has me cracking up. Fun books getting listed today! I love the Z titles and Invisible Beasts and the book on two letter words. As with everyone else the activities of the season are cutting down on reading time this week and into next. I'm looking forward to welcoming my college boy home later this week, whom I haven't seen since July! And there are Christmas concerts to get through -- bluegrass today and a pops-type concert next weekend. And I guess I have to shop and decorate and all that other stuff, too! Better get off the computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Hornblower and Rosie, thanks for the explanation. Now I know what people mean when they say New Atheist. It is what I thought. I didn't know that Hitchen died a few years ago. GUess it's time to actually read one of his books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 As with everyone else the activities of the season are cutting down on reading time this week and into next. I'm looking forward to welcoming my college boy home later this week, whom I haven't seen since July! And there are Christmas concerts to get through -- bluegrass today and a pops-type concert next weekend. And I guess I have to shop and decorate and all that other stuff, too! Better get off the computer. How very exciting!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Happy Birthday, Amy! My fluff-a-thon continues with 'The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen' by Syrie James. This was an enjoyable read. It is a story within a story. The story within is more enjoyable than the outside story but it all evens out in the end. The kids and I finished Watership Down this week. This is my second reading of this book and I think this just may be my favourite book of all time. I loved it even more the second time around. I am now reading "The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith. It's not that bad of a book, for a YA book. I am hoping to finish it tonight or tomorrow. Then I will move on to Tana French's "In the Woods." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 We had a fairly unproductive week of fevers and coughs here, so I didn't get much reading done. I did at least finish Selected Poems by Gwendolyn Brooks - mostly another poetry dud for me. My ds decided to give up on reading Journey to the Center of the Earth so my goal is now to finish it as fast as I can and get back to Anna Karenina. I also went to the library today and picked up Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda. from Gwendolyn Brooks' "Appendix to the Anniad" leaves from a loose-leaf war diary: part 2 The Certainty we two shall meet by God In a wide Parlor, underneath a Light Of lights, come Sometime, is no ointment now. Because we two are worshipers of life, Being young, being masters of the long-legged stride, Gypsy arm-swing. We never did learn how To find white in the Bible. We want nights Of vague adventure lips lax wet and warm, Bees in the stomach, sweat across the brow. Now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I haven't checked on on one of these threads in a couple or three weeks. In that time, I finished 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I liked it *way* more than I thought I would. Sometimes the descriptions of the sea life he "saw" underwater went on a bit much, but for the most part it was a fabulous story. I also read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The first time I read it I clearly remember sitting all by myself in the waiting area of a hospital. That was back when you had to be 12 to visit people at a hospital. I was obviously old enough to be left there alone by my parents, but not old enough to go in. So I was probably 10 or 11. I loved it then and I still loved it now. It's shorter than I remember, though. Then I read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I wasn't looking forward to that one because I don't really like Huck Finn (I've read it twice, as a teen once and once as an adult). I was surprised to find I enjoyed Tom Sawyer quite a bit. And that means I am all done pre-reading books for my son through the end of this school year! Yay! I finished read The Iliad. I was reading it along with my daughter. She beat me by a few days. It was... okay. And long. So very long. It was fun seeing what Rick Riordan took from it for his books, though. Other than reading some of Dante's Inferno along with my daughter, the rest of my reading for the year is going to be fun stuff. I finished A Way Through the Sea by Robert Elmer this morning. It was very good. It's historical fiction (and really aimed at middle grades age range) about the impending round up of the Danish Jews in 1943 and how the majority were helped to safety in Sweden because the Danes simply wouldn't allow their friends and neighbors to be taken away and risked their own lives to help them. I liked it a lot. My next book is Lye in Wait by Cricket McRae. To pick my next fun reading book, I have my 8 year old pick a number to correspond with a page in my "To Read" category on my Kindle (currently 31 pages) and then he picks a number 1-9 and count down the page to that number book. It makes my fun reading pretty random. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 Just finished packing 30 boxes of books which are now in the garage. Hubby smelled mildew coming from the shelves in front of the curtains. Soooooo.... 3 trips. One to get boxes at uhaul, one to jcpenneys for new curtains and another to lowes to pick up more tape. Not all at the same time of course. Hubby asks what are we going to do with the books now packed. I think they will stay there until he builds wall to ceiling shelves on our largest bedroom wall. If he wants the space in the garage back, he better get to planning. I have about 30 more boxes to pack when he's ready. I need a bigger house. Off to finish cleaning the rug and put up the new curtains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Ok so I know these are all from LAST week BUT I meant to reply and am determined to do so now! 39. "Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum" by Shana Nichols, et al. This was officially recommended by the neuropysch. Has a lot of good information on girl specific topics, but the section she most recommended it for covers teaching your ASD daughter how to be safe in those situations where most of us rely on our gut instincts to let us know a guy's intentions are not good. As the neuropysch put it, we have a 10 year old who looks 14, but who responds to social situations like a 7 year old, and we could potentially have some trouble if we don't teach her how to handle those types of situations. Is this book only helpful for teenagers or would there be applicable parts for a 20yo? As much as we help dd constantly with social situations, it is still a struggle for her. She has Asperger's. After pulling out HoAW and reading for ten minutes, I fell back into blissful sleep. :lol: And, to catch up on books... I finally finished re-reading Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon, just in time for the winter solstice. Funny how different a reading experience this was, 20-something years later. The first time around, I was coming directly off Once and Future King, and read it primarily as a female-character-centered... midrash, I guess... rounding out a very different perspective on the Arthur narrative. This time, it strongly evoked for me my family's experiences wandering the Andes for two months a couple years ago, and learning about the encounter there between Incan / other indigenous religions and the Christianity brought in by the conquerors... it ended up being a very different story for me. (Angel, btw, you were totally right about its not being a good fit for an 11 yo. Brother sister incest are the least of the issues, lol) I really LOVED this book when I was in my late teens/early twenties. That said, I remembered how explicit some of those parts were :scared: I have not visited it again because of that, but sure would be curious how I would feel about it now that I'm older! And today is Christina Rossetti's birthday! " In The Bleak Midwinter" is my favorite Christmas carol. I had never read ALL of that poem! Thank you for posting! For my ladies book club we're reading Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott. Every year at this time we read a children's classic we didn't read as a child and then go check out a cool toy store in town. I'm looking forward to it but I really gotta read the book still. I remember this book fondly! I've thought about them frequently since dd's and I read Little Women earlier this year. Okay, let's try this...without thinking too much, how do each of you receive the word 'journey'? See it? Hear it? A color? A sound? The first thing I thought of was a Hobbit, either Bilbo or Frodo heading out on their journey. This may have to do with the fact that we had a scavenger hunt for our youth class yesterday and one of the riddles was about Bilbo and the Journeys store. The harrassee wasn't a POW, she was hiding and being helped by the resistance. The head of the cell helping her is a known "lech" (brought up in two brief conversations) - the kind of guy who takes pseudo excuses to be touchy feely and is interested in finding new 'conquests' (not a word used in the book, just trying to describe the type). It isn't a major piece at all, but there is a conversation about it between two women where, after saying that it isn't that hard to deal with that type once you know he is that type, jokes that there isn't much to do about needing to cope with him 'just close your eyes and think of England' which makes them both laugh hysterically since they are dealing with all this - and the guy is the least of it - rather literally for England. It doesn't mean she should be intimate with him so he'll protect her, though I guess someone could misread it that way. And no 'sexual favors' are offered (can I say, what a dreadful way our language handles this. To name forced intimate acts as 'favors' rather than naming them as the rapey ickiness they are.) There is an easily missed bit where one person (this one is a prisoner) is indirectly asked if she's been raped. That's certainly helpful! For those who are interested, I chose Under a War-Torn Sky for my nephew (his mom thought that sounded the best...and she thanked everyone for the great list of book recommendations for later ;) ) and I will also be getting him the Monument's Men dvd. I truly appreciate all the ideas and help you all gave me last week!! Thanks so much!! You guys are great! I am almost finished with Georgette Heyer's Sylvester. I will probably finish tomorrow evening. Our co-op Christmas Party is tomorrow and I've been busy getting games and crafts ready. We are all ready to play Pin the Nose on Rudolph :001_tt2: I'll be catching up on this thread later! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I do love Christina Rossetti. She's a rich, Fall poet I think. I finished some fiction and some knitting books. Knitting: The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd...general book of knitting patterns in many sizes with some insight into how patterns are laid out. Definitely reads as a starting place for people who want to tweak and make their own patterns but need some basics to start. Bag Style by Pam Allen...says it has all levels but not really. Pretty, but I wish it had more beginner/intermediate patterns and less fair isle colorwork. Best part was the few pages of basic purse shapes and construction in the back. Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi by Anna Hrachovec...tiny little knitted creatures. DS11 has started knitting with me so I picked this up for inspiration. Too bad it's all double pointed needles. We're still giving it a try and if I don't go crazy and my fingers start bleeding I'll finish that tiny ear of corn. Cute concept. Intermediate+ knitters. Non-fiction: Restless Spirit: the Life and Work of Dorothea Lange by Elisabeth Partridge...Lange is the photographer who captured "Migrant Mother" during the Dust Bowl. An interesting look at a female artist trying to balance work and family. Not particularly well written (mixes 1st and 3rd person regularly) but it's written by the daughter of an early photography assistant of Lange and the 2 families were fairly close. It would make an interesting add-on to Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. It gives a lot more information about what was happening in California during this time. Fiction: The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine...this is a modern-ish adaptation of the 12 dancing princesses fairy tale set in the roaring '20s. Valentine definitely takes the story of female empowerment and the individual personalities of the girls seriously. I liked that. It did sacrifice a sense of magic (literal or a tone/feel of the story) for that seriousness. I didn't miss it most of the time. At the end I thought some things were over-thought, some endings were too pat, some of the decisions a little off, but in general it was an interesting female-centered story with a cast of very different sisters. Morlock Night by KW Jeter...one of the earliest examples (late '70s or early '80s) of steampunk. The book is kind of a sequel to The Time Machine by HG Wells where the owner of the time machine is killed and the Morlocks use the machine to invade Victorian England. Great idea. Odd implementation. Jeter is definitely a plot-focused writer (admittedly not my usual) and can be boring and then super exciting and then boring again. Eh. Too many ideas and little understanding of natural-sounding Victorian dialogue. Working on Naomi (Tanizaki), A Darkling Sea, and another knitting book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I've just finished reading 'Green Deen: What Islam Teaches about Protecting the Planet, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin' for my Islam challenge. I'm rather glad I did. They mentioned an organisation in Brooklyn training the unemployed to evaluate houses for ways to eliminate energy waste. I'm going to have a look through their website later and might mention it to our local MP as a work for the dole scheme that actually teaches people something worth knowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 In this busy time of life, I've decided to fall back on the "book a week" meme, instead of "read everything you can get your hands on." This way I can stay on track and not feel overwhelmed. Last week I finished Homocide in Hardcover. This week I'm working on The Remains of the Day. A late Happy Birthday to Aggie Amy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Started Reading: Not By Sight: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Walking by Faith by Jon Bloom Still reading: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck Finished reading: 1. The Curiosity by Stephen Kiernan (AVERAGE) 2. The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene (GOOD) 3. Unwind by Neal Shusterman (EXCELLENT) 4. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (EXCELLENT) 5. The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith by Peter Hitchens (AMAZING) 6. Champion by Marie Lu (PRETTY GOOD) 7. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink (INCREDIBLE) 8. Cultivating Christian Character by Michael Zigarelli (HO-HUM) 9. Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff (um...WOW. So amazing and sad) 10. Pressure Points: Twelve Global Issues Shaping the Face of the Church by JD Payne (SO-SO) 11. The Happiness Project: Or Why I spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. by Gretchen Rubin (GOOD) 12. Reading and Writing Across Content Areas by Roberta Sejnost (SO-SO) 13. Winter of the World by Ken Follet (PRETTY GOOD) 14. The School Revolution: A New Answer for our Broken Education System by Ron Paul (GREAT) 15. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (LOVED IT) 16. Beyond the Hole in the Wall: Discover the Power of Self-Organized Learning by Sugata Mitra (GOOD) 17. Can Computers Keep Secrets? - How a Six-Year-Old's Curiosity Could Change the World by Tom Barrett (GOOD) 18. You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself by David McRaney (GOOD) 19. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (OK) 20. Follow Me by David Platt (GOOD) 21. The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman (SO-SO) 22. Falls the Shadow by Sharon Kay Penman (OK) 23. A Neglected Grace: Family Worship in the Christian Home by Jason Helopoulos (GOOD) 24. The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan (DEPRESSING) 25. No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige (SO-SO) 26. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff (DELIGHTFUL) 27. The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman (WORST ENDING EVER) 28. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (SO-SO) 29. Mere Christianity by CS Lewis (BRILLIANT) 30. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (WONDERFUL) 31. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (CAN'T-PUT-IT-DOWN-READ-IT-ALL-IN-ONE-SITTING BOOK) 32. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (SUPER CREEPY BUT REALLY GOOD) 33. A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout (WONDERFUL) 34. The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty (PRETTY GOOD) 35. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez (HEART-BREAKING) 36. One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper (REALLY, REALLY GOOD) 37. The Glory of Heaven by John MacArthur (INTERESTING) 38. Big, Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (AWESOME) 39. Crazy Busy: A Mercifully Short Book About a Really Big Problem by Kevin DeYoung (SPOT ON) 40. Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels by J. Warner Wallace (SUPER INTERESTING) 41. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg Mckeown (AWESOME) 42. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (ROMANTIC) 43. A Dream So Big: Our Unlikely Journey to End the Tears of Hunger by Steve Peifer (TEAR-JERKER) 44. Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Gilbraith (MEH) 45. The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle (SUPER INTERESTING) 46. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (DREAMY) 47. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (SWEET AND FUNNY) 48. Love into Light by Peter Hubbard (FANTASTIC) 49. My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories (PRETTY GOOD) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Knitting: The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd...general book of knitting patterns in many sizes with some insight into how patterns are laid out. Definitely reads as a starting place for people who want to tweak and make their own patterns but need some basics to start. Bag Style by Pam Allen...says it has all levels but not really. Pretty, but I wish it had more beginner/intermediate patterns and less fair island colorwork. Best part was the few pages of basic purse shapes and construction in the back. Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi by Anna Hrachovec...tiny little knitted creatures. DS11 has started knitting with me so I picked this up for inspiration. Too bad it's all double pointed needles. We're still giving it a try and if I don't go crazy and my fingers start bleeding I'll finish that tiny ear of corn. Cute concept. Intermediate+ knitters. Non-fiction: Restless Spirit: the Life and Work of Dorothea Lange by Eliszabeth Partridge...Lange is the photographer who captured "Migrant Mother" during the Dust Bowl. An interesting look at a female artist trying to balance work and family. Not particularly well written (mixes 1st and 3rd person regularly) but it's written by the daughter of an early photography assistant of Lange and the 2 families were fairly close. It would make an interesting add-on to Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. It gives a lot more information about what was happening in California during this time. I love Dorothea Lange! Thank you for the knitting book links! Ann Budd's sock books is a regular reference for me. I suspect that the Pattern book would be quite useful as well. (Jotting to note to Santa Claus.) The tiny creatures are a hoot! Not too long ago I was cursing #1 needles (i.e. toothpicks) that I used for a pair of socks. I think I could pick them up again for some tiny creatures. The author's website has hedgehogs and owls that are just darling. Time for your new vocabulary word! As many of you are aware, I volunteer at a wild bird rehab shelter. Yesterday some of the volunteers performed an imping, i.e. feather implant, on one of the patients. Did you know it could be done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I thought of my BaW buddies when I saw Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting on the shelf at Barnes and Noble. I've asked Santa for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Recently finished: â– The Testament of Mary (Colm TóibÃn; 2012. 96 pages. Fiction.)â– Isaac’s Eye (Lucas Hnath; 2014. 113 pages. Drama.)â– The Lost Daughter (Elena Ferrante; 2008. 125 pages. Fiction.) ... which puts me at 94 in my quest to read 102 books this year. I don't know if I will break one hundred in the next three-plus weeks, let alone finish the ten books needed to hit 104, but it's been a good year of reading. We have tickets to see the The Testament of Mary and Isaac's Eye this month, so that is how they moved up on my queue. My husband actually "read" Mary with an audiobook; the narrator is Meryl Streep. He says it's jaw-droppingly good. I'd like to recommend The Lost Daughter. Here's an article about Ferrante: http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/09/elena-ferrante-a-new-breed-of-writer-girl-crush.html I will add only that the fierce truthfulness that undergirds her writing has resulted in me adding all of her novels to my Christmas list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I read Station Eleven - 5 Stars. One of my favorite quotes in this book: “Hell is the absence of people you long for.†Station Eleven is gorgeously written and the characters are truly memorable. I simply didn’t want it to end. I would prefer to give it 4.5 Stars, but am feeling generous, so I’ll go ahead with five. As a nice bonus for me, much of the story takes place in Toronto where we recently vacationed. Station Eleven is one of the best books I read this year. How could I not love a post-apocalyptic narrative seasoned with ample doses of Shakespeare, graphic novels, and serendipity? Heh, heh, heh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 The tiny creatures are a hoot! Not too long ago I was cursing #1 needles (i.e. toothpicks) that I used for a pair of socks. I think I could pick them up again for some tiny creatures. The author's website has hedgehogs and owls that are just darling. Time for your new vocabulary word! As many of you are aware, I volunteer at a wild bird rehab shelter. Yesterday some of the volunteers performed an imping, i.e. feather implant, on one of the patients. Did you know it could be done? The creatures are cute. They would make darling Christmas ornaments. If only I survive them. I have a feeling the next one will be better. I don't think size2 needles and fingering yarn (thread really) are the best introduction to DPNs. I had no idea about imping. I should ask ds11 (the knitter and in-house wild bird expert) if he knew. Every time he sees your avatar he says, 'she's so lucky.' I told him about your work with birds and he thinks you're very cool and lead an exciting life. Owls are a particular favorite of his. And I forgot, Happy Birthday Amy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Last night was a reread for me, namely Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas. This is a contemporary romance which I might have described before as being as much a story of love of parent for child as that of a story of romantic love. (Some adult content.) From Publishers WeeklyElla Varner grew up with a troublesome mother and an insecure sister, but she has managed to come out of it reasonably sane, with a good (if vegan) boyfriend, Dane, and a job as an advice columnist. All of this gets turned upside down when her sister disappears and sticks Ella with her newborn, Luke. Determined to find Luke's father, Ella tracks down a likely suspect—millionaire playboy Jack Travis. The encounter results in Travis and Ella unexpectedly engaged in an irrepressible attraction. Meanwhile, Ella grows fond of baby Luke and fears what will happen when Tara returns. As Ella grapples with conflicting desires, she learns some important lessons about love and trust. Though Kleypas has trouble breaking her male characters out of archetype and the arc is familiar, Ella's familial dysfunction distinguishes her from other heroines, and her self-awareness draws her out of a stereotypical shell. This will please romance fans, even if it hews a bit too closely to genre conventions. (Apr.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I have been looking forward to the final book in Jacqueline Carey's Agent of Hel series since reading the other two earlier this year. Poison Fruithttp://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-451-46531-3#path/978-0-451-46531-3 was good. Sad that the story appears to be over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Since we seem to be discussing knitting Christmas Ornaments I am going to link the pattern dd and I have used to make several ornaments. No double points needed and in DK so larger needles. Most of these have been completed in an evening. http://www.alandart.co.uk/product/holidays/christmas-tree-decorations/ The book looks adorable but I do not knit with double points so wanted to give people an option! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I love Dorothea Lange! Thank you for the knitting book links! Ann Budd's sock books is a regular reference for me. I suspect that the Pattern book would be quite useful as well. (Jotting to note to Santa Claus.) The tiny creatures are a hoot! Not too long ago I was cursing #1 needles (i.e. toothpicks) that I used for a pair of socks. I think I could pick them up again for some tiny creatures. The author's website has hedgehogs and owls that are just darling. Time for your new vocabulary word! As many of you are aware, I volunteer at a wild bird rehab shelter. Yesterday some of the volunteers performed an imping, i.e. feather implant, on one of the patients. Did you know it could be done? Imping is fascinating. Just watched youtubes. I cannot imagine trying to do it with a living raptor or for that matter with my pet parrot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Interesting about the imping! Pam - You said: Interesting. So the word "spirituality" has been sort of... tainted?... by association with a type of seeker that you find hard to relate to? - Yup. That's exactly it. How economically you managed to put that. And about the meditation, I think if you sink deep enough down, the words become sort of far away and inconsequential and you can just ignore them, rather than having to acknowledge them, which is somewhat distracting. I haven't done much sitting meditation. Mostly I walk and drum and chant, which is physically grueling but less difficult to convince yourself to keep doing. Rosie - Your phrase about self would be understandable to my bil's, but probably wouldn't work for my children. They would say something, "Oh good - if this just has to do with myself then I can do what I want because I'm always changing anyway." The word soul implies that they have something "good" inside themselves rather than the selfish mishmash most teens are. Or something like that. : ) Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 For some reason we've been on a family Shakespeare run this week. In the past week ds, dh and I have watched, 'The Merchant of Venice', A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado about Nothing and dh and ds watched Julius Caesar. Several months ago we were all riveted by Helen Mirren's 'Prospera' in The Tempest and ds has requested a repeat of this for our next Shakespearen movie night. He has already had some experience exploring and acting in abridged versions of various of Shakespeare's plays through a wonderful 'Shakespeare for Homeschoolers' program so that has informed his experience to a large degree already. And yet the material in its entirety seems accessible to him. It's really a delight to watch. He was roaring with laughter last night through Much Ado as we all were. Really, Kenneth Branagh is brilliant in this and Micheal Keaton gives a ridiculously wonderful performance as well. And in the car the other day he was reciting one of his favorite Prospero's speeches, 'Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves...' and he said I think I'm going to change how I interpret this. I love that his tween self has already gone through at least one interpretation of this speech :D I love it that your ds is enjoying Shakespeare! I truly believe that if more kids were exposed early on then by the time they were ready to "study" it in their high school years it would not be a trial. Helen Mirren's Tempest was interesting. I liked parts of it a great deal. However, I did not care for the portrayal of Ariel. Russel Brand was hilarious :laugh: Much Ado was hilarious!! I need to watch that again! Happy Belated Birthday Amy! Hope it was great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Oh, and is The Historian rated R? I finally took the time to look it up on Amazon, and it sounds fascinating! I was surprised a couple years ago by how much I enjoyed Dracula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Oh, and is The Historian rated R? I finally took the time to look it up on Amazon, and it sounds fascinating! I was surprised a couple years ago by how much I enjoyed Dracula. It's been a few years since I read it, but, no, I don't think it would be rated R. PG maybe because some find it scary. (To me, it wasn't scary.) Of course, Michele can probably answer better since she recently finished it. Great book, imo. If you enjoyed Dracula, I'd definitely recommend The Historian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 It's been a few years since I read it, but, no, I don't think it would be rated R. PG maybe because some find it scary. (To me, it wasn't scary.) Of course, Michele can probably answer better since she recently finished it. Great book, imo. If you enjoyed Dracula, I'd definitely recommend The Historian. Awesome!! Dracula scared me lol! But it was good, I just couldn't read it at night :blushing: I'm going to order it from the library! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Time for your new vocabulary word! As many of you are aware, I volunteer at a wild bird rehab shelter. Yesterday some of the volunteers performed an imping, i.e. feather implant, on one of the patients. Did you know it could be done? How awesome! I'll have to ask my dd if they do them here. She works at a wildlife rehab center (p/t in the school year, f/t in summer). They mostly do birds but also some mammals.... She came home skunked on Saturday LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 *YES!!* I started seeing Shakespeare when I was ~6... and some of my kids have started at ~3... and when they get to high school there isn't any barrier... the language is familiar, the feel of the plays... and the conviction that Shakespeare's compassionate insight into what it is to be human is amazing... I started dd on Shakespeare a few years ago. I'm trying not to pass on my prejudices. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 When I mentioned reading Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, I blamed the Guardian's new 100 best novels list, but forgot to share it. It isn't done yet - they're doing one a week for 100 weeks and are up to 64 now. It's an interesting list - some of the classics one would expect and then some that have me baffled... here's the list in the order it came out with links to each of the Guardian articles ...and because I was sharing a Fred Small song, here's another (and timely as Chanukah approaches and the board discusses volatile issues): Not in Our Town Wow--a list composed of many books that I have actually read! :ohmy: Thank you for sharing such a sweet song. Shalom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 ...and because I was sharing a Fred Small song, here's another (and timely as Chanukah approaches and the board discusses volatile issues): Not in Our Town Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Oh, and is The Historian rated R? I finally took the time to look it up on Amazon, and it sounds fascinating! I was surprised a couple years ago by how much I enjoyed Dracula. No, not R probably PG. I can only think of one scene that MIGHT be considered PG-13. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Dracula too! If you liked Dracula, I think you will enjoy The Historian too. (I thought The Historian was excellent.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Happy Birthday Week wishes, Amy!!! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 This is the third volume in a series of which I've already read the first. Curious. This is a sentence I used in an earlier post. (I've been plagiarized!) And speaking of books in a series, I finished The Traitor (Captive Hearts) which is the second book in a historical romance series by Grace Burrowes. (This is a series which I read massively out of order; my recommendation would be to read them in order.) "The past will overtake him... Abandoned in France since boyhood, despite being heir to an English barony, Sebastian St. Clair makes impossible choices to survive a tour of duty in the French Army. He returns to England hoping for the peaceful life of a country gentleman, though old enemies insist on challenging him on the field of honor, one after another. But this time, he will not fight alone... Millicent Danforth desperately needs her position as companion to the Traitor Baron's aunt, but grieves to learn that Sebastian must continually fight a war long over. As Sebastian and Milly explore their growing passion, they uncover a plot that will cost Sebastian his life and his honor, unless he does battle once more-this time in the name of love." The series had an interesting storyline; the hero of this book was in inquisitor for the French during the Revolutionary war. The captive (the title character of the first book) was one of his prisoners. I enjoyed all three books. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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