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Book a Week in 2014 - BW 52 Wrap it up with a bow


Robin M
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Happy Birthday, NoseInABook!  Turning thirty was a shock for some of my friends.  For me, not so much so.  We decided that it all depended on where you were when you turned thrity compared to where you thought you would be when you turned thirty.  I had two children, a husband, a house, and various animals.  My unmarried friends found it very difficult to turn thirty.  Several had been trying unsuccessfully to have children.  Others hadn't been able to find a job in their field.  For them, turning thirty seemed like the beginning of the end of their dreams.  Most of them went on to achieve their goals and those that didn't reformed their dreams into something more achievable, but they didn't yet know they were going to and thirty was a real low spot in their lives.  They say they haven't felt nearly as old since.   The thing that amazed me about my thirties was how much I grew.  I think I grew more that decade than I had since my first decade or since I have since.  Grown in a good way, a way that makes life easier.  I hope you had a happy, unmomentous day and that you have lots of good growing ahead of you. : )

 

Nan

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Stacia - I started it as a teenager and gave up on it very quickly.  What little I remember of it matches your description so I think I'll give that one a miss.  I remember liking Villette but my mother was surprised I liked it, which probably means some crucial yucky part went over my head.  I was a good enough reader that most didn't, but there were a few where I identified with the wrong character and missed the horror of the situation. - Nan

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I haven't read Wuthering Heights. Isn't it pretty grim? I haven't read Out of the Silent Planet, either. Your other read-alongs I haven't even heard of. Are they funny and light?

 

Nan

I hadn't meant to start a bunch of read alongs when I posted my goals but will admit to being excited to read them with others. My chances of actually reading them has increased greatly. ;)

 

Murakami, the author of Kafka on the Shore, is different. I have read 3 of his books now and have found that I happen to like him. I know that there is a scene in this one that many here found upsetting. To be honest that is why I am reading it because it appears on many of the literature lists I have seen for the AP exam. I need to know......In general alternate universes, lots of cats, and strange little men in bedroom scenes make up at least part of many of his books, I think. Yes, I find them intriguing. :lol:

 

Wuthering Heights is another hot button here. Many hate it with quite a bit of passion. At a very sheltered 16 I will admit to loving it. Honestly reread it a couple more times before motherhood and still liked it. Reread it for atmosphere 6 years ago. It is dark and controlling not fluffy and fun. Really is a bit horrifying but the moors...still love the descriptions.

 

I like Jane Erye, even when I read it last. Northanteger Abbey was good. The rest I haven't read to be honest. As a whole I believe they are fluffier. Mansfield Park may not be.

 

CS Lewis, what I have read of Out of a Silent Planet leads me to believe it is good science fiction. Looking forward to it.

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I had posted at one point about enjoying Grace Draven's fantasy, Master of Crows.

 

 

The author has a free serialized novella available on her website that is complete.  (My understanding is that the link will no longer work after about January 5.)  I'm enjoying the novella.  Here are the links if you're interested:

 

Radiance - Parts 1 through 9

 

Radiance - Parts 10 through 19

 

Radiance - Parts 20 through Epilogue

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

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I can't do Wuthering Heights. I tried. I swear, I tried. I threw it across the room never to pick it up again! :p This was when I was about 15.

 

Today was the big 3-0 for me! I celebrated with the family and now I'm about to head out to see Into The Woods with my best friend. Super excited! I hope that when I return,there will be just enough time left in the day to curl up with a good book under a warm blanket. :)

Happy Birthday!

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What is this?

 

I could have sworn I had included a link!

 

http://www.the-private-eye.com/html/materials/book.html

 

Nan, you might enjoy this.  The book has a number of drawing, writing, and thinking exercises that involve scale and use of a jeweler's loupe.  There is a fair amount of natural history within the book.  Let me summarize the lesson on "barnacles (and other strong attachments)".  It starts with an explanation of the organism, then suggests examining barnacles first with the eye then with loupes.  Students then share observations on barnacles and discuss the advantages/disadvantages of their design.  Suggested activities then include things like having students imagine they are barnacles, writing about a typical day in their lives.  Or imagine standing on your head and feeding with your feet.  Or have a discussion on other animals with exoskeletons.  Or study how a barnacle behaves in a tide pool at low tide vs. high tide.  Let me quote another suggested activity:

 

Barnacles attach themselves to rocks using a glue-like substance, stronger than super-glue.  What is the 'glue' that keeps you attached to your home and family?  What if something interferes with that glue, breaking the bonds, for either people or barnacles?  How do you know when you are ready to break the bonds by choice?

 

 

I am setting aside this one for you unless you would rather pass.

 

Jane

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Another giveaway. Anyone interested in the slim volume Castles, A Guide for Young People?  Explains basic castle design (Motte and Bailey, Shell Keeps, Square Keeps, Round Keeps) with the amusing Castle Spotting game in which points are accumulated for finding features when visiting castles.  This is an older British book but I think the illustrations are nice.

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We were given a copy of The Private Eye years ago by a teacher friend. I've always wanted to incorporate it into our curriculum but haven't found a way to work it in with all our other commitments. It's a wonderful book though.

 

I'm loving all the spontaneous read-alongs and enthusiasm that is unfolding as the new calendar year approaches. Rather than doing another 5/5 I'm considering a 3/3 which feels a little more do-able and spacious--nine books as opposed to 25.

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Happy Birthday Nose in a Book (you young thing)!

 

Took the words right out of my mouth!  I didn't even have kids when I turned 30.  And now I have nieces and nephews at or nearing 30!!  It's a good decade, and I'm finding each subsequent decade to be equally interesting and full of new and interesting experiences.

 

But yes, Happy Birthday, Nose in a Book!!  And share your review of Into the Woods when you get a chance!

 

Meh to Wuthering Heights.  Not a fan. But I did enjoy Villette and Jane Eyre. I especially loved Anne Bronte's work, which truly is the work of a feminist writer, as in a writer whose work deals frankly with the oppressive, powerless lives women had in the 19th century..  The Tennant of Wildfell Hall is stunning as is Agnes Grey, though it isn't quite as stark and brutal, and has a hopeful quality to it.

 

I'd like to try some Murakami next year, though at the moment I'm happily in fluff mode.  Can't see turning the fluff switch to "off" come Thursday.

 

If you are going to tackle Jane Austen, may I recommend Bitch in a Bonnet for a companion read?  And a good audio recording?  It isn't fluff.  It is brilliant satire filled with characters we all come across in daily life.  And yes there are happy endings, but those endings are often glossed over without any sappy Hallmark sentimentality.  

 

Just came back from seeing the final installment in The Hobbit trilogy with my college boy.  I'm guessing none of you have gone?  I don't remember any Tolkein fans here, just women patient with their husbands and sons who love the books.  We thought this one was the better of the 3, though still saddled with the same tacked-on plot lines and characters.  The added sub-plot which my son and I dubbed "Moby Dick" lived up to its monicker, for better or worse, with a watery end to the sub-plot much like that of Ahab and the whale. I need to pull my tattered old paperback off the shelf now to remind myself of the actual details in the plot, and to appreciate those bits of the original which were nicely handled in the movie.  

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Took the words right out of my mouth!  I didn't even have kids when I turned 30.  And now I have nieces and nephews at or nearing 30!!  It's a good decade, and I'm finding each subsequent decade to be equally interesting and full of new and interesting experiences.

 

But yes, Happy Birthday, Nose in a Book!!  And share your review of Into the Woods when you get a chance!

 

Meh to Wuthering Heights.  Not a fan. But I did enjoy Villette and Jane Eyre. I especially loved Anne Bronte's work, which truly is the work of a feminist writer, as in a writer whose work deals frankly with the oppressive, powerless lives women had in the 19th century..  The Tennant of Wildfell Hall is stunning as is Agnes Grey, though it isn't quite as stark and brutal, and has a hopeful quality to it.

 

I'd like to try some Murakami next year, though at the moment I'm happily in fluff mode.  Can't see turning the fluff switch to "off" come Thursday.

 

If you are going to tackle Jane Austen, may I recommend Bitch in a Bonnet for a companion read?  And a good audio recording?  It isn't fluff.  It is brilliant satire filled with characters we all come across in daily life.  And yes there are happy endings, but those endings are often glossed over without any sappy Hallmark sentimentality.  

 

Just came back from seeing the final installment in The Hobbit trilogy with my college boy.  I'm guessing none of you have gone?  I don't remember any Tolkein fans here, just women patient with their husbands and sons who love the books.  We thought this one was the better of the 3, though still saddled with the same tacked-on plot lines and characters.  The added sub-plot which my son and I dubbed "Moby Dick" lived up to its monicker, for better or worse, with a watery end to the sub-plot much like that of Ahab and the whale. I need to pull my tattered old paperback off the shelf now to remind myself of the actual details in the plot, and to appreciate those bits of the original which were nicely handled in the movie.  

 

'Bitch in a Bonnet' is .99 cents on kindle right now.

 

Love the second bolded descriptive, Jenn. So true for this BaWer.

 

You all are giving me pause with your collective aversion to 'Wuthering Heights'. It's been at least two decades since my last rereading of it. We'll see how it goes this time round now that life has filled in major parts of my landscape with vast new countries called Mother and Wife along with the currency of experience and age.

 

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Took the words right out of my mouth! I didn't even have kids when I turned 30. And now I have nieces and nephews at or nearing 30!! It's a good decade, and I'm finding each subsequent decade to be equally interesting and full of new and interesting experiences.

 

But yes, Happy Birthday, Nose in a Book!! And share your review of Into the Woods when you get a chance!

 

Meh to Wuthering Heights. Not a fan. But I did enjoy Villette and Jane Eyre. I especially loved Anne Bronte's work, which truly is the work of a feminist writer, as in a writer whose work deals frankly with the oppressive, powerless lives women had in the 19th century.. The Tennant of Wildfell Hall is stunning as is Agnes Grey, though it isn't quite as stark and brutal, and has a hopeful quality to it.

 

I'd like to try some Murakami next year, though at the moment I'm happily in fluff mode. Can't see turning the fluff switch to "off" come Thursday.

 

If you are going to tackle Jane Austen, may I recommend Bitch in a Bonnet for a companion read? And a good audio recording? It isn't fluff. It is brilliant satire filled with characters we all come across in daily life. And yes there are happy endings, but those endings are often glossed over without any sappy Hallmark sentimentality.

 

Just came back from seeing the final installment in The Hobbit trilogy with my college boy. I'm guessing none of you have gone? I don't remember any Tolkein fans here, just women patient with their husbands and sons who love the books. We thought this one was the better of the 3, though still saddled with the same tacked-on plot lines and characters. The added sub-plot which my son and I dubbed "Moby Dick" lived up to its monicker, for better or worse, with a watery end to the sub-plot much like that of Ahab and the whale. I need to pull my tattered old paperback off the shelf now to remind myself of the actual details in the plot, and to appreciate those bits of the original which were nicely handled in the movie.

Jenn, Occasionally I have read references to Bitch in a Bonnet but obviously had not put my thinking cap on, I thought people were referring to this Nellie Oleson bookhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7284508-confessions-of-a-prairie-bitch. I was very puzzled for a couple of minutes last night. :lol:

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Happy birthday, NoseInaBook!

 

I liked Wuthering Heights. What can I say.

 

That you are a dark and brooding sort?  ;)

 

Last year I reread Jane Eyre after umpteen decades and declared the book to be one of my favorites of the year.  A copy of the lovely Penguin hardbound edition of Wuthering Heights sits in the dusties.  Looks like I will pull it out in the weeks ahead.  Let's see what age brings to this rereading.

 

In the meantime...

 

I am enjoying American Catch, but Paul Greenberg is preaching what I believe.  I won't just tell you to eat more fish, people, but eat more American fish.  As Greenberg notes:

 

Americans now harvest our best, most nutritious fish in our best-managed Alaskan fisheries and send those fish over to Asia. In exchange, we are importing fish farmed in Asia, with little of the brain-building compounds fish eaters are seeking when they eat fish.

 

 

Alaskan Sockeye Salmon is leaving for Asia and in return Americans eat Chinese fish farmed tilapia and white shrimp.  The larger and more important story here though is that restoring salt marshes so they are again healthy estuaries for shrimp is good for the environment.  Oyster reefs protect communities from storm surge as well as keep the water clean.  It all seems so obvious to me and I cannot understand why everyone is not hot and bothered about it as I am. 

 

I am finishing the year/starting the new one with another Dunnett, book five in the House of Niccolo series, The Unicorn Hunt.  Oh my! 

 

I still have about 200 pages to read in HoAW.  Plugging away...

 

And Women's Work has resurfaced from its hiding place.  I need to finish that one too.

 

In January/February, I hope to put a dent in the dusties.  The stacks have grown!

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Hello, trying to catch up here. I'm currently reading Mansfield Park for my local book club which meets on the 8th of Jan. I'm trying to pace myself so I don't finish too quickly. They are also meeting to discuss it on the 5th of Feb. There is no way I can make it last that long. The story is so- so, which may be why it is one of the less popular Austens. (I hope I am not offending any one :-)

 

I've also been listening/ reading along to Thomas Paine's Common Sense on YouTube. This has been on my "you need to read this before you die" list for a while.

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Thank you, Jane. Your book does sound more like my kind of seeing. Trust you to clarify that for me. I have always suspected zen books of deliberately being annoying but that just makes them annoy me even more, somehow. That sounds so zen. I am betting your book will be more helpful. I like your Christmas quote, too. : )

 

Salt marsh issues are near to my heart as well. One of my New Years resolutions is to memorize the fish market,s hours. We eat lots of seafood so it seems like a worthwhile endeavor. They are a bit tricky to catch open.

 

Jenn, I am a big Tolkien fan. Too much so to want to see the movies, although my family probably will.

 

Nan

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Happy Birthday, Noseinabook! Mine was the 23rd. I always feel a kinship to others who have bdays within a week of Christmas. 

 

Wuthering Heights~have read it several times, still don't like it (maybe some day?)

Jane Eyre~my favorite book since I first read it when I was 13

Tolkein~Love. But again, read him first when I was 13 and I'm a idealist, King Arthur Knights of the Round Table, Epic journey kind of person. I don't prefer The Hobbit movies though. 

 

Lately, I'm doing more knitting and people managing than reading. I've been thinking of some general categories I'd like to do...without making it a 5/5/5 or anything formal. 

 

Finally Finished

History/Dusty Books

Art and Perception

Fairy/Folk Tales from around the world

Urban Fantasy (a genre I don't really read)

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I finished History of the Ancient World today  :hurray: , just in time for the last wrap up.

 

 

·         How many books did you read and did you meet your own personal goal?  

I read 124 books, which is waaaayy more than I expected. When I joined this group last year in September (I think?), I had trouble reading a book a week. Not sure what changed, though.

 

Numbers: I read an almost equal number of female/male writers (which surprised me, I have had years when I only read male writers) and equal amounts of Dutch and English books (also surprising, I have had lots of years when I only read English).

 

Female: Male, 65 : 59

Dutch:English:Latin, 58 : 64 : 2

 

Chunky: 17

 

·         Most thrilling, oh my goodness, I want to read it again, unputdownable book?

That would be a toss up between Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell and In This House of Brede, by Rumer Godden.

·         Top 5 favorite stories? (in English)

Cloud Atlas Ă¢â‚¬â€œ David Mitchell

In This House of Brede Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Rumer Godden

What Makes This Books So Great Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Jo Walton (technically not a story, but a lovely book-about-books, which introduced me to lots of new-to-me SF&F)

The Historian Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Elizabeth Kostova

·         Least favorite book? 

The Goldfinch Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Donna Tartt. This year I deliberately tried to quit books that I didnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t enjoy instead of always finishing every book, but with The Goldfinch I was determined to finish it, which was probably a mistake. That book is wayyy too long, it should have been edited back to at least half of it.

·         New author discovery?  New genre discovery?

After our autumn break I started to feel very burnt out and had trouble reading. I had been reading and enjoing several chunky books, eg The Luminaries and PinkerĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s Blanc Slate, but suddenly they could have been written in Japanese, I just couldnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t make sense of them anymore.

For weeks I couldnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t read, but when I was feeling a bit better, I decided to reread some old favorites: Anne McCaffreyĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s dragon books, AsimovĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s Foundation series. Then I stumbled upon two Inspector Gamache books, a genre I never read, which I liked very much. But my library only had book 1 & 2 and 7 & 8, and I had the impression you need to read them in order. Bummer.

I vaguely remembered Robin mentioning the In Death series by J.D. Robb, which I figured would be similar. Uhm, no. Imagine my surprise a few chapters into the first book :blush: . ItĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s a totally new genre for me, I don't even know the right name for it :lol: , but I like it very much. ItĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s just what I need right now. IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m reading book 11 at the moment :D.

·         One book that touched you - made you laugh, cry, sing or dance.

In This House of Brede, by Rumer Godden, made me cry.

·         Favorite mini challenges?

I didnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t join any challenges, except reading HotAW. I liked that very much.

Looking at my booklist, I could have easily made some 5/5 categories  :D .

·         Are you ready to do it all over again?

Oh, yesssssss.

·         Do you have any goals to check out different genres or authors, read translated books or stories in another language for 2015?  

I want to finish the Wheel of Time series, and I am cautiously looking at rereading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. I need to keep reading from the Dutch High School lists and I want to read a lot of Dusty books. I donĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t have any number goals.

 

 

Dutch High School list: (19) These were all level 3 books, I will be glad when I have finished level 3. There were some gems (Kees de Jonge, De Tweeling, Allemaal willen we de hemel, Oeroeg, De thuiskomst) but most were coming of age stories, centered around young men whose lives consist of drinking alcohol/doing drugs and having sex with every woman they meet, without even asking their names. :ack2: Note to myself: make sure my daughters skip level 3 books and go straight to level 4.

 

Op Hoop van Zegen Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Herman Heijermans

Kees de Jonge Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Theo Thijssen

Het woeden der gehele wereld Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Maarten Ă¢â‚¬â„¢t Hart

Het leven is verrukkulluk Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Remco Campert

Indische duinen Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Adriaan van Dis

Hart van steen Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Renate Dorrestein

De Tweeling (The Twins) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Tessa de Loo

Sonny Boy Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Annejet van der Zijl

Het duister dat ons scheidt Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Renate Dorrestein

Allemaal willen we de hemel Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Els Beerten

Vals licht Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Joost Zwagerman

De Thuiskomst Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Anna Enquist

De Ruimte van Skolov Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Leon de Winter

Hersenschimmen Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Bernlef

Marathonloper Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Abdelkader Benali

Oeroeg Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Hella Haasse

Twee koffers vol Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Carl Friedman

Alleen maar nette mensen Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Robert Vuijsje

Erik of het klein insectenboek Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Godfried Bomans

 

Wheel of Time series: (7)

Eye of the World - Robert Jordan (chunky)

Great Hunt Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Robert Jordan (chunky)

Dragon Reborn Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Robert Jordan (chunky)

The Shadow Rising Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Robert Jordan (chunky)

The Fires of Heaven Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Robert Jordan (chunky)

Lord of Chaos Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Robert Jordan (chunky)

A Crown of Swords Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Robert Jordan (chunky)

 

SF&F: (24)

Unwind Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Neal Shusterman (BaW recommendation)

What Makes This Book So Great - Jo Walton (BaW recommendation)

A Fire Upon the Deep Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Vernor Vinge (Jo Walton recommendation, chunky)

A Deepness in the Sky Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Vernor Vinge (Jo Walton recommendation, chunky)

Cloud Atlas Ă¢â‚¬â€œ David Mitchell (BaW recommendation)  (N)

Shards of Honor Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Lois McMaster Bujold

Barrayar Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Lois McMaster Bujold

The WarriorĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s Apprentice Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Lois McMaster Bujold

Vor Game Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Lois McMaster Bujold

Cetaganda & Ethan of Athos & Labyrinth Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Lois McMaster Bujold (chunky)

"Borders of Infinity", "Brothers in Arms", and "Mirror Dance" Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Lois McMaster Bujold (chunky)

The Many-Coloured Land Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Julian May (Saga of the Exiles, book 1) (reread)

The Golden Torc Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Julian May (Saga of the Exiles, book 2) (reread)

The Long Earth Ă¢â‚¬â€œ T. Pratchett & S. Baxter

The Long War Ă¢â‚¬â€œ T. Pratchett & S. Baxter

The Giver Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Lois Lowry

I Am Legend Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Richard Matheson (N)

Drakevlucht (Dragonflight) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Anne McCaffrey (reread) (N)

Draketocht (Dragonquest) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Anne McCaffrey (reread) (N)

De Witte Draak (The White Dragon) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Anne McCaffrey (reread) (N)

De Foundation Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Isaac Asimov (reread) (N)

De Foundation en het Imperium  Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Isaac Asimov (reread) (N)

De Tweede Foundation Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Isaac Asimov (reread) (N)

De Naam van de Wind Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Patrick Rothfuss (N) (chunky)

 

Homeschool: (21)

Leisure, the basis of culture Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Josef Pieper (Circe recommendation) (N)

No More IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m Done, Fostering Independent Writers in the Primary Grades Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Jennifer Jacobson

Jij kan beter (Ă¢â‚¬ËœYou can do betterĂ¢â‚¬â„¢, gifted education) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Tessa Kieboom (N)

Getting Started With the Traits, K-2 Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Ruth Culham

Getting Started With the Traits, grades 3-5 Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Ruth Culham

Deconstructing Penguins Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone (reread)

Abolition of Man Ă¢â‚¬â€œ C.S. Lewis (Circe recommendation) (N)

How to Read Literature Like a Professor for Kids Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Thomas Foster

Norms & Nobility Ă¢â‚¬â€œ David Hicks (Circe recommendation)

The Intellectual Life, its Spirits, Conditions, Methods Ă¢â‚¬â€œ A.G. Sertillanges, O.P. (Circe recommendation)

Tending the Heart of Virtue Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Vigen Guroian (Circe recommendation)

Beauty in the Word Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Stratford Caldecott  (Circe recommendation)

Educating the Child at Home; Personal Training & the Work Habit (1914) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Ella Frances Lynch

Bookless lessons for the Teacher-mother (1922) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Ella Frances Lynch

Aandacht, het fundament van emotionele intelligentie (Focus, the hidden driver of excellence) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Daniel Goleman (BaW recommendation, metacognition) (N)

Why DonĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t Students Like School? Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Daniel T. Willingham (metacognition)

The Living Page Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Laurie Bestvater

Making Habits, Breaking Habits Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Jeremy Dean (metacognition)

Consider This, Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Karen Glass

Fluent Forever, How to Learn a Language Fast and Never Forget It Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Gabriel Wyner

Houvast bij leesproblemen & dyslexie op de basisschool Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Arga Paternotte (N)

 

Health: (13)

The Mood Cure Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Julia Ross

Born to Run Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Christopher McDougall (N)

Every WomanĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s Guide to Foot Pain Relief Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Katy Bowman

Mijn hoofd en ik, omgaan met migraine (Ă¢â‚¬ËœMy head and I,  living with migrainesĂ¢â‚¬â„¢) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Noortje Russell (N)

The Fast Diet Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Dr. Michael Mosley (N)

Younger Next Year for Women Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Crowley & Lodge

Alignment Matters Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Katy Bowman

Move Your DNA, Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Katy Bowman

De lessen van burnout Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Annegreet van Bergen (N)

Opgebrand: Herkennen, voorkomen en genezen van burn-out Ă¢â‚¬â€œ J. van der Burgh (N)

Geen zin in mĂ¢â‚¬â„¢n gezin, burnout Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Yolan Witterholt (N)

In gesprek over seks (Ă¢â‚¬ËœTalking about sexĂ¢â‚¬â„¢) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Arjet Borger (N)

De kracht van vrouwelijke hormonen (Ă¢â‚¬ËœFemale hormonesĂ¢â‚¬â„¢) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Prof. Dr. Sylvie Demers (N)

 

Latin: (2)

Colloquia Personarum Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Hans Orberg (Latin, 74p)

Lingua Latina, Familia Romana Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Hans Orberg (Latin, 304p)

 

J.D. Robb: (9)

Naked in Death Ă¢â‚¬â€œ J.D. Robb

Glory in Death Ă¢â‚¬â€œ J.D. Robb

Immortal in Death Ă¢â‚¬â€œ J.D. Robb

Rapture in Death Ă¢â‚¬â€œ J.D. Robb

Vengeance in Death - J.D. Robb

Holiday in Death Ă¢â‚¬â€œ J.D. Robb

Conspiracy in Death Ă¢â‚¬â€œ J.D. Robb

Loyalty in Death Ă¢â‚¬â€œ J.D. Robb

Witness in Death Ă¢â‚¬â€œ J.D. Robb

 

Religion: (3)

Sacred Reading, the Ancient Art of Lectio Divina Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Michael Casey (BaW recommendation)

The Little Oratory Ă¢â‚¬â€œ David Clayton & Leila Marie Lawler

The Divine Office for Dodos Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Madeline Pecora Nugent

 

Miscellaneous: (26)

The Goldfinch Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Donna Tartt (BaW recommendation, chunky) (N)

The Historian Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Elizabeth Kostova (BaW recommendation, chunky) (N)

Het pauperparadijs Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Suzanna Jansen  (N)

Howards End is on the Landing Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Susan Hill (BaW recommendation)

Tolstoy and the purple chair, my year of magical reading Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Nina Sankovitch (BaW recommendation) (N)

De negen levens Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Diana Wynne Jones (N) (with dd11)

Holes Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Louis Sachar (with dd11)

Beauty Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Cynthia Schultz (misslipgloss.nl) (N) (with dd11)

Identiteit (What about Me?: the struggle for identity in a market-based society) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Paul Verhaeghe (N)

In This House of Brede Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Rumer Godden (chunky)

De kunstbrigade (Monuments Men) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Robert M. Edsel (BaW recommendation, chunky) (N)

Stoner Ă¢â‚¬â€œ John Williams (N)

Worden wie je bent. Een reis door de ontwikkelingsfilosofie van Reuven Feuerstein Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Marijn de Wit (N)

The Odyssey Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Homer (transl. Fagles)

Theogony Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Hesiod

How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Ken Ludwig

De kinderen van de grote fjeld Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Laura Fitinghoff (N)

De kinderkaravaan Ă¢â‚¬â€œ An Rutgers van der Loeff (N)

The man who broke into Auschwitz (De man die naar Auschwitz wilde) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Denis Avey (N) (with dd11)

Code name Verity (Codenaam Verity) Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Elizabeth Wein (BaW recommendation) (N)

Feest van het begin Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Joke van Leeuwen (AKO) (N)

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Karen Joy Fowler

Stilleven Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Louise Penny (BaW recommendation) (N)

IJskoud Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Louise Penny (BaW recommendation) (N)

On Conan Doyle Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Michael Dirda

History of the Ancient World Ă¢â‚¬â€œ Susan Wise Bauer

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Crstarlette and I are starting with Kafka on the Shore. I have had it sitting in the stack for ages. I hope you decide to read Hard Boiled Wonderland with us. It looks intriguing. Not sure if anyone else is joining us.

 

I am! I found Kafka on the Shore at the library sale recently, so I'm ready to join you.

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Mansfield Park was one my book club read quite a few years ago. I made it partway through before stopping.

 

Sorry to see how many people on the thread didn't enjoy The Goldfinch (one of my favorites for the year). Otoh, I'm happy to see how many have ended up enjoying The Historian.

 

Re: American fish & fisheries. Definitely agree. I think it may not be as in the forefront as news for those not living or being along the coastal areas, though. I'm familiar with a lot of it because my sister lives on the coast & I visit fairly regularly. I'm guessing it may not be as forefront in the news for our landlocked friends.

 

I broke down & bought an ebook last night -- Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Mostly bought it in relation to some of the minimalizing/decluttering threads that seem especially prevalent after the holidays. I'm not sure her style will appeal to everyone (especially if you are entrenched in Western thought), but I think she has some good points. Since I feel like I've been decluttering/simplifying for years (esp. because I have pack rat family members that constantly inundate us with stuff), her fairly strict guidelines seem quite appealing to me at this point. Not sure how realistically it can be implemented for a family of four as much of her philosophy focuses more on individuals or couples, rather than families. May try her suggestions & see where/how far I get for at least a few separate areas of the house. My life has morphed quite a bit over the past few years with old habits & lifestyles falling by the wayside while new ones are entering, so a somewhat drastic change like she promotes seems to fit into the current rhythm of my life. As I seem to fall somewhat in the sensory-defensive categories, esp. the older I get, the appeal of radical simplicity greatly appeals to me as a way to focus my mind, my health, my efforts. Again, not sure how well that will work within the parameters of the rest of the family, esp. as one member leans toward pack-rat-ism. Perhaps leading by example will do the trick. I can hope anyway....

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I am enjoying American Catch, but Paul Greenberg is preaching what I believe.  I won't just tell you to eat more fish, people, but eat more American fish.  As Greenberg notes:

 

 

Alaskan Sockeye Salmon is leaving for Asia and in return Americans eat Chinese fish farmed tilapia and white shrimp.  The larger and more important story here though is that restoring salt marshes so they are again healthy estuaries for shrimp is good for the environment.  Oyster reefs protect communities from storm surge as well as keep the water clean.  It all seems so obvious to me and I cannot understand why everyone is not hot and bothered about it as I am. 

 

 

Multi-quote function isn't working so...

 

Jane, a number of years ago I discovered that tilapia, which was all the rage fish-wise, was an entirely farmed fish, there were no wild tilapia to be had anywhere! I found this astonishing. For some visceral and slightly out-of-reach-to-me logical reason I decided then and there not to eat tilapia anymore. I also learned that sturgeon is one of the oldest fish on the planet dating back 200 million years! Now that's some traditional food ;) All in all I'm not keen on farmed fish, even if it's farmed here.

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I broke down & bought an ebook last night -- Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Mostly bought it in relation to some of the minimalizing/decluttering threads that seem especially prevalent after the holidays. I'm not sure her style will appeal to everyone (especially if you are entrenched in Western thought), but I think she has some good points. Since I feel like I've been decluttering/simplifying for years (esp. because I have pack rat family members that constantly inundate us with stuff), her fairly strict guidelines seem quite appealing to me at this point. Not sure how realistically it can be implemented for a family of four as much of her philosophy focuses more on individuals or couples, rather than families. May try her suggestions & see where/how far I get for at least a few separate areas of the house. My life has morphed quite a bit over the past few years with old habits & lifestyles falling by the wayside while new ones are entering, so a somewhat drastic change like she promotes seems to fit into the current rhythm of my life. As I seem to fall somewhat in the sensory-defensive categories, esp. the older I get, the appeal of radical simplicity greatly appeals to me as a way to focus my mind, my health, my efforts. Again, not sure how well that will work within the parameters of the rest of the family, esp. as one member leans toward pack-rat-ism. Perhaps leading by example will do the trick. I can hope anyway....

 

This looks intriguing and very appealing. There are a ton of books like that out on the market though so I will wait for your review. My alternate universe house is spare and uncluttered but my actual day to day experience is...less similar ;)

 

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I just bought One Zentangle A Day :: A 6-Week Course in Creative Drawing for Relaxation, Inspiration and Fun. I want to do more with my hands and less on the computer. I've got a knitting project that's been sitting in my basket for well over a year now that needs finishing up, a lovely lace shawl in purple heather that I believe I talked about last winter. And I think ds and I are going to do the knitting the sky project though we may use our own yarn.

 

 
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Happy Birthday Noseinabook!
 

I loved Wuthering Heights.  I'm half-way through "Up from Slavery" and, while I'm enjoying it, I'm ready to kick off the New Year with something that makes me swoon and laugh. It's three degrees here- not too cold but cold enough to not want to venture out today.

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Ya'll have sent me on one rabbit trail after another today (or maybe it's just short attention span syndrome). :)

 

Loving the plans for reads longs. Kafka on the Shore didn't strike my fancy but Hard Boiled Wonderland did so will join in on a Murakami read for January.

 

What's happening in April? c.s. Lewis silent planet series or Austen or Bronte read? I'm pretty sure I read Out of a Silent Planet but that was back in the 80's so up for reading again. Will have to go check my boxes and see if I still have them. up for whichever is decided since have all n the shelves.

 

 

Tress, you've reminded me I have #4 and #5 in Wheel of Time series yet to read so moving those up in my stacks for 2015. Divine Office for Dodo's - love that title. I have Merton's Book of Hours but may have to check out Dodo.

 

Rereads - despite all the books on my shelves yet to be read, I enjoy rereading some stories and July and August the past two years have been reread months for me.

 

Shukriyya - how about 3/5/15 which is 3 books in 5 categories which equals 15. Now I like that idea. Hey I may have come up with a whole new challenge with a play on the year since we are in double digits. The first two numbers multiplied equals the year. By George!

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Happy belated birthday to NoseinaBook - happy happy 30 and also Happy Happy Belated Birthday to you too Tam!

 

 

Yeah for Tress reaching a new high of 124 books and finishing History of the Ancient World.

 

Jane, keep plugging away, know you can do it.

 

Off to see what else I can add to my shelves.....

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The zentangles book - I can't find it to have a good look at it. I remembered seeing books of zentangles last year at Christmas, looked at B+N this year, couldn't find any, ordered two rather randomly online, glanced quickly through them to see if they would be suitable for the people I had in mind, and then wrapped them. One is now in Canada with a niece I don't know well but is about the age at which I found doodling to be very absorbing. I don't know if the absorbtion had to do with the fact that I was stuck in classes all day long or whether it was something about the latish teens. I just took my best guess and sent the book off. I will probably never even know if she received it. Another unknown niece received This is Not a Book. I won't know if she likes it but again, she is the right age (early teen). Guessing is hard.

 

The second zentangle book went to my middle son, who makes lovely designs sometimes, for his own amusement. His, as far as I can remember, was a workbook for doodling as a form of meditation. I suggested he skip the writing and just copy the pictures. When he comes back, I'll ask him for it and have a better look at it. I am now interested in looking at it because I just got done reading my present from my sister and her husband - The Zen of Seeing. There were four zen books involved in our Christmas. The fourth involved was a little book of stories that I lent to my mother that she has been keeping on the table by her chair to mull over. Her wine glass tipped over onto it. I had my usual Buddhist books reaction to The Zen of Seeing and semi-wished the wine had chosen to include The Zen of Seeing in its spill. Sometimes, people explain something Buddhist to me and my reaction is hmm...I guess I sort of knew that but it is useful to have it pointed out (or have the reasoning behind it explained or have it put into words or be reminded of it or whatever). At other times, I don't know how to react because the person is explaining something oh so carefully and lovingly, obviously convinced that if I could just be brought to believe this, it would radically change my life, and it turns out to be something that my mother taught me when I was about two. (I've decided this must be one of those Buddhist paradoxes lol.) Anyway, this book was like that. Lovely drawings. At one point, I got all excited because in the section in the middle where he gives a few simple hints about drawing specific things, on a page with a lovely, elephany elephant drawing, the author, Frederick Franck says, "How, I am asked, does one draw animals - cows, horses, birds?" But then he goes on to say what I sadly concluded a long while ago, "Since for me each new drawing is an adventure for which I cannot predict the outcome, always - in a sense - my very first one, I can give no recipe." Sigh. He says, "In the how-to books you will find horses reduced to their 'basic forms,' to systems of ellipses or rectangles. In its own way this may be useful for a picture manufacturer, but it deprives you of kowing what a horse really looks like. In order to draw a horse, draw horses until you practically become a horse - not 'horses in general,' but always that particular horse you are drawing at a given moment. Until you feel the tense curving of its neck in your own neck!" This would, I suppose, be useful advice if I hadn't already decided that was probably the way people who draw particularly good animals draw them. The rest of the book had me nodding and saying - yes, of course you have to look at something and draw just what is there, if you want to really draw it and not stylize it or commercialize it, and of course looking at it very carefully, in the way that lets you see what it really looks like, gives you a profound appreciation of it, and yes, of course when you are doing this, you are so absorbed in the task that nothing else exists - I've known that since I was small - doesn't everyone? This may be profound information but I don't happen to think it is. I learned to do this first when I got frustrated trying to draw a doorway and my mother pointed out it wasn't a rectangle that I was seeing, it was a paralellagram, and tipped her coffee cup so I could see the rim change from a line to an ellipse to a circle and back. I was probably eight or ten at the time. You can sort of pop your eyes into a different mode so you can see what something really looks like and then pop them back and go back to seeing Plato's idea horse instead of this horse looks like at this specific moment from this angle. Can I draw animals well? No. But then, I haven't drawn my thousand cats badly yet. I'm only on about 20. Or 50. And most of those weren't drawn properly, just doodled. There were a bunch of passages that sounded like our conversation about souls, not anything new to me. I went along reading the book saying yes of course, yes of course, and then when I hit page 120 (out of 130), he began to lose me. "...beyond words and beyond silence..." Beyond words, yes, but beyond silence? And then the next page (121) he says: "The sense perception, the activity of the reflex eye-heart-hand, is still, as in Lascaux, the leap from a platitudinous world to one of mystery. All is suddenly suffused with meaning. Once this leap has been made, once wonder and awakening have flashed upon us, we inevitably fall back into our half-sleep - but with a difference, for a radical change in perception and feeling has taken place. Through the multiplicity of forms and appearences the Structure of Reality was mirrored, and disclosed itself, unconfused by concepts, opinions, labels, and predudices. The relatedness between Self and the universe has been restored. But the ego cannot WILL this to happen: its shell has to be broken through first." Hmm... We're back to something that I take for granted being described as life changing. Which probably means I don't have any idea what he is talking about afterall, since what I thought he was talking about wasn't a life-changing thing for me. Of course a cat is a wondrous thing. Or a tree. Or whatever. What is so wondrous about that lol? This is giving me a better appreciation of my Nipponzan Myohoji one. At least that one, as hard as it is to read, appears to be talking about things I haven't thought about, like bringing Buddhism back to India and how hard it is to leave one's mother behind in the process.

 

Moving on... My new year started with Christmas. That only puts me a little out of sync with the rest of you. The first book I read this year is the Zen of Seeing one. The second was a Sharon Shinn light escape novel, Royal Airs. It focuses on Josetta from Troubled Waters. I liked Troubled Waters, mostly. A bit Harlequinny in spots. Very much a variation of the romance novel formula but I liked the left turn it took. Kareni, have you read it? I started The Outback Stars today. It is a reread. Futuristic Australian ghost story. Sort of.

 

I'll post my review of my old year in a different post, since this has turned into a book.

 

Nan

 

Ok, I appreciate all the time it took to write that out, Nan. Thank you. The bolded reminds me of my trajectory with 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain'. Do you remember when that book came out in the 80s and it seemed to be everywhere? I eventually plunged in and found it be quite perception-altering. All of a sudden I could look at an object and actually see it for what it was, not what my brain codified it. I saw it as a grouping of light and shadow, space and density. From that point on I was able to draw a reasonable facsimile of what I was looking at. What fascinated me even more was watching my mind move back and forth between experiencing the codified object and the actual light-shadow-dense-space object.

 

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While I love Jane Austen's stories I have only actually read one cover to cover. Blush. Hoping to get through a couple of those this year.

 

 

Karen Savage reads them on Librivox.

 

Just sayin'  :coolgleamA:

 

 

 

 

Now it's 7am on New Year's Eve. I have two Tarot readings left to do for the season, and two left chapters of HoAW! 

I'll be back for my wrap up later!

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It's three degrees here- not too cold but cold enough to not want to venture out today.

 

Umm, well.  It's 53 degrees here, not too cold by your standards, but cold by ours! With winter storm warnings in the local mountains it was incentive enough to get the white bean and sausage soup going in the crock pot.  You can point and laugh at the shivering Southern Californians during the Rose Parade on New Year's Day!

 

Finished another Inspector Gamache novel, The Beautiful Mystery. Louise Penny writes a good closed room mystery, and this one was extra unique in that the closed room is a monastery and the beautiful mystery is the power of Gregorian Chants. 

 

I've got one more fluffy book lined up for today and tomorrow, The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier. 

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Ok, I appreciate all the time it took to write that out, Nan. Thank you. The bolded reminds me of my trajectory with 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain'. Do you remember when that book came out in the 80s and it seemed to be everywhere? I eventually plunged in and found it be quite perception-altering. All of a sudden I could look at an object and actually see it for what it was, not what my brain codified it. I saw it as a grouping of light and shadow, space and density. From that point on I was able to draw a reasonable facsimile of what I was looking at. What fascinated me even more was watching my mind move back and forth between experiencing the codified object and the actual light-shadow-dense-space object.

 

 

Middle one is back so I finally got a chance to see his zentangles book.  It is called Pattern Play: A Zentangle Creativity Booster.  I gave it a 5 minute skim-read and from what I saw, I really liked the book.  I can see why middle one is carrying it around in his backpack.  Lots of patterns to play with.  A good amount of you-can-do-it rhetoric, which might either be annoying or encouraging, depending on where you are at.  Enough information about how to focus and turn this into a meditation.  I always think this sort of thing is sort of like the drumming/chanting/walking meditation that I do sometimes in that it becomes immediately obvious when your concentration slips.  I find the immediate negative feedback helpful.  I can draw a fairly nice circle or straight line if I breath carefully and focus on what I am doing.  This is a much more interesting way of doing that sort of focusing.  And it is pretty.  And it satisfies my maker personality.  Making things cheers me up.

 

I remember Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain well.  It was the textbook in my drawing class.  At the time, I didn't realize that I already knew how to do what it was explaining and I felt about it exactly the way I felt about cuisinaire rods in math or every-good-boy-does-fine in music - very confused because I was looking for something else beyond what it said.  It didn't occur to me that other people might not know it.  A book that I like better is the continuation of DotRSB.  I had the opposite problem with that book because I met it much more recently when I had much more self confidence.  I thought it was telling me what I already knew at first and found it frustrating, but when I picked it up a second time, I realized that she was trying to discover something different, something I do but with much less control.  She was after the aha moment in creativity and how it connects to the rest of the creative process.  The process she describes is something I had already discovered (and even written a poem about) but she talks about controling it better, which is useful.  And some other interesting things.  Kitty is on my lap so I can't go find the title for you.

 

It feels weird when you switch, doesn't it?  I am wondering if there is another, deeper switch that the zen seeing book is trying to describe that I don't know about yet.

 

I know what you mean about wanting to spend less time on the computer and more time doing things.  I've been trying to do that this year, too.  I used to do so many real things.  Then I got caught up in homeschooling and the internet and email and spent all my time typing instead of making and mending.  Not nearly as satisfactory but somehow easier to actually sit down and do, for some reason.

 

Nan

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Umm, well.  It's 53 degrees here, not too cold by your standards, but cold by ours! With winter storm warnings in the local mountains it was incentive enough to get the white bean and sausage soup going in the crock pot.  You can point and laugh at the shivering Southern Californians during the Rose Parade on New Year's Day!

 

Finished another Inspector Gamache novel, The Beautiful Mystery. Louise Penny writes a good closed room mystery, and this one was extra unique in that the closed room is a monastery and the beautiful mystery is the power of Gregorian Chants. 

 

I've got one more fluffy book lined up for today and tomorrow, The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier. 

 

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I can't do Wuthering Heights. I tried. I swear, I tried. I threw it across the room never to pick it up again! :p This was when I was about 15.

 

Today was the big 3-0 for me! I celebrated with the family and now I'm about to head out to see Into The Woods with my best friend. Super excited! I hope that when I return,there will be just enough time left in the day to curl up with a good book under a warm blanket. :)

 

Happy Birthday!   Oh, I guess I am late, well, I hope you had a beautiful day and that you enjoyed the movie.

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