Book a Week in 2015 - Happy New Year

[Guest]

Welcome to all the newcomers!!  It is lovely to have you here.

 

 

I have a long list of to reads.

 

...then you should feel very at home!  Teetering to-be-read stacks and lists that grow faster than we read are common here.  :)

 

 

 

I would like to join! I was way too intimidated last year but this year I would like to give it a shot.  I just started Prophecy by S.J. Parris and will look into Harukami.

 

Oh, love!  No need to be intimidated!  Not only are we all very friendly, but this is a place where you can't do things 'wrong'  - we're all readers who enjoy hanging out together and talking about books (with frequent digressions of all types). 

 

 

 

I am currently reading Hard Road West, a wonderful book about the California Trail and the Gold Rush, told from the perspective of a geologist.

 

For the Asian theme, I won't be reading a translated book, but I'll be reading The Good Earth by Buck.

 

I'd like to add Murakami but I'm not sure yet if I will.  

 

Oooh! Hard Road West looks marvelous!  ...I keep meaning to learn more about geology, but I haven't found an entry point that has drawn me in.

 

I keep thinking about rereading The Good Earth - I wasn't in a place to appreciate it when I read it last time, but I might be more ready for it now.  I look forward to hearing your reactions.

 

Murakami is muchly loved by many, but I discovered last year that I'm still not ready for for him... it was a very unpleasant reading experience for me.  (Not to discourage you, or anyone else from trying him!)

 

I've lurked a bit on your threads over the past year, but I want to join this year! I like the idea of reading History of the Medieval World together.  I have a few middle ages books I want to read this year, starting with Memoirs of a Medieval Woman and The Prince.

 

On my current stack are The Case of Comrade Tulayev, by Victor Serge - I'm reading that for a Great Books reading group I belong to.  I've neglected that group over the past year but want to recommit to it for 2015.  I'm also reading Science As A Way of Knowing by John Moore, and The March of Folly by Barbara Tuchman.  I like to have about 4 books going at a time.  I will pull HotMW off the shelf and add it to the stack!

 

I was thinking about reading some other medieval books along side too - I look forward to gleaning more idea from your reading!

 

I'd never heard of The Case of Comrade Tulayev before - thank you!  Since Jane inspired me year before last to venture into Eastern European literature, I've been wanting to also look at more from Russia in the Soviet era.  [Jane, this looks like something you might be interested in too.  ]

 

...and Science as a Way of Knowing looks incredibly appealing at well.  I'm spending time now with bio specifics, pulling back and looking at the process and sweep of thought... and, perhaps, getting a little more meta than micro might be a good balance.  So, thank you again!

 

 

:seeya:  Hi, I'm new to BaW threads too. Just planning to hang around. I'm still having trouble wrapping my brain around Robin's first post and all the challenges.

 

Currently reading the 3rd Flavia deLuce book, A Red Herring Without Mustard.

 

Welcome, love!  I do best when I think of the challenges as optional toppings... I can sprinkle one or two or all or none on my reading... and each week/month/whatever period, I can add a few more or remove the ones that didn't enhance my reading journey at this time.

 

I don't read anything I wouldn't already want to for a challenge... I just use them at times as fun ways to help me pick which book (of dozens that might appeal right now, this minute) I am going to read now.

 

 

I do believe I will join everyone this year! I need to mix up my reads. I am currently finishing up a series by Lynn Kurland (sci fi). I typically enjoy a good mixture of fluff with my reads so the Author Flavors of the Month will be a good challenge for me!

 

I am starting with Haruki Murakami's: The Strange Library

 

I thought I had an okay blend of reading... and then I joined in here and my universe expanded in so many directions!  It has been amazing.

 

 

Hi all! I might join you all this year :). I'm currently finishing up Unbroken but then I'll check out some of your challenges & see if I'm up for any of them. I look forward to watching the threads & reading new things!

 

Hanging out here has exponentialized my TBR lists...

 

 

Peeking slooooooooooowly around the edge of the door...

 

I dunno.  Still looks kinda scary/intimidating in here. :D

 

Do textbooks that I use to teach my courses count?  If they do, I might have a shot at hitting 52. ;)

 

It can be overwhelming at first, because there are so many of us each with a different reading process and style, but I think (hope!) you'll find that there's nothing to be intimidated by.  ...because you can't do it wrong.  You can read a book per month, a book per week, a book per day... or more.. or less.  ...and not only can you read any genre or type of book, but you can mix it up... you don't have to choose classics versus romance versus nonfiction, it is all good here.  ...and there's always someone whose interests might overlap with one piece of your journey. 

 

Doing it 'right' is reading books you want to read and sharing as much or little as you want to here.. you can babble on (as I often do!), wander off on rabbit trails with us, share title and author, periodically post a list... or any mixture, as your life and inclinations dictate... this space offers the greatest gift I can imagine: we can each just be ourselves here and know there is welcome and love and acceptance.  (and lots of wonderful book suggestions!)

 

:grouphug:

[Guest]

Wow. That is quite a bounty and can't imagine where you are going to house them all.  Definitely share some titles and I'll sure we'll have a few takers. We'll have our very own 52 books library.  :hurray:

 

Wouldn't it be fun to all live near each other and be able to browse shelves and share physical books (without the intercession of the post office)?

 

I haven't figured out the logistics yet, but there's still space (though not yet shelving!)...and without resorting to some of the more extreme book storage solutions I've read about...

 

 

 

 

We'll put him in September with Michel De Montaigne and make it "M" month.  I also have Invisible Cities in my stacks.  And have been wanted to see In the Footsteps of Marco Polo for quite a while. 

 

 

Fabulous!

 

...Stacia, do you want to do a Vonnegut read together at some point this year?

 

To start off our mind voyage for the year, this month's theme is January Journeys - rambling jaunts and walks, translated and transformed.    We'll be packing up our backpacks, replacing those old thread worn walking shoes for a new pair, and sailing (or flying if you prefer)  out across the Pacific toward the far eastern shores of the continent of Asia.  Where you go from there is up to you.  We'll be rambling and roving around reading translated books, exploring and examining different cultures and delving into the present as well as the past. 

 

 

...since we started last year with Japan, perhaps I'll start with China this year... though I think I'll count starting Joyce's Ulysses as fitting in with a 'journeying' theme!

 

 

 

Multi-quote is still not working so forgive multiple posts...

 

 

Thanks, Eliana. You'd mentioned that before so I knew what I was getting into before I ordered it. I've barely started it. I hope her writing is good because I find the description of the plot as it's laid out on Amazon and GR compelling--the depth and development of the relationship between the heroine and her animal beloved is what is drawing me.

 

 

re: muliquoting: I can't get the button to work, but I've been opening 'quotes' in a new tab and then cutting and pasting responses into the same message.

 

Oh, good.  I didn't want you to be blindsided.  McKinley does, I think, a beautiful job with human/animal relationships and that is a special piece of Deerskin.  There's a small strand of... almost mysticism that I think you might like in this book... and it is unequivocally a strong voice for a woman's viewpoint. 

 

If you can make it through the first section, you should be fine.  ..and know that the, what I call claustrophobic, feel... a sense of the walls closing in and lack of agency or choices, doesn't persist through the book.  I found that harder than the plot points themselves.

[prairiegirl]

Happy New Year, everyone!   Welcome to all of the new people.  The key to all of this is not to get caught up in the numbers--just read!   I usually do not participate in the challenges as they seem a bit too constricting to me but I like some of the author challenges so I might bend my rule this year.  I'm not sure if I am ready for Murakami but I did try Helen Oyeymi last year and, while I wouldn't say I liked it, I was intrigued by her writing so I might just try Murakami this year.

 

Last year was  a rough year and my reading reflected it with lots and lots of fluff books.  I am praying for a healing year for 2015 and I am hoping that my reading choices will be elevated this year.  So, with that thought in mind I am currently reading:

 

Imitation of Christ  by Thomas a Kempis

The Inferno by Dante

Leisure by Josef Pieper

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Six Easy Pieces  by Richard Feynman

 

Oh, and Stacia,  that bookshelf is way too cool!   I am loving it!

[Stacia]

 Fabulous!

 

...Stacia, do you want to do a Vonnegut read together at some point this year?

 

Yes, Robin, thanks for squeezing in Marco Polo among the monthly author flavors!

 

Yes, Eliana, I would love to do a Vonnegut read together this year! (I know Angel will be chomping at the bit to join us too! :laugh: )

[shukriyya]

 

Oh, good.  I didn't want you to be blindsided.  McKinley does, I think, a beautiful job with human/animal relationships and that is a special piece of Deerskin.  There's a small strand of... almost mysticism that I think you might like in this book... and it is unequivocally a strong voice for a woman's viewpoint. 

 

If you can make it through the first section, you should be fine.  ..and know that the, what I call claustrophobic, feel... a sense of the walls closing in and lack of agency or choices, doesn't persist through the book.  I found that harder than the plot points themselves.

 

I started it this morning and while I don't find the writing to be stellar I am finding myself drawn into the story and sense that, rather than the writing, will be the draw for me. It feels a bit like a variation on the Beauty and the Beast tale, one of my favorites, though research suggests that it's based on a Charles Perrault story, 'Donkey Skin'. I'm encouraged by your observations as to what might appeal to me about it.

 

That's the nice thing about this group, after a time if you post regularly enough folks recognize your literary inclinations and can say 'yay' or 'nay'. In fact, Stacia, I'm almost tempted to ask you to suggest a Harukami for me based on what you know of my likes but I've got so much on my book plate already I've held back from asking.

 

And just ftr I'm all out of likes which hasn't happened before so consider all posts liked from hereon in. Newcomers, welcome one and all!

[Pam in CT]

Peeking slooooooooooowly around the edge of the door...

 

I dunno.  Still looks kinda scary/intimidating in here. :D

 

Do textbooks that I use to teach my courses count?  If they do, I might have a shot at hitting 52. ;)

 

:lol:

 

(beckoning encouragingly as you peek, come on in -- we're really Very Nice!)

[Vera]

Oh cool! I would love to join in. I finished Nothing to Envy yesterday and I am now working on The Family and The Real North Korea. I love the SWB idea. I will think about joining in on that.

[Guest]

 

I disappeared around the middle of 2014 when things got hectic here. I kept meaning to return but never found a good time to jump back in. Stacia and I pm'd on Goodreads and she convinced me not to wait until the new year and to just come back. I had every intention of doing so, but time got away from me and here I am at the start of a new year. I'm glad to be back. 

 

 

2. Kafka on the Shore - This was 2nd my Murakami (1Q84 was my first) and I realize that his writing is just not for me.

 

3. Life Below Stairs - I enjoy this kind of information and hoped I'd get the skinny on the "real" lives of Downton Abbey type servants. Instead it read like a high school student's report on Edwardian era servants. It's the only non-fiction on my disappointment list.

 

 

5. Moby Dick - yes, that Moby Dick. I saved it for last on my list because it might cause some people to gasp aloud. ;) I didn't hate it, and even found some parts of it very enjoyable, but overall it gets a thumbs down from me. It's on my list of highly overrated classics (which is actually a rather short list). The best thing I can say about it is I can cross it off my bucket list.

 

 

Some of my favorites - 

 

Their Eyes Were Watching God - I don't know why it took me so long to read this, especially since it's somewhat local for me. I loved Hurston's writing as much as the story itself.

 

The Way We Live Now - I never heard of this book until a few months ago, but wow. Why isn't this on everyone's list of must read classics? 

 

Daniel Deronda - This was only my second George Eliot (first was Middlemarch) but it won't be my last. I really enjoyed this one. After I read it, I watched the BBC series. It doesn't do the book justice, but young Hugh Dancy is yummy.

 

 

 

Welcome back, love!

 

 

Kafka on the Shore was a traumatic experience for me.  ...but I think I'm still glad I read it.  I could *almost* catch glimpses of the way the pieces that felt so nightmarishly random to me come together in a kind of transcendence for some readers... I am not (yet!) one of those readers, but maybe in another decade or two?

 

Below Stairs and Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor are both individual memoirs.  The prose is mediocre, but I felt they each gave a glimpse into the 'service' side of that world.  The former in a more bitter way, the latter with more than a little rose-tinting.

 

I've bounced off the beginning of Moby Dick an embarrassing number of times, but in my abundance of new-to-me books there is a lovely edition that cries out to be read... and reading it is on my goal list for 2015.

 

I read Their Eyes Were Watching G-d much too young and missed the growth of self and agency underneath all the hard times... but reading it last year was a much richer experience.

 

I am very fond of Trollope - his Palliser novels have been my favorites, but I've been meaning to reread some of the others... 

 

George Eliot is one of my top ten favorite authors (though I hate Mill on the Floss!)  Daniel Deronda is imperfect (and I have to grit my teeth through some of her depictions of Judaism), but amazing... and, I completely agree that the film version doesn't do it justice... in part because it is only really connected to one half of the book...

 

 

[mumto2]

I know that just yesterday I said I wanted my first book finished this year to be Jane Eyre but I didn't have it available to read earlier and the kindle had Broken Homeshttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/review-broken-homes-rivers-of-london-4-by-ben-aaronovitch-8755669.htmlby Aaronovitch on it so I read a few more pages and I could not put it down. This book ended with a great shocking cliffhanger, cliffhanger might not be the best description but all I can think of.... I can't wait to get my hands on the next in the series.

[Stacia]

Oh, and Stacia,  that bookshelf is way too cool!   I am loving it!

 

Thanks. It's my favorite bookshelf. And, though I pulled everything off of it (kind-of) in jest so I could color-code it, it was interesting for me to see that I put exactly 52 books on (w/out counting). Knowing I read plenty of library books & will probably acquire others throughout the year, I find it sobering/intriguing/thought-provoking that the amount I now see there roughly represents the number of books I read in a year. (It was way more stacked up before I rearranged it.) Seeing as how I have other bookshelves, it's making me take a much harder look at what's left & whether or not I'd want to move them onto my spiral shelf for consideration in an upcoming year. So, maybe, I'm learning a lesson in looking ahead to my reading year (& perhaps a little beyond), but not wanting to have much more than that (other than a few special favorites) because I know my reading tastes will travel & vary over time too.

 

Anyway, just some of my ramblings after my little color-coding scheme.... Probably none of it makes sense, but I understand myself, so I guess that's the goal. Lol.

 

That's the nice thing about this group, after a time if you post regularly enough folks recognize your literary inclinations and can say 'yay' or 'nay'. In fact, Stacia, I'm almost tempted to ask you to suggest a Harukami for me based on what you know of my likes but I've got so much on my book plate already I've held back from asking.

 

And just ftr I'm all out of likes which hasn't happened before so consider all posts liked from hereon in. Newcomers, welcome one and all!

 

Yes, I'm out of likes too! Argh! So, do consider your posts liked, everyone.

 

Hmmm. I would have to ponder the right Murakami for you shukriyya. Quickly, I'd say Kafka on the Shore. And the more I keep thinking about it, the more I'm thinking I may go back & reread that one myself (even though I don't really like rereading books). It's still my favorite Murakami.

[Pam in CT]

Sorry for all the quotes in separate posts. The multi-quote feature hasn't been working for me for several days now. I posted on the tech board but haven't had a response from anyone official.

 

_____

 

 

 

Thanks for the Bel-Ami suggestion. A tip for anyone who might decide to search for it - be sure to put Bel-Ami book or classic in the search. When I just searched the title I came up with some rather, um, interesting possibilities.  :eek:  At first I thought, "Wow, Violet Crown? Really?" Then I realized that couldn't be right and searched a little further. :)

 

re: multiquoting: yeah, of the entire WTM community, Kareni alone seems to be able to browbeat it into submission... deeply mysterious.

 

 

ETA: Oh, I see now that Eliana has worked it out too.  Perhaps y'all can share the secret?

 

____

 

re: Bel-Ami: well, I can personally attest that even when you get the right book, you still may well think, "Wow, Violet Crown?  Really??!"   :lol:

[Stacia]

 I've bounced off the beginning of Moby Dick an embarrassing number of times, but in my abundance of new-to-me books there is a lovely edition that cries out to be read... and reading it is on my goal list for 2015.

 

Maybe we can read-along at similar times on this one too, Eliana. (Though you read so much more quickly, you'll probably finish about 6 months ahead of me on it. Lol!)

 

And, since I will be going through Matt Kish's illustrated version as I read the book, I will probably also go back & read his blog in detail about his trip to Nantucket.

 

[Guest]

I'm thinking about it. I love the site someone in your GR group linked to: The Joyce Project. I may read the whole book on that site even though my eyes will complain. I like the 12-week schedule, the notes on the linked website and the idea of reading through the comments and questions of the other readers in the group. 

 

I like the spacious reading schedules, and the one time my reading aligned with the group (so far!), I enjoyed the thoughtful, engaged discussions. 

 

I'm holding off on exploring annotations - I'm afraid I'll get caught up in them and lose connection with the book itself... though that site did make me think I should make this a first read and come back through for a second level of reading...

 

 

 

I'm going to read and follow along, Eliana, but I probably won't participate in the discussion.  I love the group, but they have so many posts going on that if you leave for ½ a day, when you come back there are about 50 posts to read through.  This book is going to be challenging enough for me, so a silent lurker I will be this time.  It sounds like you're joining in .....???  If so, I'll be looking forward to your posts.

 

I'm not sure if I'll participate actively... the discussion does move quickly and I know I'll be neck deep in anatomy and physiology... but what is most likely to hold me back is that Joyce (and that whole stream of literary approach) is so foreign for me that I imagine I might get more from being quiet and hearing what others have to say.  ...but thank you!

 

I joined the read along with that group too. I'm looking forward to it. 

 

:hurray:

 

 

Eliana- I may join you for Ulysses.  I've always wanted to read it but I don't think I was ready before.  Maybe this is the year?

 

I'm hoping this is the year for me...  I've never felt brave enough to tackle it on my own (I can't think of another book I can say that about... hmmm), so this framework is very encouraging.

 

My mother spent a semester (or was it a year?) on Ulysses while she was in graduate school... an enormous map of Dublin was up in our living room next to her desk for a long time, and her enthusiasm has left me eager to experience it.

[Guest]

Maybe we can read-along at similar times on this one too, Eliana. (Though you read so much more quickly, you'll probably finish about 6 months ahead of me on it. Lol!)

 

And, since I will be going through Matt Kish's illustrated version as I read the book, I will probably also go back & read his blog in detail about his trip to Nantucket.

 

 

That would fun, love! 

 

...I read some things quickly, but these past few years the really chunky books often get read in bits and pieces over an embarrassingly long time (it took me a year to finish Tale of the Heike!  ...and I adored it.)

 

...and my planned Don QUixote reread in 2013 got set aside.  I just picked it up again last week.  *blush*

[Pam in CT]

I just ordered Zentangles -- it looks neat -- if I can convince Stella to work through it with me, I'll work through it as well.

 

I'm in for a January Murukami.  I'll see what my library has... probably 1Q84...

 

Eliana, crstarlette and Lady Florida -- I've never been able to push through the whole of Ulysses -- I suspect I would do better with the scaffolding of a group -- but I've also never dared to venture a toe into GoodReads!  Gracious!  It took me five years lurking on BAW before I dared sign up... I dunno.  Can I lurk without signing up?  That seems to be my preferred MO...

 

 

_____

 

... and, I was so busy end-year that I never posted my final week's books... among them were two for which I wanted to thank Stacia (Jenny Lawson's Let's Pretend This Never Happened -- thank you dear; just the ticket... VC, this is NOT FOR YOU even though it is set in and around Austin...   :lol:  ) and aggieamy (Carry On Jeeves -- also hilarious; reminds me of a grown-up Mrs Piggle Wiggle!)

 

... and Eliana, my daughter brought me a book I really enjoyed that you might also -- conservative Rabbi Amy Eilberg's From Enemy to Friend: Jewish Wisdom and the Pursuit of Peace... describes her experiences working in conflict mediation, and the evolution of her thinking in this area as rooted in Talmud...

 

 

[JustEm]

I'm joining in this year!  I will join in the year long History of the Medieval World challenge and the author flavor of the month challenge.  Here are a few of the books I already have planned.

 

-The Stand by Stephen King (this is sort of a cheat since I started it in 2014 but it will get finished this month so I'm counting it)

-Persuasion by Jane Austin

-Allegory of Love by C.S. Lewis

-many Shakespeare plays just haven't decided which ones yet

-Kitchen Table Math

-Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics by Liping Ma

- Catherine of Siena's The Dialogue

-Doomed by Chuck Palaniuk

-Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales

 

[Uff Da!]

 

 

I'm hoping this is the year for me...  I've never felt brave enough to tackle it on my own (I can't think of another book I can say that about... hmmm), so this framework is very encouraging.

 

My mother spent a semester (or was it a year?) on Ulysses while she was in graduate school... an enormous map of Dublin was up in our living room next to her desk for a long time, and her enthusiasm has left me eager to experience it.

 

I'm not seeing a schedule or anything on the Joyce Project site.  Am I missing something or is the site just not working for me?

 

This may be a "Da" moment for me.  :)

[Guest]

I did appreciate how thick on the ground Darwin's examples are. My biggest complaint with last year's read of Theory of the Leisure Class was Veblen's lack of examples, making it difficult to grasp his theories about societies and cultures. Darwin on other hand is right there with ants, orchids, and elephants illustrating his observations, conclusions, and speculation.

 

*****************

 

I had also started Andrei Platonov's Soviet-era novel The Foundation Pit before Christmas, but I think I left it at my in-laws'. Maybe I'll finish off the next Brigadier Gerard collection instead. If I were a better person I would jump into Eliana's Ulysses read; but the stars are not yet aligned.

 

*********************

 

Lady Florida--I loved The Way We Live Now. If you enjoy novels about people behaving scandalously, you might like Bel-Ami, if you haven't read it already. Someone is going to like that novel besides me.

 

That is a great point.    When we did Aristotle in Seminar (in college), one of the best discussions involved hashing through possible examples for various things and teasing out the implications of different models.  ...having author-provided examples removes a level of ambiguity that can be invisible to an over-hasty reader.

 

**************************

 

Oooh! Two Soviet era book suggestions in one thread... and this one is also very appealing.  Thank you.

 

...having the stars align is, for me at least, an essential part of a satisfying reading life. I might be a little biased, but I think being aware of that *is* the 'better person' choice!

 

**************************

I think I have it around here somewhere... but I've never tried it.  I'll try to pull it out and stick it on my shelf where it will be easier for the stars to align properly!  :)  ...though I can't promise I'll like it!

 

[shukriyya]

Oh gosh, dh and I were just 'discussing' Moby Dick, a book he very much enjoyed. I've got discuss in quotes because my words were so disparaging that it could hardly be called discussing...something along the lines of books by dead, white males being overly lauded and who would want to read 600 pages about a man chasing a fish, er, whale, that there were other more subtle and lyrical ways of unfolding metaphor. Dh was very good with me both laughing with me and at the same time pointing out the, ahem, somewhat biased and narrow view I was holding on a book I haven't read. And I was laughing along with him because, well, really it was a ridiculous conversation but one that allowed me to see myself in a certain compassionate but telling light. Still, there you have it, the human condition attached to its opinions and ideas about things it might know little about because, well, they're familiar. I have no desire to read this book but I'm rather fascinated by the fact that some of you, who I consider my friends :lol: who do want to read it.

[Guest]

I'm not seeing a schedule or anything on the Joyce Project site.  Am I missing something or is the site just not working for me?

 

This may be a "Da" moment for me.   :)

 

The read long isn't on the Joyce Project site its on Goodreads - sorry about that!

 

Here's the thread with the schedule.

[shukriyya]

I just ordered Zentangles -- it looks neat -- if I can convince Stella to work through it with me, I'll work through it as well.

 

 

Yay, the more the merrier!

 

And Nan, thanks for the link to the ebook. It looks downloadable to kindle. For those interested here's an informative Zentangle website.

 

 

Eliana, crstarlette and Lady Florida -- I've never been able to push through the whole of Ulysses -- I suspect I would do better with the scaffolding of a group -- but I've also never dared to venture a toe into GoodReads!  Gracious!  It took me five years lurking on BAW before I dared sign up... I dunno.  Can I lurk without signing up?  That seems to be my preferred MO...

 

 

Sometimes I wonder if this isn't how I'm living life ;)

[Lady Florida.]

Oh gosh, dh and I were just 'discussing' Moby Dick, a book he very much enjoyed. I've got discuss in quotes because my words were so disparaging that it could hardly be called discussing...something along the lines of books by dead, white males being overly lauded and who would want to read 600 pages about a man chasing a fish, er, whale, that there were other more subtle and lyrical ways of unfolding metaphor. Dh was very good with me both laughing with me and at the same time pointing out the, ahem, somewhat biased and narrow view I was holding on a book I haven't read. And I was laughing along with him because, well, really it was a ridiculous conversation but one that allowed me to see myself in a certain compassionate but telling light. Still, there you have it, the human condition attached to its opinions and ideas about things it might know little about because, well, they're familiar. I have no desire to read this book but I'm rather fascinated by the fact that some of you, who I consider my friends :lol: who do want to read it.

 

Well I can now say I have read it, and I would tend to agree with your 'review'. No need for you to read it. You already nailed the gist of it. :D

[beckster]

Hi, everyone!  I joined in 2013, but fizzled out halfway through the year, and have been lurking ever since.  I think it is time to jump back in again, if I may!!  I have really enjoyed listening in, and my TBR pile has grown thanks to you all!  I definitely want to read along in SWB's HoMW, and have a few books that are in process.  Need to mull over challenge options!

 

Currently reading...

 

Invisibles

What's Best Next

Inside Deaf Culture

[shukriyya]

Well I can now say I have read it, and I would tend to agree with your 'review'. No need for you to read it. You already nailed the gist of it. :D

 

Thanks, Kathy, I'll pass your report along to dh and feel less alone in my disparagement :smilielol5:

 

[Violet Crown]

 

Last year was a rough year and my reading reflected it with lots and lots of fluff books. I am praying for a healing year for 2015 and I am hoping that my reading choices will be elevated this year. So, with that thought in mind I am currently reading:

 

Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis

 

2014 was rough around here, too; and the Imitation is my always go-to reading for life's rockiness. It doesn't show up on my list often because I seldom read from beginning to end. Anyway a ringing endorsement for Kempis.

[Violet Crown]

Oh gosh, dh and I were just 'discussing' Moby Dick, a book he very much enjoyed. I've got discuss in quotes because my words were so disparaging that it could hardly be called discussing...something along the lines of books by dead, white males being overly lauded and who would want to read 600 pages about a man chasing a fish, er, whale, that there were other more subtle and lyrical ways of unfolding metaphor. Dh was very good with me both laughing with me and at the same time pointing out the, ahem, somewhat biased and narrow view I was holding on a book I haven't read. And I was laughing along with him because, well, really it was a ridiculous conversation but one that allowed me to see myself in a certain compassionate but telling light. Still, there you have it, the human condition attached to its opinions and ideas about things it might know little about because, well, they're familiar. I have no desire to read this book but I'm rather fascinated by the fact that some of you, who I consider my friends :lol: who do want to read it.

Middle Girl says she can see "how Moby Dick might be disappointing if one expects it to be something it isn't." I wonder if twelve might not be the perfect age for Melville; just leaving the world of children's books, but without much in the way of expectations for grown-up books.

[shukriyya]

Middle Girl says she can see "how Moby Dick might be disappointing if one expects it to be something it isn't." I wonder if twelve might not be the perfect age for Melville; just leaving the world of children's books, but without much in the way of expectations for grown-up books.

 

She sounds rather wise, your Middle Girl does, with such an astute and spacious observation. Tell her, thank you.

 

[JennW in SoCal]

Oh gosh, dh and I were just 'discussing' Moby Dick, a book he very much enjoyed. I've got discuss in quotes because my words were so disparaging that it could hardly be called discussing...something along the lines of books by dead, white males being overly lauded and who would want to read 600 pages about a man chasing a fish, er, whale, that there were other more subtle and lyrical ways of unfolding metaphor. Dh was very good with me both laughing with me and at the same time pointing out the, ahem, somewhat biased and narrow view I was holding on a book I haven't read. And I was laughing along with him because, well, really it was a ridiculous conversation but one that allowed me to see myself in a certain compassionate but telling light. Still, there you have it, the human condition attached to its opinions and ideas about things it might know little about because, well, they're familiar. I have no desire to read this book but I'm rather fascinated by the fact that some of you, who I consider my friends :lol: who do want to read it.

 

Jane and I at least have read it!  

 

The audio version helped me along quite a bit.  One of the things I found so utterly fascinating about Moby Dick was all the different writing styles Melville uses.  He can be morbidly didactic for pages on end then suddenly the text leaps and soars with Shakespearean soliloquies when Ahab comes on deck, or with poetic beauty at other times.  There is very, very little action.  

 

I can't say I enjoyed it, and confess the motivation to read it (along with my youngest when he was in high school) was to have the kind of bragging rights mountain climbers have, and yet I'm glad I read it.  It has definitely stuck with me.

[Violet Crown]

She sounds rather wise, your Middle Girl does, with such an astute and spacious observation. Tell her, thank you.

 

She finds the opportunity to sound Wiser Than the Adults to be irresistible. But to be honest, she mostly loved Moby Dick for the whaling adventure parts. Perhaps she'll find new depths in it when older.

[mellifera33]

I'll be joining this year. I read embarrassingly few books last year and need to do better this year. Yesterday dh gave me some time for school planning and I read Geology of the Pacific Northwest in preparation for our Spring science activities. I'm not sure if I should count it, it's 100 pages and about a sixth grade reading level. :) I'm also working on The Power of Habit by Duhigg (Kindle) and Adventuring with Children by Jeffrey (hardcopy).

[Guest]

I'm thinking Wuthering Heights may be a suitable January read for me. There was a bit of chat on this one on the last thread--I remember liking it as a teen during a high school English lit class. Wondering what I'll think of it now, and being on the moors for dark. long, wet, rainy January just feels right.

It has been a different book for me each time I've read it.  ...I have yet to love it (and I am utterly baffled as to how anyone could read it as a romantic story), but I have come to appreciate its craft and the movement toward a healthier place in the next generation... there is hope for growth and compassion, we don't have to be trapped by dysfunctional horrors from the past....

 

...but I don't think I'm ready to revisit the nastiness and the suffocating abusiveness of the beginning and the middle to explore the end again.

 

 

 

My bedside table is filled with difficult and currently uninspiring non-fiction. I think I need to get lost in another concurrent novel.

 

************

 

I may not follow your sugestions but I'll try to keep a reading record this year and go back to more TV-less evenings.

Thanks for the inspiration.

 

It's weird , isn't it?   I can pile up my bedside bookshelf with enticing books, all ones I want to read right-that-minute... and a few weeks, months (even days!) later, they can all be 'meh' and unappealing... and I need to clear them all out and pick out a new selection... books that make me smile when I see their titles, ones that have me wanting to set aside all the things I have to do to get more time for these wants...

 

************************

 

I started keeping a reading log for the first time in 2013 and that alone was an enormous gift from joining here. 

 

...and I think that just paying attention to a behavior, let alone coming and talking about it with others, encourages that behavior... so keeping a record and (I hope!) coming and chatting a bit with us here might be just the boost you need to add in some more reading to your life.

 

Oh cool! I would love to join in. I finished Nothing to Envy yesterday and I am now working on The Family and The Real North Korea. I love the SWB idea. I will think about joining in on that.

 

Welcome, sweetie 

 

 

Okay, I am signing up for the 3rd year in a row, I may end up dropping out by Feb again, but I am going to try.  I have a ton of reading this term for my classes so hope I can still keep up with BAW too

 

 

Welcome back!

 

Yes, being in school leaches away reading time/energy, doesn't it?  ...but just drop in when you can and share what you want to!

[Stacia]

Well, I don't really want to read Moby Dick, but I do want to go through the the book with the pictures, so I kind of figure I should read the actual book alongside it. Lol!

[Guest]

Eliana, crstarlette and Lady Florida -- I've never been able to push through the whole of Ulysses -- I suspect I would do better with the scaffolding of a group -- but I've also never dared to venture a toe into GoodReads!  Gracious!  It took me five years lurking on BAW before I dared sign up... I dunno.  Can I lurk without signing up?  That seems to be my preferred MO...

 

 

... and Eliana, my daughter brought me a book I really enjoyed that you might also -- conservative Rabbi Amy Eilberg's From Enemy to Friend: Jewish Wisdom and the Pursuit of Peace... describes her experiences working in conflict mediation, and the evolution of her thinking in this area as rooted in Talmud...

 

Sure!  ...whatever works for you, love.

 

...thank you for the book recommendation - my library has it, and I've placed a hold. 

 

Have you read Aviva Gottlieb Zornberg?  I'm just about done rereading her Beginning of Desire: Reflections on Genesis (coincidentally enough since we're about to wrap up Parshas Vayechi), and thought you might appreciate some of her thoughts. 

 

 

 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

Here are the Author Flavors of the Month.  Any changes, suggestions or questions????

• January: Haruki Murakami 
• February: Jane Austen
• March: Charlotte Bronte
• April: C.S. Lewis
• May: Dante - Purgatorio
• June: Alexander Dumas
• July: Tracy Chevalier
• August: Isabelle Allende
• September: Michel De Montaigne
• October: Anne Rice
• November: Fyodor Dostoevsky
• December: Henry James

 

 

I was thinking about this list all day yesterday (at the beach!) and I'm so excited! I realized that it was so much fun to contemplate reading just for myself - so much of my reading time is spent pre-reading or previewing things for the girls, I don't very often have time to just read for myself.  It feels rather decadent!

 

Anyway, I'm cautiously approaching January, I will give Murakami a try.

 

For February,  :001_wub:  I love Jane Austen, and the only thing I've re-read recently is Emma, which is my least favorite Austen.  Maybe I'll do a whole Austen marathon in February! I definitely want to read Northanger Abbey, which I think is the only one I haven't read.

 

March - Well, I re-read Jane Eyre last year, I still love it.  I tried to listen to Villette but got bored.  How is Shirley?  As for the other Brontes, I also read Wuthering Heights for the first time last year, and did not love it - some of you may have seen my thread on the HS board about it!  I read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall too.  I may be Bronted out for this year

 

April - C.S. Lewis.  Hmm.  I don't want to read his religious writings.  How are his Sci Fi novels? Out of the Silent Planet? Anybody have a review?

 

May - Dante.  Woo-hoo! I've been wanting to read Purgatorio for years, and will finally do it this year!  This will go nicely with the Medieval theme, as well.

 

June - Dumas.  I've been thinking of doing The Three Musketeers as a read-aloud with the girls, so that may happen.

 

July - Tracy Chevalier - I hadn't even heard of this author.  I like historical fiction.  Intriguing.  Anyone have a favorite to recommend starting with?

 

August - Allende.  meh.  I read a bunch of her stuff in college.  I don't feel drawn to her at the moment.  I may have mentioned not loving surrealism?  Although I do love Marquez.

 

September - Montaigne - another good kick in the seat of the pants!  I will definitely read a few essays

 

October - Anne Rice - I may do this early, I see that Prince Lestat just showed up on my hold list at the library.

 

November - Dostoevsky.  Well, minimally I will re-read The Grand Inquisitor, a favorite from my loss-of-faith period. I haven't read it in over 20 years.

 

December - Henry James.  Kind of love to hate him.  Ooh, maybe I'll read Turn of the Screw to the girls - that seems like a good spooky winter read aloud!

 

 

My Great Books reading group has these books planned:

The Case of Comrade Tulayev - Victor Serge.  I'm in the middle of this one, really enjoying it.

Amsterdam - Ian McEwan.  I haven't read this one, though I did read On Chesil Beach.  I think I liked it? It's been awhile

Keep the Aspidistra Flying - Orwell - I started this last year but didn't finish it.  Maybe I'll try again.  Not my favorite Orwell, but probably worth giving it a go.

English, August - Upamanyu Chatterjee - never heard of it

The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes - I've not read it, looks interesting

The Once and Future King - T. H. White. - I don't think I've ever actually read this version of the Arthurian legend, though I've read several others.  I'll probably either do this as a read aloud, or have Shannon read it too and come to book group with me.  It seems like the only one on the list she'd really enjoy.

 

It's fun to plan the year's reading!  Although I should probably get back to planning what we're going to do for school on Monday.  :blush:

[Pam in CT]

 

 

Have you read Aviva Gottlieb Zornberg?  I'm just about done rereading her Beginning of Desire: Reflections on Genesis (coincidentally enough since we're about to wrap up Parshas Vayechi), and thought you might appreciate some of her thoughts. 

 

:lol: Emma co-hosts a Torah study group at university, and her study partner gave it to her for Chanukah.  I don't think she's finished it yet, though...

[idnib]

Oooh! Hard Road West looks marvelous!  ...I keep meaning to learn more about geology, but I haven't found an entry point that has drawn me in.

 

I'm really enjoying Hard Road West. I have always been drawn to the American West in some sort of spiritual(?) way so it's interesting to read about the geology of the region. The author does an excellent job of tying ancient forces to actual decisions made on the trail. I enjoy reading about how one particular event occurring 5 million years ago caused the emigrants to have to take the long way around a particular bend in a river. The scientific information is interspersed with well-written original source quotations of hardships and pure grit. More than once my eyes have welled up for these people and I have felt their wonder at the formations of the West when they pondered whether God simply "rent the earth asunder" or if there were scientific explanations for what they were seeing.

[Guest]

She finds the opportunity to sound Wiser Than the Adults to be irresistible. But to be honest, she mostly loved Moby Dick for the whaling adventure parts. Perhaps she'll find new depths in it when older.

 

12 is when my older son read Les Miserables for the first time - he ruthlessly skipped all the digressions so he could keep his eye on the main story lines, but he then reread it about a dozen times afterwards, reveling in the digressions and developing deeper appreciations of other bits as well over the years.

 

...the beautiful thing about great books is the number of levels on which they can be appreciated... and often not coming to a book with the baggage of expectations can leave one open to reading it on the level one is ready for, or open to. 

[Shawneinfl]

...and my planned Don QUixote reread in 2013 got set aside.  I just picked it up again last week.  *blush*

 

Eliana, I got sidetracked last year with Les Miserables but I've started back in again. It's my audiobook companion while I do the treadmill. :) I must have the reeeeally long unabridged version. Because it's 60 hours long.

 

 

I'm joining in this year!  I will join in the year long History of the Medieval World challenge and the author flavor of the month challenge. 

-The Stand by Stephen King (this is sort of a cheat since I started it in 2014 but it will get finished this month so I'm counting it)

 

Welcome! During my Stephen King phase in the 80's I remember The Stand as being my all time favorite King book.

[Uff Da!]

The read long isn't on the Joyce Project site its on Goodreads - sorry about that!

 

Here's the thread with the schedule.

Thank you!

[Mom-ninja.]

 

Here are the Author Flavors of the Month.  Any changes, suggestions or questions????

• January: Haruki Murakami 
• February: Jane Austen
• March: Charlotte Bronte
• April: C.S. Lewis
• May: Dante - Purgatorio
• June: Alexander Dumas
• July: Tracy Chevalier
• August: Isabelle Allende
• September: Michel De Montaigne
• October: Anne Rice
• November: Fyodor Dostoevsky
• December: Henry James

 

 

I had suggested Mark Twain. One of my goals this year is to read more of his work. I'll read him the months that I don't want to read an author listed such as Anne Rice. Can. Not. Stand. Her. Books.

 

Thinking about 3/5/15 and I think I'm going to do 5 books in 3 categories instead of the other way around. I reserve the right to change my mind at any time. ;)

 

1. Philosophy/Worldview

2. Rereads

3. Fluff

 

Yes, I have to challenge myself to read fluff or else I really won't get around to it. Also, what I consider fluff is my prerogative. ;) Although, if you see me trying to post a physics book as fluff please call me out.  

 

I'm working on a book I didn't finish in time for 2014 due to being sick. God is Not Great by Hitchens and it will count as book #1 in Philosophy/World View. 

 

 

[Heidi]

I'm going to join in this year!   When I read it is usually non-fiction, research type reading, reading to learn.  I would like to change that and read more fiction this year, beginning with the books on my bookshelf, which are mostly classics for my kids, most of which I've never read myself.  I will also do one book from the author of the month.  I haven't made a final decision for next week yet.  Maybe The Hobbit.  My dd10 just started it so I could read it with her.

 

ETA I just purchased History of the Medieval World, so I'll be following along in that one too.

[Kareni]

re: multiquoting: yeah, of the entire WTM community, Kareni alone seems to be able to browbeat it into submission... deeply mysterious.

 

 

ETA: Oh, I see now that Eliana has worked it out too.  Perhaps y'all can share the secret?

 

 

 

re: muliquoting: I can't get the button to work, but I've been opening 'quotes' in a new tab and then cutting and pasting responses into the same message.

 

Yes, I've been doing likewise.  (I'm happy to share my deeply mysterious designation with Eliana.)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

I have some grand plans for my 2015 reading but I'm not sure what the reality of it all will look like. I'm still working on the list and will possibly add more as I pare down the many possibilities. I'll also read my IRL book club choice each month. 

 

My still-in-progress list includes -

 

-The Brothers Karamazov - I'm reading this with another Goodreads group, and we started on Monday (12/29). I read Crime and Punishment a few months ago, so by the time the November challenge gets here I think I'll have had my fill of Dostoyevsky. 

 

-finish Don Quixote - I keep putting it aside in favor of other books, but I really want to finish it. I'm so close.

 

-Herotodus Histories

 

-And the Mountains Echoed and The Kite Runner

 

-Master and Commander - If I like it, I'll continue the series

 

-Unbroken

 

-finish the Chief Inspector Gamache series (I only have 2 left and want to read them before she publishes another one)

 

-any fluff mysteries that I discover when I just need to read something easy

 

-one or two more of George Eliot's books (I thought Adam Bede would be one of the choices but after Eliana's comment I'm not sure)

 

-War and Peace

 

I might do the February Jane Austen challenge. It's been a while since I reread any of her novels. If I do the challenge I'll either go with Northanger Abbey or Persuasion. Those are my two Austen favorites

 

Also, I might give Henry James another try during that challenge. Hey, I have 12 months to work up the motivation. At least it isn't Hemingway.   :lol:

 

 

 

In addition to tackling Ulysses with the Goodreads group, I'll be reading The Novel: A Biography with a different Goodreads group. I want to read several of the books he mentions in each chapter and I expect it will be a year-long project.

 

description:

 

"The 700-year history of the novel in English defies straightforward telling. Geographically and culturally boundless, with contributions from Great Britain, Ireland, America, Canada, Australia, India, the Caribbean, and Southern Africa; influenced by great novelists working in other languages; and encompassing a range of genres, the story of the novel in English unfolds like a richly varied landscape that invites exploration rather than a linear journey. In The Novel: A Biography, "Michael Schmidt does full justice to its complexity."

 

 

 

 

[idnib]

I am concerned that Ulysses actually seems doable with the Joyce Project web site and the Goodreads group.

 

I don't have time for this...the exact timeframe for the book overlaps with packing for a move, moving, and unpacking at the other end!

 

Yet it seems appealing and I'm afraid I won't get to it for a long time otherwise.

[felicity]

Hi, I am going to attempt to join you this year. I don't have any grand plans of what to read yet, but they will come as I read more responses here, I'm sure. 

 

Right now I'm reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers for book club in February and I have Quiet on my shelf TBR. I will join in with the History of the Medieval World challenge. Once upon a time I was a world history teacher and just love the time period. 

 

Just wanted to introduce myself a little and thanks!

[Lady Florida.]

...

 

Eliana, crstarlette and Lady Florida -- I've never been able to push through the whole of Ulysses -- I suspect I would do better with the scaffolding of a group -- but I've also never dared to venture a toe into GoodReads!  Gracious!  It took me five years lurking on BAW before I dared sign up... I dunno.  Can I lurk without signing up?  That seems to be my preferred MO...

____

 

 

 

I'm not positive, but I think you have to join in order to see the discussions. Since I'm already a member, I can't tell. Still, you could join and just lurk.

 

You can take a look here - Classics and the Western Cannon. See if you can read the discussions without joining. If not, then go with "join but lurk". :)

[Runningmom80]

This is the third time I've posted in the first week of this thread with the intention of reading 52 books.  Hopefully this is the first year I actually succeed. 

 

My first read is Gone Girl.  I know I'm late to the party, but I'm starting with a few quick reads to keep the momentum going. :)

 

Also, DH forwarded me this article, I thought some of you may find it enjoyable. http://austinkleon.com/2014/12/29/how-to-read-more/?utm_campaign=owly

 

ETA:  And I downloaded this lock screen for my phone that he linked to, http://austinkleon.com/2014/07/22/read-a-book-instead/

[Robin M]

Two or three years back We did a read along of Moby Dick and don't remember who mentioned it (please wave your hand), suggested first reading Why Read Moby Dick by Nathaniel Philbright. Did so and it presented some insight into the story and actually made it more bearable to read. So if anyone wants to tackle this year, check out WRMD, then pick a starting month or day and go for it. reading Moby Dick lead me to Ahab's Wife By Sena Jeter Naslund which was quite enjoyable albeit sad at points, but is a great addition to MD read. And now I read at least one Naslund book a year. This year is the Fountain at St James Court.

 

 

 

Count me in for a Kurt Vonnegut read, Stacia. Forgot to mention earlier that he's a go as well since I' ve never read any of his stuff. If we don't get to him in before October, then during Banned Books Month will be good.

 

Of course, with as much as we are all mood readers despite any plans, never let the optional plans stop anyone from tackling an author or certain book when you are in the mood. As Eliana said, the books on my tbr pile change from month to month depending on mood and emotion.

 

 

**darn spell,checker on iPad, drives me crazy. Forgive the oops**

[Stacia]

Cool about Vonnegut, Robin! I sure hope some BaWers love him. I adore his work but so far mostly know people who don't read his stuff or don't really like his stuff. I'm crossing my fingers here!!!! Lol.

 

I read Ahab's Wife many years ago for my book club. I remember thinking it was ok, not exactly my style book, but it was fine. That's part of the reason I'm a little hesitant about Moby Dick. Thanks for the reminder about Why Read Moby Dick. I remember that being mentioned way back when, but had totally forgotten about it. Hope my library has it as I'm trying to cut back on spending in general for awhile. (Seems my cat's diabetes has returned after being in remission for awhile, so I'll probably be spending more of my pennies on his supplies & meds & less on books.)

[NoseInABook]

I'll read Vonnegut with you ladies. I've read several and my husband is a huge fan so we have stacks of Vonnegut in the house.

 

Still trying to get through The Golem and The Jinni and 10 Ways To Destroy Your Child's Imagination. I just started Jen Hatmaker's 7 and the fifth book in Kim Harrison's Hallows series, For A Few Demons More. The husband is going to bring on the Murakami for me and I'll choose which one to read when I get a feel for them. I asked him to grab The Strange Library, Kafka On The Shore, and IQ84.