Book a Week in 2015 - Happy New Year

[aggieamy]

I choose my audio books carefully.  I started writing out a post saying that while I prefer character driven novels over plot driven ones, I prefer to listening to plot driven books on audio. But the latest Le Carre to which I am listening (Absolute Friends) is completely character driven.  In fact, I had decided that I was glad I was listening to it, that I don't know if I would be able to read this one.  Which leads me to ask Why?

 

Audio books present problems.  If one wants to reread the paragraph, cherish the language, giggle over the pithy conversation, something following will be missed.

 

I have another theory on audio books though.  I think the reader matters.  If the reader's voice and nuance engages me, then I think there is a better chance that I will be enveloped by the story--almost as if I were reading it.

 

 

I adore audiobooks but I also choose them very carefully.  A good audiobook narrator can take a three star book to a five for me.  I love to get lost in a story while I'm walking or cooking and it makes the time fly by.  

[mumto2]

Tickled pink - 52 Books made it on to Bookriot's Top 5 2015 Reading Challenge Round Up.

Congratulations!!! I saw your old avatar in the comments section.....love the new one but the old brought back happy memories.

[aggieamy]

 

 

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

 

 

 

I just finished the first Gamache book on audiobook and thought it was fantastic.  The narrator was amazing and I couldn't put it down (turn it off?!?!).  I'm looking forward to reading/listening to more of the series.

 

If anyone is looking for a cosy mystery in a charming setting with characters so well written that you think you know them better than most of your extended family members ... check out the Gamache series.  Do try it as an audiobook too!

[aggieamy]

:willy_nilly: :willy_nilly:

 

I lost my open tab and had to come back to the thread through the Chat Board.  Oh! My!  I clicked on another thread. :eek:  I will NOT do that again!  Mantra to self:  I will only look at the Book a Week thread.  I will only look at the book a week thread ...!

 

Back to books and safety

 

Sometimes I'll wander into a thread on housekeeping or recipes but otherwise I stay here.  This is a happy place.   :grouphug:

[Rosie_0801]

You're so funny.

If memory serves me correctly, having one (husband) and getting presents may have no causal link.

 

Agreed. This time I'll try looking for a husband who owns a book shop.

[aggieamy]

 

Speaking of movies, dh, ds, & I went to see The Imitation Game today. Fabulous. Inspiring & sad. Definitely recommended. (I think Jane may have also recommended this one?)

 

 

My parents (particularly my dad) hate most movies but they loved The Imitation Game.  That's pretty high praise for a movie.  

[Rosie_0801]

I have been wanting to read the Well Educated Mind recommended books as well, and I have Don Quixote ready to go, but it intimidates me. I love to read, but it has always been fluff, so I am not a very confident in my literary abilities.

 

 

Most of what we now call classics were fluff back in their day. Except Michel de Montaigne. That is what the modern reader would call a rant. :D

[aggieamy]

Agreed. This time I'll try looking for a husband who owns a book shop.

 

Go for one that's really good looking and solves mysteries too.   :lol:

[Robin M]

Those of you who enjoy science fiction, fantasy, and horror might enjoy this list:

 

MIND MELD: Best Books of 2014

 

and here's a nice piece by author Jo Walton:

 

Gods, Philosophers, and Robots

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Awesome, Thanks.  I have Burn for Me in the stacks, I'm waiting for Bishop's Murder for Crows to come out in paperback. Sometimes you just gotta have the real deal.    I read the first book Written in Red this past year and loved it.  Listening to the audiobook now in the car.   Joe Hill's N0S4A2 - OMG! So scary, creepy, give you the chills, don't read in the dark good. 

 

 

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

 

Shukriyya - absolutely beautiful poem. Thank you so much for sharing it. 

 

 

 

[TeacherZee]

I just finished the first Gamache book on audiobook and thought it was fantastic. The narrator was amazing and I couldn't put it down (turn it off?!?!). I'm looking forward to reading/listening to more of the series.

 

If anyone is looking for a cosy mystery in a charming setting with characters so well written that you think you know them better than most of your extended family members ... check out the Gamache series. Do try it as an audiobook too!

Bought and will start listening tomorrow when I've got the laundry room. I'll hold you responsible if it isn't good 😉😄

[Robin M]

I adore audiobooks but I also choose them very carefully.  A good audiobook narrator can take a three star book to a five for me.  I love to get lost in a story while I'm walking or cooking and it makes the time fly by.  

I'm extremely picky about narrators.  We just had a freak out because midway through Heroes of Olympus, they changed the narrator once again.  Another voice to get used too.   I so enjoyed C.E. Murphy's Walker Paper series so decided to listen in audiobook. The first book Urban Shaman, great narrator.  Then, they changed to a different gal and I can't stand her voice so there went that idea.    I have trouble with male narrators especially when they try to do the female voices and end up sounding like Wesley Snipes or John Leguizame feminine sides when they did To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything.  Throws me out of the story everytime laughing.

[aggieamy]

Bought and will start listening tomorrow when I've got the laundry room. I'll hold you responsible if it isn't good 😉😄

 

I will be patiently awaiting your words of grateful thanks!

 

:laugh:

[Stacia]

Ds is happy -- his pre-order of the newest Flavia de Luce book showed up in today's mail!

[mumto2]

Ds is happy -- his pre-order of the newest Flavia de Luce book showed up in today's mail!

Dd and I are very jealous! We need a review.

[aggieamy]

Ds is happy -- his pre-order of the newest Flavia de Luce book showed up in today's mail!

 

If DD hadn't rolled her eyes at me last night I might have wanted to buy that for her and put it on her Kindle ... 

 

Oh well.   I ordered it for the little snot anyway.  It says it won't be delivered until midnight though.  It will be there as a surprise in the morning for her.  

 

Please have your son give us a review when he's finished.  

[aggieamy]

I need help coming up with a picture book that has cake mentioned in it.  We're doing a baby shower for a librarian friend and want to have a picture book beside each of the food items. Below is what we've come up with so far.  Still in need of something to do with cake!  Ideas?

 

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie – cookies

Green Eggs & Ham – mini spinach quiches or ham sandwiches

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – meatballs

The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Gregory the Terrible Eater – fruit tray

A Fish Out of Water – water bottles

Tales of Peter Rabbit – veggie tray

The Stinky Cheese Man – cheese & crackers

[Robin M]

I need help coming up with a picture book that has cake mentioned in it.  We're doing a baby shower for a librarian friend and want to have a picture book beside each of the food items. Below is what we've come up with so far.  Still in need of something to do with cake!  Ideas?

 

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie – cookies

Green Eggs & Ham – mini spinach quiches or ham sandwiches

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – meatballs

The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Gregory the Terrible Eater – fruit tray

A Fish Out of Water – water bottles

Tales of Peter Rabbit – veggie tray

The Stinky Cheese Man – cheese & crackers

Jake Bakes Cakes - Gerald Hawksley

[Rosie_0801]

I need help coming up with a picture book that has cake mentioned in it.  We're doing a baby shower for a librarian friend and want to have a picture book beside each of the food items. Below is what we've come up with so far.  Still in need of something to do with cake!  Ideas?

 

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie – cookies

Green Eggs & Ham – mini spinach quiches or ham sandwiches

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – meatballs

The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Gregory the Terrible Eater – fruit tray

A Fish Out of Water – water bottles

Tales of Peter Rabbit – veggie tray

The Stinky Cheese Man – cheese & crackers

 

Here's an Australian classic! http://www.amazon.com/Theres-Hippopotamus-Roof-Eating-Cake/dp/1905117094

[Tress]

After my iBookshelf debacle this weekend, I'm looking for other software recommendations. There must be people here who are using good book cataloguing software, right? Or is everyone using Goodreads? The idea of 'meeting' BaW-ers there is VERY appealing, on the other hand, this whole social media part of it, is making me nervous. That's a whole lot of information you put out there, with home library, want-to-read-lists, have-read-list etc. Or am I just too chicken?

[Kareni]

I need help coming up with a picture book that has cake mentioned in it.  We're doing a baby shower for a librarian friend and want to have a picture book beside each of the food items.

 

What a fun idea!

It's definitely for older children, but this book is a favorite of mine with wonderful illustrations:

 

The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake by Nancy Willard and Richard Jesse Watson

 

From Publishers Weekly

"When a girl asks her mother what she'd like for her birthday, her mother replies that all she wants is a High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake , just like the one her grandmother once made for her. Determined to give her mother what she wants, the girl searches for the elusive recipe ("Is it in The Joy of Cooking ?") and, before she's finished baking, she has a culinary adventure that even Julia Child never dreamed of--and meets a band of unique angels in the process. Willard's prose is both lyrical and conversational, and the story is one of the most human and touching she has written. Watson's paintings put forth captivating images--particularly of the angels--only hinted at in the text, and add an extra touch of magic and mystery to this already magical, mysterious fairy tale. Ages 6-up."

Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

After my iBookshelf debacle this weekend, I'm looking for other software recommendations. There must be people here who are using good book cataloguing software, right? Or is everyone using Goodreads? The idea of 'meeting' BaW-ers there is VERY appealing, on the other hand, this whole social media part of it, is making me nervous. That's a whole lot of information you put out there, with home library, want-to-read-lists, have-read-list etc. Or am I just too chicken?

Tress, I use Goodreads but not very socially. I keep my list there and I may be the only person who updates how far along they are in different books. I find it motivating. It also makes it easier to decide to give up on a book because I can tell I haven't read it in a very long time!

 

Friend wise, I have two and enjoy them. Dd is one. We are friends because of curiosity on her part and my need to keep up with her academically. Easy way to keep up to date on her school. My other friend is dd's godmother and my best friend in the world. We have been reading together for over twenty years and goodreads makes it easy to communicate about all our books. We overlap naturally even though we are in different countries and used to send emails about great book recommendations if we remembered but clunkers were skipped. I love seeing her ratings because I know what it means to me but for someone I wasn't close to the star system doesn't mean much.

 

Don't misunderstand what I am saying, I think it is great that you all are happily linking up but it isn't for me. Occasionally I click someone's siggy link but that is it for me.

 

The other useful bit for me is how easy goodreads makes series reading. I always know where I left off and which one is next. Huge time savings.

[shukriyya]

Tress, I use Goodreads but not very socially. I keep my list there and I may be the only person who updates how far along they are in different books. I find it motivating. It also makes it easier to decide to give up on a book because I can tell I haven't read it in a very long time!

 

Friend wise, I have two and enjoy them. Dd is one. We are friends because of curiosity on her part and my need to keep up with her academically. Easy way to keep up to date on her school. My other friend is dd's godmother and my best friend in the world. We have been reading together for over twenty years and goodreads makes it easy to communicate about all our books. We overlap naturally even though we are in different countries and used to send emails about great book recommendations if we remembered but clunkers were skipped. I love seeing her ratings because I know what it means to me but for someone I wasn't close to the star system doesn't mean much.

 

Don't misunderstand what I am saying, I think it is great that you all are happily linking up but it isn't for me. Occasionally I click someone's siggy link but that is it for me.

 

The other useful bit for me is how easy goodreads makes series reading. I always know where I left off and which one is next. Huge time savings.

 

Mumto2, I love this description of your friendship. How lovely to share books across continents.

 

I use GR to track my books but that's it. I was inspired to add a few of you as friends when your links came up but mostly I use it to keep track of my various reading challenges and what I want to read and have read. I also have a book list on Amazon for want-to-reads.

[JennW in SoCal]

I need help coming up with a picture book that has cake mentioned in it.  We're doing a baby shower for a librarian friend and want to have a picture book beside each of the food items. Below is what we've come up with so far.  Still in need of something to do with cake!  Ideas?

 

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie – cookies

Green Eggs & Ham – mini spinach quiches or ham sandwiches

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – meatballs

The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Gregory the Terrible Eater – fruit tray

A Fish Out of Water – water bottles

Tales of Peter Rabbit – veggie tray

The Stinky Cheese Man – cheese & crackers

 

Alright, it doesn't have word "cake" in the title, but you NEED In the Night Kitchen for this baby shower.  

 

"Milk in the batter!  Milk in the batter!  We make cake and nothing's the matter!"  Or something like that -- not sure where my copy is at the moment to do the exact quote...

[Stacia]

Tress, I use Goodreads mainly to track my own reading. I rarely use it as a social media outlet. (I'm not on FB, Twitter, Pinterest, or any other social media sites.) I have my reading info revolve mostly here & track it there. I like being able to see what I've read & I created different shelves by year so I could input things I had in my old notebook list of books. I also like being able to create different shelves & having books show up on multiple shelves (such as having the same book on my "read", "2014", "asia", & "favorites" shelves).

 

I do have quite a few 'friends' on there, but I've been on there a few years. Over time, I've searched out book recommendations or read/liked reviews by certain people & we've become 'friends'. I mostly use that feature as a way to (once in awhile) see what they're reading or pop over to their page if I'm looking for something new & would like to see what they've rated highly (because our reading tastes overlap). Once in awhile we'll send a message or make a comment on each other's books/reading, but it's not often. Technically, I'm a member of a few groups there, but I never participate & rarely, if ever, even read the threads there. Again, for me, it's just another resource for finding books in case I'm in a reading lull & want to get some ideas.

 

So, all that to say that you can use it for yourself/tracking books (& set privacy settings to a certain degree so that nobody else can view your shelves) & not use it for the social media aspect at all.

[Stacia]

My rec for a cake book for the shower (adorable idea, btw!) is Mr. Putter & Tabby Bake the Cake

 

(We love Mr. Putter & Tabby books -- they were some of my ds' favorites when he was little & we still have all of them.)

[TeacherZee]

My audible app tells me my listening time TODAY is 35 hours. My question is: who managed to get a 24 hour day to contain 35 hours?

[LaughingCat]

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome: This is a fun, silly book, and was just what I needed this week!  ...and now I find an overwhelming need to reread Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog which riffs off Jerome's work in ways I very much enjoy.

 

I just got Three Men in a Boat out of the library thinking it might be a nice easy classic to dip my toe in the waters - especially since I really enjoyed To Say Nothing of the Dog even without reading Three Men in a Boat.

[mumto2]

My rec for a cake book for the shower (adorable idea, btw!) is Mr. Putter & Tabby Bake the Cake

 

(We love Mr. Putter & Tabby books -- they were some of my ds' favorites when he was little & we still have all of them.)

Those are so good. :) I still have our Mr. Putter and Tabby books too!

 

ETA

Mr. Putter made me think of our all time favorite Poppleton. Which led me to thishttp://turtleandrobot.wordpress.com/2012/11/17/delight-in-the-world-of-poppleton/Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Stacia]

Some of these made me laugh:

Look What Happens When You Switch Book Titles

 

:lol:

[Lady Florida.]

My audible app tells me my listening time TODAY is 35 hours. My question is: who managed to get a 24 hour day to contain 35 hours?

 

Huh. I didn't know it kept stats. I just took a look at mine. Apparently I've earned a few badges too, something i also didn't know existed. 

[Openhearted]

My rec for a cake book for the shower (adorable idea, btw!) is Mr. Putter & Tabby Bake the Cake

 

(We love Mr. Putter & Tabby books -- they were some of my ds' favorites when he was little & we still have all of them.)

We love Mr. Putter and Tabby too. The twins can't get enough. I think we have read most if not all. Our favorites are Pour the Tea and Fly the Plane. I wish we could have Mr. Putter, Tabby, Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke for neighbors:).

Love the shower idea.

Eta: fixed autocorrect

[Mom22ns]

Alright, I stumbled into the chat room on a whim tonight and saw this thread. I participated a few years ago, but have been away for awhile now. I think I'll join again this year, although after skimming this thread, I'm completely intimidated. Some of you have some very lofty goals. I on the other hand, am reading Messenger, and Smart but Scatterred Teens. While I have no planned reading list for the year, I expect it to continue in this entirely non-intellectual vein.  :leaving:

[prairiegirl]

Y'all are talking way too much.  It is taking me forever to get caught up.  :laugh:

 

:grouphug:  Fiona :grouphug:   I am so sorry for your loss.

 

General disclaimer:  I miss the multi quote thingy  very much.

 

The Secret World of Og is the only Pierre Berton book I have read.

 

Amy,  my picture book suggestion is  Thunder Cake (can't remember the author... Patricia  something?)  It's for older kids but my brood loved it when they were younger.

 

Kareni,  I read The Geography of You and Me.  I am not a big YA fan but I didn't  mind this book at all.

 

There is more that I wanted to say but I can't remember what it was (Darn, that multi-quote thingy!)

[Caroline]

I finished The Astronaut Wives Club. Interesting book. I find books about women in the 1960's a little depressing. it could have been a better book, but it is what it is--a peek into the lives of the women behind the men.

 

I am starting The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation by Jon Gertner. I am excited to read about the research that came before mine. I used to reference stuff out of Bell Labs back in my engineering days. It was one of those places I dreamed of working.

[Guest]

Ugh, so done with the non-multi quoting. I can't quite interpret Eliana's instructions well enough to implement them so...

 

 

That's another interesting observation. I think you're probably right though about the fact that a book of hers was made into a movie is a reason she's so known outside of Canada. I was wondering, too, if it's perhaps that her writing, from what I recall, is less regional than some of the others. But no, I don't think that's it either. Lots of non-American writers write regionally and are well known though the ones I'm thinking of have all won various prestigious literary prizes which instantly catapults an author to publicity.

 

Re: Atwood: Handmaid's Tale is on so many US school reading lists that Atwood has more name recognition than many other Canadian writers... and since it is also a dystopia that, like 1984, focuses on a particularly recognizable extension of certain perceptions of a specific flavor of ideology, it gets a lot of (positive and negative) attention.  ...which means that when other Atwood books are talked about, she automatically gets more attention...

 

 

 

 

I think the only Berton I've read is The Secret World of Og :lol:

 

Do you like it?  Recommend it?

 

 

 

a Dutch book about becoming mortgage-free (apparently it's very easy .......when you are double-income-no-kids......so not helpful) .

 

*giggling helplessly*  ...amazing how many financial goals are easily achievable under those circumstances.

 

...even worse than the budgeting books that explain how much I could save by eating out less or getting a Starbucks latte one less time a week...

 

 

Eliana, I read Sunshine years ago and remember enjoying it too. It made me want to eat a lot of baked goods. :p

 

:001_smile:  It makes me want to bake - I don't like eating desserts,but I love to make them... (on the other hand, I can't relate to Sunshine's loathing of automated kneading... I have no love for hand kneading.

 

 

Thanks for mentioning that Jo Walton article!

 

From the article:

 

"The Just City is a fantasy novel about a group of classicists and philosophers from across all of time setting up Plato’s Republic on Atlantis, with the help of some Greek gods, ten thousand Greek-speaking ten-year-olds they bought in the slave markets of antiquity, and some construction robots from our near future. What could possibly go wrong?"

 

What could possibly go wrong? :lol:

 

Ohhhhhhh, I want that! Too bad her books aren't in any Dutch library, and I'm still waiting for the paperback version of her last novel......

 

I beta read the sequel to this last year - they are both wonderful, but the sequel is even more wonderful...

I am eagerly awaiting these releases.  I know Jo worked more on both books and I'm eager to see what she did and to revisit the books.

 

 

I need help coming up with a picture book that has cake mentioned in it.  We're doing a baby shower for a librarian friend and want to have a picture book beside each of the food items. Below is what we've come up with so far.  Still in need of something to do with cake!  Ideas?

 

 

The Duchess Bakes a Cake - a silly book my kids enjoyed

[Pam in CT]

I had been thinking of putting my home library into some kind of software for a long time and finally decided on using iBookshelf. I entered all the books from one big bookcase this weekend. Even added lots of cover pictures when the software pulled up a different cover. Felt very industrious. Then my computer-savvy dh strongly adviced me to make a backup and showed me how to do it, and managed to wipe *everything*. I have been looking at that bookcase all day..... Maybe in 2016 I'll try again.

 

NOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo...........

 

:scared:  :scared:  :scared:

[Robin M]

The Duchess Bakes a Cake - a silly book my kids enjoyed

 

How could I forget this one?  We read it over and over again.  I think we still have it, hidden in the back of James bookshelf along with his other five in a row books.  So many good reads, we just couldn't get rid of them.

 

[Pam in CT]

http://www.evernote.com/l/AAfhpyid4r9AKbuW7hQ-n5OsFJY-UEXcRdU/

 

Didn't finish any books this week. It's been busy, grandpa died, just didn't have a lot of time for reading. Will try to finish some of these next week if I can, but it may be slow going with all the stuff going on right now.

 

I am really enjoying The 10X Rule, which has been my main read. The others are good as well, of course.

 

:grouphug: , Fiona...

[idnib]

Alright, I stumbled into the chat room on a whim tonight and saw this thread. I participated a few years ago, but have been away for awhile now. I think I'll join again this year, although after skimming this thread, I'm completely intimidated. Some of you have some very lofty goals. I on the other hand, am reading Messenger, and Smart but Scatterred Teens. While I have no planned reading list for the year, I expect it to continue in this entirely non-intellectual vein.  :leaving:

 

Welcome!

 

I was also intimidated when I arrived. Now I'm just in awe.

 

I don't have a list either, but when no one is watching I'm going to sneak in a book about In-n-Out burger. 

[Pam in CT]

:001_wub:  :001_wub:  :001_wub:

 

thanks for this, dear...

 

(from your fellow SADD sufferer...  I decided this year to institute formal winter solstice ritual to Mark the Day when the light returns... :001_smile: )

 

A poem for us all from a new-to-me poet...perfect for this wintry day at the beginning of the year...

 

The Winter of Listening

No one but me by the fire,
my hands burning
red in the palms while
the night wind carries
everything away outside.

All this petty worry
while the great cloak
of the sky grows dark
and intense
round every living thing.

What is precious
inside us does not
care to be known
by the mind
in ways that diminish
its presence.

What we strive for
in perfection
is not what turns us
into the lit angel
we desire.

What disturbs
and then nourishes
has everything
we need.

What we hate
in ourselves
is what we cannot know
in ourselves but
what is true to the pattern
does not need
to be explained.

Inside everyone
is a great shout of joy
waiting to be born.

Even with summer
so far off
I feel it grown in me
now and ready
to arrive in the world.

All those years
listening to those
who had
nothing to say.

All those years
forgetting
how everything
has its own voice
to make
itself heard.

All those years
forgetting
how easily
you can belong
to everything
simply by listening.

And the slow
difficulty
of remembering
how everything
is born from
an opposite
and miraculous
otherness.

Silence and winter
have led me to that
otherness.

So let this winter
of listening
be enough
for the new life
I must call my own.

We speak
only with the voices of those
we can hear ourselves
and the body has a voice
only for the portion
of the body of the world
it has learned to perceive.

And
here
in the tumult
of the night
I hear the walnut
above the child's swing
swaying
its dark limbs
in the wind
and the rain now
come to
beat against my window
and somewhere
in this cold night
of wind and stars
the first whispered
opening of
those hidden
and invisible springs
that uncoil
in the still summer air
each yet
to be imagined
rose.

 

David Whyte

 

[Pam in CT]

Y'all are talking way too much.  It is taking me forever to get caught up.  :laugh:

 

:grouphug:  Fiona :grouphug:   I am so sorry for your loss.

 

General disclaimer:  I miss the multi quote thingy  very much.

 

_______

 

 

There is more that I wanted to say but I can't remember what it was (Darn, that multi-quote thingy!)

 

:lol: Oh gracious me, yet.  I go into the Other Thread Vortex for a mere two days, come back here, and woe is me...

 

... and it takes particularly long, I find, to catch up if I can't "store" comments I aspire to respond to with multi quoting..

 

... such that, I forget what I meant to say...

[NoseInABook]

So, I'll admit I was a little nervous about starting History Of The Medieval World because history doesn't tend to hold my attention that well. However, I'm so glad I took the leap because I devoured the first two chapters. I'll hold back and read it at the rate that we are as a group but I'm actually really enjoying this! Yay! 

 

 

[melmichigan]

Fiona  :grouphug: .  I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Pam in CT]

OK, I'm doing my best here without multi quoting...

 

Dicentra, re where/how we keep track - I keep a paper journal in which I jot down notes on books that inspire a lot of reflection, or passages that particularly resonate with me... which is so marvelous to go back to and re-read... and then just a straight up list on my blog.  I'm afraid of GoodReads.  I lurked here for five years before garnering the courage to come in; there's no way I'm ready for that.

 

shukriyya, re: Candadian authors -  I think Handmaid's Tale is very often assigned in literature classes, either as part of a dystopian clump, or part of a female author's clump... so Atwood is best known.  Alice Munro gets assigned in writing classes, I think, but that's a much smaller audience... I went through a phase where I hoovered up Robertson Davies... but I can't think of other Canadians I've read... though now I'll look for Gwendolyn MacEwan, thank you...

 

Eliana, re: Kaddish, Women's Voices - I'm glad you enjoyed it; I was a bit nervous about that...  :laugh: ... and at this point I fear that Emma will take her copy of Zornberg back to school with her, so I'll have to find a copy of my own, but I'll get there...

 

and Stacia, re: Extraordinary Rendition - thank you for this; I put a request in my library.  Also, I'm about halfway through Book of Chameleons.  Man, this is one weird book.  I'm keeping the faith that resolution of a sort is surely forthcoming, but I shore am curious how he's going to pull it off!  There is also something deeply satisfying about starting the new year off with a book set in Angola.  Off the beaten track and starts with A, two birds with one stone, very efficient.

 

[Stacia]

and Stacia, re: Extraordinary Rendition - thank you for this; I put a request in my library.  Also, I'm about halfway through Book of Chameleons.  Man, this is one weird book.  I'm keeping the faith that resolution of a sort is surely forthcoming, but I shore am curious how he's going to pull it off!  There is also something deeply satisfying about starting the new year off with a book set in Angola.  Off the beaten track and starts with A, two birds with one stone, very efficient.

 

:lol:  Really, do you think it is weird? (I'm seriously asking that. Because it wasn't weird at all to me. I just thought it was lovely.)

 

And, I love that you're so efficient! :thumbup1:

 

Like everyone else, I'm forgetting to say various things because of the multi-quote issue. Ack!

[Pam in CT]

:lol:  Really, do you think it is weird? (I'm seriously asking that. Because it wasn't weird at all to me. I just thought it was lovely.)

 

And, I love that you're so efficient! :thumbup1:

 

Like everyone else, I'm forgetting to say various things because of the multi-quote issue. Ack!

 

Stacia.

 

:svengo:

 

The NARRATOR.  Is.  A CHAMELEON.

[Stacia]

Stacia.

 

:svengo:

 

The NARRATOR.  Is.  A CHAMELEON.

 

:lol:

 

Well. So? That's ok. He's a really likeable & cool chameleon. :D  (Actually, I think he's really a gecko but the translation people changed the title from what it originally was in Portuguese.) He's smart too. And, there's one other thing I'll say, but don't want to say in case you don't know it from the story yet. But I'll put it in white text on the next line so you can see it if you want to...

He was a human (man) in a different life.

 

I mean, I've read books narrated by Death (The Book Thief) or where Death is a main, speaking character (insert any Terry Pratchett book here). And there are plenty of talking animal books (granted, mostly for kids, but still).

 

I still think a chameleon or gecko as a narrator is nothing unusual. But I guess my reading choices are different than some.... :tongue_smilie:

[Pam in CT]

Not reading your white text.  Nope, not.

 

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalala....

 

Will confer again once I've finished.

[JennyD]

Argh on the multiquoting!

 

idnib, I've seen reviews of that Japanese decluttering book.  It looks kind of fascinating, in a nutty sort of way.  Is it helping you actually declutter?

 

TeacherZee, I've been wanting to read The Child Catchers as well but had forgotten about it.  Thanks for the reminder.

 

 

 

...have you seen In the Image of G-d: A Feminist Commentary on the Torah?  It doesn't reflect my hashkafa (world view) in all things, but she pulls together a number of traditional commentaries that resonated strongly for me - especially for Parshas Shelach and ... I think her Esav & Yaakov bit that I like is in Tolodos.. 

 

It is rougher than Zornberg, and has less depth, but there are bits I am very glad I read.

 

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion!  I have not read the book, only an excerpt -- about the story of Adam and Chavah, IIRC.   

 

In honor of the New Year, I have been going through my enormous stack of saved sections from assorted Sunday NYTs.  It's like I'm reliving October all over again!  But I came across this entertaining column, about couples disagreeing over books.  

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/books/review/have-you-ever-had-a-relationship-end-because-of-a-book.html?_r=0

 

 

 

 

[shukriyya]

I'm missing Phoenix and LadyDusk.