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Book a week 2015: wk 12 - Happy Spring!


Robin M
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Our book club challenge for this month was to pick a book by its cover.  My pick was The Dress Shop of Dreams by Menna van Praag.  I chose it from my Amazon wish list.  I believe it was a BaW recommendation.  It was a lovely book, very reminiscent of Sarah Addison Allen.  I’m definitely a fan of this magical realism genre!  The book was not only about dresses that could transform a girl, there was also a mystery, which surprised me!  It was a delightful blend of the magical, romance, mystery and misunderstandings.  I have another of her books in my TBR pile, The House at the End of Hope Street.  I look forward to reading another of her books.  TOTALLY ENJOYABLE!

 

I read that a couple of months ago; I agree it was a very enjoyable book.

 

 My dh was laid off from his job on Monday. 

 

Wishing your husband a successful job search.

 

And sending good health wishes to all those who are or have been sick.

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Beckster :grouphug:

 

:grouphug: to all the BaWer's who are feeling ill.

 

MelMichigan .... so glad to see that you enjoyed the Anne Bishop series. I thought you would. ;)

 

I am finished with my Faith Hunter readathon. While it was fun it will be nice to have a bit more variety. But have to say Skinwalker is a great series overall. I didn't care for the few short stories in the Black Water book though. Too short. :lol:

 

Hoping to finish Obsession in Death tonight then start the latest CS Harris, Who buries the Dead, which I just picked up this evening from the library!

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We had something similar recently too. At least ours fell under a non-emergency heading (which is good since it took them about a month to come make the repair).

 

I hope it doesn't take them that long!  I'm over sensitive to smells and it's driving me crazy.  

 

Beckster :grouphug:

 

:grouphug: to all the BaWer's who are feeling ill.

 

MelMichigan .... so glad to see that you enjoyed the Anne Bishop series. I thought you would. ;)

 

I am finished with my Faith Hunter readathon. While it was fun it will be nice to have a bit more variety. But have to say Skinwalker is a great series overall. I didn't care for the few short stories in the Black Water book though. Too short. :lol:

 

Hoping to finish Obsession in Death tonight then start the latest CS Harris, Who buries the Dead, which I just picked up this evening from the library!

I am trying to be patient and wait to get Vision in Silver from my library. :)

 

:grouphug: to everyone that isn't feeling well.  My kids online classes were cancelled today because of sick instructors.  It sounds like there are lots of viral strains going around right now.  I need to find the bottle of Sumbacol.

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I'm here...sorta...I try to Like stuff at least once a week. My youngest is going through a med change so I'm all over the place reading and mood-wise. Hopefully things are winding down and getting back to normal. 

 

 

In the middle of a short story class comparing Proust and Flaubert.  Read the Madeleine Episode from In Search of Lost Time (Swann's Way volume) and it brought up lots of food for thought.  One of my classmates pointed me in the direction of Jane Smalley's article Reading in Search of Lost Time and her 70 day reading challenge.   I think my brain would explode if I tried to read the whole thing in 70 days but perhaps if it was spread out over a longer period.   Anybody up for a Proust read in the future?  

 

Proust, how fun! I've tried to read Swann's Way a few times but I get bogged down within 50 pages. 

 

Well, I ended up sitting down & reading Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men in one sitting (& that's a great way to read it). From the landscape to the interior lives of men -- spare & brutal. Hard & beautifully-crafted. I thought it was great, but it's not a book for everyone.

 

I was always curious about the movie, though a little apprehensive about seeing it. After reading the book, I'd definitely like to see the movie. 

 

That's my favorite McCarthy. It's not as violent as some of his early work but the themes run deep. I like how different characters carry different facets of the same theme and McCarthy (for once anyway) manages to create a character (the sheriff) who lightens the mood without lifting the darkness and mystery surrounding life.  

 

I'm starting Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. No idea why I ordered it from the library (that seems to happen a lot), but I'm going to give it a try. So far, at page 15, I'm liking it. Not usually the type of book I'd read.

 

But that's what I love about this challenge: I'm reading (and actually finishing!) all sorts of books. :-)

 

Childhood's End is a seminal work of science fiction, one of those idealistic creative leaps. It created/feeds off a certain--very '60s--view of the future that can be seen in tons of science fiction books/movies/tv since then.  I read it originally because Tom Wolfe mentioned it (and Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land) as being books he read at Ken Kesey's (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) house and they sat around talking about it. I thought it was a bit dated, but I liked the twist. 

 

 

I'm drifting quite a bit, but I did a few Finally Finished (one of the areas I wanted to work on this year) this week. Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges which was full of many beautiful ideas and gorgeous complexities and paradoxes. Less dated than I would have guessed. The characters are a bit wooden, but Borges is more about ideas, I think, than about people or narrative. Worth reading at least once. 

 

My other Finally Finished was How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu. It was clever and had at least one echo of Borges (Marie, the woman he never married who always carried the scent of eucalyptous is a Borges fragment, I believe) but it was depressing on a lot of levels. Modern nihilism does me in. I don't know how people make it through the day. I appreciate its clever wordplay (in a STEM Jasper Fforde kind of way) and it's honest look at immigration, success, and the American dream but I was happy to move on. 

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Hello friends. Quick wave from Isle of Palms where I have been visiting family from the Midwest who are escaping winter. You might be interested in hearing that we ate at Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island--Edgar Allan Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie there for a year. The Goldbug is set on the island.

 

Returning home today so I will report later.

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Robin, 

 

Since we can't get back to the previous Book a Week threads, could you list the upcoming author/challenge of the month for the rest of the year.  Not only did an IRL friend ask, but I also don't want to read something that I was saving for one of the challenges  :laugh:

 

I only remember April is C.S. Lewis, September is Banned Books, and October is Spooky reads?

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I'm in! I also want to read Till We Have Faces . . . I think! :lol:

Dd wants me to read Till We Have Faces very badly. She loved it. I will try to read that one too.

 

I won't be home to my copies of the CS Lewis books until the second week in April so I will start then!

 

Eta .....Out of a Silent Planet is the first. I read about half of it several years ago and loved it. Put it down to read aloud with ds and never got back to it.

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I think I'll be reading Chronicles of Narnia. I have never read them, even though DS did a few years ago. I feel kind of bad about that. My role in the book discussion was mostly "Tell me more." and "Mmm, that sounds interesting, what happened next?" Maybe he can reread them and we can finally have a better discussion.

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Yesterday I finished yet another re-read namely the contemporary romance What I Love About You by Rachel Gibson.  It was an enjoyable book. It had more depth than some romances in that the hero is fighting alcoholism and also has some PTSD issues.

 

"GIMMEE A B-R-E-A-K!

 

Ex-high school cheerleader Natalie Cooper could once shake her pom-poms with the best of them. But she's paid for all that popularity—her husband's run off with what's left of their money and a twenty-year-old bimbo named Tiffany. Leaving Natalie to manage a photo store and having to see some pictures she, well, really shouldn't.

 

GIMMEE A S-H-O-T!

 

Then she comes toe-to-manly chest with Blake Junger. Exiled to a remote cabin in Truly, Idaho, Blake wants nothing to do with anyone. Instead, he's determined to struggle with his demons and win—all on his own. But the last thing he needs is Natalie distracting him with her luscious curves and breaking down the barriers of his heart.

 

GIMMEE YOUR H-E-A-R-T!"

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

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I think I'll be reading Chronicles of Narnia. I have never read them, even though DS did a few years ago. I feel kind of bad about that. My role in the book discussion was mostly "Tell me more." and "Mmm, that sounds interesting, what happened next?" Maybe he can reread them and we can finally have a better discussion.

 

Please, please, please, please read the books in the order that they were written, NOT the modern order!  There is a special magic in entering Narnia through the wardrobe with Lucy for the very first time, discovering the wonder of Narnia through Lucy's eyes and the awe of hearing of Aslan.  It is such a special entry into this wonderful world that Lewis created, especially since he began that creation with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  

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Please, please, please, please read the books in the order that they were written, NOT the modern order! There is a special magic in entering Narnia through the wardrobe with Lucy for the very first time, discovering the wonder of Narnia through Lucy's eyes and the awe of hearing of Aslan. It is such a special entry into this wonderful world that Lewis created, especially since he began that creation with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Before I write this I need to say Magician's Nephew may very well be my favorite although I love them all.

 

If you start with Lion,Witch, and Wardrobe when do you read Magician's Nephew? My fourth grade teacher simply skipped it.....shudder/horror. I didn't know it existed until I was reading them to the dc's.

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Hello friends. Quick wave from Isle of Palms where I have been visiting family from the Midwest who are escaping winter. You might be interested in hearing that we ate at Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island--Edgar Allan Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie there for a year. The Goldbug is set on the island.

 

Returning home today so I will report later.

 

:seeya:  Hey, I know that place! Have fun. Hope you've enjoyed the beach time. Ds & I really like Poe's Tavern.

 

 

(Pssst. It's quite ideal to read The Gold Bug while there on the islands. :D )

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Please, please, please, please read the books in the order that they were written, NOT the modern order!  There is a special magic in entering Narnia through the wardrobe with Lucy for the very first time, discovering the wonder of Narnia through Lucy's eyes and the awe of hearing of Aslan.  It is such a special entry into this wonderful world that Lewis created, especially since he began that creation with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  

 

Based on your experience, I shall follow the original order! Just to verify, you're talking about the column on the left at this link? Or do you have a different suggestion for subsequent books?

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Based on your experience, I shall follow the original order! Just to verify, you're talking about the column on the left at this link? Or do you have a different suggestion for subsequent books?

 

Yes, the column on the left!  

 

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Prince Caspian

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The Silver Chair

The Horse and His Boy

The Magician's Nephew

The Last Battle

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Before I write this I need to say Magician's Nephew may very well be my favorite although I love them all.

 

If you start with Lion,Witch, and Wardrobe when do you read Magician's Nephew? My fourth grade teacher simply skipped it.....shudder/horror. I didn't know it existed until I was reading them to the dc's.

 

The Magician's Nephew is not my favorite book, but it does contain my very favorite chapter in the Chronicles.  The chapter on the creation of Narnia, oh what a beautiful thing...it makes my soul sing.  I can't imagine skipping this book!  Or any for that matter.  I read them in the order they were published.  Always have.  

 

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Prince Caspian

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The Silver Chair

The Horse and His Boy

The Magician's Nephew

The Last Battle

 

The were renumbered just 20 years ago.   I know that the renumbering order is the "popular" order now.  The "chronological" order of Narnia.  However, like I stated, entering Narnia for the first time with Lucy is magical.  Narnia is an unknown.  Aslan is an unknown, and we, the reader get to experience the wonder at the same time as the characters.  When the Pevensie's are sitting with the Beaver's and they each have a reaction to Aslan's name, even though he is an unknown.  Well, I just think that is the way to go.  Reading The Magician's Nephew first causes us to lose that wonder and exploration of Narnia.  It takes a while before we get to the beautiful parts of the book, and it is taken for granted that you know who Aslan is and what Narnia is because it was written next to last.  I think coming to it after all the others gives a richer experience.

 

I taught the Narnia books last year in co-op.  I taught them in publication order, though I had some very strenuous objections from one of the boys  :laugh:  But, as you can tell  :lol:  I feel pretty strongly about my side, and he lived through it  ;)

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Robin, 

 

Since we can't get back to the previous Book a Week threads, could you list the upcoming author/challenge of the month for the rest of the year.  Not only did an IRL friend ask, but I also don't want to read something that I was saving for one of the challenges  :laugh:

 

I only remember April is C.S. Lewis, September is Banned Books, and October is Spooky reads?

 

Next week is Virginia Woolf week.

Themes:

 

  • April Alliteration -  odes iambic and epical   (otherwise knows as national Poetry month)
  • Machiavellian May - cunning, conniving and calculating
  • Judicious June - Prudent, perceptive and perspicacious
  • Jubilant July - Charming and enchanting
  • Analogical August - All things relative 
  • Stifled September -  Banned books Month
  • Ominous October -  Spooktacular reads
  • Non Fiction November -  Diaries, dissertations and dramas
  • Delightful December  - Walking in a winter wonderland

 

Author flavor of the month

  • April: C.S. Lewis
  • May: Dante - Purgatorio
  • June: Alexander Dumas
  • July: Tracy Chevalier
  • August: Isabelle Allende
  • September: Michel De Montaigne / Marco Polo
  • October: Anne Rice / Kurt Vonnegut
  • November: Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • December: Henry James

 

 

 

 

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Next week is Virginia Woolf week.

Themes:

 

  • April Alliteration -  odes iambic and epical   (otherwise knows as national Poetry month)
  • Machiavellian May - cunning, conniving and calculating
  • Judicious June - Prudent, perceptive and perspicacious
  • Jubilant July - Charming and enchanting
  • Analogical August - All things relative 
  • Stifled September -  Banned books Month
  • Ominous October -  Spooktacular reads
  • Non Fiction November -  Diaries, dissertations and dramas
  • Delightful December  - Walking in a winter wonderland

 

Author flavor of the month

  • April: C.S. Lewis
  • May: Dante - Purgatorio
  • June: Alexander Dumas
  • July: Tracy Chevalier
  • August: Isabelle Allende
  • September: Michel De Montaigne / Marco Polo
  • October: Anne Rice / Kurt Vonnegut
  • November: Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • December: Henry James

 

 

Thanks, Robin!!

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For both books this week, my own conclusion is, it is so much easier to ask for help, divine or human, when you aren't fighting the little voice in your head that says "this is something you *should* be able to do by yourself."  Whether that involves a little prayer before a writing lesson asking, "How do I reach this child?" or whether it's saying to a friend who dropped by, "You know, actually, it would make my day if you'd help me finish folding the basket of laundry that's been sitting over there all week," for some reason, that's so much harder than praying when you just hit black ice, and your car is sliding directly toward that really big truck, or asking a friend to babysit your kids while you go in for surgery, or calling 911 when the house is on fire.

 

It's like having a broken toe and a bottle of pain meds, and hobbling around without taking any.  Which I do for nearly every injury.  "I can make it without any pain meds."  Well, yes. Yes, you can, but you'd be sooo much happier, and you'd get more done, if you'd just take one already.  

 

20. "Amazed by Grace" by Sheri Dew (LDS).

 

19. "Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace" by Sarah Mackenzie.

 

Remember that song "Jesus take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood?  That's sort of become my anthem.  That's been an issue for me as well as my dad. So easy to send up a prayer, but so much harder to ask for assistance.  I've finally got that knocked through my dad's head. Who by the way is doing so much better.  He said last night the heavy fog of grief has finally lifted and he can see the light and good in his life.  Owe it one of the ladies at church (my age) who sort of adopted him and all her positive light has really helped him.  However I think he thinks he's adopted her as another daughter to help.   

 

 

Wow, I haven't check in since week 9!  I've been trying to make decisions for next school year while dealing with all those little curve balls life likes to throw at us.  ;)  We've been dealing with natural gas leaks outside (one emergency repair and one yet to be done this week), so we've had every utility in and out this week while they prepare to dig up the gas main out front.  At the same time they were trying to find the origins of the gas leak my MIL called, she broke her ankle while on vacation.  She had to have surgery and is now in rehab out of state until she can be moved back to Michigan. I feel  :willy_nilly: trying to get school done these last few days, so I haven't started reading anything new. 

 

Hope things have calmed down a bit.

 

I'm here, on the other side of my move.

 

I haven't done much reading at all for the past week. First we were slammed at the end getting everything packed, then we moved Friday and spent the weekend unpacking a few essentials and cleaning the place we're leaving. School has been reduced to reading, history, an hour of math each day, and watching educational DVDs. It's been so disruptive: a guy who saved our lemon tree but knocked out earthquake gas shut-off valve and we had to have the utility out, a furniture delivery, a plumber, finishing some construction, etc. We're still only 25% unpacked and I want to reconfigure the homeschool area. Again.

 

I can't believe we're on the last chapter for Ulysses. I'm reluctant to finish it. I have this bad habit of not finishing books (and sometimes TV series) when I get near the end. I don't know why. I have several books with ~20 pages, left, and I watched all but the the last episodes of Lost, The Killing, and House of Cards Season 1. Anyone else do this?

Hopefully the 25% unpacked is all the stuff you really, really need and the other stuff can wait.  The fun part is deciding where everything goes and then rearranging several times until it ends up back where you originally put it. 

 

 

The following contains CC...

 

I also finished my devotional book 101 More Devotions for Homeschool Moms, which I have been slowly reading through since August.  I’ve had this book for a long time and have read bits and pieces but never read it all the way through.  This book really met a need for me last fall, funny enough, it wasn’t a need for encouragement on the homeschool front, but life and my walk with God and getting me back into my Bible regularly.  There were many nuggets to be had in her book.  And, as always, there were some things that I definitely didn’t agree with (I’m very conservative but not that conservative).  I found it HELPFUL ON MANY FRONTS.

 

One of my Favorite Quotes:  “Courage to persevere does not come from doing our work in our own power.  Our flesh is not strong enough.  God’s strength is what keeps us daily serving Him in the tasks we are called to do.â€

 

That puts me at 13 for the year!

Yeah! I'll have to check it out.  Can always use the extra nuggets.   No need to start labeling things with cc - we're all :coolgleamA:  and no one is  going to :boxing_smiley: or get all :willy_nilly: when we talk about our reads that involved certain things.  :001_rolleyes:

 

 

I haven't been doing much reading, as we got hit with a curve ball this week.  My dh was laid off from his job on Monday.  So... that has been the focus!

 

finished last week

38.  Backyard Birds of California

39.  No More Dirty Looks

40.  North and South

41.  Secrets of the Heart

 

currently reading

History of the Ancient World

History of the Medieval World

East of Eden

:grouphug:

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Angel, Are we still doing The Space Trilogy together in April?

 

 

I'm in!  I also want to read Till We Have Faces . . . I think!  :lol:

 

 

Yes!!!  It is actually on my list today to order the first book from the library.  The first book is Out of the Silent Planet, right? 

 

 

Think I'll be joining you with the space trilogy and try to give Mere Christianity another try.

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Yeah! I'll have to check it out.  Can always use the extra nuggets.   No need to start labeling things with cc - we're all :coolgleamA:  and no one is  going to :boxing_smiley: or get all :willy_nilly: when we talk about our reads that involved certain things.  :001_rolleyes:

 

:lol:  Thanks!  I wasn't sure and wanted to be safe  ;)

 

And it's good to hear that about your dad!  

 

Think I'll be joining you with the space trilogy and try to give Mere Christianity another try.

 

:hurray:   I have always wanted to read Mere Christianity, I don't know if I'll get to it in April but maybe...

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Well, totally unrelated to our discussions of CS Lewis, I just finished Philip Pullman's The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.  This was my 3rd read in the Canongate Myth series, I'm reading all the titles my library has.  I'd actually read this before, years ago.  I thought it was very well done.  I thought the chapter on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane was the best piece of its type since The Grand Inquisitor.  Obviously, this book is not for everyone. But it's a fascinating thought experiment on how stories, and beliefs, can get created.

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For Mystery March I read Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.  It has been many moons since I’ve read this, and it didn’t disappoint.  I certainly didn’t remember the “who done it!† And it kind of gave me the creeps.  Lol!  I finished it at night and then questioned the wisdom of that.  I like how Christie usually manages to pack a big punch in a short amount of pages.  I’m looking forward to Aly reading this.  GREAT CLASSIC MYSTERY!

 

That was book #14 

 

I started Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets last night.  

 

 

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Please, please, please, please read the books in the order that they were written, NOT the modern order!  There is a special magic in entering Narnia through the wardrobe with Lucy for the very first time, discovering the wonder of Narnia through Lucy's eyes and the awe of hearing of Aslan.  It is such a special entry into this wonderful world that Lewis created, especially since he began that creation with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  

:iagree:  :iagree:  :iagree:

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I might join you all for Mere Christianity.  

 

I read H C Branner's short story "The poet and the girl" today.  It was a disturbing read until I realized that the poet wasn't crazy and "the girl" represents a creative endeavor and not an actual human being.  

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I might join you all for Mere Christianity.

 

I read H C Branner's short story "The poet and the girl" today. It was a disturbing read until I realized that the poet wasn't crazy and "the girl" represents a creative endeavor and not an actual human being.

I have nothing as intellectual as a book to comment on. I just had to tell you I like your board name, Uff Da. :) I first heard the phrase a few months ago when a gal from Minnesota used it as she was lifting something heavy. I vowed then to use the term but didn't remember it till I saw your post tonight.

 

Are there other definitions you can teach me?

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TeacherZee, praying your head feels better soon!

 

Maus, I'm having a love affair with everything Sarah Mackenzie lately. What did you think about Teaching From Rest?

 

Beckster, yikes. Praying he finds something quickly.

 

Melmichigan, I can totally relate to your string of craziness. I hope it all smooths out in the very near future.

 

Still poking through the Rachel Morgan/Hallows series... I need to get my hands on a couple of books that make me want to tear through them. I think I'll hit the library tomorrow. Any suggestions on what I should get?! I'm looking for light hearted kind of stuff because I had to say good-bye to my foster baby today. :( 

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Still poking through the Rachel Morgan/Hallows series... I need to get my hands on a couple of books that make me want to tear through them. I think I'll hit the library tomorrow. Any suggestions on what I should get?! I'm looking for light hearted kind of stuff because I had to say good-bye to my foster baby today. :(

 

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

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Still poking through the Rachel Morgan/Hallows series... I need to get my hands on a couple of books that make me want to tear through them. I think I'll hit the library tomorrow. Any suggestions on what I should get?! I'm looking for light hearted kind of stuff because I had to say good-bye to my foster baby today. :(

 

:grouphug:

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Still poking through the Rachel Morgan/Hallows series... I need to get my hands on a couple of books that make me want to tear through them. I think I'll hit the library tomorrow. Any suggestions on what I should get?! I'm looking for light hearted kind of stuff because I had to say good-bye to my foster baby today. :(

 

Sending sympathetic thoughts since you had to say farewell to the baby.

 

For an enjoyable paranormal series, I recommend the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs which starts with a novella in this compilation:  On the Prowl (Alpha and Omega).  The first full novel in the series is Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega Book 1).

 

For a different kind of light hearted book, I'd suggest The Little World of Don Camillo by Giovanni Guareschi. It is a series of about six books about an Italian priest and his nemesis the Communist mayor set in the 1950s in Italy. The priest sometimes talks to Christ on the cross who talks back to him.  The wikipedia entry will give you a good idea of the content of the series.

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Still poking through the Rachel Morgan/Hallows series... I need to get my hands on a couple of books that make me want to tear through them. I think I'll hit the library tomorrow. Any suggestions on what I should get?! I'm looking for light hearted kind of stuff because I had to say good-bye to my foster baby today. :(

 

 

:grouphug:

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TeacherZee, praying your head feels better soon!
 
Maus, I'm having a love affair with everything Sarah Mackenzie lately. What did you think about Teaching From Rest?
 
Beckster, yikes. Praying he finds something quickly.
 
Melmichigan, I can totally relate to your string of craziness. I hope it all smooths out in the very near future.
 
Still poking through the Rachel Morgan/Hallows series... I need to get my hands on a couple of books that make me want to tear through them. I think I'll hit the library tomorrow. Any suggestions on what I should get?! I'm looking for light hearted kind of stuff because I had to say good-bye to my foster baby today. :(

 

 

Thank you for the prayers!!  I'll be praying for you for peace in this time of sadness.  That is so hard!

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Noseinabook :grouphug:

 

Now for some book ideas that I think you might like.

 

Totally agree with Kareni regarding the Alpha and Omega series. Really good. I have the latest one in my stack.

 

Lynsay Sands writes a very funny imo vampire series about the Argeneau family of vampireshttps://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=lynsay+sands. You will be happier starting near the start of the series because all the characters reoccur. Very light quick reads which you probably would want to check out of a library. ;) My overdrive library has them.

 

If you haven't read Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate serieshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6381205-soulless?from_search=trueyou might like that. Steampunk but with vampires, werewolves, and ghosts.

 

If you feel like Flufferton Abbey type books I like the Julia Quinn Smith/Smythes or any of her series. Quick, fluffy, and often funny.

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So...would a non- Christian have trouble following along with Mere Christianity? I've heard so many good things I might give it a try, but i'm wondering about the level of assumed knowledge.

No, I don't think a non Christian would have any problem. It's not over my head and I'm not the philosophical type. It takes me a while to get the heady stuff. Hopefully one of the gals who have read it already can give you more insight. From what I've read so far, glancing through it shouldn't be a problem.

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Still poking through the Rachel Morgan/Hallows series... I need to get my hands on a couple of books that make me want to tear through them. I think I'll hit the library tomorrow. Any suggestions on what I should get?! I'm looking for light hearted kind of stuff because I had to say good-bye to my foster baby today. :(

Hugs!

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Passing a morning dose of spring tonic to all who need it. 

 

Well, totally unrelated to our discussions of CS Lewis, I just finished Philip Pullman's The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.  This was my 3rd read in the Canongate Myth series, I'm reading all the titles my library has.  I'd actually read this before, years ago.  I thought it was very well done.  I thought the chapter on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane was the best piece of its type since The Grand Inquisitor.  Obviously, this book is not for everyone. But it's a fascinating thought experiment on how stories, and beliefs, can get created.

 

The Canongate Myth series looks very interesting but unfortunately my library seems to lack them.  Sigh.

 

 

Still poking through the Rachel Morgan/Hallows series... I need to get my hands on a couple of books that make me want to tear through them. I think I'll hit the library tomorrow. Any suggestions on what I should get?! I'm looking for light hearted kind of stuff because I had to say good-bye to my foster baby today. :(

 

 

Sending hugs and hopes that you find good distractions.

 

Thank you, everyone, for all the prayers and well wishes regarding my husband's layoff.  It has been a crazy week.  Can't wait to see what happens!!

 

Keep us posted!  "The Boy" as he is still known, despite his college diploma, had some weather related down time from his archaeological work.  While at Isle of Palms, he learned that his former job resumes on the day after Easter.  Although we have really enjoyed having him at home, he was getting restless.

 

Within my circle of friends and family, it seems that a number have recently found employment, often new jobs that are career jumps.  Sending good vibes in that direction.

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Passing a morning dose of spring tonic to all who need it. 

 

:iagree:  

 

So much going on in everyone's real world lives.   :grouphug:  all around, a cup of tea and some chocolate, too.

 

I've been listening to Elantris, one of Brandon Sanderson's earliest published works. (Actually, since it is almost 30 hours long, I'll be listening to it for some time to come!)  It's got a good plot and brilliant world building but the writing is cringe worthy at times.  It makes me shudder to think that the man teaches writing at BYU!  But then again, it is an early effort, and he has improved as a writer over time, perhaps making him a better teacher.  

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 I'm looking for light hearted kind of stuff because I had to say good-bye to my foster baby today. :(

 

:grouphug:

 

For light-hearted reading I would recommend The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer!.It is sure to make you laugh out loud. Or if you like fantasy, David Eddings's Pawn of Prophecy is light and fun.  

 

No, I don't think a non Christian would have any problem. It's not over my head and I'm not the philosophical type. It takes me a while to get the heady stuff. Hopefully one of the gals who have read it already can give you more insight. From what I've read so far, glancing through it shouldn't be a problem.

 

I, too, have not read it, but I was going to say the same thing!  I think it will be fine.  It looks like I'm going to have to make time for it since so many are going to read it.  As to the space trilogy, I had to get it in e-book form.  My library system (very large) has only two copies and they are both out.

 

Spring Break starts tomorrow!!!!  Girls are headed to their grandparents to spend the week!  I will hopefully catch up around the house and get some reading done! :hurray:

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Well, totally unrelated to our discussions of CS Lewis, I just finished Philip Pullman's The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.  This was my 3rd read in the Canongate Myth series, I'm reading all the titles my library has.  I'd actually read this before, years ago.  I thought it was very well done.  I thought the chapter on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane was the best piece of its type since The Grand Inquisitor.  Obviously, this book is not for everyone. But it's a fascinating thought experiment on how stories, and beliefs, can get created.

 

That looks interesting. I read The Golden Compass years ago and really disliked it, so I never tried anything else of Pullman's. I might try something not related to His Dark Materials.

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That looks interesting. I read The Golden Compass years ago and really disliked it, so I never tried anything else of Pullman's. I might try something not related to His Dark Materials.

 

I very much enjoyed the 3rd book of His Dark Materials.  We also absolutely loved the audio of The Scarecrow and his Servant - it's a favorite family listen on road trips.  I liked The Ruby in the Smoke a lot, but not its sequel The Shadow in the North.  That's the extent of my prior experience with Pullman.  The Good Man Jesus is a very quick read, so not a huge time investment!  I've found the Canongate Myth series worthwhile, so far.  They are short books but interesting modern takes on myths by good contemporary writers. I wish my library had more of them, there are several others I'd like to read but probably not enough to buy them.

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