Pam in CT Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Shout out to Rose: So, last night I just started Jonathan Sacks' The Great Partnership: Science, Religion, and the Search for Meaning, which I can't remember if Eliana actually recommended, or I just came to myself after so much enjoying his earlier To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility, which she definitely recommended. In any event, though I'm still in the introductory chapters, it looks terrific and I think you and many other BAWers might enjoy it. BUT, the reason I'm shouting out is... I'm sure you already know this, but somehow over all these years I missed that Steven Pinker (whose brick of book Better Angels I so enjoyed earlier this year) and Rebecca Goldstein (whose novels are IMO brilliant) are married!!! Evidently Sacks is friends with them both. Well, of course he is. Can you imagine being at one of their dinner parties? Gah. re: Seeing Trees: Our copy came and it's such a beautiful book. I love the photography. I haven't read it because as soon as I showed it to DS he disappeared with it and was reading it for a couple of hours. I noticed he hasn't put it back in a common area of the house so he's got it squirreled away. I guess I'm in line after him. Thanks for telling us about it. All right, y'all have convinced me -- I'm ordering it for my Serious Gardening Friend and plan to peek very carefully at it with scrupulously clean hands without cracking the spine before turning it over, lol... 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Shout out to Rose: So, last night I just started Jonathan Sacks' The Great Partnership: Science, Religion, and the Search for Meaning, which I can't remember if Eliana actually recommended, or I just came to myself after so much enjoying his earlier To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility, which she definitely recommended. In any event, though I'm still in the introductory chapters, it looks terrific and I think you and many other BAWers might enjoy it. BUT, the reason I'm shouting out is... I'm sure you already know this, but somehow over all these years I missed that Steven Pinker (whose brick of book Better Angels I so enjoyed earlier this year) and Rebecca Goldstein (whose novels are IMO brilliant) are married!!! Evidently Sacks is friends with them both. Well, of course he is. Can you imagine being at one of their dinner parties? Gah. re: Seeing Trees: All right, y'all have convinced me -- I'm ordering it for my Serious Gardening Friend and plan to peek very carefully at it with scrupulously clean hands without cracking the spine before turning it over, lol... Thanks for the shout out, Pam, I actually did not know those two were a couple - he had a different significant other back when I knew him last century. I have looked at her books several times, I will have to read one! Yeah, that dinner party would rock my world - and blow my mind. I'm glad people are getting inspired by Seeing Trees! It's an amazing book. We've definitely decided to incorporate it into our Natural History studies next year. We might even - eeeek - try to learn to draw! It is a skill I don't possess and have always been afraid to try, but I get inspired periodically - basically any time Nan posts - to work on it, and it would be so great to work on that skill while nature journalling. It's funny, because this book is all detailed photographs, no drawings, but it's the detail and the observational skill and passion that inspires me so. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Creek Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I finished another book...The Iliad. It was the first time I had ever read it, believe it or not! I read the Lombardo translation, which is slightly abridged, since I was reading and discussing it with my 7th grader. With her love of all things Percy Jackson I think she had an easier time keeping track of everyone and following the action than I did. :blushing: It was surprisingly enjoyable, though; and I can see why it has stuck around for so long. Now, on to the Odyssey! 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I couldn't continue with the book (though I keep meaning to come back to it) because it clashed so strongly with what I've learned in my studies of the period. It is an interesting angle and I should like it better than I do, but it was both distant and 'off', for me. I keep reading people's reviews hoping for I'm not sure what... a reason to pick it up again? Or to set it aside permanently? Eliana's comment is on Hillary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies. I did struggle a bit with the first 100 pages but I think this was due to circumstances (being in a rental cottage with lots of people including television watchers) more than the book itself. As I approach the end, I can recommend it (even though I have had the perhaps ignoble thought that Susan Howatch is better at the craft of historical fiction or re-envisioning historical characters in fictional settings.) C.S. Lewis month should go better since I was already thinking about reading Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe since we just watched the BBC version of the first 3 books (original order) for movie night (more recent versions are still a little past younger for age and older for sensitivity to fighting scenes) I did not read any Woolf this week nor shall I read Lewis. My library bag overfloweth and my stacks grow with recommendations from these threads and new arrivals from my Archipelago subscription. But I wanted to comment on much my son loved the BBC Narnia productions way back when. We had them on video. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Mumto2, I'm going to have to put those on my wishlist! Stacia, ooh, I would be hopping mad. I still am horrified that there is a book that the library misplaced when I was a child. I returned it. I distinctly remember putting it into the return box after one last look at the little rabbit on the cover. They lost it and I had to pay the fines because of it. I was horrified because I would NEVER lose a library book! Sure, I am late with them but they always return. ;) Hah, I must have been about 6 but I remember it very clearly. I finished JD Robb's Obsession In Death and Kevin Hearne's Hexed. I just picked up Patricia Briggs' Cry Wolf. This one should be a quick, fun read too. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I couldn't continue with the book (though I keep meaning to come back to it) because it clashed so strongly with what I've learned in my studies of the period. It is an interesting angle and I should like it better than I do, but it was both distant and 'off', for me. I keep reading people's reviews hoping for I'm not sure what... a reason to pick it up again? Or to set it aside permanently? Did you read the first book in the Trilogy? It starts with Wolf Hall, and I can see that it might be a little difficult to drop into that world halfway through. That might make a difference, but I am not sure. I personally loved both Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies. I found Wolf Hall more of a challenging read, and struggled to keep all the players straight. But, I got the hang of it and it got a lot easier. I also made good use of the cast of characters at the beginning of the book. I love those. I ran through Bring up the Bodies in a week, I really enjoyed it. The two books left me intrigued with Hillary Mantell, and I have made a space just for her on my 'to be read' list. But, some people really did not click with the style of Wolf Hall. FWIW, the BBC production of the first two books is going to start airing on PBS this weekend. DH and I have seen them and we really enjoyed them. He hadn't read the books but found the series gripping. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 re: Seeing Trees: All right, y'all have convinced me -- I'm ordering it for my Serious Gardening Friend and plan to peek very carefully at it with scrupulously clean hands without cracking the spine before turning it over, lol... Unfortunately, ours came wrapped in plastic for protection. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Did you read the first book in the Trilogy? It starts with Wolf Hall, and I can see that it might be a little difficult to drop into that world halfway through. That might make a difference, but I am not sure. I personally loved both Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies. I found Wolf Hall more of a challenging read, and struggled to keep all the players straight. But, I got the hang of it and it got a lot easier. I also made good use of the cast of characters at the beginning of the book. I love those. I ran through Bring up the Bodies in a week, I really enjoyed it. The two books left me intrigued with Hillary Mantell, and I have made a space just for her on my 'to be read' list. But, some people really did not click with the style of Wolf Hall. FWIW, the BBC production of the first two books is going to start airing on PBS this weekend. DH and I have seen them and we really enjoyed them. He hadn't read the books but found the series gripping. Bring Up the Bodies has flowed better for me than Wolf Hall, but I do think it was the pronoun issue with the latter. Indeed, it was the PBS airing of these books that led me to grab Bring Up the Bodies from my stack. I am looking forward! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I'm glad people are getting inspired by Seeing Trees! It's an amazing book. We've definitely decided to incorporate it into our Natural History studies next year. We might even - eeeek - try to learn to draw! It is a skill I don't possess and have always been afraid to try, but I get inspired periodically - basically any time Nan posts - to work on it, and it would be so great to work on that skill while nature journalling. You should check out John Muir Laws. Yes, that's his real name! He is severely dyslexic and coped by learning to draw instead of write. Meanwhile, his parents were big nature lovers and he spent a lot of time in the wilderness. Combine the two, and you've got a great nature journalist. He's written some nature drawing books and holds a Nature Journal Club at various places around the Bay Area. (There's a $20 suggested donation.) He also has some events and classes he holds indoors and he has written a free nature journaling curriculum available here. (You do need to register some basic info for it, though.) Here's his Youtube channel. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Teacherzee -- I had a few minutes this morning while dh was at a meeting to read a few pages of something light before I started the first day of my week long packing up process before heading home. I thought your All lined Up book would be a perfect one to read casually, a few pages at a time. Lets just say it was good. I need to get some work done. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18505845-all-lined-up?ac=1 Fortunately I had to go on the reserve list for the second one or I probably would be reading that one now. The preview was good..... On another note, I have been reading all the library loss complaints with some serious cringing. To the best of my knowledge I haven't lost any books for patrons yet but I know it will happen eventually. My only hope is people actually wait to have all their books checked in in my part of the world but they chat to you...... The line can get somewhat long because of this so the idea of piling them on the counter and dealing with them later does have plusses. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Re: Seeing Trees Unfortunately, ours came wrapped in plastic for protection. Well, the gift recipient wouldn't *know* that information, right? <wink, wink, nudge, nudge> I'm going to have to look up that book now! Still not reading anything. Nothing, nothing seems to call out to me. :svengo: NoseInABook, you *get* me exactly! The whole library thing bugs me partially because I would be held responsible (& I take my responsibilities very seriously), but more so because they seemingly don't actually care whether or not they have the book back, nor whether it is properly scanned in the system so that it would be easy for someone else to find. How can they be so callous toward a book? :tongue_smilie: I've already decided that next time I'm at the library, I'm going to find the book & make them scan it back in. :lol: (Why am I still stewing over this???) Eliana, so glad you enjoyed Poe's Pym. You are right in that it would be fun to go back & re-read while questioning the reliability of the narrator. If you want more fun, you really need to read Verne's version of Pym & watch how he tidied up everything! He's so precise it's like looking at an engineering schematic. It still makes me chuckle to think of his extreme OCDness & to wonder if Poe would have been flattered or exasperated. Somehow I can picture them being close friends, partially because they're polar opposites. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Bring Up the Bodies has flowed better for me than Wolf Hall, but I do think it was the pronoun issue with the latter. Indeed, it was the PBS airing of these books that led me to grab Bring Up the Bodies from my stack. I am looking forward! Yes, I know a lot of people had issue with the pronouns in Wolf Hall, but that truly did not bother me in the least. I didn't even notice it until after I was done and read some Amazon reviews. I did notice she made a few adjustments in Bring up the Bodies. Personally, I found Wolf Hall a bit slower moving simply because it covers more time. It takes place over years and establishes the players. In Bring up the Bodies, I think it is all happening in a year..maybe 18 months, but I thought it was about a year. It felt like things moved very quickly once the king made his wishes known. I cannot wait for the last book! I have a rule that I don't read a series until it is complete..not a hard and fast rule, obviously. But I am convinced that one day I will be in the middle of a trilogy or something and the author will die, lol. So, Hillary Mantell had better be taking good care of herself or I will be very upset! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 My library won't let you to return a book to a person and watch it get checked back in. We can't even pay fines in person or check out a book in person. Fines are only on paid on line with a credit card and, and check outs are only through the flash scan self check out machines. In fact, I never talk to a soul at any of my nearby branches! The woman at the main desk in my neighborhood branch is a gruff Eastern European or Russian woman who terrifies me! She is so curt and unsmiling, though she must have had to endure some training because she ends any contact with a sing song "thank you and have a nice day!", though her face remains impassive. She gave me grief the last time I insisted on returning a book to her and watching her scan it back into the system (must have been during a spate of them missing my returns.) My only reading is listening to the last few hours of Brandon Sanderson's Elantris. It is driving me nuts -- I want a resolution to the story bad enough to keep listening but the writing is so bad that I start talking back to it. He is blatantly guilty of adjective abuse. Everything a character says or does is followed up with "he said with [insert bad adjective] [insert body part]". NO, I say to my iPhone. Hands can't be annoyed. Eyes can't be urgent. NO, choose either stunned or surprised but it isn't stunned surprise and his eyes certainly can't be both at the same time! I'm about to get sucked into the church music vortex with rehearsals and 5 different services over the next 3 days. But, for all you Protestants out there, the fun part is that my bluegrass gospel band is going to bluegrass up Christ the Lord is Risen Today! The praise leader for the contemporary services had the audacity to call it a "lame old hymn". We've been giving him grief about it ever since. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Did you read the first book in the Trilogy? It starts with Wolf Hall, and I can see that it might be a little difficult to drop into that world halfway through. That might make a difference, but I am not sure. I didn't mind the pronouns - though the style did, for me at least, create more distance from the characters/story. And, yes, I did start with the first one. What I can't get past is the incompatibility of this angle of view with the history I know. Many of the characters just aren't the same people I've encountered in primary and secondary sources... I think I would like this better if it were set in an alternate universe or with different names so I could appreciate the story for itself, not get caught on how it clashes with reality. Still not reading anything. Nothing, nothing seems to call out to me. :svengo: Eliana, so glad you enjoyed Poe's Pym. You are right in that it would be fun to go back & re-read while questioning the reliability of the narrator. If you want more fun, you really need to read Verne's version of Pym & watch how he tidied up everything! He's so precise it's like looking at an engineering schematic. It still makes me chuckle to think of his extreme OCDness & to wonder if Poe would have been flattered or exasperated. Somehow I can picture them being close friends, partially because they're polar opposites. I hope a wonderful book (or two) starts calling to you asap! I'll add the Verne to my list - I wasn't sure if I wanted to move right into someone else's handling of the story, but I do want to read it some time soon. Thank you again! This is not something I would have picked up without your enthusiasm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I'm cracking up here re: Seeing Trees, because... Unfortunately, ours came wrapped in plastic for protection. ... the very moment I saw this the lesser-self side of my brain instantly -- instantly!! -- went to, yeah, but, Ruth (my SGF) doesn't know that... ... and then two posts later I see that Stacia got there first! Re: Seeing Trees Well, the gift recipient wouldn't *know* that information, right? <wink, wink, nudge, nudge> I'm going to have to look up that book now! Jenn, I'm in a state of near-mourning, imagining a library with no human contact???!!! No little exchanges of "if you liked that, have you read her other one ____?" "Oh, I've always wanted to go there...." "Oh, my sixteen yo son loved this.... and he never likes anything..." What's the POINT? (I mean, OK, books. Sure. But imagine how much fun we'd be missing on these threads if anybody felt compelled to limit contact merely to books!!! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Shout out to Rose: So, last night I just started Jonathan Sacks' The Great Partnership: Science, Religion, and the Search for Meaning, which I can't remember if Eliana actually recommended, or I just came to myself after so much enjoying his earlier To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility, which she definitely recommended. In any event, though I'm still in the introductory chapters, it looks terrific and I think you and many other BAWers might enjoy it. BUT, the reason I'm shouting out is... I'm sure you already know this, but somehow over all these years I missed that Steven Pinker (whose brick of book Better Angels I so enjoyed earlier this year) and Rebecca Goldstein (whose novels are IMO brilliant) are married!!! Evidently Sacks is friends with them both. Well, of course he is. Can you imagine being at one of their dinner parties? Gah. I didn't recommend it, but it is on my TBR lists... (there was no missing how pushily I recommended the other one, was there?) Wouldn't it be fun to have them for a seder? (I have Sack's haggada commentary here - not sure if I'll get to properly appreciate it this year, though it will definitely be the one I choose for tonight!) Chag sameach, dearest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 My library won't let you to return a book to a person and watch it get checked back in. We can't even pay fines in person or check out a book in person. Fines are only on paid on line with a credit card and, and check outs are only through the flash scan self check out machines. In fact, I never talk to a soul at any of my nearby branches! The woman at the main desk in my neighborhood branch is a gruff Eastern European or Russian woman who terrifies me! She is so curt and unsmiling, though she must have had to endure some training because she ends any contact with a sing song "thank you and have a nice day!", though her face remains impassive. She gave me grief the last time I insisted on returning a book to her and watching her scan it back into the system (must have been during a spate of them missing my returns.) My only reading is listening to the last few hours of Brandon Sanderson's Elantris. It is driving me nuts -- I want a resolution to the story bad enough to keep listening but the writing is so bad that I start talking back to it. He is blatantly guilty of adjective abuse. Everything a character says or does is followed up with "he said with [insert bad adjective] [insert body part]". NO, I say to my iPhone. Hands can't be annoyed. Eyes can't be urgent. NO, choose either stunned or surprised but it isn't stunned surprise and his eyes certainly can't be both at the same time! I'm about to get sucked into the church music vortex with rehearsals and 5 different services over the next 3 days. But, for all you Protestants out there, the fun part is that my bluegrass gospel band is going to bluegrass up Christ the Lord is Risen Today! The praise leader for the contemporary services had the audacity to call it a "lame old hymn". We've been giving him grief about it ever since. My other UK libraries have those machines for checkouts and checkins. They accept change not credit cards! But the other systems still have paid staff at their branches not volunteers. The staff is friendly and helpful. Because of my family's volume I always have exceptions that won't scan. I really worry about the volunteer role that has been forced upomy library branch. There are many exceptions to just about everything. Our branch gave exceptional customer service and I feel really saddened that there is no way that 40 or so volunteers working a couple of hours can achieve the community outreach and service standards that a couple of full time employees could. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Teacherzee -- I had a few minutes this morning while dh was at a meeting to read a few pages of something light before I started the first day of my week long packing up process before heading home. I thought your All lined Up book would be a perfect one to read casually, a few pages at a time. Lets just say it was good. I need to get some work done. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18505845-all-lined-up?ac=1 Fortunately I had to go on the reserve list for the second one or I probably would be reading that one now. The preview was good..... On another note, I have been reading all the library loss complaints with some serious cringing. To the best of my knowledge I haven't lost any books for patrons yet but I know it will happen eventually. My only hope is people actually wait to have all their books checked in in my part of the world but they chat to you...... The line can get somewhat long because of this so the idea of piling them on the counter and dealing with them later does have plusses. I could try and feel bad but...I really don't ;) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Re: the library stuff. Our libraries have self-checkout available. In my home county, I never use it as I have books on hold & have to go to the person at the counter to ask for them. In the neighboring county, I use self checkout all the time because they put holds out on a shelf w/ your name on it so you can retrieve your own. What I wish they would do is set-up self-checkIN. By golly, I would make sure my books scanned correctly to be counted as returned. It would save me a lot of aggravation, being as I'm the cranky, aggravated, ornery sort. ;) :p Wolf Hall was ok, but the indefinite pronouns distracted me enough from the story that eventually I gave up on it. Not sure if that was the total reason for my apathetic attitude toward it or if there were other things at play (maybe her writing style or the topic or ...), but I read a chunk of it, ignored it awhile in favor of reading various other books, & eventually gave up on it. ETA: I was out today &, wow, traffic is horrible! It's not just Friday rush-hour started early, it's the Spring Break rush I suppose. The weather is lovely & everyone is out = massive traffic jams. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 My library won't let you to return a ... ... The praise leader for the contemporary services had the audacity to call it a "lame old hymn". We've been giving him grief about it ever since. Sad about the library. I can,t help thinking of all the lonely looking old people checking out books and chatting with the kindly, safe staff. And lame? Really? Perhaps his ears need recalibrating? Nan 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 ETA: I was out today &, wow, traffic is horrible! It's not just Friday rush-hour started early, it's the Spring Break rush I suppose. The weather is lovely & everyone is out = massive traffic jams.I am surprised that anyone is left in your fair city. I feel as though they all came to the beach! It is like summer on the strand although the few surfers in the water are wearing wetsuits. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 My library has self-check out AND self-check in. Same machine, you just press a different button on the screen. It is great because I always know that the books have been scaned and what I still have out. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 re Sacks and Pinker and Goldstein... I didn't recommend it, but it is on my TBR lists... (there was no missing how pushily I recommended the other one, was there?) Wouldn't it be fun to have them for a seder? (I have Sack's haggada commentary here - not sure if I'll get to properly appreciate it this year, though it will definitely be the one I choose for tonight!) Chag sameach, dearest! That'd be something, huh. You too, dear. I just finished the last of the bl@sted macaoons, and we're out the door to Tom's family for tonight, and we're hosting tomorrow! Enjoy yours! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 Happy Good Friday, Chag sameach or just happy day to you all. Jenn: But, for all you Protestants out there, the fun part is that my bluegrass gospel band is going to bluegrass up Christ the Lord is Risen Today! That is so cool! I would love to hear it. You'll have to make sure someone records. My imagination just took off, thinking of what it would sound like. My brain can't handle Virginia Woolf today so currently reading a paranormal The Singer (#2 Irin Chronicles) by Elizabeth Hunter. Plus I started listening to the 10th anniversary edition of Neil Gaiman's American Gods in the car. It's a multicast production so enjoying the different voices. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 Mine seem to be much shorter than the originals but here are a couple. The Psalms that talk about enemies felt awkward to rewrite as my mind doesn't divy up the world into friends and enemies, good doers, evil doers and so forth. You can kind of see how that played out in the second example. My Psalm 90 We are but dreams Fleeting and brief In the shadow of your eternity Pull us to you Entwine us in your presence For you are the beginning and the end My Psalm 102 Oh God, you picked me up Snapped me like a twig And grafted me onto the Tree of Life Do the same to the gossips, presumers, projectors the power hungry calculators Snap them So they can be grafted too And thrive under your nourishment Your love is the water That sustains us How beautiful and quite powerful as well. Love the twig being grafted onto the tree of life. A great example as I had now idea how rewriting them would work. Thank you for sharing. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 Shout out to Rose: So, last night I just started Jonathan Sacks' The Great Partnership: Science, Religion, and the Search for Meaning, which I can't remember if Eliana actually recommended, or I just came to myself after so much enjoying his earlier To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility, which she definitely recommended. In any event, though I'm still in the introductory chapters, it looks terrific and I think you and many other BAWers might enjoy it. re: Seeing Trees: All right, y'all have convinced me -- I'm ordering it for my Serious Gardening Friend and plan to peek very carefully at it with scrupulously clean hands without cracking the spine before turning it over, lol... Those do look good and added them to my wishlist. Speaking of gardening and California governor calling for 25% water reduction, I did my part with a drought resistant butterfly garden. Tee hee! My sister sent me a bunch of butterflies on a stick and I had no idea what to do with them until now. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Well, since I'm not reading, I'll just have to chat about other things. In my being out & about today, I saw not one, but TWO, bright yellow front doors. So fresh & fun -- love the way it looks. I love red front doors (mine is red), but I've been pondering a nice, bright, clear green or a sunny yellow (for the next time we have to paint the house). I had only ever seen photos of yellow doors, so it was fun to finally see some in real life. What color front door do you like? Oh, and to make this slightly book-ish, I just added "Seeing Trees" to my birthday wish list. (My dh always likes having lists, so I'm hoping this will be one he chooses to get when my b-day rolls around in a couple of months.) 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 What color front door do you like? There's a particular color door you see a lot in India, Iran, Iran, and Pakistan. Googling... This. Or this. It's often paired with red. Or it's also common to make the building the blue color and the door red. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 There's a particular color door you see a lot in India, Iran, Iran, and Pakistan. Googling... This. Or this. It's often paired with red. Or it's also common to make the building the blue color and the door red. So, it looks like a gorgeous shade of turquoise. Love it. Hmmm. Another option to add to my list. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 What color front door do you like? Ours is a rather prosaic white; however, I've seen some wonderful purple doors. There's a particular color door you see a lot in India, Iran, Iran, and Pakistan. Googling... This. Or this. It's often paired with red. Or it's also common to make the building the blue color and the door red. That is stunning! Regards, Kareni 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Those who enjoy historical romance might be interested in these two (currently) free Kindle books. I haven't read either of these, but I've enjoyed other books by both authors. Worth Lord Of Reckoning (The Lonely Lords Book 11) by Grace Burrowes (Look, mumto2, another free Grace Burrowes book!) and A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin: The Debutante Files by Sophie Jordan Regards, Kareni 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Kareni, Thank you! My door is plain old white. Once upon a time I had a read door that I really loved. The turquoise door is beautiful. I have to admit that I don't think I have ever seen a yellow door. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Kareni, Thank you! My door is plain old white. Once upon a time I had a read door that I really loved. The turquoise door is beautiful. I have to admit that I don't think I have ever seen a yellow door. A "read door"? How appropriate for our book thread! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 A "read door"? How appropriate for our book thread! :lol: My brain is elsewhere, red. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I guess why stop with color when you could paint your front door to look like a book? Btw, here are a bunch of front doors in lovely colors! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Our door is green. Camp green, if that makes sense. My parent,s is a lovely periwinkle, which goes nicely with the weathered shingles. Nan 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I'm in a book funk. Nothing "tastes" right. I want something fun, fast paced and witty. Like The Rook. Any recommendations? :bigear: 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I want something fun, fast paced and witty. Like The Rook. Any recommendations? :bigear: Can you wait until June 30 when the sequel comes out? Stiletto: A Novel by Daniel O'Malley (Jun 30, 2015) This list might interest you: Books like The Rook (The Checquy Files, #1) Regards, Kareni 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Kareni, thank you! Off to check it out. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Kareni, thank you! Off to check it out. One of the books on the list Kareni linked is Angelmaker. I loved that one (& The Rook too). Kareni, I'll be using that list too. Thanks! Also, thanks for mentioning that The Rook's sequel is coming out soon. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I read 'The Winner Stands Alone' by Paulo Coelho today. It was very ugly. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Totally agree with Stacia about Angelmaker. One of my favorites. I also really enjoyed the Rivers of London serieshttp://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/06/ven-aaronovitchs-peter-grant-series-optioned-for-uk-tv-adaptationwhich is on Kareni's list. Recommend reading them in order. The first book apparently has a different title in the US, Midnight Riot. I recommend reading them in order. I have also read and loved another of the recommended series, Jim Hines Libromancer is great. The book on the list was the second in the series Codex Bornhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15824178-codex-born. I think I preferred Libromancer. ;) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Kareni, I think you will also like .. 19. The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan I read Kristen Callihan's The Hook Up (Game On) yesterday, and I did enjoy it. (Adult content) I'd previously read some of the author's historical paranormal novels, so it was interesting to read a contemporary novel by her. I look forward to reading more in this new series. "The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all... No falling in love Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy right? Too bad he's committed to making her break every rule... Football has been good to Drew. It's given him recognition, two National Championships, and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there's one problem: she's shut him down. Completely. That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility of something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it's up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she's truly hooked. It's a good thing Drew knows all about winning. All's fair in love and football...Game on" Regards, Kareni 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 You should check out John Muir Laws. Yes, that's his real name! He is severely dyslexic and coped by learning to draw instead of write. Meanwhile, his parents were big nature lovers and he spent a lot of time in the wilderness. Combine the two, and you've got a great nature journalist. He's written some nature drawing books and holds a Nature Journal Club at various places around the Bay Area. (There's a $20 suggested donation.) He also has some events and classes he holds indoors and he has written a free nature journaling curriculum available here. (You do need to register some basic info for it, though.) Here's his Youtube channel. thank you so much for these links!!! This will be a great addition to our natural history studies!! :hurray: 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I did end up suggesting that dh read Pompeii by Robert Harris. He's really enjoying it. Here's a quote he just shared with me: Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth is becoming warmer – it must be our fault! The mountain is destroying us – we have not propitiated the gods! It rains too much, it rains too little – a comfort to think that these things are somehow connected to our behavior, that if only we lived a little better, a little more frugally, our virtue would be rewarded. But here was nature, sweeping toward him – unknowable, all-conquering, indifferent – and he saw in her fires the futility of human pretensions. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 My library has self-check out AND self-check in. Same machine, you just press a different button on the screen. It is great because I always know that the books have been scaned and what I still have out. Same with my library. I'm in a book funk. Nothing "tastes" right. I want something fun, fast paced and witty. Like The Rook. Any recommendations? :bigear: Anything P.G. Wodehouse 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 I finished Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow and have started on The Orphan Master's Son. I feel like I reached some sort of new low with this book. I own Orphan Master's Son, I got it for 1$ at a book sale. But, I just borrowed it on my Kindle, even though I have a hard copy. The kindle is just so easy to take with me in a purse, and it is backlit, so it is so easy to read at night next to a snoring dh. At least I didn't buy it on kindle, having bought the hard copy, right? 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Robin, I like your new avatar! :) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen. Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 I read "Out of the Silent Planet" by C. S. Lewis and my 8yo read the Belinda books by Amy Young. :) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 5, 2015 Author Share Posted April 5, 2015 Robin, I like your new avatar! :) Thanks! decided it was time for a slight makeover. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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