ChrisB Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 We love Wayside School! There are two or three aren't there? I liked them as a kid, and now my kids love them too. They're super silly. Yep, there are a few more books. Mid week blues? everyone is so quiet. Let's mix it is a bit Stephen King or Neil Gaiman? Italo Calvino or Haruki Murakami? Beer or Wine? ghostbusters or three musketeers? Shallow Hal or The Elf Gwyneth Paltrow or Jennifer Lawrence? Best Sidekick in a Novel or Movie? I've actually never read any Neil Gaiman. Should I? Which? Hermione Granger Chocolate milkshake. Best Sidekick in a Novel or Movie? Samwise Gamgee. Stephan King, only because I've read The Green Mile and liked it. I've never read Gaiman. Neither wine or beer. If I was forced to choose, a white wine. But...I can get totally on board with the Chocolate milkshake! Both Ghostbusters & 3 Musketeers--everyone needs a hero! Nope, nada, neither...Shallow Hal or Elf. But if I had to choose on the pain of death...lol...Elf, because I like Christmas. Lawrance, hands down. Hermaine & Samwise! (Although, there are many great ones! But...what about Ron along with Hermaine?!) Thanks, Robin for a bright spot in the week. BTW, love your new avatar! 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Stephen King or Neil Gaiman? Neil Gaiman Italo Calvino or Haruki Murakami? Both! Beer or Wine? Neitherghostbusters or three musketeers? The Three Musketeers Shallow Hal or The Elf ??? (Who or what is Shallow Hal? I guess I'll go with Elf....)Gwyneth Paltrow or Jennifer Lawrence? Jennifer LawrenceBest Sidekick in a Novel or Movie? Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark (movie); the Feegles (Terry Pratchett books) + Dogger & Gladys (Flavia de Luce books) 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I needed a break from it, so I started I, Tituba last night. It's very well written, an engrossing read so far. Then I realized that 3 of my current reads were suggestions from Stacia - Rue du Retour, I, Tituba, and The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. I guess I know who my go-to girl for book recs is, don't I? ;) :D The pressure! The pressure! :willy_nilly: :svengo: Guess I'd really better start reading again someday, huh? :lol: (Thank you, Rose! :grouphug: ) 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 This week has been a quieter whirlwind - Pesach (Passover) and the start of a new school term for me. Last week I read: 2 haggadah commentaries: The Carlebach Haggadah - there are two Carlebach based books, on on Chanukah and one on Tisha B'Av, which I've read and loved, and this is very similar. The Chief Rabbi's Haggadah by Rabbi Johnathan Sacks whose To Heal a Fractured World I've raved about so many times. This isn't something I'll be pressing on everyone in sight, but I did appreciate it very much. (I assume this is the same as a newer edition with a different title?) 2 (more!) Sherwood Smith comfort rereads: Revenant Eve: The 3rd Dobrenica book. Fluffy, but the kind of fluffy I appreciate. Crown Duel: This the is the first Smith I read, and one of her most popular books. It is YA, but engaging with a very sweet romance. Originally published in two volumes... and the second one is by far my favorite. I can't reread this very often, because it was a comfort read for too many years, but it was nice to revisit it again. and one actual real work of literature: Tis a Pity She's a Whore by John Ford: This is a play it hard to believe was put on in the 1600's... The couple at the center are a brother-sister whose secret romance leads to a pregnancy and a hasty acceptance of a marriage proposal and a gruesomely short-circuited revenge when the husband finds out. The title infuriates me, but doesn't reflect the tone of the play. This can be read as an antidote to the true love justifies anything, the couple must be together approach, and the rather heavy handed (if belated) intervention of a religious confidant makes some interesting points (if you can ignore the threats of eternal torment). This is another one I read much, much too young (pre-teen!) and appreciate more now... though I'm not rushing to share it with my children.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Mid week blues? Just ill...nothing big Stephen King or Neil Gaiman? Neil Gaiman Italo Calvino or Haruki Murakami? IDK... Beer or Wine? Wine, hands down ghostbusters or three musketeers? Ghostbusters. I get slimed frequently . Shallow Hal or The Elf? I suppose The Elf Gwyneth Paltrow or Jennifer Lawrence? Jennifer Lawrence. Gwyneth simpers too much (but I do like her in moderation) Best Sidekick in a Novel or Movie? Sancho Panza 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 9, 2015 Author Share Posted April 9, 2015 (Delia) Peabody in J D Robb's ... in Death series. Oh yes, definitely. Dropped Hammered and picked up Maria Alexander's Mr. Wicker. My husband was reading it out loud to me last night and I was belly laughing. Some of it is pretty cheesy but I do want to see how it ends so I'll continue with it. She was my roommate once up a time and we still keep in touch. I have the book, but yet to read it. Soon though. Bad me. Glad you are enjoying it. Thanks for playing everybody. Me: King, Tie between Calvino and Murakami, Wine but only french since california gives me headaches, Ghostbusters (who ya gonna call) Shallow Hal because I dislike wil ferrel with a passion. Gwyneth (she was in shallow hal) and have to agree with Karen the best sidekick is Peabody, although I adore Mavis as well. Shallow Hal - A hypnotized playboy (Jack Black) who can only see "inner beauty" doesn't realize that his gorgeous girlfriend (Gwyneth Paltrow) is actually a 300-pound-not-so-hottie. "Heartwarming and hilarious" (WFLD-TV), it's the BIGGEST love story ever told! I've watched it several times when in the mood for something brainless. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maela Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Finished reading my 11th book - Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay. I'm liking this series and will be checking out the second soon. Started my 12th book this morning - The Strange Library. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maela Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Finished The Strange Library. Boy was that a quick read! Interesting too. Are all of his books like that? 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelaboord Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Welcome, Angela! :seeya: Love your list. What did you think about The Last Policeman? It's one I've had on my to-read list.... Stacia, I thought it was really good -- probably the second best book I've read so far this year, after Station Eleven. I did guess who did it -- not definitively, but I thought it would probably be this character -- halfway to 3/4 of the way through the book, but I liked Henry Palace enough that it didn't really matter to me. The pre-apocalyptic world was interesting to me, too... I'm still not sure things would happen exactly the same way if we were ever threatened by an asteroid, but it was realistic enough that it felt like things *could* go that way. And I liked the "thinking" aspect of the book, too; it was a relatively fast read, but it still raised a lot of moral questions as to whether or not Henry should really have kept on doing his police work... or if he should just have left well enough alone in the face of a global apocalypse. I've got the other two books on hold at the library right now... I think the third one has come in, but not the second... I'm hoping it doesn't take too much longer, or I might be tempted to just buy them! --Angela 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelaboord Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Welcome, Angela! :seeya: Love your list. What did you think about The Last Policeman? It's one I've had on my to-read list.... Stacia, I thought it was really good -- probably the second best book I've read so far this year, after Station Eleven. I did guess who did it -- not definitively, but I thought it would probably be this character -- halfway to 3/4 of the way through the book, but I liked Henry Palace enough that it didn't really matter to me. The pre-apocalyptic world was interesting to me, too... I'm still not sure things would happen exactly the same way if we were ever threatened by an asteroid, but it was realistic enough that it felt like things *could* go that way. And I liked the "thinking" aspect of the book, too; it was a relatively fast read, but it still raised a lot of moral questions as to whether or not Henry should really have kept on doing his police work... or if he should just have left well enough alone in the face of a global apocalypse. I've got the other two books on hold at the library right now... I think the third one has come in, but not the second... I'm hoping it doesn't take too much longer, or I might be tempted to just buy them! --Angela 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Finished The Strange Library. Boy was that a quick read! Interesting too. Are all of his books like that? Most of them are much longer. 1Q84 is a huge chunkster but one of my favorite books. They all interesting......Colorless Tsukuru is the most traditional of Murakami's books that I have read. Here is a link you might enjoy about his books.http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/06/colorless-tsukuru-tazaki-years-pilgimage-haruki-murakami-review 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Late last night I finished a really good book that put on hold for ds but accidentally loaded onto my Kindle. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was great.http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/books/20110819-book-review-ready-player-one-by-ernest-cline.ece. It was another one off the books to movie list. Spielberg is turning this book into a film and is perfect for the job because of many references to his movies. For someone who grew up in the 70's and 80's this book is a huge cultural walk down memory lane even though the setting is actually a dystopian novel set in 2040. The world has turned into a very sad place with a huge portion of the people starving. Wade, the main character, lives in a trailer park which is stacked like a highrise building, a horrifying thought. Many people escape into their computers to a virtual world called OASIS which gives entertainment for free. The book starts with the death of the creater of OASIS and the contest (think Quest) he has created via his will. The first to complete his quest a capture the egg within his virtual world will inherit his entire estate and control of OASIS. This quest proves to be very interesting because it takes the reader on a serious romp through it's creaters favorite things from his youth which are all free to read, view, and listen to on OASIS. I think my ds will love this book too! 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I had an e-mail in my inbox today. Good thing I didn't have anything planned. The e-mail contained my review copy of The Shameless Hour, the latest book in Sarina Bowen's Ivy years series and well all of a sudden it was 2:30pm and I hadn't gotten dressed or eaten lunch (I did manage breakfast). So very very good. More coherent review coming but I will reveal that it contains things that are being discussed on the chat board right now. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maela Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Most of them are much longer. 1Q84 is a huge chunkster but one of my favorite books. They all interesting......Colorless Tsukuru is the most traditional of Murakami's books that I have read. Here is a link you might enjoy about his books.http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/06/colorless-tsukuru-tazaki-years-pilgimage-haruki-murakami-review Thank you! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Checking in without any book reading to report. Am halfway through an epic adventure, though, navigating roads that my iPhone map doesn't recognize as proper routes to my destination. Ever the renegade, I suppose! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Late last night I finished a really good book that put on hold for ds but accidentally loaded onto my Kindle. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was great.http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/books/20110819-book-review-ready-player-one-by-ernest-cline.ece. It was another one off the books to movie list. Spielberg is turning this book into a film and is perfect for the job because of many references to his movies. For someone who grew up in the 70's and 80's this book is a huge cultural walk down memory lane even though the setting is actually a dystopian novel set in 2040. The world has turned into a very sad place with a huge portion of the people starving. Wade, the main character, lives in a trailer park which is stacked like a highrise building, a horrifying thought. Many people escape into their computers to a virtual world called OASIS which gives entertainment for free. The book starts with the death of the creater of OASIS and the contest (think Quest) he has created via his will. The first to complete his quest a capture the egg within his virtual world will inherit his entire estate and control of OASIS. This quest proves to be very interesting because it takes the reader on a serious romp through it's creaters favorite things from his youth which are all free to read, view, and listen to on OASIS. I think my ds will love this book too! Oh, that looks good! I just put it on hold. Jenn, there's a reason why they call it The Lost Coast! :lol: 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Mid week blues? everyone is so quiet. Let's mix it is a bit Stephen King or Neil Gaiman? Italo Calvino or Haruki Murakami? Beer or Wine? ghostbusters or three musketeers? Shallow Hal or The Elf Gwyneth Paltrow or Jennifer Lawrence? Best Sidekick in a Novel or Movie? I'm going to have to be a weirdo and say Stephen King. I like Gaiman. I loved Ocean at the End of the Lane and I've read some terrible SK, but overall King. I need to read more Gaiman where he isn't trying too hard. I have to finish a Calvino before I can vote. Eh. Lemonade. The movies? Which 3 Musketeers? For some reason the goofy '70s version comes to mind. Can't decide. Since Shallow Hal nauseates me, I guess Elf. Jennifer Lawrence. Marian Halcombe, much more interesting then the heroine IMO. Late last night I finished a really good book that put on hold for ds but accidentally loaded onto my Kindle. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was great.http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/books/20110819-book-review-ready-player-one-by-ernest-cline.ece. It was another one off the books to movie list. Spielberg is turning this book into a film and is perfect for the job because of many references to his movies. For someone who grew up in the 70's and 80's this book is a huge cultural walk down memory lane even though the setting is actually a dystopian novel set in 2040. The world has turned into a very sad place with a huge portion of the people starving. Wade, the main character, lives in a trailer park which is stacked like a highrise building, a horrifying thought. Many people escape into their computers to a virtual world called OASIS which gives entertainment for free. The book starts with the death of the creater of OASIS and the contest (think Quest) he has created via his will. The first to complete his quest a capture the egg within his virtual world will inherit his entire estate and control of OASIS. This quest proves to be very interesting because it takes the reader on a serious romp through it's creaters favorite things from his youth which are all free to read, view, and listen to on OASIS. I think my ds will love this book too! I read that last year. A total '80s nostalgia-fest. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Last night I finished Charles Sheehan-Miles' A Song for Julia (Thompson Sisters Book 1); I'd previously read books two and three in this series. I enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading more by this author. "Everyone should have something to rebel against.Crank Wilson left his South Boston home at sixteen to start a punk band and burn out his rage at the world. Six years later, he's still at odds with his father, a Boston cop, and doesn't ever speak to his mother. The only relationship that really matters is with his younger brother, but watching out for Sean can be a full-time job.The one thing Crank wants in life is to be left the hell alone to write his music and drive his band to success.Julia Thompson left a secret behind in Beijing that exploded into scandal in Washington, DC, threatening her father's career and dominating her family's life. Now, in her senior year at Harvard, she's haunted by a voice from her past and refuses to ever lose control of her emotions again, especially when it comes to a guy.When Julia and Crank meet at an anti-war protest in Washington in the fall of 2002, the connection between them is so powerful it threatens to tear everything apart." Here's a Book Review – A Song for Julia by Charles Sheehan-Miles. Incidentally, the book is available to Kindle readers for $0.99. Regards, Kareni 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 one Gaiman (The Graveyard Book) and considering I loved the Gaiman book but didn't finish King the pic was easy for me. The Graveyard Book is beautiful and funny and well worth a read. I read this last October! I thought it was good then but it is one of the books from last year that I continually think back to. I believe I liked it a whole lot more than I thought! Late last night I finished a really good book that put on hold for ds but accidentally loaded onto my Kindle. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was great.http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/books/20110819-book-review-ready-player-one-by-ernest-cline.ece. It was another one off the books to movie list. Spielberg is turning this book into a film and is perfect for the job because of many references to his movies. For someone who grew up in the 70's and 80's this book is a huge cultural walk down memory lane even though the setting is actually a dystopian novel set in 2040. The world has turned into a very sad place with a huge portion of the people starving. Wade, the main character, lives in a trailer park which is stacked like a highrise building, a horrifying thought. Many people escape into their computers to a virtual world called OASIS which gives entertainment for free. The book starts with the death of the creater of OASIS and the contest (think Quest) he has created via his will. The first to complete his quest a capture the egg within his virtual world will inherit his entire estate and control of OASIS. This quest proves to be very interesting because it takes the reader on a serious romp through it's creaters favorite things from his youth which are all free to read, view, and listen to on OASIS. I think my ds will love this book too! It sounds like Aly may enjoy this! Samwise is a great sidekick! I've never considered Hermione (and Ron) sidekicks, funny that. I guess I kind of see them all as heroes together with Harry. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Late last night I finished a really good book that put on hold for ds but accidentally loaded onto my Kindle. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was great.http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/books/20110819-book-review-ready-player-one-by-ernest-cline.ece. It was another one off the books to movie list. Spielberg is turning this book into a film and is perfect for the job because of many references to his movies. Hmm. This is sitting on our shelves because DH loves it and refuses to donate it. I'll try to read it in the next few months even though I'm not a fan of dystopian novels. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWeasley Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I set a goal for myself to read 52 books in 2015 on Goodreads, but my progress hasn't kept apace thus far.I don't count readalouds to my kids or books I'm reading that I plan to assign to my kids, but I do count my graphic novels. No hating while I try to convince myself that I am not intimidated by y'all's reading lists. Here's what I have to date: 1. The Core by Leigh A. Bortins 2. The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg 3. Ms. Marvel, volume 1 4. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs 5. Trapped by Kevin Hearne 6. The ADF Path through the Wheel of the Year 7. Our Own Druidry by ADF 8. Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw 9. Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward currently reading: A History of Pagan Europe The Explosive Child Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood The History of the Medieval World 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Well, since I'm (still) not reading, I figured I'd post the book that ds just finished & really enjoyed: The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson. Ds read Jonasson's other book, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, quite a few months ago. He really liked The 100-Year-Old Man & said he liked this one even more. A wildly picaresque new novel from Jonas Jonasson, the author of the internationally bestselling The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared In a tiny shack in the largest township in South Africa, Nombeko Mayeki is born. Put to work at five years old and orphaned at ten, she quickly learns that the world expects nothing more from her than to die young, be it from drugs, alcohol, or just plain despair. But Nombeko has grander plans. She learns to read and write, and at just fifteen, using her cunning and fearlessness, she makes it out of Soweto with millions of smuggled diamonds in her possession. Then things take a turn for the worse.... Nombeko ends up the prisoner of an incompetent engineer in a research facility working on South Africa's secret nuclear arsenal. Yet the unstoppable Nombeko pulls off a daring escape to Sweden, where she meets twins named Holger One and Holger Two, who are carrying out a mission to bring down the Swedish monarchy...by any means necessary. Nombeko's life ends up hopelessly intertwined with the lives of the twins, and when the twins arrange to kidnap the Swedish king and prime minister, it is up to our unlikely heroine to save the day--and possibly the world. In this wild romp, Jonasson tackles issues ranging from the pervasiveness of racism to the dangers of absolute power while telling a charming and hilarious story along the way. In the satirical voice that has earned him legions of fans the world over, Jonasson gives us another rollicking tale of how even the smallest of decisions can have sweeping--even global--consequences. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Hmm... Most of those I don't know about. I don't like the taste of alcohol, so I pick tea. Three Musquetiers, definitely. I thought the 1974 movie was satisfactorily like the book. Both are great fun. I haven't seen any other movie versions, so I can't speak for them. One of these days, I am going to read it in the original French. Not for awhile, though. And sidekicks? I'd have to say Sam. And Piglet. And Ratty. Stacia - What fun! Another Jonas Jonasson! I am reading another Gnaio Marsh - Final Curtain. Can't remember if I said I finished Singing in the Shrouds. Hmm... no idea how to spell the boat sort of shrowds. I use the word all the time, but not in writing. And writing this, I realize that it is a pun lol. I just looked at the picture of rigging on the cover and missed that. My husband has moved on to Guards! Guards! (or is it Guard! Guard!?) Nan Nan 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 10, 2015 Author Share Posted April 10, 2015 I set a goal for myself to read 52 books in 2015 on Goodreads, but my progress hasn't kept apace thus far.I don't count readalouds to my kids or books I'm reading that I plan to assign to my kids, but I do count my graphic novels. No hating while I try to convince myself that I am not intimidated by y'all's reading lists. Here's what I have to date: 1. The Core by Leigh A. Bortins 2. The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg 3. Ms. Marvel, volume 1 4. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs 5. Trapped by Kevin Hearne 6. The ADF Path through the Wheel of the Year 7. Our Own Druidry by ADF 8. Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw 9. Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward currently reading: A History of Pagan Europe The Explosive Child Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood The History of the Medieval World Welcome. I enjoyed Joel Rosenberg's writing but haven't read Auschwitz Escape. Will have to add to my want list. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I finished Angela Thirkell's lovely novel County Chronicle with a lovely sigh of satisfaction. But a change or magnification in one of the characters leads me to go back a few novels in Thirkell's Barchester series to Private Enterprise which I haven't read in a while to see if this particular character was as annoying then as he is now. Side note: in Private Enterprise I found a change of address post card that clues me in that I was reading this book 20 years ago! The chapter that I read earlier today in Does Santa Exist touched on the mystic Isaac Luria and the Kabbalah. What a wild ride this book is! 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Here are a few books that are CURRENTLY (who knows how long that will be the case) free to Kindle readers. I haven't read any of these, so I can't speak to their content. a number of Winston Churchill biographies are free: Winston S. Churchill: Finest Hour, 19... Winston S. Churchill: Never Despair,... Winston S. Churchill: Young Statesman... and more Georgiana Darcy's Diary: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice continued (Pride and Prejudice Chronicles Book 1) by Anna Elliott Quest: Eight Novels of Fantasy, Myth,... by Lindsay Buroker and others (My adult daughter liked The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker which is one of the eight included.) Undeclared: The Woodlands, Book 1 by Jen Frederick The Purpose (The English au pair, the rabbi and the grenade.) by Stephen Abraham (definitely an interesting subtitle) Regards, Kareni 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Creek Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 This week I read A Path Made Plain by Lynette Sowell...more Amish fiction brain candy. I also read The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman, which was far more dense than the cover appeared. The author felt obligated to explain in great detail the history, habits, and biological classification of every single animal and insect that was mentioned. She describes all the people with the same attention to detail (including mannerisms and sometimes even eating habits, as if they were zoo members as well). The way she links the Holocaust and the treatment of the animals by the Nazis during that time was...interesting. I am not so sure the Nazis gave as much thought to animals as she credits them with doing. Read so far this year... 1. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand 2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3. Without a Trace by Colleen Coble 4. Tempest's Course by Lynette Sowell 5. Freefall by Kristen Heitzmann 6. In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Opdyke 7. Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers 8. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 9. A Season of Change by Lynette Sowell 10. An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor 11. The Riddle of the Labyrinth by Margalit Fox 12. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 13. Seek Me With All Your Heart by Beth Wiseman 14. Holocaust Survivor by Mike Jacobs 15. Unwind by Neal Shusterman 16. The Ditchdigger's Daughters by Yvonne S. Thornton 17. Delirium by Lauren Oliver 18. The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman 19. One Plus One by Jojo Boyes 20. The Lost Childhood by Yehuda Nir 21. The Iliad by Homer (Lombardo translation) 22. A Path Made Plain by Lynette Sowell 23. The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 This morning I finished a book I picked up because the title intrigued me: The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza by Lawrence Block. There was more burglary than Spinoza in it, but it was a mildly amusing murder mystery. I think I'll pass on more of his books. An extended family member of mine has a self-published book available free on kindle today. http://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Macomber-Hill-Baker-Adventure/dp/1508773890/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428756368&sr=8-1&keywords=mystery+on+macomber+hill I'm told it is suitable for preteens and up. I haven't read it yet, but happen to be partial to the author. ;-) 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Well, since I'm (still) not reading, I figured I'd post the book that ds just finished & really enjoyed: The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson. Ds read Jonasson's other book, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, quite a few months ago. He really liked The 100-Year-Old Man & said he liked this one even more. They're reading The 100-Year-Old Man on WPR's Chapter a Day (kind of a Read-aloud serial). Amusing. (Ready Player One) Hmm. This is sitting on our shelves because DH loves it and refuses to donate it. I'll try to read it in the next few months even though I'm not a fan of dystopian novels. Once they establish that it is a dystopian world they move on. It's not relentlessly dystopian. Most of the novel is spent in the virtual world because the characters prefer it to the real world. Probably one of the more cheerful dystopian novel you can read. The dystopia just creates character motivation and tension. The author felt obligated to explain in great detail the history, habits, and biological classification of every single animal and insect that was mentioned. She describes all the people with the same attention to detail (including mannerisms and sometimes even eating habits, as if they were zoo members as well). The way she links the Holocaust and the treatment of the animals by the Nazis during that time was...interesting. I am not so sure the Nazis gave as much thought to animals as she credits them with doing. I didn't really see that as a main focus of the novel, but that was interesting. I saw it more as a thematic parallel between the way some Nazis thought of animal breeding and evolution and the chilling way they considered human beings. It's an interesting abstract comparing how a society acts and what it's beliefs are. In the end, mostly I saw the book as a hymn to the Polish people, especially the underground. They did much, suffered much, and they were let down by the West again and again before and after WWII. So dense in detail though. You're right. I had to push myself through it sometimes because she had so many stories and themes in mind and her detail wasn't always useful to the narrative itself. It was more like a central story grabbed her interest but then her interests revolved around that story pulling in tons of detail (which sometimes we found as interesting as she did and sometimes we didn't). Narrative tornado. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelaboord Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Late last night I finished a really good book that put on hold for ds but accidentally loaded onto my Kindle. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was great.http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/books/20110819-book-review-ready-player-one-by-ernest-cline.ece. It was another one off the books to movie list. Spielberg is turning this book into a film and is perfect for the job because of many references to his movies. For someone who grew up in the 70's and 80's this book is a huge cultural walk down memory lane even though the setting is actually a dystopian novel set in 2040. The world has turned into a very sad place with a huge portion of the people starving. Wade, the main character, lives in a trailer park which is stacked like a highrise building, a horrifying thought. Many people escape into their computers to a virtual world called OASIS which gives entertainment for free. The book starts with the death of the creater of OASIS and the contest (think Quest) he has created via his will. The first to complete his quest a capture the egg within his virtual world will inherit his entire estate and control of OASIS. This quest proves to be very interesting because it takes the reader on a serious romp through it's creaters favorite things from his youth which are all free to read, view, and listen to on OASIS. I think my ds will love this book too! I read that book last year; it was a lot of fun! I'm looking forward to the movie. My oldest ds wants to read it, too, but I'm not sure he'll get all (or even half) the 80's references. It's probably still a good book if you don't get them, but even better if you do. :001_smile: --Angela 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I'm in a town in coastal northern California and have found heaven in a single block! Not one but 2 used book stores, a fabric shop, a knitting shop AND a custom chocolate and coffee shop. Oh and a kitschy vintage dress shop with dress patterns and knick knacks from the 50s and 60s. All in one block!!!!! Be still my heart!! 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I'm in a town in coastal northern California and have found heaven in a single block! Not one but 2 used book stores, a fabric shop, a knitting shop AND a custom chocolate and coffee shop. Oh and a kitschy vintage dress shop with dress patterns and knock knacks from the 50s and 60s. All in one block!!!!! Be still my heart!! Wish I could join you! What fun! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 The one thing Crank wants in life is to be left the hell alone to write his music and drive his band to success. What kind of name is Crank? !! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I don't count readalouds to my kids or books I'm reading that I plan to assign to my kids, but I do count my graphic novels. Why ever not? :svengo: 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen. Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I read "Perelandra" by C. S. Lewis and my 8yo read a beautifully illustrated version of Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows." :001_smile: 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 What kind of name is Crank? !! His birth name was Dougal, but he changed it legally to Crank. I don't recall why he chose Crank. (Perhaps he was cranky?!) Regards, Kareni 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Angela, thanks for your thoughts & review of The Last Policeman! Mumto2, I've seen Ready Player One at the library multiple times & have thought about picking it up. Hearing about the '80s references makes me think I need to read it! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I'm in a town in coastal northern California and have found heaven in a single block! Not one but 2 used book stores, a fabric shop, a knitting shop AND a custom chocolate and coffee shop. Oh and a kitschy vintage dress shop with dress patterns and knick knacks from the 50s and 60s. All in one block!!!!! Be still my heart!! I wonder if you're in Eureka or Arcata. I've been listening to a knitting podcast from 2 women who work at the university there called Teaching Your Brain to Knit. Part of it is about brain science and knitting and part of it is about "the Redwood curtain," ie gorgeous northern California. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 I have given up on the audio version of American Gods. Too crude, too many f words and morbid. weird that find it more offensive listening to it, rather than reading. Think I'll listen to Anne Bishops Murder of crows instead. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 His birth name was Dougal, but he changed it legally to Crank. I don't recall why he chose Crank. (Perhaps he was cranky?!) Regards, Kareni Ah. The word had different connotations in American English. Here it means eccentric and probably kind of pervy man. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Ah. The word had different connotations in American English. Here it means eccentric and probably kind of pervy man. I hadn't been aware of that Australian meaning. Thanks for broadening my horizons, Rosie! Regards, Kareni 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Mumto2, I've seen Ready Player One at the library multiple times & have thought about picking it up. Hearing about the '80s references makes me think I need to read it! I think you would really like it. It was a book that really had me intrigued fromthe first page, which I read as a preview to see if ds would like it. I had planned to just glace at a couple of pages! There is such a broad range of TV, movies, and videogames mentioned I would be surprised if many people are familiar with all of them. I knew many of the major ones used in the tasks but several of the very computer game oriented ones were foriegn. Generally the descriptions were good enough so it didn't matter. I loved video arcades in the 80's but didn't have the money to spend as a student so I only occasionally played a very few games that I was good at! :lol: Ds aspires to be a game programmer and has played or programmed many of the original ones that came out with the Radio Shack computers. I am curious if he will know the ones in the book. When I was reading this book I realized how much of our 80's culture dh and I shared with the kids. They are definitely familiar with some of the television and movies referenced because we have them on dvd. So much of it is still available thanks to modern technology....we played Pac Man frequently when they were little . On another side note, I was amazed to see H. R. Puffenstuff and Land of the Lost referenced momentarily in this book, my favorites from Saturday morning which I have on dvd! I didn't think anyone but dh had actually watched them when we were growing up! :lol: The book really brought back some fun memories. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Speaking of The Zookeeper's Wife, there was a Yahoo news article yesterday about exhibiting the couples' home in memorial of what they did. A few pictures included for those who read the book or are otherwise curious and an interview with one of the men who hid there. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Welcome, new BAW-lers! My dh is also not a big reader - no time - but has really been enjoying the Patrick O'Brian series. I recently recommended Pompeii by Robert Harris to him, and he really enjoyed it. Kind of historical fiction for water/engineering/geology geeks. :lol: A small niche, perhaps, but I'm glad to hear it's being filled.... Mid week blues? everyone is so quiet. Let's mix it is a bitStephen King or Neil Gaiman? GaimanItalo Calvino or Haruki Murakami? MurakamiBeer or Wine? Depends on what's for dinner!ghostbusters or three musketeers? :huh: Never saw either? :leaving: Shallow Hal or The Elf Elf was vaguely cute; never saw Shallow HalGwyneth Paltrow or Jennifer Lawrence? Lawrence. Silver Linings Playbook = brilliantBest Sidekick in a Novel or Movie? Serious = Sam Gamgee. But Donkey also = fab (how do y'all get colors to appear inside someone else's quote box?) ... I'm going to bail on Till We Have Faces, I think. I don't know that I'm the correct demographic for CS Lewis. I will finish the Space Trilogy, and then move on. Oh that's so interesting. Can I ask what failed for you? Faces is my second favorite Lewis (favorite = Great Divorce). I mean, I suppose I had to check a bit of feminism at the door to access it, but I loved the reworking of the myth and I often come back to the insights of the resolution... ... The Chief Rabbi's Haggadah by Rabbi Johnathan Sacks whose To Heal a Fractured World I've raved about so many times. This isn't something I'll be pressing on everyone in sight, but I did appreciate it very much. (I assume this is the same as a newer edition with a different title?) ------------ Tis a Pity She's a Whore by John Ford: This is a play it hard to believe was put on in the 1600's... The couple at the center are a brother-sister whose secret romance leads to a pregnancy and a hasty acceptance of a marriage proposal and a gruesomely short-circuited revenge when the husband finds out. The title infuriates me, but doesn't reflect the tone of the play. This can be read as an antidote to the true love justifies anything, the couple must be together approach, and the rather heavy handed (if belated) intervention of a religious confidant makes some interesting points (if you can ignore the threats of eternal torment). This is another one I read much, much too young (pre-teen!) and appreciate more now... though I'm not rushing to share it with my children.... I'll have to add the Sacks to next year's Passover reading. (I did barely anything this year beyond shifting to a new Haggadah -- we ended up going with Wiesel's). I think you'd also enjoy Sacks' Great Partnership: Science, Religion, and the Search for Meaning -- I'm just finishing it up; really great. ______ and :lol: on Pity... 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 RE: Till We Have Faces Oh that's so interesting. Can I ask what failed for you? Faces is my second favorite Lewis (favorite = Great Divorce). I mean, I suppose I had to check a bit of feminism at the door to access it, but I loved the reworking of the myth and I often come back to the insights of the resolution... Actually, I didn't even give it a try. I read a post on the High School board this week where people were discussing it, and based on the description, and my feelings about Perelandra which I was in the middle of, I decided to skip it altogether. I guess what I gleaned from the HS board post was that it is a deeply Christian book and since I'm not a Christian, I thought I probably wouldn't appreciate it. I enjoy reading mythology from many cultures - including Christian, but Lewis's way of making the Christian story the center of everything just leaves me cold. I imagine I feel about it the way that a Christian might feel reading Pullman's The Amber Spyglass? I guess I like books that take the themes from particular religious traditions and broaden them out, show the timeless/cultureless elements in them, look for some underlying search for understanding good and evil and the nature of humanity and the relation with the non-material/spiritual. I don't like books that take timeless ideas and fit them into a particular religion's story. But if you think I shouldn't miss Faces I will put it back on my stack! I do want to talk about Perelandra but maybe I'll wait for this week's thread? I am kind of waiting, too till other Lewis readers of this month finish so there are more discussers and no spoilers! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 Link to week 15 - please continue conversation in new thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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