Book a Week 2015 - W15: Haiku for you

[Woodland Mist Academy]

You're tilting at windmills, honey.

 

:lol:

 

:smilielol5:

 

 

 

(Sorry. Please excuse my completely cheesy joke. At least I'm not a chowderhead!)

 

It was the chowderhead threat that drew me in... Ah! To post on threads where such danger lurks!

 

 

Miss seeing you too! How are DQ & Sancho...?

 

Heroic, as always. I've laughed until I've almost cried, but I keep getting this uncomfortable feeling I can't place....

 

(Says the woman who may or may not have on one (or more) occasion shown up to morning lessons primly dressed in the manner of a 19th century English governess...)

[redsquirrel]

I am ambivalent about Fitzgerald and the authors of that period in general. This bothers me because I should love them. I shouldn't feel the ennui that creeps when I read the novels of that age. I love moments of each book. I enjoy how characters are written, if not the characters themselves. But I always feel like I am reading with oven mitts on. I can see it, but I can't feel it.

 

Now, is it necessary to make that connection to the work to see it's achievement? I don't think it is, but for me anyway, that connection is necessary for me to more than appreciate the skill that went into the creation. I do not need to have a character to 'identify with' as some really do. I've read whole books where I didn't like a single person in the whole thing (The Corrections comes to mind). I personally think that art is meant to create a reaction in the viewer, reader, listener, whatever. It is a communication from one person to another. With that whole 'lost generation' era of writers, male and female, I just don't connect.

 

I've read The Great Gatsby three times. Once in high school, once in college and about 5 years ago for book club (it was the community read on year) and the response is always the same. I read it and feel sort of meh, and then everyone pulls out these great meaningful quotes and points out these beautiful things, and I saw them all, but they don't string together for me into a powerful whole. Powerful parts? yes, absolutely. That final paragraph is one of the most moving I have read, perhaps second only to the resolution of The Dead by Joyce. But the novel as a whole underwhelms me.

 

So, I guess I am a chowderhead, but you can't say I didn't earn it, lol.  I feel like I have done my due diligence.

[Jane in NC]

A good dusting always reveals forgotten titles among the old friends.  And that includes a rather odd translation/illustrated version of Inferno by the artist Tom Phillips.  You can check out some of the illustrations here.  The LA Times wrote about this book in 1985.

 

Hmmm...I may be tempted to join the Dante readalong using this volume.

[Rosie_0801]

On another note...

 

I decided to do a thorough dusting (i.e. remove books from shelves, reconfigure if need be, toss a few items to giveaway pile) of a rather large bookcase in our home, the one containing several linear feet of Fitzgerald and Hemingway novels, biographies, collected letters and notebooks--not that I am a fanatic or anything.  It seemed appropriate to pull up BBC Radio 4's dramatization of The Great Gatsby while doing this.  And let me just say that I continue to believe this is one of the finest novels ever written.  Anyone who says otherwise is a chowderhead--AND DON'T MESS WITH ME.

 

Whew. Got that off my chest.

 

The BBC link is here.

 

I will not be intimidated. The Great Gatsby is a rubbish book with characters not even worth hating.

 

  :001_tt2:  <-- adding insult to injury by blowing raspberries.

[Angel]

 

Ah doll, I'm sorry.  Kind of a different dynamic this year.  It seems Lewis is either a love him or hate him guy.  We may have to plan on holding thoughts and conversations til the last week in the month with group reads. 

 

Yes, the bolded is true.  Usually everyone is really good about  waiting till all have finished the book.  I guess this just wasn't a good time to be behind on the group read.   ;)  Oh, well!

 

I think I need more romance novels in my life. I'm about to run a bath. Do I want to luxuriate in there with SWB's history book? Or a volume on Jewish food laws?

 

:mellow:

Rosie, if that is what you are reading in the tub then YES you do need more romance novels in your life  :001_tt2:  Pick up a Georgette Heyer or a Sarah Addison Allen!

 

Angel, just wanted to say that I am sorry. I still love Narnia (all of them) and I really really prefer the LotR books to movies. I read and watched close together way back when, my frustration with the good bits almost all missing when the cinema version was huge. Overall I liked OoaSP, just not nearly as much as Narnia which is what I wanted it to be. I have started Perelandra and so far am enjoying it. Not sure if I will continue or wait for you, at this point it can stay beside my bed.

No need to be sorry!  I admit that I am skeptical that the Space Trilogy can come close to Narnia.  In fact, I doubt it will.  Narnia is just special  ;)  That said, I do want to come to the trilogy without all the extra comments that have been going on  :D   I think I will come back to it around the end of May after our vacation.  If you want to wait for me, great!  If not, that is totally fine.  I appreciate the offer  ;)

[Stacia]

I will not be intimidated. The Great Gatsby is a rubbish book with characters not even worth hating.

 

  :001_tt2:  <-- adding insult to injury by blowing raspberries.

 

Jane, I was just waiting for Rosie to weigh in!  :hurray:  I think I remember her even threatening to use the pages as toilet paper (or was that for Truman Capote's work?)...

 

(Waiting for the fireworks & debate now....!  Ready. Set. Go! :lurk5: )

[Jane in NC]

:smilielol5:

 

 

 

It was the chowderhead threat that drew me in... Ah! To post on threads where such danger lurks!

 

 

You are welcome and welcomed back, brave soul.

 

So, I guess I am a chowderhead, but you can't say I didn't earn it, lol.  I feel like I have done my due diligence.

 

Nah...You are far from chowderhead status. 

 

Some of our fellow posters may call me a chowderhead either for my love of Gatsby or because I despise A Pilgrim's Progress.  Gatsby touches something in me as do many of Fitzgerald's and Hemingsway's books. 

 

I will not be intimidated. The Great Gatsby is a rubbish book with characters not even worth hating.

 

  :001_tt2:  <-- adding insult to injury by blowing raspberries.

 

I love you too Rosie and am wondering if those blown raspberries have an Aussie dialect.

 

No need to be sorry!  I admit that I am skeptical that the Space Trilogy can come close to Narnia.  In fact, I doubt it will.  Narnia is just special  ;)  That said, I do want to come to the trilogy without all the extra comments that have been going on  :D   I think I will come back to it around the end of May after our vacation.  If you want to wait for me, great!  If not, that is totally fine.  I appreciate the offer  ;)

 

Angel, next time just call everyone a chowderhead and carry on.  Quite liberating really.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Yes, the bolded is true.  Usually everyone is really good about  waiting till all have finished the book.  I guess this just wasn't a good time to be behind on the group read.   ;)  Oh, well!

 

Rosie, if that is what you are reading in the tub then YES you do need more romance novels in your life  :001_tt2:  Pick up a Georgette Heyer or a Sarah Addison Allen!

 

No need to be sorry!  I admit that I am skeptical that the Space Trilogy can come close to Narnia.  In fact, I doubt it will.  Narnia is just special  ;)  That said, I do want to come to the trilogy without all the extra comments that have been going on  :D   I think I will come back to it around the end of May after our vacation.  If you want to wait for me, great!  If not, that is totally fine.  I appreciate the offer  ;)

 

Re: the first bolded - if I violated some unwritten rule about this, I do regret it.  I'm a relative newbie here, and it can be hard to pick up on long-standing, but unspoken traditions. It can be hard to know when to start talking about a book, given that different people read different books by the same author during a month, and some people don't participate in the author flavors at all.  Is there some magical pheromone that y'all send out to let people know it's ok to talk about a book?  I know that if I'm in the middle of reading a book and I see it being discussed, I just scroll past those posts to avoid spoilers. I also know that if I don't post about books soon after reading them, I probably won't get around to doing so at all - the moving finger writes, and having writ, moves on, and all. But if there is a rule, I'll certainly make an effort not to break it in future.

 

Re: the second bolded - Angel, I can't tell if you object to the fact that people commented on the books before you were done reading them, or if you object to the content of the comments that have been made.  Because calling discussions about a book, on a book discussion thread, "extra comments that have been going on" just leaves me totally mystified and confused about the purpose of this thread.  I thought the whole point was to share comments about books and authors and our experience with reading?  :confused1:

[Stacia]

As for C.S. Lewis, I began Out of the Silent Planet, but I found it way too distracting to try and read it with so many people chatting about it (especially with all the negative energy) and giving away little bits and pieces.  So I think I will wait a bit and restart it with a fresh frame of mind.  I enjoy Lewis and his moralizing, so I want to form my own opinion of the trilogy.  I've read along with the group before, I don't know why this time has been so difficult, well, maybe I do know, but so it goes. :rolleyes:  I'm disappointed as I was really looking forward to reading this but I'll catch it later at a better time.

Yes, the bolded is true.  Usually everyone is really good about  waiting till all have finished the book.  I guess this just wasn't a good time to be behind on the group read.   ;)  Oh, well!

 

<clears throat & puts on best Miss Piggy voice...>

 

Angel, my friend, surely you do not mean moi when you are making these statements??!!  :toetap05:  Because, as everyone knows, and you most of all, the two of us agree always on books & authors! ;)

 

:laugh:

 

Seriously, though, my dislike of it may actually be in inverse proportion to your like of it. Plus, I'm counting on you TO like it & try to convince me that I should too. :bigear: (Even if I am an ornery old donkey.) Remember the quote I always used to post (back when we could post pics more easily): I can be ornery and opinionated but agreeing with me has never been a prerequisite to my love and friendship!

 

Angel, next time just call everyone a chowderhead and carry on.  Quite liberating really.

 

Call me a chowderhead if you must, Angel. We are still friends regardless. :grouphug:

 

And I have to make a plea not to restrict the posting/opinions about books for weeks. I am old(ish) ;) , so if I don't post as I am reading & immediately after finishing, I may forget things (many of them) & lose some of my passion for or against the work. I will try to put 'spoiler' at the top of my post (or section of post) if there's something revealing if I know others are reading it. And, if not, please forgive me & just skim quickly to see if you need to skip something I've posted. (I often skim posts if it is about something I'm reading & then go back & read in depth once I've finished the book myself.)

 

Signed sincerely,

Your chowderhead BaW friend,

Stacia

[Violet Crown]

A good dusting always reveals forgotten titles among the old friends. And that includes a rather odd translation/illustrated version of Inferno by the artist Tom Phillips. You can check out some of the illustrations here. The LA Times wrote about this book in 1985.

 

Hmmm...I may be tempted to join the Dante readalong using this volume.

Tom Phillips! I got his Inferno back in college, when it was something of an investment. The artwork was much more interesting than the translation if I recall. It's floating around here somewhere....

 

However I think I'll try Dorothy Sayers for the challenge. There was a charming little Penguin paperback on the Next-Stop-the-Dumpster shelf for $.50, original price 2/6. It was saying, "I'm sixty-five years old! Don't let me be shredded!" Listening to importunate books is what makes things so cluttered around here.

[Jane in NC]

Tom Phillips! I got his Inferno back in college, when it was something of an investment. The artwork was much more interesting than the translation if I recall. It's floating around here somewhere....

 

However I think I'll try Dorothy Sayers for the challenge. There was a charming little Penguin paperback on the Next-Step-the-Dumpster shelf for $.50, original price 2/6. It was saying, "I'm sixty-five years old! Don't let me be shredded!" Listening to importunate books is what makes things so cluttered around here.

 

We bought the book after seeing a Phillips exhibit that had a number of his Humument pieces at the NC Museum of Art in 1990.  His Inferno book shows a copyright of 1985 and was $39.95 which is what we paid back then.

 

I am delighted that you are aware of the artist!

 

[Violet Crown]

We bought the book after seeing a Phillips exhibit that had a number of his Humument pieces at the NC Museum of Art in 1990. His Inferno book shows a copyright of 1985 and was $39.95 which is what we paid back then.

 

I am delighted that you are aware of the artist!

 

That's what I recall the cost being. That was about a sixth of a semester's tuition.

 

You know, for all that I love this city and am happy to have grown up here, the lack of museums is a flaw I've always felt. It's a long, long drive to Houston or Dallas. Anytime I travel anywhere, the main thing I want to do is visit the museums.

[Robin M]

Robin, Since you asked.....

 

John Verdon's Peter Pan Must Die is the one I am reading first. He is the author of one of my all time favourite thrillers. Think of a Number is a book I found to be really clever. I absolutely loved the concept behind the title and it was action packed. I will be honest and say the other person I convinced to read it did not love it, though it was a bit like an episode of Castle. :lol: I have gone on to read his other books, and enjoyed them, so finding a new one was a bit of a thrill!http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/25/AR2010072502460.html

 

Meg Gardiner's Phantom Instinct, a stand alone apparently. She is the author of a series of books that I call China Lake, really has another name which I will link after I post the bulk of this. I was downright obsessive about the China Lake https://www.goodreads.com/series/41155-evan-delaney several years ago so a new to me one by that author is a good thing.

 

Erica Spindler's Bone Cold. Simply a doesn't sound like I have read it and normally like her books.

 

Val McDermid's Report for Murder. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/634419.Report_For_Murder She is an author that I have recently found and like. What I have read so far have been superior. This is simply the first in an older series by her that is completely available at my overdrive library. I started my book search hunting for another of hers that I picked up in hardcover yesterday. I will edit that one in. It is called Vanishing Point https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13590744-the-vanishing-point

 

Angel, just wanted to say that I am sorry. I still love Narnia (all of them) and I really really prefer the LotR books to movies. I read and watched close together way back when, my frustration with the good bits almost all missing when the cinema version was huge. Overall I liked OoaSP, just not nearly as much as Narnia which is what I wanted it to be. I have started Perelandra and so far am enjoying it. Not sure if I will continue or wait for you, at this point it can stay beside my bed.

Cool Beans -I have Think of a Number but its deep in the stacks. I'll have to dig it out. 

 

On another note...

 

I decided to do a thorough dusting (i.e. remove books from shelves, reconfigure if need be, toss a few items to giveaway pile) of a rather large bookcase in our home, the one containing several linear feet of Fitzgerald and Hemingway novels, biographies, collected letters and notebooks--not that I am a fanatic or anything.  It seemed appropriate to pull up BBC Radio 4's dramatization of The Great Gatsby while doing this.  And let me just say that I continue to believe this is one of the finest novels ever written.  Anyone who says otherwise is a chowderhead--AND DON'T MESS WITH ME.

 

Whew. Got that off my chest.

 

The BBC link is here.

:seeya: Waving from the abnormal chowderheads corner!  :lol:

 

Usually everyone is really good about  waiting till all have finished the book.  I guess this just wasn't a good time to be behind on the group read.   ;)  Oh, well!

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  We'll all become a bit more verbose in our likes and dislikes. 

 

Re: the first bolded - if I violated some unwritten rule about this, I do regret it.  I'm a relative newbie here, and it can be hard to pick up on long-standing, but unspoken traditions. It can be hard to know when to start talking about a book, given that different people read different books by the same author during a month, and some people don't participate in the author flavors at all.  Is there some magical pheromone that y'all send out to let people know it's ok to talk about a book?  I know that if I'm in the middle of reading a book and I see it being discussed, I just scroll past those posts to avoid spoilers. I also know that if I don't post about books soon after reading them, I probably won't get around to doing so at all - the moving finger writes, and having writ, moves on, and all. But if there is a rule, I'll certainly make an effort not to break it in future.

 

Re: the second bolded - Angel, I can't tell if you object to the fact that people commented on the books before you were done reading them, or if you object to the content of the comments that have been made.  Because calling discussions about a book, on a book discussion thread, "extra comments that have been going on" just leaves me totally mystified and confused about the purpose of this thread.  I thought the whole point was to share comments about books and authors and our experience with reading?  :confused1:

No you haven't broken any rules.  Keep doing what your doing and don't worry about it.  We like to complain sometimes.

 

I'm pretty sure Angel is like me in that when I start hearing a bunch of negative stuff about a book that I want to read, it hard not to be persuaded by it and give up on reading it.  My hubby does that to me. Expresses a negative opinion of a food or book or something and I have to look past it to decide for myself.  Hard to do sometimes and other you just have to stick your fingers in your ears and say la la la.  

 

<clears throat & puts on best Miss Piggy voice...>

 

Angel, my friend, surely you do not mean moi when you are making these statements??!!   Because, as everyone knows, and you most of all, the two of us agree always on books & authors!

 

 

Seriously, though, my dislike of it may actually be in inverse proportion to your like of it. Plus, I'm counting on you TO like it & try to convince me that I should too. (Even if I am an ornery old donkey.) Remember the quote I always used to post (back when we could post pics more easily): I can be ornery and opinionated but agreeing with me has never been a prerequisite to my love and friendship!

 

 

Call me a chowderhead if you must, Angel. We are still friends regardless.

 

And I have to make a plea not to restrict the posting/opinions about books for weeks. I am old(ish) ;) , so if I don't post as I am reading & immediately after finishing, I may forget things (many of them) & lose some of my passion for or against the work. I will try to put 'spoiler' at the top of my post (or section of post) if there's something revealing if I know others are reading it. And, if not, please forgive me & just skim quickly to see if you need to skip something I've posted. (I often skim posts if it is about something I'm reading & then go back & read in depth once I've finished the book myself.)

 

Signed sincerely,

Your chowderhead BaW friend,

Stacia

 

Nope, no restricting. Just asking that if providing critical content to the story in the midst of several folks reading it,  label it spoiler and white it out and those who want to know can highlight to read.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Nice, Robin, thanks for clarifying! And I get being easily influenced - you guys talk me into and out of reading stuff all the time!  Mostly into . . .  :toetap05:  ;)  :lol:

[Angel]

 

Angel, next time just call everyone a chowderhead and carry on.  Quite liberating really.

 

 I just love how this thread enlarges my vocabulary!!!  I will certainly try and make good use of the word of the week  :laugh:

 

Re: the first bolded - if I violated some unwritten rule about this, I do regret it.  I'm a relative newbie here, and it can be hard to pick up on long-standing, but unspoken traditions. It can be hard to know when to start talking about a book, given that different people read different books by the same author during a month, and some people don't participate in the author flavors at all.  Is there some magical pheromone that y'all send out to let people know it's ok to talk about a book?  I know that if I'm in the middle of reading a book and I see it being discussed, I just scroll past those posts to avoid spoilers. I also know that if I don't post about books soon after reading them, I probably won't get around to doing so at all - the moving finger writes, and having writ, moves on, and all. But if there is a rule, I'll certainly make an effort not to break it in future.

 

Re: the second bolded - Angel, I can't tell if you object to the fact that people commented on the books before you were done reading them, or if you object to the content of the comments that have been made.  Because calling discussions about a book, on a book discussion thread, "extra comments that have been going on" just leaves me totally mystified and confused about the purpose of this thread.  I thought the whole point was to share comments about books and authors and our experience with reading?  

 Of course that's the point!   ;) My comment about "extra comments" referred to the fact that this was a series I wanted to begin  without any presuppositions.  It was my original plan to begin it right away in April, but it has been a bad reading month for me.  The comments were just distracting and, for me, gave a little too much away.  And yes, I did start skimming past posts.  It's my fault for not starting to skim sooner.

 

As far as content of the posts, Robin is great about keeping if safe for everyone around here!  We love her for that  :wub:

 

 

<clears throat & puts on best Miss Piggy voice...>

 

Angel, my friend, surely you do not mean moi when you are making these statements??!!    Because, as everyone knows, and you most of all, the two of us agree always on books & authors!

 

 

Seriously, though, my dislike of it may actually be in inverse proportion to your like of it. Plus, I'm counting on you TO like it & try to convince me that I should too. (Even if I am an ornery old donkey.) Remember the quote I always used to post (back when we could post pics more easily): I can be ornery and opinionated but agreeing with me has never been a prerequisite to my love and friendship!

 

 

Call me a chowderhead if you must, Angel. We are still friends regardless. :grouphug:

 

And I have to make a plea not to restrict the posting/opinions about books for weeks. I am old(ish) , so if I don't post as I am reading & immediately after finishing, I may forget things (many of them) & lose some of my passion for or against the work. I will try to put 'spoiler' at the top of my post (or section of post) if there's something revealing if I know others are reading it. And, if not, please forgive me & just skim quickly to see if you need to skip something I've posted. (I often skim posts if it is about something I'm reading & then go back & read in depth once I've finished the book myself.)

 

Signed sincerely,

Your chowderhead BaW friend,

Stacia

 Of course we always agree  Because you love to agree with me, right  :001_tt2:  And I certainly wasn't talking about you!  

 

And I don't even know if I WILL like it!  It may be way too different from Narnia for me to like it.  Or it may be way too much Sci-fi.  I like Sci-Fi in movies and adore fantasy, but I'm unsure of my like of Sci-fi in books.  I just want my head clear to make my own opinion.  I don't know if you remember, but I was planning to read this trilogy whether we made it an author of the month or not.  I'm guessing that has had something do to with my strong reaction to not wanting all the little tidbits.  Add that to so many giving negative feed-back, and well  :blush:

 

As I said to Rose, it's my fault for not skimming sooner.  I'm thinking this may be the first book I've read with the group that I cared that I didn't know what was happening  

 

I can be ornery and opinionated but agreeing with me has never been a prerequisite to my love and friendship!

Were you talking about me  ;)   I could have written this about myself.  

 

From one chowderheaded friend to another Stacia  :grouphug:  I love you too!

 

Everyone is a chowderhead :lol: (Jane said I could say that!).  That is all.  Carry on! 

 

PS:  I had to edit this post 4 times because between us all there were WAY too many emoticons LOL!

[Jane in NC]

That's what I recall the cost being. That was about a sixth of a semester's tuition.

 

You know, for all that I love this city and am happy to have grown up here, the lack of museums is a flaw I've always felt. It's a long, long drive to Houston or Dallas. Anytime I travel anywhere, the main thing I want to do is visit the museums.

 

Well we acquired the book back in the days of double income, no child, when our hobbies included hanging out in bookstores (new and used). So there was no question when we saw this amazing book in the museum gift shop.

 

Another museum gal here.

 

In 2007, I traveled to Milwaukee to meet up with two girlfriends.  One of the highlights of our weekend was seeing the Martin Ramirez exhibit at the art museum there.  Recently the US Post produced Ramirez stamps.  Every time I place one on an envelope, I grin.

 

 

 

 

 

[Angel]

 

 

 I'm pretty sure Angel is like me in that when I start hearing a bunch of negative stuff about a book that I want to read, it hard not to be persuaded by it and give up on reading it.  My hubby does that to me. Expresses a negative opinion of a food or book or something and I have to look past it to decide for myself.  Hard to do sometimes and other you just have to stick your fingers in your ears and say la la la.  

 

YES!  Especially because I really want to read it!  And because I'm so affected by what others think (whether I agree or disagree), it makes it so very hard for me to ignore.  My fingers are now in my ears and I'm singing la, la, la   ;)   

[Junie]

I'm back.

I've enjoyed reading the posts.  I feel like I'm being pushed a bit out of my comfort zone, but that's not a bad thing.

 

So -- here's my haiku.

 

Pollen in the air

Makes me sneeze

I hate allergies :)

 

Actually it's my ds who has the really bad allergies and my mom was going on and on and on about the beautiful flowers and trees.  I felt sorry for him.

 

 

 I finished Christie's And Then There Were None.  I didn't figure out  "whodunnit," but I wasn't really trying.  With six dc I have enough mysteries to solve. :)  I liked the book, but I decided it's not appropriate for any of my kiddos. :(   

 

I'm going to try to finish Part 1 of The Once and Future King by the end of next week.  I made up my own rule that if I'm reading two books at the same time I get two weeks. :)

 

I've been reading through the posts and I've figured out that we're supposed to be reading C.S. Lewis this month and Dante next month.  Is this correct?  Could someone share details of the specifics for a newbie?  Thanks.  Oh, and I also found out that I'm a chowderhead. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stacia]

I finished Christie's And Then There Were None.  I didn't figure out  "whodunnit," but I wasn't really trying.  With six dc I have enough mysteries to solve. :) 

 

:lol:

 

I'm one of those who never really tries to figure it out. I just go along for the ride. Of course, there was one time when I figured out things -- when I read John Dies at the End. I felt pretty adept at figuring out that one early! ;) :tongue_smilie:

 

(Actually, not really.)

 

[Stacia]

 Of course we always agree  Because you love to agree with me, right  :001_tt2:

 

<coughing behind my hand...>  You betcha!

 

 

;)

 

 

 

Actually, I'm waiting for you to get back at me during Banned Books Week later this year when you get to choose our book...

 

:eek:

 

 

 

:001_tt2:   (Right back atcha, girl. It's on like Donkey Kong!)

 

 

 

:laugh:  and :grouphug:

[Lady Florida.]

Popping in before the new thread Sunday, to say 

 

 

I finally finished Don Quixote!!!! 

 

According to Goodreads I started reading it in June 2012. Of course I haven't actually been reading it for nearly 3 years. I put it down for long stretches at a time, several times. 

 

While I did understand the themes and I generally see why it's a classic, I have to say I mostly found it tedious and repetitive. 

 

I gave it 4 stars at first because I didn't want to seem like a cretin for not really liking it. Then I went back and lowered it to 3 (which is still decent in my personal rating system), because I wanted to be honest no matter how it makes me look.

 

That's the third book I've finished this year that the best I can say about them is that I finished them. The other two were The Phantom of the Opera and For Whom the Bell Tolls. I think I'm done with that for the year. The next classic I pick up is one I'll put down if I'm not loving it. Next on my list of possibilities are Wives and Daughters, a reread of Middlemarch, or Native Son.

 

I'm currently reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close for book club and having a hard time with it. I'm not a fan of books written in the first person POV of a child. 

[Kareni]

I haven't read this urban fantasy novel, but it sounds intriguing and it's free to Kindle readers ~ Lost Library: An Urban Fantasy Romance by Kate Baray

 

Here's a science fiction romance that's also currently free ~  Mercenary Instinct (The Mandrake Company series) by Ruby Lionsdrake

 

And a contemporary romance ~  Neanderthal Seeks Human (Knitting in the City Book 1) by Penny Reid

 

And a work of historical fiction ~  Olivia, Mourning (The Olivia Series B... by Yael Politis

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

I'm back.

I've enjoyed reading the posts.  I feel like I'm being pushed a bit out of my comfort zone, but that's not a bad thing.

 

So -- here's my haiku.

 

Pollen in the air

Makes me sneeze

I hate allergies :)

 

Actually it's my ds who has the really bad allergies and my mom was going on and on and on about the beautiful flowers and trees.  I felt sorry for him.

 

 

 I finished Christie's And Then There Were None.  I didn't figure out  "whodunnit," but I wasn't really trying.  With six dc I have enough mysteries to solve. :)  I liked the book, but I decided it's not appropriate for any of my kiddos. :(   

 

I'm going to try to finish Part 1 of The Once and Future King by the end of next week.  I made up my own rule that if I'm reading two books at the same time I get two weeks. :)

 

I've been reading through the posts and I've figured out that we're supposed to be reading C.S. Lewis this month and Dante next month.  Is this correct?  Could someone share details of the specifics for a newbie?  Thanks.  Oh, and I also found out that I'm a chowderhead. ;)

 

I feel like I am going to be sent to the principal's office for being an instigator!

 

Junie, all challenges are optional.  Robin gives some nudges for those who are interested in group reads/discussions.  Sometimes a reader will mention a volume in the dusty stacks and someone else will jump on board to read it as well.

 

No pressure though.  Remember that people here come in all stripes and have varying levels of homeschool/work/life commitments as well. Ultimately the point is to read and to encourage others to read.  And to entertain Stacia.

 

Best,

Chowder Queen Jane

 

 

[Nan in Mass]

I am like Angel in that I have to be careful what I put in my head. For that very reason, I have appreciated the chitchat about books. It is part of what I like about this group. So far it has kept me from reading a number of bound-to-be-yucky-to-me books, like Wuthering Heights and Murikami, both of which I would have tried. The Lewis scifi I,ve avoided for years because I was afraid it would somehow contaminate my beloved Narnia books. I don,t know how it could, since I approach books as discrete entities, but I didn,t want to risk it. I tend to read scifi as anthropology or for new ideas, and the Lewis books didn,t really seem like either, anyway. I, for one, am happy to have been warned off them. Not that I don,t sympathize with your problem, Angel...

 

Nan

[Nan in Mass]

Jane, a really important question - are you queen of CHOWDER or the nasty-shock-when-you-order-it-in-restaurant-elsewhere stuff?

 

And be entertained by Stacia.

 

: )

Nan

[Chrysalis Academy]

Jane, a really important question - are you queen of CHOWDER or the nasty-shock-when-you-order-it-in-restaurant-elsewhere stuff?

 

And be entertained by Stacia.

 

: )

Nan

 

 

Nan, even though I'm a west coast girl, I know exactly what you mean! I always thought chowder was this gross pseudo-gluey material that people ate in search of constipation or something.  Then I went to Boston for school.  Actually, I think my first chowder and my first lobster were both eaten on a weekend trip to Maine, but I ate good chowdah in Boston many times.  Once I returned to CA, I gave it another try, and yep, it's still flavored paste here.

[Chrysalis Academy]

My last Lewis-related post, though it's not about the Space Trilogy - but you been warned!  ;)  :D

 

I finished The Magician's Book: a Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia.  I don't remember if I saw mention of this book here, or on goodreads, but I'm grateful to whoever made me aware of it. It was a fascinating read, and I read it in an unusual way - straight through in two evenings, which I almost never do with nonfiction, I usually read nf as a part of a rotating stack. But this was very well-written, interesting, and I was motivated to delve into it to try and explore some of my own opinions about Lewis.

 

Now, if you are primarily a fan of Lewis for his Christian apologetics, this probably isn't the book for you. However, if (like me) you loved Narnia as a child but found yourself looking kind of askance at some aspects of it when you read it with your kids - this is a must-read!

 

The author is not a Christian, and so she isn't primarily exploring the Christian themes in Narnia or Lewis's other work.  What she does do is examine her childhood love for Narnia, and the sense of betrayal she felt when as a teenager she realized it had all the Christian symbolism that it does, and her coming back to terms and ultimately embracing her love for the series and its world. In so doing she explores how children read books vs. how adults read books (and how we get from there to here), how world-creation happens, Lewis's bio and friendships with other writers, including Tolkien, the Medieval world view, and Romance, Fairy-tale and Allegory. It was a bit of a literary education all by itself. She had some great interviews with writers who both loved and hated Lewis - Pullman, Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Franzen, and others. It was a fascinating book.  I'm glad I read it.

 

Ok, I've got some more reading to wrap up this month to be ready for Gaiman and Dante in May! Onward! (and upward?)  ;)  :D

[TeacherZee]

My last Lewis-related post, though it's not about the Space Trilogy - but you been warned!  ;)  :D

 

I finished The Magician's Book: a Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia.  I don't remember if I saw mention of this book here, or on goodreads, but I'm grateful to whoever made me aware of it. It was a fascinating read, and I read it in an unusual way - straight through in two evenings, which I almost never do with nonfiction, I usually read nf as a part of a rotating stack. But this was very well-written, interesting, and I was motivated to delve into it to try and explore some of my own opinions about Lewis.

 

Now, if you are primarily a fan of Lewis for his Christian apologetics, this probably isn't the book for you. However, if (like me) you loved Narnia as a child but found yourself looking kind of askance at some aspects of it when you read it with your kids - this is a must-read!

 

The author is not a Christian, and so she isn't primarily exploring the Christian themes in Narnia or Lewis's other work.  What she does do is examine her childhood love for Narnia, and the sense of betrayal she felt when as a teenager she realized it had all the Christian symbolism that it does, and her coming back to terms and ultimately embracing her love for the series and its world. In so doing she explores how children read books vs. how adults read books (and how we get from there to here), how world-creation happens, Lewis's bio and friendships with other writers, including Tolkien, the Medieval world view, and Romance, Fairy-tale and Allegory. It was a bit of a literary education all by itself. She had some great interviews with writers who both loved and hated Lewis - Pullman, Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Franzen, and others. It was a fascinating book.  I'm glad I read it.

 

Ok, I've got some more reading to wrap up this month to be ready for Gaiman and Dante in May! Onward! (and upward?)  ;)  :D

 

I found the discussion of the differences between how children read and how adults read very interesting as well. That book made me more willing to read Lewis because like you I wanted to examine my own opinions on Lewis and his works.

[Stacia]

I feel like I am going to be sent to the principal's office for being an instigator!

 

Well, I'll probably be keeping you company while there!

 

Ultimately the point is to read and to encourage others to read.  And to entertain Stacia.

 

:laugh:

 

And be entertained by Stacia.

 

:biggrinjester:

 

I found the discussion of the differences between how children read and how adults read very interesting as well.

 

(Re: The Magician's Book) --

 

Can either or both of you elaborate on that part a little bit? I'm curious because I've always been loath to read The Outsiders as an adult because I loved that book so much when I was a middle-schooler. It holds a really special place in my mind & heart, but I'm slightly afraid if I read it as an adult, the spell will go away. Kwim? Has anyone else here done that?

 

 

Another museum gal here.

 

In 2007, I traveled to Milwaukee to meet up with two girlfriends.  One of the highlights of our weekend was seeing the Martin Ramirez exhibit at the art museum there.  Recently the US Post produced Ramirez stamps.  Every time I place one on an envelope, I grin.

 

 

Gorgeous. I may have to make a trip to the post office for these! And, I'm a museum gal too. (I promise I behave in museums & only run around & play if I'm in a children's museum or in a hands-on section. :lol: )

[Nan in Mass]

...In so doing she explores how children read books vs. how adults read books (and how we get from there to here), how world-creation happens, Lewis's bio and friendships with other writers, including Tolkien, the Medieval world view, and Romance, Fairy-tale ...

:D

This is my problem with literary analysis. Or for that matter, my problem with all literature classes. I LIKE reading like a child. I don,t see why anyone would want to interfere with that. My goal since stopping homeschooling is to recapture this ability, which I lost somewhat in all the hustle and bustle and fear associated with homeschooling high school. Rose, your book sounds interesting. I, too, didn,t tumble to the Christian basis of Narnia and was less than pleased when I did. I,ve been ignoring it ever since. Or not really ignoring it, but adding Aslan to the other selfless leaders of the world. How did the medieval world view fit into all that? (Not sure the book is one for me so attempting to cheat grin.)

 

Nan

[mumto2]

I haven't read this urban fantasy novel, but it sounds intriguing and it's free to Kindle readers ~ Lost Library: An Urban Fantasy Romance by Kate Baray

 

Here's a science fiction romance that's also currently free ~ Mercenary Instinct (The Mandrake Company series) by Ruby Lionsdrake

 

And a contemporary romance ~ Neanderthal Seeks Human (Knitting in the City Book 1) by Penny Reid

 

And a work of historical fiction ~ Olivia, Mourning (The Olivia Series B... by Yael Politis

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

Thanks Kareni, The first linked freebie, Lost Library series, also has a free short story.

 

I am still working on getting through Prudence by Gail Carriger. I have decided that I like it but we are busy and exhausted. I found it hard to get used to the babies from the Soulless series all grown up.

 

Now to entertain Stacia.....My kids taking the ACT exam this morning. First I have spent a lot of time accumulating books and waiting for Amazon since returning home so they would have some idea what they were going to do. I literally walked into the ACT with my pencil and read the prep book while waiting for the exam to start and wanted them to be familiar.

 

Our whole family has adjusted our sleep patterns nine hours in the past week in order to be on the road to the testing location early this morning. Thursday night we discover the motorway will be closed all weekend requiring an extra hour travel time.....gave up and booked a room. Hadn't wanted to because my really tall Ds doesn't sleep well on short beds.

 

When I dropped them this morning the councillor was waiting for everyone at the door to let the parents know about the power outage....did we want them to go ahead and take the exam? Others who lived closer (everyone else!) Stood there trying to decide. My kids were busy grabbing window seats....wanted desperately to be done! :lol:

[Stacia]

 I finally finished Don Quixote!!!! 

 

You have been awarded two bananas for your accomplishment! Way to go!!!

 

[Stacia]

mumto2, hope all goes well for your dc at the ACT!  :huh:  about all the time adjustment, travel time, & power outages! At least they will know how to test well in adverse situations!

 

(I think you should award them some bananas when they get out of the test!)

 

           

 

(Speaking of that, I need to take a new photo of dd to upload for her upcoming SAT. Her last photo for entrance had her with her braces, but those are off now, so it's time for a different photo. Love that the ACT has an app for uploading your photo from your phone. Wonder if the SAT has that?)

[Nan in Mass]

Stacia, I know what you mean about not wanting to read childhood favourites. If it was a children's book in the first place, I haven,t had a problem rereading it as an adult. If it was an adult book, I try to figure out if I missed an aspect as a child or if my viewpoint has changed. If so, I can,t retread. (It goes the other way, too with things I disliked as a child. Books with mothers and daughters in them I read from the mother,s point of view now and am more likely to like.) I,m pretty stable (or I guess you could say I haven,t grown up much) so most things are fine. I discovered that the things that aren,t are books that my mother was surprised I liked at the time, so I use that as my key to whether I can retread something without breaking its world. Writing this, I realize that it is amazing that she never spoiled anything. She is passive parenting at its absolute best. And a lifelong reader.

 

Nan (not nab grrr)

[Nan in Mass]

And Stacia, for your further entertainment, I offer you the picture of my grownup son leaning out the window hissing, trapped in his big pickup truck, scared to get out because a giant tom turkey, looking just like Thanksgiving, was pecking at his truck tires.

 

This mornings excitement.

 

Nan

[redsquirrel]

I am enough of a New England girl that I don't order chowder in restaurants unless I am in New England, and even then  I prefer to keep my chowder to Boston and Maine. You are generally safe there. Although the worst chowder I ever had was in Connecticut!

 

And technically, I didn't spend the majority of my youth in New England, although I thought I did, lol. I grew up in upstate NY..way, way, way upstate. Our "big city' was Burlington and that is where we went to for things like prom dresses or a decent haircut, lol. All my TV and radio was Vermont and Quebec. Plus, like many people (I want to say most but?) of Irish heritage, I have had close family in Boston and summer vacations meant The Cape. I have a friend whose husband grew up in Connecticut and is a born and bred yankee. She often asks me to explain her in-laws to her, lol. He and I, we understand each other.

 

But, I do really like Cioppino! San Fransisco rocks with that one!

 

Hmmm.... now I want soup, lol!

[idnib]

I finally finished Don Quixote!!!! 

 

:hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:

 

Ok, I've got some more reading to wrap up this month to be ready for Gaiman and Dante in May! Onward! (and upward?)  ;)  :D

 

I'm pretty sure with Dante we're going downward....

[Robin M]

I'm back.

I've enjoyed reading the posts. I feel like I'm being pushed a bit out of my comfort zone, but that's not a bad thing.

 

So -- here's my haiku.

 

Pollen in the air

Makes me sneeze

I hate allergies :)

 

Actually it's my ds who has the really bad allergies and my mom was going on and on and on about the beautiful flowers and trees. I felt sorry for him.

 

 

I finished Christie's And Then There Were None. I didn't figure out "whodunnit," but I wasn't really trying. With six dc I have enough mysteries to solve. :) I liked the book, but I decided it's not appropriate for any of my kiddos. :(

 

I'm going to try to finish Part 1 of The Once and Future King by the end of next week. I made up my own rule that if I'm reading two books at the same time I get two weeks. :)

 

I've been reading through the posts and I've figured out that we're supposed to be reading C.S. Lewis this month and Dante next month. Is this correct? Could someone share details of the specifics for a newbie? Thanks. Oh, and I also found out that I'm a chowderhead. ;)

Hi Junie, love your Haiku. Sneezing here as well.

 

 

May's Theme is Machiavellian May and the author flavors are Dante and optional is Proust. I'm reading Purgatoria since already read Inferno, but some missed it first time round last year so will be reading it. I'm also reading the first novel of In Search Of Lost Time - Swann's Way with writing group and pulling you all along for the ride. All the monthly themes and author flavors are optional.

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

 

(Re: The Magician's Book) --

 

Can either or both of you elaborate on that part a little bit? I'm curious because I've always been loath to read The Outsiders as an adult because I loved that book so much when I was a middle-schooler. It holds a really special place in my mind & heart, but I'm slightly afraid if I read it as an adult, the spell will go away. Kwim? Has anyone else here done that?

 

 

 

This is my problem with literary analysis. Or for that matter, my problem with all literature classes. I LIKE reading like a child. I don,t see why anyone would want to interfere with that. My goal since stopping homeschooling is to recapture this ability, which I lost somewhat in all the hustle and bustle and fear associated with homeschooling high school. Rose, your book sounds interesting. I, too, didn,t tumble to the Christian basis of Narnia and was less than pleased when I did. I,ve been ignoring it ever since. Or not really ignoring it, but adding Aslan to the other selfless leaders of the world. How did the medieval world view fit into all that? (Not sure the book is one for me so attempting to cheat grin.)

 

Nan

 

I'll take a stab, but it will be a pitiful summary of a really well elaborated and beautifully argued thing.  Basically, she talks about how reality itself is different to children.  Children don't have the same conceptual categories that adults do, and they don't tend to see things as members of a larger conceptual category - the accept them at face value, as real.  They don't tend to read in a meta-analytic way - they get engrossed into the story without having an analyst sitting on their shoulder.  We have to train kids to see things symbolically or allegorically.  She talks about the stages of reading in a fully engrossed way, as children read fantasy, and then the phase of reading very simple allegory/symbolic works and learning to analyze - so things like Animal Farm and The Lord of the Flies, where it is pretty obvious that something in the fictional world is meant to stand for something else - and then finally graduating to the level of reading things like Crime and Punishment where there are multiple levels and layers of meaning, open to multiple interpretations.  Narnia is a book written to, in, and for that first level of reading, though it does have aspects of the 2nd (she talks about why it isn't actually an allegory, which I found interesting).  

 

The way this relates to the Medieval world is that the Medieval world was very structured - you lived inside of a sphere where everything had its place, including God, the heavens, humans, and the natural world.  Everything was very structured.  Allegory was a way of marching through this structure and relating things to their place in the natural order.   Only myth and fairy stories could exist outside of this order, or offer a window into a mythological past that kind of tunnels through that structure, maybe? Anyway, I'm finding this part harder to articulate. 

 

Gah, I'm not doing it justice, but I have to go do some other things now.  Like eat! before my brain dies of lack of glucose.

[Angel]

I was a good girl and stuck my fingers in my ears and went la, la, la at all the Lewis posts  ;) I don't have a clue what anyone said!

 

<coughing behind my hand...>  You betcha!

 

 

Actually, I'm waiting for you to get back at me during Banned Books Week later this year when you get to choose our book...

 

:eek:

 

 

 

:001_tt2:   (Right back atcha, girl. It's on like Donkey Kong!)

 

 

 

This made me smile and...

 

I get to choose the book?!?!   :w00t:   I'm so excited.  Maybe I should start researching now!!

 

I finally finished Don Quixote!!!! 

 

That's the third book I've finished this year that the best I can say about them is that I finished them. The other two were The Phantom of the Opera and For Whom the Bell Tolls. 

 

:party:  on Don Quixote!  And Wow! to those heavy books!  

 

And to entertain Stacia.

 

 

:lol:   but if we fail, she does a good job at entertaining herself   :lol:

 

Nan, even though I'm a west coast girl, I know exactly what you mean! I always thought chowder was this gross pseudo-gluey material that people ate in search of constipation or something.  Then I went to Boston for school.  Actually, I think my first chowder and my first lobster were both eaten on a weekend trip to Maine, but I ate good chowdah in Boston many times.  Once I returned to CA, I gave it another try, and yep, it's still flavored paste here.

I refused to even try chowder.  It looked gross.  However, 3 years ago when we were on our history trip to Boston, we went up to Newburyport to visit the grave of George Whitefield.  They were having a street fair and there were lots of local vendors selling all kinds of goodies.  Dh said I was silly if I didn't try something local so I had Clam Chowder.  It was delicious!!  Dh had a huge lobster roll.  We are headed back there this summer, and I'm hoping to have some more. I haven't tried any other chowder cause I doubt it will compare to what I had there.  

 

PS:  Stacia, there is never enough room for both of our emoticons LOL!  Why do we feel the need to add to our posts with all of the extras?

[JennW in SoCal]

Now I'm wondering what I have to post in order to earn a dancing banana from Stacia...

 

And I clearly need to go to New England to discover what really good clam chowder is, because I willingly eat the stuff in the restaurants here. 

 

No reading of books to report, but lots of varied music reading I could talk about, including Don Quixote, the ballet. 

 

 

[Stacia]

This made me smile and...

 

I get to choose the book?!?!   :w00t:   I'm so excited.  Maybe I should start researching now!!

 

Ok, now I really AM scared! I don't think I should have reminded you of our agreement per this post & this post last year.

 

Ok, I'm giving you a banana to bribe you to be nice to me!

 

 

:lol:   but if we fail, she does a good job at entertaining herself   :lol:

 

It's more fun when all of you play along, though!

 

PS:  Stacia, there is never enough room for both of our emoticons LOL!  Why do we feel the need to add to our posts with all of the extras?

 

A picture is worth a thousand words & obviously we both have a lot to say. Lol.

 

Now I'm wondering what I have to post in order to earn a dancing banana from Stacia...

 

Nothing. I freely share bananas when needed! No violins, but some music for you anyway...

 

  

[Robin M]

Why am I reminded of the Chiquita banana song?  :lol:

 

 

 

 

[Kareni]

Can others join in the banana game?

 

Big Dancing Banana

 

 

And, hey, this is the WTM board after all, so we clearly need a kilt ....

 

 

Banana with Kilt

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

Can others join in the banana game?

 

Big Dancing Banana

 

 

And, hey, this is the WTM board after all, so we clearly need a kilt ....

 

 

Banana with Kilt

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

And here I thought you were going to propose a round of Bananagrams!  Peel!

 

 

[Kareni]

And here I thought you were going to propose a round of Bananagrams!  Peel!

 

Funnily enough, I had just posted about Bananagrams on a thread on the College Board.  I was inspired by all of the banana emoticons here!  But I'd love to play a round of Bananagrams with any and all here.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

Funnily enough, I had just posted about Bananagrams on a thread on the College Board.  I was inspired by all of the banana emoticons here!  But I'd love to play a round of Bananagrams with any and all here.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Bananagrams is certainly one of my son's favs.  In college, he loved how it could bring a group together for a quick diversion. In fact, he brought it down to Isle of Palms on last month's trip to see relatives who were renting a beach house.  A group of us played one night--very enjoyable.

 

 

[mumto2]

Now I have yhe Bananas in Pajamas theme running through my tired brainhttp://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CJkPWMaNaIM. The link is to the cartoon... the kids watched two guys dressed like bananas.

 

The kids think it went reasonably well except dd was really tired for the science section (last part) so we shall see. SAT subject exams in two weeks and the motorway will be closed again I suspect. grrrrr

[Kareni]

I just finished the contemporary novel/romance Lifers by Jane Harvey-Berrick.  I'd seen some rave reviews, so I was eager to read it.  I found it an enjoyable read (adult content), but my expectations might have led me to expect more.

 

"After eight years in prison, twenty-four year old Jordan Kane is the man everyone loves to hate.

Forced to return to his hometown while on parole, Jordan soon learns that this small town hasn’t changed since he was carted off to juvie all those years ago. He is the local pariah, shunned by everyone, including his own parents. But their hatred of him doesn’t even come close to the loathing he feels every time he looks in the mirror.

Working odd jobs for the preacher lady, Jordan bides his time before he can leave this backwards town. But can distance erase the memories that haunt him? Would living in another state free him from the prison of his mind? Will the pain of living ever subside?

Torrey Delaney is new in town and certainly doesn’t behave in a way the locals believe a preacher’s daughter should. Her reputation for casual hook-ups and meaningless sex quickly spreads around town. And that’s on top of her budding friendship with the hardened ex-con handyman – the good Reverend is less than thrilled with her estranged daughter’s path.

As friendship forms, can two damaged people who are afraid to love take their relationship to the next level? Can Torrey live with Jordan’s demons, and can Jordan break through Torrey’s walls? With the disapproval of a small town weighing heavily on them, they struggle to find their place in the world. Can they battle the odds, or will their world be viciously shattered?

Is love a life sentence?"

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[Nan in Mass]

Now I'm wondering what I have to post in order to earn a dancing banana from Stacia...

 

And I clearly need to go to New England to discover what really good clam chowder is, because I willingly eat the stuff in the restaurants here.

 

No reading of books to report, but lots of varied music reading I could talk about, including Don Quixote, the ballet.

Jenn, if you have access to good white fish or clams, you can make it yourself. Might be easier than traveling across the country. My family does it this way: You fry a piece of salt pork, then fry some onion in the grease. You boil some potatoes until they are just barely soft. Use just enough water to cover the potatoes. You gently poach the fish in a little water until it is just done. You put all that together, including the water, and add milk. If you want it rich, you can use part cream. Heat the whole mess, being careful not to boil it. (That spoils the texture.) Cool it and then reheat it when you want to eat it. If you use clams, you steam them and take them out of their shells first. You eat it with chowder crackers. We make the oyster stew for Christmas Eve about the same way but using oysters and no potatoes, unless you have children who won,t eat oysters, and you eat it with donuts then. We make a cheat version using a couple of pieces of bacon instead of salt pork when we have leftover fish.

My family doesn,t have much of a down east accent but even we go pretty lightly on that last 'r', so it really is chowdah.

 

Nan