Book a Week 2015 - BW22: Judicious June

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday dear hearts:  We are on week 22 in our quest to read 52 books.  Welcome back to our regulars, anyone just joining in, and to all who follow our progress. Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 books blog to link to your reviews. The link is also in my signature.

 

52 Books blog - Judicious June:  Welcome to Judicious June and our theme of all things prudent, perceptive and perspicacious and our author flavor of the month - Alexandre Dumas.

We are taking a total 180 away from the cunning and conniving of Machiavellian works to concentrate on the sharp and savvy, the bright and brainy, the clever and the crafty. The door is wide open open for courtroom and legal thrillers, mystery and detective novels, as well as historical and classic novels.

Which leads us to Alexandre Dumas. He is a french historian, author and playwright who is best known for his stories - Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, and The Man in the Iron Mask as well as an assortment of other stories. Dumas was born on July 24, 1802, in Villers-Cotterêts, France, to Marie Louise Labouret and General Thomas-Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie. His father was the first black general in Napoleon's army, nicknamed the 'black devil' by Bonaparte and his exploits are the basis for The Three Musketeers.


Join me in reading all things legal and thrilling and the works of Alexandre Dumas.

 

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 History of the Medieval World 

 Chapter 25 Elected Kings pp 172 - 179 

 

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What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 21

[Robin M]

We are officially done with 9th Grade - woot! woot!  We survived our first year of high school without any major battle scares. When we started this journey back in kindergarten, taking it one year at a time, it never crossed our minds we'd still be plugging away, but here we are. James worked hard and earned all A's.    History wasn't officially on the table this year and he dove into studying WWII for his own edification, becoming an expert on Hitler. He closed out his year with a 9 page report on the book Inside Hitler's Bunker. Considering he was having trouble putting together a 3 paragraph essay at the beginning of the year, he's grown by leaps and bounds this year.  Yes, we will be continuing through the rest of High School!  Yikes!

 

I'm reading J.R. Ward's Lover Unleashed #9 in black dagger series and still in the midst of various writing books for classes. 

[Negin]

Robin, thank you, as always, for this thread. :grouphug:

Now I'm thinking of re-reading some of Dumas' books. :)

 

I read The Cider House Rules - 2 Stars - I really, really wanted to like this book, and I thought it was very good initially, but the more I read, the less I liked it. What bothered me was an overall lack of connection with the characters and the fact that I honestly felt that this more than 600 page book was never going to end! I seriously think that he could have written this in 300 pages or less. I found myself frequently checking to see how much there was left to read. One thing that annoys me quite a bit with Irving is his obsession with weight, specifically, with regards to women and weight. It seems to be a major issue with him. I don’t like that sort of rubbish at all. Many years ago, I read an awful book by him, “The 158-Pound Marriageâ€, named after one of the characters who weighed the “dreaded†158-pounds. How could she?! To be that obese! Quelle horreur :lol:. The storyline for that one was the absolute worst – about two couples swapped partners, swingers basically . I’m giving it two stars, because I feel a wee bit generous and because I have to be honest in that I liked it at first. 

 

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

Fantastic, couldn't put it down

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay – nothing to write home about

1 Star

Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

 

[Jane in NC]

Hi friends.

 

This week I read another Archipelago imprint, This Life by Karel Schoeman, translated from the Afrikaans by Else Silke. It is bleak yet moving, a tale of a woman and a country coming of age.

 

I have moved on to a Dutch mystery by A.C. Baantjer, a best selling author in the Netherlands. Last week's thread inspired me to pick up T.S. Eliot's play The Cocktail Party. When I am finished I'll move on to a play that Eliana recommended, Copenhagen.

[Lady Florida.]

I'm bringing these two quotes over from last week's thread.

 

 

 

Kathy, thank you for the welcome! :) I will hang out here from now on!

 

I have the Alan Rickman CDs for Return of the Native, and listened to them last summer. Wonderful. I loved the book, and intend to read it again someday, but found it so sad ... I had read it, blithely, as a teenager or young adult, but this time around I found the passages about the mother of the "native," Clym Yeobright, almost unbearable to read, now that I am the mother of two young men who are making their own choices in life :glare: :laugh:  ... The story is full of mixed signals, dropped balls, giving-someone-the-benefit-of-the-doubt-but-it-turns-out-it's-too-late ... sigh ... In the past year I've read three books that have actually caused me to make better day-to-day decisions in my life -- one is Return of the Native (negative examples!), and one is Madding Crowd (positive example of Gabriel Oak. Did I mention I have a mild crush on him?? :) )

 

So for Return of the Native I listened to Alan Rickman, read the text, and found some wonderful illustrations online to give me an idea of the landscape (a map Hardy himself drew here -- with Hardy's letter here -- and lots of Wessex maps here) and the characters (what does a reddleman look like?! what is furze, anyway?! :) ). SPOILER ALERT! The illustrations accompanied the serialized novel, so don't look at the later ones if you don't want to know what's coming!

 

 

 

Glad you'll join us! 

 

Thank you for pointing out that there are good reasons for reading depressing books (well written ones that is). There are things to be learned from mistakes characters make as well as from things they do right.

 

And thanks for the links. I bookmarked them without actually looking because I want to wait until after I've read the book. 

 

This memoir, currently free to Kindle readers, sounds intriguing. 

 

Love at the Speed of Email: A Memoir by Lisa McKay

 

"Lisa looks as if she has it made. She has turned her nomadic childhood and forensic psychology training into a successful career as a stress management trainer for humanitarian aid workers. She lives in Los Angeles, travels the world, and her first novel has just been published to some acclaim... But as she turns 31, Lisa realizes that she is still single and increasingly wondering where home is and what it really means to commit to a person, place, or career. When an intriguing stranger living on the other side of the world emails her out of the blue with an extraordinary proposal, she must decide whether she will risk trying to answer those questions. Her decision will change her life."

 

 

 

This looks interesting. Thanks for the link. I downloaded it and will add it to my non-fiction TBR list.

[Jane in NC]

Yes, welcome to Laura in CA. The BaWers are a very nice group, if I may say so myself.

[6packofun]

I'm reading The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo and dh just started Pines, the first in the Wayward Pines trilogy  We like the show and he said he MUST KNOW what's going on!  LOL  Oh, I finished The Night Circus and really enjoyed it!  Passed on to dd20. :)

 

Also, dh and I are doing this challenge for the rest of the year. I like the variety! I'm sure many have seen it:

 

[6packofun]

Love at the Speed of Email...is it a true memoir or a novel?  (And where did you quote that from?? I don't see it in this thread?)

[Lady Florida.]

 

 

Which leads us to Alexandre Dumas. He is a french historian, author and playwright who is best known for his stories - Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, and The Man in the Iron Mask as well as an assortment of other stories. Dumas was born on July 24, 1802, in Villers-Cotterêts, France, to Marie Louise Labouret and General Thomas-Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie. His father was the first black general in Napoleon's army, nicknamed the 'black devil' by Bonaparte and his exploits are the basis for The Three Musketeers.

 

 

 

 

 

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books even though I think it's incredibly sad to be so bitter and bent on revenge your entire life. I didn't care for The Three Musketeers but I think that's because long before I read the book I had seen numerous movies and tv adaptations. They always portrayed the characters as lovable heroes you root for. When I finally read the book, I disliked those guys immensely.

 

I haven't read The Man in the Iron Mask, but have always been fascinated by that mystery. I'm not going to be able to make it to our next book club meeting, and I don't feel obligated to read the book, so I just might have room in June to squeeze this one in. I didn't realize it's the third (and final) book in The Three Musketeers series until I looked it up just now. In fact, I didn't even realize that was a series. Do you think one can read The Man in the Iron Mask without having read the second book?

 

Currently reading:

 

The Invention of Wings - My book club choice so I have to finish it in order to lead the discussion, but it's really starting to drag for me. Our meeting is Tuesday night and I have about 3 hours left according to my Kindle, so I should have no problem finishing it. I think everyone else in our group finished it long ago.

 

The Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story - I'm enjoying this one.

 

Wolf Hall - Almost finished with the audible version.

[Loesje22000]

I reread 'Au Bonheur des Dames' in Dutch.

It is written by Emile Zola.

I should look if there is more translated into Dutch.

 

I love books of Dumas: Monte Christo, Musketeers: these are good friends :)

I don't have the Iron Mask, I can try that one :)

[Lady Florida.]

Love at the Speed of Email...is it a true memoir or a novel?  (And where did you quote that from?? I don't see it in this thread?)

 

It's a memoir. I quoted from last week's thread.

[SunnyDays]

Hello, friends!!

 

I didn't end up posting the past couple weeks... I was spending all my time on the Duggar thread...  :leaving:

 

Robin, congrats to your son on great accomplishments this year!!  Sounds like he has really matured educationally.  :)

 

Kathy, I enjoyed "The Invention of Wings" and I am looking forward to the "Astronaut Wives Club" on TV this summer... I'll have to check out the book!

 

Shifting gears from my lineup of cozy mysteries, I am reading Anne Tyler's "Back When We Were Grownups."  I think I've read this before, sounds familiar, but it's been years and I don't remember it all, so it's worth a re-read!

 

I also just completed "The God Virus" which was recommended by Kathy on a different thread.  I'm reading a whole variety of books on religious thought... this one was thought provoking and I got a lot out of it, though I don't think it would be for everyone!  ;)

 

 

[Just Robyn]

Well, last week I had a to-read-next stack, and I still have the same stack untouched. I am just in clean out mode right now, trying to finish the many books that I started months (or years) ago so I can start fresh. I have mental clutter from all the books I'm "currently reading" and can't bring myself to start something new until some of it is cleared away.

 

I finished Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wicked Good Prose by Constance Hale. And my focus right now is on finishing Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer by Peter Turchi. 

 

As for Dumas, I do plan to read The Three Musketeers this summer with my eldest ds, but we may or may not get started in June. To Kill a Mockingbird is first.

[Ali in OR]

I finished 2 this week. I mentioned The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick last week--our book club pick for June. It was fine. I appreciated some of the Norwegian ancestry stuff--my great-grandparents migrated a bit later than this book's timeframe, but I could still think of them in some of this family's experiences. I picked up Ready Player One by Ernest Cline the day before it was due back at the library--and finished it in time to return it on time! Kind of proud of myself for that one. That was a quick, easy read for me and I enjoyed the book once "the game" really got going.

 

I started reading Death Comes for the Archbishop on Friday. I had a few holds at the library that I had suspended until June 1, so maybe some of those will come up soon. And I know I've had Count of Monte Cristo on my Amazon wish list forever--maybe I'll track that down and read it. Have a happy reading week everyone!

[SKL]

Howdy!  I finished The Age of Innocence yesterday.  It was better than Portrait of a Lady.  ;)  But I still don't get why it is a classic.  I guess maybe because it talks about New York society at a given time in history.  Well, glad to be done with it.

 

Now I am working on Go Tell It On the Mountain by James Baldwin.

[JennW in SoCal]

I read Count of Monte Cristo a year or so ago and really liked it -- I didn't know quite what to expect was pleasantly surprised by how much it grabbed me. Definitely a good summer read!

 

While I was in Santa Fe my old college friend gave me a collection of 3 of the first Phryne Fisher mysteries, and I'm just about finished with the first one, Cocaine Blues.  Can't remember who here has read them, but do remember them getting "thumbs up".  It is a perfect light read, especially for when I was on the airplane trip back home.

 

This morning I started Dr. Strange and Mr. Norrell on audible, and am already absolutely hooked.  

 

 

 

[Guest]

Mr Perrin and Mr Traill by Hugh Walpole: This view of a boy's boarding school from the teachers' viewpoint is by turns insightful, hilarious, and poignant.  It could so easily have been a claustrophobic, grim book, or a blackly humorous caricature (and it has both of those elements), but instead it is a poignantly humorous story with an appealing strand of insight and compassion.  Jane, this is grimmer than the Pym I've read, but I think you might appreciate it.

 

Stone in a Landslide by Maria Barbal: This Catalan novella (another Peirene Press publication - thank you again Teacher Zee!) manages to avoid grimness despite its less than cheery content.  It is a simple, short story, but has quiet depths.

 

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene: I've avoided this b/c of subject matter, but since it is very tame compared to Lolita, I decided to pull it off the shelf.  It lacks Nabokov's virtuosity, and its not very likable narrator is much less engaging, but I was drawn into the story, and interested by the role of faith/belief.. up until near the end when I felt the author put his thumb on the scales in ways that destroyed the credibility of the argument for me (and I am a person of deep religious faith).  

 

The Mayor of Zalamea by Calderon: This lacks the spark I felt in Life is a Dream, but is still an engaging play... but I have so much trouble with the 'please, oh rapist of my daughter, marry her so you can redeem my honor'... fortunately the jerk refuses and dies (and at least the author didn't support the 'kill my sister because her rape has tarnished our family honor')  The girl has some powerful monologues and chooses, for herself, a retreat to a nunnery.

 

Day Has No Equal But Night by Anne Hebert: poetry that intrigued me and had some compelling images, but didn't quite work for me overall.

 

Every Woman for Herself: Kareni and other romance readers might enjoy this.  I came to it from a friend's review and found the set-up somewhat engaging and the overall story vaguely amusing, but I'm not the target audience and find this style of story unsatisfying.

[Guest]

We are officially done with 9th Grade - woot! woot!  We survived our first year of high school without any major battle scares. When we started this journey back in kindergarten, taking it one year at a time, it never crossed our minds we'd still be plugging away, but here we are. James worked hard and earned all A's.    History wasn't officially on the table this year and he dove into studying WWII for his own edification, becoming an expert on Hitler. He closed out his year with a 9 page report on the book Inside Hitler's Bunker. Considering he was having trouble putting together a 3 paragraph essay at the beginning of the year, he's grown by leaps and bounds this year.  Yes, we will be continuing through the rest of High School!  Yikes!

 

 

 

:party:   Well done, love!  

 

 

 

Robin, thank you, as always, for this thread. :grouphug:

 

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Now I'm thinking of re-reading some of Dumas' books. :)

 

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

 

I read The Cider House Rules

 

 

 

:iagree:   Robin, you're amazing!  Thank you for creating this space for us and keeping it running week after week...and then adding in all these lovely 'features' with min-challenges, and themes, and fascinating links.  I don't always participate that month, but each one has enriched my overall reading journey!

 

 

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

 

I am trying to resist the temptation to reread some Dumas - I have so many things in process or on my stacks....

 

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

I tried some Irving in my late-teens/early twenties, but all I can remember is a vague distaste, like eating a pastry from a lousy bakery that has a filling that's started to go 'off'.  I've wondered now and again if it was just an artifact of who I was then, but haven't been able to bring myself to try again... thank you for validating my reluctance!

 

 

Hi friends.

 

This week I read another Archipelago imprint, This Life by Karel Schoeman, translated from the Afrikaans by Else Silke. It is bleak yet moving, a tale of a woman and a country coming of age.

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

 When I am finished I'll move on to a play that Eliana recommended, Copenhagen.

 

Oooh, that looks lovely too!  ...I don't think I will ever catch up with my TBR lists... but what a glorious assortment you guys help me fill them with!

 

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

 

I hope you like it, love!

 

Yes, welcome to Laura in CA. The BaWers are a very nice group, if I may say so myself.

 

:iagree:    Welcome, Laura!!   Don't be put off by title.  Some of us read a book a week, or a month, or a day, or every other month... if you like to read and talk about your reading, you can't do it wrong here.  I think the only implied 'rule' I perceive here is that we try to keep this a supportive, safe place.  Which doesn't mean we can't fully express our loathing of a specific book - Rosie, which one is it you think would be best as 'loo paper'?  Having strong reactions to our reading is often an important part of the discussion - and I know I love seeing the range of reactions and perceptions.

 

 

Also, dh and I are doing this challenge for the rest of the year. I like the variety! I'm sure many have seen it:

 

 

 

I think I've see this in a Bingo format, but not as a list... 

 

Does each book only count for one ticky box?  I think I could tick 8 boxes for Ulysses, but that would probably spoil the game.

[Negin]

dh just started Pines, the first in the Wayward Pines trilogy  We like the show and he said he MUST KNOW what's going on!  

 

 

We're enjoying it also! I read most of the first book, but prefer to watch the show for now, which is a rarity for me. I have far too much to read and I'd already seen the first episode of the show before I realized that these are based on books. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene: I've avoided this b/c of subject matter, but since it is very tame compared to Lolita, I decided to pull it off the shelf.  It lacks Nabokov's virtuosity, and its not very likable narrator is much less engaging, but I was drawn into the story, and interested by the role of faith/belief.. up until near the end when I felt the author put his thumb on the scales in ways that destroyed the credibility of the argument for me (and I am a person of deep religious faith).  

 

 

I hated that book with a passion.  My book group did it a couple of years ago, and I decided not to attend the discussion because I knew a lot of them had really liked it and it was a book I didn't feel that I could express my dislike of dispassionately, and I worried about offending somebody. I'm not a person of faith, so I get that I wasn't his demographic, but even aside from that, I thought it was so manipulative.  "Put his thumb on the scales" is a good way to put it.  I felt so jerked around, and it made me mad. Definitely not in the same class with Nabokov! 

[Chrysalis Academy]

All I finished this week was my audio of Rebecca. I've started the audio of Great Expectations (that won out over Inferno) and I am loving it so much! I read the book years ago, in jr high or high school, and I liked it fine then, but I'm really loving it now. Yet another example of the enjoyment that comes with maturing as a reader.  I didn't remember how funny Dickens can be, and what brilliant satire he slips in every time you turn around.  I think listening to an audiobook of Dickens is so great because a good reader does all the voices differently, and in appropriate accents.  That might have been something Dicken's contemporary readers would have been able to "hear" as they read, but probably something most of us can't do any longer, certainly not the non-British among us.

 

Other than that, I'm not making much progress on my stacks due to my GoT addiction.  So here is my wrap-up of May readings - kind of a skinny month for me, especially for nonfiction.

 

Books completed in May:

77. Rebecca - Daphne DuMaurier

76. Dangerous - Shannon Hale

75. Much Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare

74. A Clash of Kings - George R R Martin

73. Hacking Your Education - Dale Stephens

72. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

71. A Game of Thrones - George R R Martin

70. Persuasion - Jane Austen

69. The End of College - Kevin Carey

68. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman

[Kim in Appalachia]

I started The Water Knife, by Bacigalupi, yesterday. I'm already hooked and will probably finish it this week.  Though it felt weird to sit and read it by my pool :P  (it's a eco thriller about severe drought).

[Kareni]

Thanks for the above book suggestion, Eliana.

 

 

I didn't read it, but I'll mention that my husband recently finished Rod Dreher's  How Dante Can Save Your Life: The Life-Changing Wisdom of History's Greatest Poem.  My husband has not read Dante, but he enjoyed the book.  He could identify with how a book had an impact on the author's life because two books impacted his life in a similar way.  (In his case, Tolle's The Power of Now and Dominguez's Your Money or Your Life.)  My husband did share snippets from time to time that I enjoyed.

 

 

"The opening lines of The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri launched Rod Dreher on a journey that rescued him from exile and saved his life. Dreher found that the medieval poem offered him a surprisingly practical way of solving modern problems.

Following the death of his little sister and the publication of his New York Times bestselling memoir The Little Way of Ruthie Leming, Dreher found himself living in the small community of Starhill, Louisiana where he grew up. But instead of the fellowship he hoped to find, he discovered that fault lines within his family had deepened. Dreher spiraled into depression and a stress-related autoimmune disease. Doctors told Dreher that if he didn’t find inner peace, he would destroy his health. Soon after, he came across The Divine Comedy in a bookstore and was enchanted by its first lines, which seemed to describe his own condition.

In the months that followed Dante helped Dreher understand the mistakes and mistaken beliefs that had torn him down and showed him that he had the power to change his life. Dreher knows firsthand the solace and strength that can be found in Dante’s great work, and distills its wisdom for those who are lost in the dark wood of depression, struggling with failure (or success), wrestling with a crisis of faith, alienated from their families or communities, or otherwise enduring the sense of exile that is the human condition.

Inspiring, revelatory, and packed with penetrating spiritual, moral, and psychological insights How Dante Can Save Your Life is a book for people, both religious and secular, who find themselves searching for meaning and healing. Dante told his patron that he wrote his poem to bring readers from misery to happiness. It worked for Rod Dreher. Dante saved Rod Dreher’s life—and in this book, Dreher shows you how Dante can save yours."

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[6packofun]

 

 

Does each book only count for one ticky box?  I think I could tick 8 boxes for Ulysses, but that would probably spoil the game.

 

I don't know if there are original rules for this, but dh and I decided that we would only double up.  So one book can only count for 1 or 2 categories. (I'm going to try to double up as little as possible, but dh likes to.  LOL)

[Chrysalis Academy]

I started The Water Knife, by Bacigalupi, yesterday. I'm already hooked and will probably finish it this week.  Though it felt weird to sit and read it by my pool :p  (it's a eco thriller about severe drought).

 

I've got that on hold, I'm looking forward to reading it!

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm reading The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo and dh just started Pines, the first in the Wayward Pines trilogy  We like the show and he said he MUST KNOW what's going on!  LOL  Oh, I finished The Night Circus and really enjoyed it!  Passed on to dd20. :)

 

 

 

 

I listened to The Ghost Bride last year, it was part of a really interesting Historical Fiction course on Coursera. It's a little too magical-realismy for me, but it was interesting.  Dd read The Night Circus and recommended it to me, but I haven't gotten around to it yet, glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[Guest]

I hated that book with a passion.  My book group did it a couple of years ago, and I decided not to attend the discussion because I knew a lot of them had really liked it and it was a book I didn't feel that I could express my dislike of dispassionately, and I worried about offending somebody. I'm not a person of faith, so I get that I wasn't his demographic, but even aside from that, I thought it was so manipulative.  "Put his thumb on the scales" is a good way to put it.  I felt so jerked around, and it made me mad. Definitely not in the same class with Nabokov! 

 

I didn't hate it. It didn't touch anything deep enough to rouse strong emotions.  Which is interesting because I've hated books that were much more poorly written, which engaged much less of my interest.  ...and cheating usually enrages me.  ...but here I just gave a very tired sigh when it started coming more heavily and tried to hope that the book might end up redeeming itself.

 

I found it unpleasant to start with, but was was tentatively drawn to some of the questions of faith.  It was a little soap opera-ish, but the place where the narrator says perhaps he should have ended the story there?  He was right.  If he couldn't address the aftermath with even a smidgen of nuance or believably, he should have left it unsaid. I remember Greene as a better writer than that, so I keep wondering if I'm missing something. 

 

...I tried to convince myself that we just had a very unreliable narrator - unreliable to the point of utter delusion - and it almost worked.  He sounds so close to unhinged in a few places, but I can't quite believe it.

[Cinder]

Since my last update, which I think was 2 weeks ago, I finished Blue Balliet's newest book Pieces and Players as well as a reread of Chasing Vermeer which was a read-along for another group I'm in. I didn't enjoy Pieces as much as her other books but it was ok overall. I'm getting ready to start part 3 of 1Q84.

 

Dd and I finished The Penderwicks in Spring--we both enjoyed it a lot. We're following up with The Phantom Tollbooth. It's one of my childhood favorites and we're reading from the copy I had for 10th grade English. Both my sons read it when they were younger too.

[Zebra]

Hello, friends!!

 

I didn't end up posting the past couple weeks... I was spending all my time on the Duggar thread...  :leaving:

 

If you read that entire thread it should count as a book.   Extra points if you did it without ripping your hair out and screaming.

 

Maybe now you should read something more lighthearted, like Mein Kampf or a book about the plague.

[Little Nyssa]

I am working away on The Waste Land, still.

 

I really hated the Cider House Rules, too, for a very specific reason: I worked as a CNM for many years, and people who do OBGYN just don't talk about it in the way he does. I wondered if he did any kind of research or if he invented his character's experiences. For example, a woman's c----x does not look like a cherry lifesaver. It just doesn't! Who does the author think he is??? Sorry if that's gross. But I dislike an author who pretends to know about something and he really doesn't. Blech!!

[mumto2]

I finished The Moor this morning. It is part of Laurie R. King's Russell and Holmes series which I have been reading sporadically alongside dd. I am finally caught up to her again on this series.

 

I think several of you might enjoy this book which is to some degree a continuation of Hound of the Baskervilles. Admittedly I haven't read the original in years but I think some here read the original a few months ago. The parts that relied on the original seemed accurate. Basically Holmes is called back to Dartmoor because the Hound is appearing again. Here is an excerpthttp://www.laurierking.com/books/book-excerpts/the-moorfor anyone who might be interested. Even though it is part of a series this particular book was rather stand alone.

 

Jenn, Glad you are enjoying Jonathan Strange. I really thought you had recommended it to me!

[beckster]

We are officially done with 9th Grade - woot! woot!  

 

Yay for you!  I am right there with you.  DD just finished her senior year,  DS just finished 9th.  Where has the time gone, right?!?!

[idnib]

I didn't finish any books this week. I made progress on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Acceptance (last book of the Southern Reach trilogy), and I read a few poems by John Donne. The real reason I didn't finish any books, though, is that I've been binge watching 24. Ridiculous, but addictive.

 

 

I read The Cider House Rules - 2 Stars - I really, really wanted to like this book, and I thought it was very good initially, but the more I read, the less I liked it. What bothered me was an overall lack of connection with the characters and the fact that I honestly felt that this more than 600 page book was never going to end!

 

I haven't read the book but went to see the movie with a friend of mine. It was so depressing the only thing she muttered on the drive back was, "It's a good thing there's not a bridge on the way home."

[SunnyDays]

If you read that entire thread it should count as a book.   Extra points if you did it without ripping your hair out and screaming.

 

Maybe now you should read something more lighthearted, like Mein Kampf or a book about the plague.

 

I'm fairly certain my head exploded toward the end, but I don't recall screaming... out loud anyway. 

[TeacherZee]

Like SunnyDays I spent much of the week reading the Duggar thread (I can't multi quote on my iPad). I finished the lab report and I am now going to dive into the final version of the senior thesis, accounting exams, business studies 2 research essays, and the firsties book reviews. This is the final week of classes, next week is holding pattern and then, then I am DONE!

I haven't finished any reading this week instead I watched season 2 of Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery and ANZAC Girls. Both quite good. I did read some of The Girls of Atomic City.

[Loesje22000]

I'm a little bit confused :blushed:

As written in the OP I thought The man with the Iron mask should be written by Dumas.

If I translate that title in Dutch I got a book written by Ladoucette.

I don't think they are the same person.

Wikipedia.nl says The man of the Iron Mask storie is part of the Three Musketeers.

 

Or did one mean the Man in the Iron Mask is in the same style of Dumas?

 

Can someone enlighten me?

 

Thanks :)

[Rosyl]

I have been so busy this school year, I haven't kept up on posting.  I also have not been reading as much, and what I have been reading has been just for fun.  I haven't done too bad with  book a week. So glad summer is here!

 

8. Adoniram Judson by Janet and George Benge 

9.The Ladies Room by Carolyn Brown

10.  PMS club by Carolyn Brown  this author makes me laugh.

11.  The Amish Clockmaker by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner.  This was not what I was expecting.   It was really good. 

The plot was different and the ending open.  Sometimes  authors stick with formulas that become predictable and I get bored.  This book did not bore me.

12.The Trouble with Patience Maggie Brendan

13.  Twice Promised Maggie Brendan

14.  Promise of Palm Grove Shelley Shepherd Grey

 

I am working on Code Name Verity.  really liking this book.

 Happy Reading to all of you this week.

 

1.  Maggie's Mistake by Carolyn Brown 

2.  Sleeping Coconut by John and Bonnie Nystrom

3.. Becoming Bea by Leslie Gould 

4Amish Baby  Kristina Ludwig

5. Amish Bakery Challenge  Kristina Ludwig

6.Amish Awakening  Kristina Ludwig

7. The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan  

 

[Loesje22000]

I think I have the problem :)

Is the original title from 'The man with the Iron Mask' in French: Le Vicomte de Bragalonne?

 

According to Wikipedia.nl one have a d'Artagan cycle of three books written by Dumas:

The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers 20 years later

Le Vicomte de Bragalonne

 

And that Vicomte book is published in English in several parts, and the last part of these publications is called 'The Man in the Iron Mask'.

 

Is this right?

I know Wikipedia is not always reliable but it could be an explanation why I can't find 'the man in the Iron Mask' in Dutch.

Le vicomte ... Is well translated into Dutch and so is the 20 years later title.

[mumto2]

I think I have the problem :)

Is the original title from 'The man with the Iron Mask' in French: Le Vicomte de Bragalonne?

 

According to Wikipedia.nl one have a d'Artagan cycle of three books written by Dumas:

The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers 20 years later

Le Vicomte de Bragalonne

 

And that Vicomte book is published in English in several parts, and the last part of these publications is called 'The Man in the Iron Mask'.

 

Is this right?

I know Wikipedia is not always reliable but it could be an explanation why I can't find 'the man in the Iron Mask' in Dutch.

Le vicomte ... Is well translated into Dutch and so is the 20 years later title.

Hi, this is Dd. The Man in the Iron Mask is the last section of Le Vicomte de Bregalonne, which was apparently sometimes divided into three parts and sometimes four.You could pull the English of Iron Mask and Dutch of Vicomte and see where they match up; at least between French and English, the chapters are literally translated, the first chapter of Iron Mask being The Prisonner. Hope this helps!

[Loesje22000]

Hi, this is Dd. The Man in the Iron Mask is the last section of Le Vicomte de Bregalonne, which was apparently sometimes divided into three parts and sometimes four.You could pull the English of Iron Mask and Dutch of Vicomte and see where they match up; at least between French and English, the chapters are literally translated, the first chapter of Iron Mask being The Prisonner. Hope this helps!

Thanks!

That helps a lot!!!

I don't have an English Dumas at home: only French and Dutch :)

But this information is already extremely helpfull!

[mumto2]

Thanks!

That helps a lot!!!

I don't have an English Dumas at home: only French and Dutch :)

But this information is already extremely helpfull!

Hi, Dd again. Here's The Man in the Iron Mask in English on Project Gutenberghttp://www.gutenberg.org/files/2759/2759-h/2759-h.htm

[Chrysalis Academy]

A couple of Kindle deals I thought you guys might be interested in:

 

I linked them, but then I wonder if that takes everyone into my Amazon account? It just occurred to me that that could be a problem!

 

Anyway, there are two Georgette Heyer novels and some murder mysteries I've seen you guys discuss on sale at the Kindle store today - I'll let you guys find them if you want to!

[idnib]

A couple of Kindle deals I thought you guys might be interested in:

 

I linked them, but then I wonder if that takes everyone into my Amazon account? It just occurred to me that that could be a problem!

 

I doubt it does. That would be a huge security hole. 

[Angel]

We are officially done with 9th Grade - woot! woot!  We survived our first year of high school without any major battle scares. When we started this journey back in kindergarten, taking it one year at a time, it never crossed our minds we'd still be plugging away, but here we are. James worked hard and earned all A's.    History wasn't officially on the table this year and he dove into studying WWII for his own edification, becoming an expert on Hitler. He closed out his year with a 9 page report on the book Inside Hitler's Bunker. Considering he was having trouble putting together a 3 paragraph essay at the beginning of the year, he's grown by leaps and bounds this year.  Yes, we will be continuing through the rest of High School!  Yikes!

 

I'm reading J.R. Ward's Lover Unleashed #9 in black dagger series and still in the midst of various writing books for classes. 

:party:  Congrats to you and James!!!  Happy Summer Vacation!

[Lady Florida.]

I finished The Invention of Wings last night. There's a lot of other matter at the end of the book* so I didn't have as much of the story to read as I thought I did.

 

I really enjoyed it but didn't think it was the wonderful, amazing (I hate that word for books) book it was made out to be. I learned a lot because I did some research to find out which parts of this historical fiction were actually historical. I'm looking forward to our discussion tomorrow night. I do think it's a good book club book with some great points for discussion.

 

 

Robin - I meant to say Congratulations!   :hurray:  Before we started homeschooling high school it seemed quite scary. At least it did to me. The younger years seemed easy and loose but hight school? Oh no! Now we only have one year left and like you I'm amazed (there's that word again ;) ) that we've come this far. Even better, we did it well. At least I think we did. I hope you and  your ds find the next three years to be exciting. It's a time when you back off a bit but you get to see them take more and more responsibility for their own education. 

 

*What is that called? I know at the front of a book it's called Front Matter, but the back? Back Matter just sounds weird to me.  :lol:

[Angel]

 

Also, dh and I are doing this challenge for the rest of the year. I like the variety! I'm sure many have seen it:

 

My book club is doing this challenge this year!  We made a rule that a book could only count as 1 check mark  ;)

 

All I finished this week was my audio of Rebecca. I've started the audio of Great Expectations (that won out over Inferno) and I am loving it so much! I read the book years ago, in jr high or high school, and I liked it fine then, but I'm really loving it now. Yet another example of the enjoyment that comes with maturing as a reader.  I didn't remember how funny Dickens can be, and what brilliant satire he slips in every time you turn around.  I think listening to an audiobook of Dickens is so great because a good reader does all the voices differently, and in appropriate accents.  That might have been something Dicken's contemporary readers would have been able to "hear" as they read, but probably something most of us can't do any longer, certainly not the non-British among us.

 

 

Are you listening to a great reader?  If so, please share...

 

The real reason I didn't finish any books, though, is that I've been binge watching 24. Ridiculous, but addictive.

 

:lol:  We watched all of the 24 Seasons over the winter!  My reading time fared badly during this marathon  :laugh: Jack Bauer is simply awesome!

[Violet Crown]

I was going to read Camille by Dumas fils for June, but failed to pack it. Ah well. I did bring, and read, Borges' The Book of Imaginary Beings, which was every bit as good as Borges fans might expect, with a great many literary beasts making appearances, including critters from Dante's Inferno, and a white weaselly thing from (of course) Poe's Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. My favorite was the Celestial Stag, of Chinese myth:

----------

We know absolutely nothing about the appearance of the Celestial Stag (maybe because nobody has ever had a good look at one), but we do know that these tragic animals live underground in mines and desire nothing more than to reach the light of day. They have the power of speech and implore the miners to help them to the surface. At first, a Celestial Stag attempts to bribe the workmen with the promise of revealing hidden veins of silver and gold; when this gambit fails, the beast becomes troublesome and the miners are forced to overpower it and wall it up in one of the mine galleries. It is also rumored that miners outnumbered by the Stags have been tortured to death.

 

Legend has it that if the Celestial Stag finds its way into the open air, it becomes a foul-smelling liquid that can breed death and pestilence.

-----------

Finishing up Eudora Welty's novel Losing Battles, which is only okay but was all I had left for our first week when there were no books in English available. But that part of our journey was not unliterary, as I read a great deal of Our Athenian Cousin (thank you, Baldwin Project) to Wee Girl; and dh and Middle Girl read lines from Euripides in the very Theatre at Epidaurus, which made everyone happy with its amazing acoustics, unimpaired by the millennia.

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

Are you listening to a great reader?  If so, please share...

 

 

 

For Great Expectations, I'm listening to the Naxos Audiobooks version narrated by Anton Lesser. I think he's awesome!

[idnib]

:lol:  We watched all of the 24 Seasons over the winter!  My reading time fared badly during this marathon  :laugh: Jack Bauer is simply awesome!

 

Yeah, it's not really a show you can have on in the background. You pretty much have to follow along the whole time or you can't figure out the plan.

 

I watched Season 1 way back when the DVD first came out. Someone gave it to me as a gift and it sat around collecting dust until I was sick for a few days so laid on the sofa and binge-watched the whole thing. (This was pre-kids.) I never watched later seasons and I am now. I especially liked Season 4.

[Violet Crown]

I didn't finish any books this week. I made progress on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Acceptance (last book of the Southern Reach trilogy), and I read a few poems by John Donne. The real reason I didn't finish any books, though, is that I've been binge watching 24. Ridiculous, but addictive.

 

I read an article, I think in Commonweal magazine, that gave an hour-by-hour comparison of 24 and Ulysses. It was something like, Hour 4: 24: Jack Bauer does this, that and the other, while driving fast and shouting into his cell phone; his wife and daughter do all these other things; his colleagues do more things; the villain does many villainous things. Ulysses: Leopold Bloom buys a kidney for breakfast. Maybe 24 is Ulysses for the modern age.