Book a Week 2015 - BW32: spell your name challenge

[Jane in NC]

Ooooh, Jane!  I was just thinking about you -- thinking specifically about VC's dd joining us and that neither of our two reading ds's would ever do likewise! And thinking that you'd be one of the few people who might appreciate that college boy just described his DiffEq class as "fun".

 

Then I stop by here to check on the conversation and you've talked me into a subscription to Piecework magazine.  I'll have to see if I can find that current issue at my local B&N or JoAnnes.

 

I'm busy crocheting an Amineko cat to keep the college boy company for his senior year. I'm thinking I'll crochet a "bag of holding" (D&D reference -- a book bag) for the cat and crochet some little geology tools to go in the bag.  And crochet a giant tootsie roll for the spring when he finishes his big senior thesis (a college tradition -- Jane will understand). 

 

 

Grinning from ear to ear after reading your post, Jenn. And hard to believe that your geologist is about to embark on his senior year!

 

 

[Violet Crown]

Agreeing with the above, Julia; safe space right here. I'm so sorry about what you're going through.

 

Started and finished my 39th book for the year today, Charles Dickens, by Charles Haines; from the "Immortals of Literature" series. The various "Immortals" series are all reliably good biographies for a roughly middle school age readership. Good so far, at least; there are too many of them for me really to judge: http://www.valerieslivinglibrary.com/immortals.htm. Though it struck me as odd, reading it, that it seemed to be written for people who were unlikely to have read enough Dickens to find it very interesting. Middle Girl has read a fair amount of Dickens, and found the book factually interesting but a little beneath her in its level. And in fact the parts I found most interesting were the multitudes of celebrities Dickens knew well or were acquainted with, but who could hardly interest a juvenile audience; Haines refers to Johnson and Boswell, Thackeray, Whittier, and others with little or no explanation (though, oddly, he spends a few sentences telling the young reader who Dickens' houseguest, Hans Christian Andersen, is).

 

Back to O. Henry and A History of Private Life.

[mommymilkies]

Hi Everyone!

 

It has been awhile since I have been here.   We have had a family crisis (an extended family member was murdered by her husband.)  We have spent the first half of this day with family and I am feeling unspeakably sad right now.  My first thought when I came on the computer was to come to this thread.  \Reading everyone's posts about books, reading,  their lives, have been so comforting to me.  Thank you.

 

In the spirit of this thread, I am currently trying to read  'Dangerous to Know ' by Tasha Alexander.  It is a good book but I am a bit distracted right now and am having troubles in keeping up with it.

 

Please forgive me for tossing nastiness into this safe place  but I so needed this safe place right now. 

I am so so sorry. :(

[Ausmumof3]

Hi Everyone!

 

It has been awhile since I have been here. We have had a family crisis (an extended family member was murdered by her husband.) We have spent the first half of this day with family and I am feeling unspeakably sad right now. My first thought when I came on the computer was to come to this thread. \Reading everyone's posts about books, reading, their lives, have been so comforting to me. Thank you.

 

In the spirit of this thread, I am currently trying to read 'Dangerous to Know ' by Tasha Alexander. It is a good book but I am a bit distracted right now and am having troubles in keeping up with it.

 

Please forgive me for tossing nastiness into this safe place but I so needed this safe place right now.

I'm so sorry.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished The Magus by John Fowles.  It was a chunkster. It was for my IRL book group, and it's a good thing, because if I hadn't had that motivation I might not have continued past the first 50-100 pages.  It didn't get really gripping till probably 1/3 of the way through its 600+ pages, and that's usually longer than I give a novel to get compelling. It was . . . interesting.  Interesting technique-wise, for sure.  The narrator was an essentially unappealing and somewhat unreliable figure, yet you somehow feel sympathy with him, while realizing the fact that he's essentially a cad.  It's a book firmly in the realist tradition, yet it was also almost incomprehensibly unreal. You, along with the narrator, are forced to question every single thing you think of as a "fact" in order to figure out what is essentially real about the characters and their situation.  And despite the author's contention that he clarified the ambiguity at the ending in this revised version of the novel, I still found it pretty darn ambiguous.  All in all, a book I'm glad my group picked to read, because I never would have read it on my own, yet I'm glad i did.  Not a book for kids, definitely an adult book both in terms of content, literary illusions, and historical/life experience understanding required to appreciate.  Not that i see this on many high school book lists or anything! But just saying.  It has some fairly erotic scenes for a "literary" novel written in the 60s and set in the 50s.

[LaughingCat]

None of my family were readers -- but my parents never forbade any book either.  The only book I remember being forbidden was Little Women when I was in 2nd grade because my Mom loved it and wanted me to wait until I was older.  I did wait but sadly I never cared for that book even though I loved many other Alcott's -- probably would have been better for her to just let me go ahead and read it instead of building up anticipation.     After that I only remember just one discussion in the elementary years about 'probably too old for you, but read it if you like' -- and once I hit middle school I pretty much read what I wanted with no commentary from my parents. The only things they bought me though were Newberry's, Classics and a subscription to Reader's Digest Condensed versions of all things (well, maybe that was meant partly for themselves -- but I was the only one who read any of them)

 

The book I think I have read most is Cyteen by CJ Cherryh.   I loved that book (and author) for many years.

 

This week was a Diana Wynne Jones week for me -- read 4 of her books -- The Pinhoe Egg, The House of Many Ways, The Game and one that is escaping me right now?

[prairiegirl]

Thank you all for your kind words.  They are much appreciated.   Jenn,  I am so sorry that you have traveled this path as well. 

[Kareni]

Yesterday I finished two books both of which are classified as young adult ~

 

Boys Like You by Juliana Stone

 

I'd read the author's Some Kind of Normal which was a follow on book to this one, so I was curious to read Boys Like You.  It dealt with some serious topics but was an enjoyable read.

 

"Nate Everets' life was all about acoustic guitar, girls in short shorts and hot Southern nights.
Until the accident.

 

Monroe Blackwell's life was full of soccer goals, flirty skirts and bright city lights.
Until the accident.

 

Now Nate has a best friend that might never wake up, a summer of community service, and enough guilt to drown in. Monroe has a family that's falling apart, a summer banishment to her grandma's, and a choking grief that makes it hard to breathe.

 

Captivating and hopeful, this achingly poignant novel brings together two lost souls struggling with grief and guilt – looking for acceptance, so they can find forgiveness."

 

 

I also read Double Digit by Annabel Monaghan which was a follow on to the author's A Girl Named Digit. These books should be read in order.  Some characters who were the good guys in the first book are shown in a more nuanced way in Double Digit.  I would like to read more in this series, so I'm now waiting for book three.

 

"To say eighteen-year-old Farrah Higgins—or Digit—is good at math is a laughable understatement. She’s been cracking codes since childhood, and is finally at home with “her people†at MIT in Cambridge. Her talents are so off the charts that her laptop is under surveillance by both the CIA and an ecoterrorist named Jonas Furnis. So when she thoughtlessly hacks into the Department of Defense’s database, she lands in serious hot water inside and outside the law. Readers will be sad to turn the last page of this suspenseful, sassy, super smart thriller, the sequel to A Girl Named Digit."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

Terrific story on NPR's Morning Edition this morning.  The Kitchen Sisters usually write about food (and they wrote a book about it called Hidden Kitchens which a read a couple of years ago).  Today they reported on a prison inmate who has become a financial guru offering stock tips. This story is less about money than literacy.  The inmate (who has been given the nickname "Wall Street") was illiterate when he began his incarceration. He graduated from candy wrappers and clothing labels to the financial pages. 

 

http://www.npr.org/2015/08/14/431958714/inmate-with-stock-tips-wants-to-be-san-quentins-warren-buffet

 

If only he had been given the power of the written word as a child.  Perhaps a very different fate would have awaited.

 

 

 

 

[Robin M]

Karen - Yesterday I finished a different book by this author which I enjoyed ~ Dead Spots (Scarlett Bernard) by Melissa F. Olson.

 

Evidently I got this one back in 2013 and totally forgot about it being on kindle.  :tongue_smilie:   I'm still reading Boundary Crossed.  Enjoying it so far.

 

Were you ever forbidden to read a book?

 

In Junior year of High School, parents wouldn't let me read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for class.   They went to principle and made them come up with an alternative for me.  I don't remember what it was now.  

 

I remember sneaking into my mother's closet at 14 (???) when she wasn't home and reading what she considered an R rated book.   I think it was Valley of the Dolls. 

 

For rereads, anytime a new book comes out in a series I really enjoy, I end up rereading the series at least once.   Although I've read the In Death series 4 times including listening to it on audio book.  I just reread Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series and read the last book which just came out - Magic Shifts.   

 

 

 

 

Hi Sapientia -- delighted you are joining us!!!!

 

 

Halycon -- no embarrassment over pulp fiction. Not when I'm stuck on urban fantasies and paranormals rather than classic literature.

 

Welcome back MommyMilkies - Hope things improve for the rest of the year.

 

Julia   :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:    I'm so sorry, Doll. Glad we can provide a safe, happy spot for some respite.

 

 

Thoroughly enjoying seeing what everyone is picking for the spell your name challenge.

 

 

[TeacherZee]

Hugs Julia

 

Jenn I just sent my mom a bunch of yarn so she can crochet me a Sheldon Cooper :)

[Butter]

I finished reading The Haunted House on the Little Egg Harbor River by Lynne Leatham last night.  I read it to my boys (it's a kids book).  My best friend's friend's mother-in-law wrote it (I don't know the friend or the MIL) and they asked my best friend to read it and review it since it has no reviews yet.  My best friend asked me to read it and review it since she doesn't have much time to read.  There were a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes and I mentioned that to my best friend so even before I had finished reading it to the boys, the friend's MIL had edited it and replaced it with the new version.  The boys LOVED it!  It was cute and I loved the ending.  As an adult I can see plot holes typical in kids books, but even my logical 9 year old who often notices plot holes and tells me why the story in a book can't happen the way it says it does didn't mention any of them.  My 7 year old was convinced it was a true story - ghosts and all.  5/5 stars now that the errors were corrected.

 

This morning I finished The Time Machine by HG Wells.  That one fits in the category of a first book written by a popular author.  I had only read the Great Illustrated Classics version to my older two years ago.  Sometimes the narrative drags a little, but I still liked it and give it 5/5 stars.  This is a book my 13 year old will be reading during the school year.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished The Iron King by Maurice Druon. This is the first of a historical fiction series written in french in the 1950s which is getting a lot of hype currently because George RR Martin called it "the original Game of Thrones."  It was enjoyable if you like historical fiction, but not un-put-downable or anything.  The writing style was kind of meh but it's possible much was lost in translation.  I'm not going to pick up the next book immediately, but it will be on my list in case of a lull.  Solid 3 1/2 stars.

 

The Library at Mount Char came in from the library yesterday. Another one of those I'm not sure why I put it on hold books, it must have been on a list somebody linked. Anybody read it? It's extremely strange so far, I can't decide if I like it or not.

[Jane in NC]

I finished The Magus by John Fowles.  It was a chunkster. It was for my IRL book group, and it's a good thing, because if I hadn't had that motivation I might not have continued past the first 50-100 pages.  It didn't get really gripping till probably 1/3 of the way through its 600+ pages, and that's usually longer than I give a novel to get compelling. It was . . . interesting.  Interesting technique-wise, for sure.  The narrator was an essentially unappealing and somewhat unreliable figure, yet you somehow feel sympathy with him, while realizing the fact that he's essentially a cad.  It's a book firmly in the realist tradition, yet it was also almost incomprehensibly unreal. You, along with the narrator, are forced to question every single thing you think of as a "fact" in order to figure out what is essentially real about the characters and their situation.  And despite the author's contention that he clarified the ambiguity at the ending in this revised version of the novel, I still found it pretty darn ambiguous.  All in all, a book I'm glad my group picked to read, because I never would have read it on my own, yet I'm glad i did.  Not a book for kids, definitely an adult book both in terms of content, literary illusions, and historical/life experience understanding required to appreciate.  Not that i see this on many high school book lists or anything! But just saying.  It has some fairly erotic scenes for a "literary" novel written in the 60s and set in the 50s.

 

Fowles was less explicit in the original Magus. It is the revised edition from the '70's that is more erotic.

 

Having read both books (although admittedly a while ago), I can say that I prefer the original to the revised.  In fact, both books lived on my shelf for a while but it was not hard to part with the revised edition.  There is greater ambiguity in the original; and it is the ambiguity of the story that appealed to me when I first read the book about age 18 or 19.

 

Your post has me wondering about something though. The Magus is often included on lists of the top 100 novels of the 20th century. I wonder what edition the esteemed critics suggest. 

 

I love Fowles' work!  In addition to reading both editions of The Magus, I have also read and loved Daniel Martin and The French Lieutenant's Woman.  The Collector creeped me out though.  Making a note to reread both The Magus and The Tree in the winter months ahead.

[Teegarden]

Finished The Sparrow on my (endless, endless) plane flight. I really enjoyed it!

 

I did find the discussions of celibacy a little tiresome at times (at some point I just want to snap at the priest to suck it up and deal), and I think Russell tends to be a bit overt with her metaphors. ("I am doing a symbolic thing!" "I observe you are doing a symbolic thing. This is how it is symbolic." "Yes. I will now contemplate the symbolism of my symbolic thing." "I comment on your symbolic thing!" "I react symbolically." "I now comprehend the full depth of the symbolism.")

 

But when Russell lets her symbolism speak for itself (and even sometimes when she doesn't), it's genuinely compelling. Her treatment of forgiveness is thoughtful, thorough, and often (deliberately) painful. There were a lot of thoughts in that book -- I think I'm going to want to go back and read it again. A passage I found particularly compelling:

 

"Marc -- you understand that the gardens were Marc's, yes? To witness this slaughter--" A few more minutes. "The Jana'ata eat only once a day. We were offered food each morning and then force-marched for many hours. Marc refused to eat. I tried to persuade him, but he would only say something in French. A few words. ... "Ill son, less and sawn.' Something like that. I should have recognized it..."

 

"Ils sont les innocents." It was Guilani's voice. "It is hard to think the unthinkable. They were offering you the meat of the innocents."

 

 

I'll be moving on to the last book in my Philosophically Interesting Science Fiction to-read list: Lem's His Master's Voice. If my flight keeps getting delayed, I might finish that tonight as well.

 

 

 

 

[Stacia]

Sapientia, thanks for posting your comments on The Sparrow. Have you read The Time Machine? I hadn't read it at the time I read The Sparrow, but years later. I was surprised at the number of parallels between the two. Hope your flight situation improves!

 

I finally finished a book after my dry spell.

 

The Distant Marvels by Chantel Acevedo is beautiful, entertaining, & heart-rending. It's yet another lovely book put out by Europa Editions & is one I think quite a few of you would like. The Cuban setting makes it timely too. It has a starred review from Kirkus.

 

Maria Sirena tells stories. She does it for money—she was a favorite in the cigar factory where she worked as a lettora—and for love, spinning gossamer tales out of her own past for the benefit of friends, neighbors, and family. But now, like a modern-day Scheherazade, she will be asked to tell one last story so that eight women can keep both hope and themselves alive.
 
Cuba, 1963. Hurricane Flora, one of the deadliest hurricanes in recorded history, is bearing down on the island. Seven women have been forcibly evacuated from their homes and herded into the former governor’s mansion, where they are watched over by another woman, a young soldier of Castro’s new Cuba named Ofelia. Outside the storm is raging and the floodwaters are rising. In a single room on the top floor of the governor’s mansion, Maria Sirena begins to tell the incredible story of her childhood during Cuba’s Third War of Independence; of her father Augustin, a ferocious rebel; of her mother, Lulu, an astonishing woman who fought, loved, dreamed, and suffered as fiercely as her husband. Stories, however, have a way of taking on a life of their own, and transported by her story’s momentum, Maria Sirena will reveal more about herself than she or anyone ever expected.
 
Chantel Acevedo’s The Distant Marvels is an epic adventure tale, a family saga, a love story, a stunning historical account of armed struggle against oppressors, and a long tender plea for forgiveness. It is, finally, a life-affirming novel about the kind of love that lasts a lifetime and the very art of storytelling itself.

 

[Kathleen.]

For this challenge I started with "King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table" by Benedict Flynn. My 9yo is not doing the challenge, but read the Library Mouse books by Daniel Kirk.

:)

[Robin M]

Link  to week 33  - please continue conversation in new thread