Book a Week 2015 - BW37: Waiting Afield at Dusk

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday dear hearts:  We are on week 37  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 in my signature.

 

52 Books Blog - Waiting Afield at Dusk by Robert Frost:  I couldn't settle on anything to talk about so here's a poem to contemplate:  

 

 

WHAT things for dream there are when spectre-like, 

Moving among tall haycocks lightly piled, 

I enter alone upon the stubble field, 

From which the laborers’ voices late have died,

And in the antiphony of afterglow 

And rising full moon, sit me down 

Upon the full moon’s side of the first haycock 

And lose myself amid so many alike. 

 

 

I dream upon the opposing lights of the hour, 

Preventing shadow until the moon prevail; 

I dream upon the night-hawks peopling heaven, 

Each circling each with vague unearthly cry, 

Or plunging headlong with fierce twang afar; 

And on the bat’s mute antics, who would seem 

Dimly to have made out my secret place, 

Only to lose it when he pirouettes, 

And seek it endlessly with purblind haste; 

On the last swallow’s sweep; and on the rasp 

In the abyss of odor and rustle at my back, 

That, silenced by my advent, finds once more, 

After an interval, his instrument, 

And tries once—twice—and thrice if I be there; 

And on the worn book of old-golden song 

I brought not here to read, it seems, but hold 

And freshen in this air of withering sweetness:

But on the memory of one absent most, 

For whom these lines when they shall greet her eye. 

 

 

 

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

 

History of The Medieval World 

Chapter 44 - Days of the Empress pp 333 - 340 

 

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

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

Link to week 36

[Negin]

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

 

I just finished City of Thieves - 4 Stars - At the beginning, I honestly thought that the book was true and that it was based on the author’s grandfather, but I then realized that it is in fact fiction. It felt a bit odd to find things to laugh while reading a World War II-themed book, but Benioff manages to make it light and he does it brilliantly. There were parts that were very sad and disturbing, obviously there would be since this is about Russia during WWII, yet the book manages to not be overly depressing, while remaining engaging and entertaining with all its silly and funny twists and turns. I absolutely loved the friendship between Lev and Kolya. There is lots of language and other stuff like that, for those who may not care for that sort of thing. It didn't bother me, but just letting everyone know. 

 

 

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.

[Robin M]

I'm currently reading # 4 in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time -- The Shadow Rising.  Plugging away intermittently on Proust's Swann's Way.  

 

The 125th anniversary of Agatha Christie's birth is the 15th - check out Irish Times article Agatha Christie: And then there were 66 crime novels

[6packofun]

I'm reading The Alienist by Caleb Carr.  Wow, very depressing.  It's really good, it just gives the impression that child prostitution was SO prevalent here in America (I know it still is in many places) and it makes me sad to live in this world.  :(  (It is being made into a multi-series show on TNT, btw, which could be excellent because it gives so much interesting detail of forensic and detecting methods as the concept of serial killers is formed.)

[Kareni]

Yesterday I re-read a book that I hadn't read in years.  I'd gone to the library to return a stack of books, and - surprisingly - I had no holds to pick up.  Since I still had errands to run, and since it's impossible to ride the bus without a book, I took this book from the 'read and return' spinning rack as I exited the library.  It was a contemporary romance when it was first published in 1997, and it has held up well even with a few dated references. I enjoyed it.

 

Small Town Girl by LaVyrle Spencer

 

"Eighteen years ago, Tess McPhail left her tiny hometown of Wintergreen, Missouri for the bright lights of Nashville and never looked back. Now, one of country music’s biggest stars, “Mac†is a hardworking woman with little time for a personal life—until her sister insists she come home to help care for their widowed mother.
 
The welcome Mac receives is less than warm, especially from her former next-door neighbor Kenny Kroneck. Now a handsome divorcé with a teenage daughter, Kenny refuses to give Mac the time of day. But when Mac discovers that Kenny’s daughter is a promising country music talent, she assumes the role of mentor and gradually learns to open her hardened heart to the sweet rewards of caring and commitment."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm sitting here glued to news sites watching the devastation of a fire in the next county - the latest of many, but close enough to home that I've been to all the places that are now devastated, and know many of the people who are being affected. It's frightening and sad. So many people's lives turned upside down overnight.

 

I finished Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney last night. I liked it more than I expected to. It ties in well with War of the Worlds, which Shannon and I are studying right now. It's interesting to see the progression of alien-invasion stories, from Wells' original story where the aliens are defeated by earth's biota, not by humans, to Invasion where they are defeated by the human spirit - resistance, which seems futile on the surface, turn out not to be, to more modern movies on the topic where the aliens are defeated by brave humans with lots of firepower and special effects. It was a much less hubris-ridden view then than it is now.

 

Books Read in September:

133. Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Jack Finney

132. Memoirs of a Porcupine - Alain Mabanckou

131. Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded - Simon Winchester

130. Itch: The Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter - Simon Mayo

129. The Castle in Transylvania - Jules Verne

128. Andrew's Brain - E. L. Doctorow

127. The Dark is Rising - Susan Cooper

[KathyBC]

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe (McCall Smith). Mma Makutsi didn't have a son in the last title I read, so I missed one.

[Guest]

This past week has been hectic, but good.  I've been more aware this year of the challenge of balancing the introspection and reflection of this season with the physical realities of my day-to-day life... 

 

The Garrick Year by Margaret Drabble: I've been meaning to try some Drabble (other then her Oxford Companion to English Literature, aka 'the Drabble'), and when I picked this up from the clearance shelves at HPB the slightly snarky, ironically self-reflecting voice grabbed me.  It looks at marriage and motherhood with truth (though not my truth) and caring but without sentimentality... and the endearing snarkiness and self-awareness  carried all the way through.  It is funny and a bit pathetic, but there's a strength and searching and and fumbling awareness of some larger picture things... and now I think I want to try another Drabble at some point....[And I will know to view the jacket copy with heavy skepticism...]

 

Bearing Heavy Things by Liyou Libsekal: another poetry chapbook from the set I linked last week.  These were more powerful and a few did interesting things connecting the personal and the [Ethiopian] political.  This link (from when she won the Brunel University African Poetry Prize has three of her poems (though none of the ones I loved)

 

K2 by Patrick Meyers: the play is centered around a somewhat predictable contrived scenario that still managed to tug my heart in places.

 

Damia by Anne McCaffrey: Bleh.  This (like The Rowan) is an expansion of a short story (from Get Off the Unicorn).  In both cases the shorter form has more interest and substance.  In this case the 25 year age difference between the pair was much creepier with their relationship from her birth on is covered.  

 

Elul and Rosh HaShanah by Rabbi Pincus - this has been at the center of my reading/thinking/existing for this past month of Elul.  R' Pincus's approach doesn't map perfectly to my hashkafa (~philosophy of life), but I still found this stirring and inspiring.

 

Elul by Rabbi Goldwasser: a reread of this 1 reading/day book.  Not as transformative as the R' Pincus, but valuable.  ...and it was fascinating to experience it with the echoes of my last read reverberating as I read.  I read this the year my eldest got married... so I was reading these on the trip to her wedding, during the celebrations, and on the trip back.... 

[Lady Florida.]

I've given up on Shadow Country. It just wasn't holding my interest, and at 800 pages I didn't think it was worth the time commitment. 

 

 

Finished the audio book Whose Body?, by Dorothy Sayers. I couldn't get into it when I tried to read it and thought maybe listening would be better but I stillI just thought it was meh. I really wanted to like it but couldn't.

 

Still reading: 

 

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman  and still finding it interesting. She's not yet empress. In fact, Elizabeth is still alive, so her husband Peter isn't in charge yet either. She is however, beginning to show more boldness and less timidity.

 

A Room With a View. - This is my choice for book club, and at first I was nodding off and wondering if the others would even bother to finish it. It's starting to pick up now in Chapter 4.

 

I'm trying to read Play Dead, my Kindle Owner's Library book for September. I haven't decided yet how I feel. It didn't grab me right away but I'm not ready to give up yet. 

 

I keep trying new mystery series books and am having trouble finding one I like. So far the Shetland Island series is the only one I'm looking forward to continuing. 

 

Maybe I'm just in a fiction funk. The non-fiction books I've chosen recently are holding my interest. It's only fiction I'm having trouble with, which is odd because i prefer fiction over non-fiction.

[idnib]

HAPPY 99th BIRTHDAY ROALD DAHL!

 

 

Robin, thank you for the new thread and the Frost poem as well.

 

I decided to start The Folly and am hoping I'll get to discuss it with Jane when she has a chance to read it as well. So far I like it. I enjoy books in which there's a factor that starts unravelling normal day-to-day life.

 

Plugging away intermittently on Proust's Swann's Way.  

 

 

Where's the "bowing down" smilie?

 

I'm reading The Alienist by Caleb Carr.  Wow, very depressing.  It's really good, it just gives the impression that child prostitution was SO prevalent here in America (I know it still is in many places) and it makes me sad to live in this world.   :(  (It is being made into a multi-series show on TNT, btw, which could be excellent because it gives so much interesting detail of forensic and detecting methods as the concept of serial killers is formed.)

 

I read that book a few years back. I agree it's really depressing but also good. Another book I think of when I think of The Alienist is Devil in the White City. 

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

I'm sitting here glued to news sites watching the devastation of a fire in the next county - the latest of many, but close enough to home that I've been to all the places that are now devastated, and know many of the people who are being affected. It's frightening and sad. So many people's lives turned upside down overnight.

 

 

 

:grouphug:  It's horrifying to watch news reports. As they show individual houses burning I keep thinking "That's a real person's home, not just a news report". It's like seeing hurricane devastation. It's so sad.

[Loesje22000]

I finished Middlemarch and started Madam Bovary (in Dutch), I like it so far...

Meanwhile I read two teen retellings from Frankenstein and Dracula.

[Guest]

 

 

Finished the audio book Whose Body?, by Dorothy Sayers. I couldn't get into it when I tried to read it and thought maybe listening would be better but I stillI just thought it was meh. I really wanted to like it but couldn't.

 

 

 

I read this one once and haven't every wanted to come back to it.  (The other one I don't reread is Nine Tailors, but for very different reasons)

[JennW in SoCal]

I'm sitting here glued to news sites watching the devastation of a fire in the next county - the latest of many, but close enough to home that I've been to all the places that are now devastated, and know many of the people who are being affected. It's frightening and sad. So many people's lives turned upside down overnight.

 

 

I was thinking of you this morning, Rose, wondering how close the fire is to you. I know it's in the next county -- but your counties are smaller up north so I have no sense of scale! And I've no sense of which way the wind is blowing up there -- if it might head west. After living through 2 evacuations, one of which was for a fire that ripped through our neighborhood, it's hard watching the news as I have such a visceral reaction to it.  Come on El Nino -- start dumping some rain on us!  (It's been unusually hot and humid here and we're supposed to get rain this week but in the form of thunderstorms which bring lightening strikes that start fires, so it's a good news bad news kind of forecast...)

 

On another thread about the fires Rosie wondered if folk here in CA have evacuation bag packed and ready to go. You'd think I would after 2 evacuations, but somehow it seems like "borrowing trouble", like I'm giving into my neurosis. But given the drought and the arsonists around here, perhaps I should...

 

On a more pleasant topic, books, I've got 3 going at the moment.  On audio I have The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin, which I'm still enjoying though after a strong and unusual beginning there are some standard and annoying fantasy elements creeping in.  I've started Longbourn by Jo Baker, which is Pride and Prejudice from the servants' point of view.  So far so good, but that's only after 30 pages!!  And I'm about half way through another of the Shetland mysteries that happened to be on the library shelf yesterday.

[Just Robyn]

I read The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. I was surprised by how different this book is than the movie (assuming my memory of the movie isn't completely wrong). Through his stories, I get the impression that Wells has a view of humanity that I can't agree with, and for me, these views take a fun and fantastic story and make them kind of awful. Not in the gee-that's-depressing-but-true way. It's more: You're a jerk, and it comes through in your stories and makes them suck. 

 

I stared two writing books: The Making of a Story by Alice LaPlante and This Won't Take But a Minute, Honey by Steve Almond. And after reading a short story by Denis Johnson in the LaPlante book, I picked up a book of his short stories called Jesus' Son. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I was thinking of you this morning, Rose, wondering how close the fire is to you. I know it's in the next county -- but your counties are smaller up north so I have no sense of scale! And I've no sense of which way the wind is blowing up there -- if it might head west. After living through 2 evacuations, one of which was for a fire that ripped through our neighborhood, it's hard watching the news as I have such a visceral reaction to it.  Come on El Nino -- start dumping some rain on us!  (It's been unusually hot and humid here and we're supposed to get rain this week but in the form of thunderstorms which bring lightening strikes that start fires, so it's a good news bad news kind of forecast...)

 

On another thread about the fires Rosie wondered if folk here in CA have evacuation bag packed and ready to go. You'd think I would after 2 evacuations, but somehow it seems like "borrowing trouble", like I'm giving into my neurosis. But given the drought and the arsonists around here, perhaps I should...

 

On a more pleasant topic, books, I've got 3 going at the moment.  On audio I have The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin, which I'm still enjoying though after a strong and unusual beginning there are some standard and annoying fantasy elements creeping in.  I've started Longbourn by Jo Baker, which is Pride and Prejudice from the servants' point of view.  So far so good, but that's only after 30 pages!!  And I'm about half way through another of the Shetland mysteries that happened to be on the library shelf yesterday.

 

We could see the glow in the sky last night.  It's about 20 miles as the crow flies, but there are a couple of substantial mountain ranges between here and there.  I've been collecting clothes and toiletries and taking them to the dropoff locations here in town - don't want to clog the roads over the hill. That's part of what makes it all so scary, there are only two or three roads in and out of these communities, they are pretty isolated, and people got trapped last night. I think everyone is out who needs to be now, but they are in makeshift Red Cross shelters in Napa.  This is a rural area, so many people have horses, sheep, dogs, etc. they are having to evacuate as well.  It has been heartwarming to see the outpouring of support, particularly from people with ranches/space who are offering to take in and board horses and other animals and house people as well.

[mumto2]

:grouphug: Rose

 

I finished a few books in series that I have been enjoying.

 

A Good Rouge is Hard to Find, Lords of Worth series book 2 by Kelly Bowen. This series is highly enjoyable. They both have had a social justice theme, this one deals with aristocrats who don't pay their bills. The third arrived on my Kindle today.

 

Trial by Fire by JA Jance is part of her Ali Reynolds series. This one was new to me. This is a series that I have been rereading. I missed several apparently and have been enjoying filling in the holes. I enjoy all of JA Jances series. Most have enough of a continuing storyline to be more enjoyable somewhat in order.

 

Spell Bound is the third in the Hex Hall trilogy by Rachel Hawkins. These were likened to Harry Potter on a list from somewhere which is an extremely generous rating. If you throw that description out they aren't a bad YA offering. Dd and I both considered them to be a good quick read.

[Onceuponatime]

I'm still Packing for Mars. Talk about TMI. Did I really want to know all this gross stuff? But the author does tell it in a fairly engaging way. Crash test cadavers bring a whole new meaning to giving your body to science.

[Guest]

I read The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. I was surprised by how different this book is than the movie (assuming my memory of the movie isn't completely wrong). Through his stories, I get the impression that Wells has a view of humanity that I can't agree with, and for me, these views take a fun and fantastic story and make them kind of awful. Not in the gee-that's-depressing-but-true way. It's more: You're a jerk, and it comes through in your stories and makes them suck. 

 

 

The most appealing Wells I've read is The History of Mr Polly.  (Appealing in the sense I think you're using here re: perspective on humanity and the human experience)

[Robin M]

I was thinking of you this morning, Rose, wondering how close the fire is to you. I know it's in the next county -- but your counties are smaller up north so I have no sense of scale! And I've no sense of which way the wind is blowing up there -- if it might head west. After living through 2 evacuations, one of which was for a fire that ripped through our neighborhood, it's hard watching the news as I have such a visceral reaction to it.  Come on El Nino -- start dumping some rain on us!  (It's been unusually hot and humid here and we're supposed to get rain this week but in the form of thunderstorms which bring lightening strikes that start fires, so it's a good news bad news kind of forecast...)

 

On another thread about the fires Rosie wondered if folk here in CA have evacuation bag packed and ready to go. You'd think I would after 2 evacuations, but somehow it seems like "borrowing trouble", like I'm giving into my neurosis. But given the drought and the arsonists around here, perhaps I should...

 

 

 

We could see the glow in the sky last night.  It's about 20 miles as the crow flies, but there are a couple of substantial mountain ranges between here and there.  I've been collecting clothes and toiletries and taking them to the dropoff locations here in town - don't want to clog the roads over the hill. That's part of what makes it all so scary, there are only two or three roads in and out of these communities, they are pretty isolated, and people got trapped last night. I think everyone is out who needs to be now, but they are in makeshift Red Cross shelters in Napa.  This is a rural area, so many people have horses, sheep, dogs, etc. they are having to evacuate as well.  It has been heartwarming to see the outpouring of support, particularly from people with ranches/space who are offering to take in and board horses and other animals and house people as well.

 

:grouphug:  Rose.  Glad you are staying safe and thank you for helping out.  We're a whole lot farther away in Sacramento, but the skies have been gray for the past few days and so smoky out there.   

 

We don't have evac bags packed either, although we're supposed to be prepared in case of an earthquake, the river flooding, the dam breaking, any number of catastrophes.  Although I did get one of those ready america emergency backpack kits.  I still need to put together one for each of us with extra clothes, water and necessities for the cats as well and find a place in the garage to store it and still be accessible.  John and I have discussed plenty of times where to go and how fast it would take us to get out of the house if we needed to evacuate. 

[Just Robyn]

The most appealing Wells I've read is The History of Mr Polly.  (Appealing in the sense I think you're using here re: perspective on humanity and the human experience)

 

Thank you! My next Wells will have to be War of the Worlds just so I can feel like I've read the essentials, but I've stuck The History of Mr. Polly on my to-read list so that Wells can have a chance to redeem himself.

[Pam in CT]

:grouphug: Rose.  

[Kareni]

I can't resist ....

 

A Good Rouge is Hard to Find ...

 

Foundation and lipsticks can be challenging, too.

 

I'm still Packing for Mars.

 

When do you leave?

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[Kareni]

Earlier I finished Grace Burrowes' historical romance Tremaine's True Love; I enjoyed it.  This book had a country setting rather than the more common setting of ballrooms of the ton.

 

"He's had everything he could ever want...until now

 

Wealthy wool magnate Tremaine St. Michael is half French, half Scottish, and all business. He prowls the world in search of more profits, rarely settling in one place for long. When he meets practical, reserved Lady Nita Haddonfield, he sees an opportunity to mix business with pleasure by making the lady his own.

 

Nita Haddonfield has a meaningful life tending to others, though nobody is dedicated to caring for Nita. She insists the limitations of marriage aren't for her, then Tremaine St. Michael arrives-protective, passionate, and very, very determined to win Nita's heart."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Earlier I finished Grace Burrowes' historical romance Tremaine's True Love; I enjoyed it. This book had a country setting rather than the more common setting of ballrooms of the ton.

 

"He's had everything he could ever want...until now

 

Wealthy wool magnate Tremaine St. Michael is half French, half Scottish, and all business. He prowls the world in search of more profits, rarely settling in one place for long. When he meets practical, reserved Lady Nita Haddonfield, he sees an opportunity to mix business with pleasure by making the lady his own.

 

Nita Haddonfield has a meaningful life tending to others, though nobody is dedicated to caring for Nita. She insists the limitations of marriage aren't for her, then Tremaine St. Michael arrives-protective, passionate, and very, very determined to win Nita's heart."

 

Regards,

Kareni

I have it on hold. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I do think you will like the Kelly Bowen books. :)

[Violet Crown]

Checking in late as we spent the day in Houston examining the special exhibit of Habsburg bling at the art museum, including the Velasquez painting of the Infanta Maria Teresa which we all knew from our art history curriculum but actually got to see! We were like a bunch of hayseeds, standing there staring at it slackjawed for so long. Look at that, paw, all the way from Aw-stree-ya! Shore is purty, Betty Lou.... Honestly though, sometimes I wish I didn't have to drive three hours through cow country just to get to a half-decent museum. The Habsburg knickknacks were fantastic. What shall we put in the middle of our table this month, Franz-Josef? Ach how about a few gold nereids sitting on a carved walnut elephant, holding up gold-framed gem-carved cameos of our various family members? That will look splendid next to the gold-and-rare-shell triple-tiered sorbet holder from Uncle Karl.

 

I finished A Hero of Our Time and have started Bulwer-Lytton's Paul Clifford, a novel made famous by its opening sentences, which inspired the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest:

-----------

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the house-tops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness. Through one of the obscurest quarters of London, and among haunts little loved by the gentlemen of the police, a man, evidently of the lowest orders, was wending his solitary way.

 

----------

 

And still enjoying Piers Plowman.

[idnib]

:grouphug:  Rose.  Glad you are staying safe and thank you for helping out.  We're a whole lot farther away in Sacramento, but the skies have been gray for the past few days and so smoky out there.   

 

On my favorite weather blog commenters mentioned ash coming down in SJ. And also that Harbin Hot Springs is gone.

[Shawneinfl]

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

 

I just finished City of Thieves - 4 Stars - At the beginning, I honestly thought that the book was true and that it was based on the author’s grandfather, but I then realized that it is in fact fiction. It felt a bit odd to find things to laugh while reading a World War II-themed book, but Benioff manages to make it light and he does it brilliantly. There were parts that were very sad and disturbing, obviously there would be since this is about Russia during WWII, yet the book manages to not be overly depressing, while remaining engaging and entertaining with all its silly and funny twists and turns. I absolutely loved the friendship between Lev and Kolya. There is lots of language and other stuff like that, for those who may not care for that sort of thing. It didn't bother me, but just letting everyone know. 

 

 

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.

 

City of Thieves was one of my top 5 last year. I followed it with The Seige which did not disappoint.

 

 

I finished Middlemarch and started Madam Bovary (in Dutch), I like it so far...

Meanwhile I read two teen retellings from Frankenstein and Dracula.

 

I've been working on Middlemarch via Audible for a loooong time. Unfortunately, when my workouts slow down, so does my listening. I may have to start all over again. lol Glad you made it through.

[Jane in NC]

About 40 pages to go in The Folly, Idnib. I'll start the chat!

 

Ivan Vladislavić was born in South Africa and writes in English.  I think that needs to be made clear since one might assume that he is another of these Eastern European writers that I tend to find in dusty corners of bookstores and libraries.  Vladislavić's allegorical fable, The Folly, was first published in South Africa in 1993 and is now made available in the US thanks to dear Archipelago Books.

 

And what a tale it is! The middle class lives of Mr and Mrs Malgas are rudely interrupted by the appropriately named Nieuwenhuizen ("new house" in Afrikaans) when he sets up camp on the empty lot next door.  He pitches a tent and dances about the lot to gather materials there. A layout of a house seems to evolve as he pounds large nails in an apparent random pattern that may or may not have meaning.  Mr. Malgas watches this life of apparent freedom in admiration and is soon sucked into the vision that Nieuwenhuizen is creating.  Although on more than one occasion, the neighbor must remind hardware salesman Malgas that he must expand beyond his literal view of the world:

 

"You've got hardware on the brain, my friend, and it leave you no room for speculation."

 

Mrs (as Malgas's wife is called in the tale) is disgusted by it all.  That does not keep her from keeping watch while perched on a stool behind a curtain.  She scrubs Mr's dirty and aching bath in the tub while trying to figure out just what the heck is going on next door.  Is her husband losing his mind?

 

Fun little book so far!

[Jane in NC]

Sending good thoughts to you, Rose, during this frightening time.

 

Jane, did I learn about the Icelandic series by Arnaldur Indridadson from you? What I loved about the one I read recently was that it was smart and complex without either saccharine or twisted gore. It took me back to how I felt when first reading the DI Banks series.  Give Indridadson a try if you haven't yet. The Shetland mysteries are also good -- a little more atmospheric and gentle but still very smart.

 

I haven't put myself on the hold list for Peter Robinson's newest -- the last 2 were such disappointments. 

 

Jenn, we made a day trip to Raleigh today to attend a memorial service.  Beforehand, I had a chance to stop at Quail Ridge Books, a wonderful independent bookstore, that carries European imports in its stock. Thus I was able to pick up the first Vera Stanhope mystery (author Ann Cleves).  My library has some of her Shetland books which I look forward to reading down the road.  They have Indridason too! Thanks for the recommendation.

[Shawneinfl]

In remembrance of September 11th I picked up a couple of display items from my library. The first was a dvd documentary called simply 9/11 by Jules and Gedeon Naudet, two brothers who just happened to be filming a documentary on rookie firefighters when the tragedy struck. It was excellent but difficult to relive that day all over again. I wanted to make sure my kids knew exactly what had happened.

 

The other was an uplifting book called The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim Defede. It told the story of the 38 jet-liners forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland and the tiny towns and villages which rallied to take care of the thousands of strangers from all over the world who landed on their doorsteps. One part that made me laugh was when the town pharmacist came to the rescue with nicotine patches and gum for all the passengers forced to wait on the planes for up to 24 hours.

 

I started The Violinist's Thumb today which I happened upon by chance and remembered someone listing it last week. It was in the same stack as the book I was trying to find, but the book I wanted was on the top shelf and I was too short to reach it. I looked down and there was the other book - serendipitous!

[aggieamy]

My house is currently a flop house for relatives so I haven't had much reading time.  I did finish one mediocre Joan Smith regency romance that isn't even worth mentioning except maybe as a warning ... don't bother with Sweet and Twenty.  Dull.

 

I'm relistening to GH's Friday's Child (loving it!) and once it's finished I will listen to an audiobook of Agatha Christie's in honor of her birthday. 

 

 

A Room With a View. - This is my choice for book club, and at first I was nodding off and wondering if the others would even bother to finish it. It's starting to pick up now in Chapter 4.

 

My book club read that this year too.  We all hated it.  All of us.  We spent a pleasant afternoon talking about all the things we hated about it. 

[Lady Florida.]

 

 

 

My book club read that this year too.  We all hated it.  All of us.  We spent a pleasant afternoon talking about all the things we hated about it. 

 

Uh-oh. 

[Stacia]

I was looking through my (fairly large) accumulation of kindle books on my ipad this weekend. Most have been picked up for free (either classics that are out of copyright or freebies that have been linked here) & a few have been bought. I figured I would delete some things on my digital bookshelf. Of course, most are books that I really don't recognize since I would download & then almost never read ebook versions of anything. So, as I started looking through my virtual stacks, I would open some of the books to see what they were. And guess what? I ended up reading two romance novels in the process. I'm not even sure I've ever read a contemporary romance book, so they were firsts for me.

 

Both were books by Marie Force: True North and Maid for Love. (Ok, I have to :rolleyes: at that second title. :lol: )

 

Definite beach reads, both of them. I enjoyed True North much better than Maid for Love. Partially, I think, because True North has a 'matched' couple in that both are successful, driven in their fields, etc... vs. the Maid for Love one which has (a probably predictable) love match of the 'town tramp'/low income/single mother who accidentally runs into the the town's prodigal son (of the wealthy/hotel-owning family that employs said maid) & they fall completely in love. (So, kind of a 'lesser woman' & the 'higher man' thing.) Also, the Maid one had some glitchy stuff -- not sure if it was formatting issues for kindle or if the author just changed scenery/time in the middle of a chapter more than once or what...? Overall, True North was the better written of the two books & I liked the storyline better. And, quite frankly, I liked True North better because it had better 'adult' stuff in it, at least in my biased opinion. :laugh:

 

So, anyway, I've entered the romance reading arena, probably an area I would have never read if it weren't for our pool of romance readers here posting regularly & linking free downloads & such. I'd definitely read another one down the road when I'm looking for mind fluff that's fun (but I may steer away from ones with overly cheesy titles). Any recs, if you've happened to read those & know of something similar?

 

I was road-tripping today (by myself -- actually heading home after being away) & ended up sticking in a cd with a bunch of '80s & '90s music on it, including one that made me think (very much) of the books I had just read this weekend.... Just had to share with you gals....

 

 

Are you laughing at my hokey ways yet?

 

And, then, since that song was originally written by Bryan Adams for the Don Juan DeMarco movie (which I never did see, btw), it got me to thinking about Don Juan. Maybe I should read it.  

 

So, after that, I was thinking...

[Stacia]

Don Juan was surely a scoundrel if ever there was one & I started thinking about other scoundrels, so I popped in my Chicago cd for a sing-along. ;)

 

 

 

  

 

And, now that I've been singing all afternoon with a host of ne'er-do-wells & completely irredeemable characters, I am very in the mood to find a fun book with a villain I can root for. I always was the type to like J.R. Ewing, Wile E. Coyote, Sylvester the Cat, early James Bonds, and the entire cast of Chicago. :lol:  I don't mean truly evil characters (no American Psycho or Devil in the White City for me, please), but I'd love some recommendations with some deliciously fun bad guys (or gals) with joie de vivre! :bigear:

[Stacia]

:grouphug: :grouphug:  to all our CA girls with worries about the fires.

 

VC, loved reading your account of your museum visit. :lol:

 

Loved City of Thieves when I read it many years ago for my book club. It's not a book I probably would have ever picked up on my own because I would have thought it would be too depressing. But, even though it is depressing in parts, it's also heartwarming, funny, & unexpected... very worth reading. Even though it is fiction, I think I read an article that said a lot of it actually was based on the lives of the author's grandparents (who both stayed in Leningrad during the siege). And the grandmother actually did the job that she had in the book. (I won't give it away as it's a bit of a spoiler).

 

ETA: I am still plugging away at Marco Polo. Enjoying it but in small doses.

[Kareni]

Both were books by Marie Force: True North and Maid for Love. (Ok, I have to :rolleyes: at that second title. :lol: )

 

I likely was the one who linked these when they were free.  (In fact, the latter is still free.)  I've read the second but not the first, and I agree that it's not the author's finest.  I actually prefer her romantic suspense series which has main characters that continue throughout the series.  That series starts with a currently free prequel that has just been released ~ One Night With You: A Fatal Series Prequel Novella.  Book one in the series proper (not free) is  Fatal Affair: Book One of the Fatal Series.

 

 

A contemporary romance I'd recommend when you're next in the mood is (not free) Julie James' About That Night (Berkley Sensation).  It's part of a fun series, but it stands alone well.  The author writes witty dialogue.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Thanks, Kareni.

[Ali in OR]

I'm enjoying The Boys in the Boat but I'm not moving too quickly through it--not even half-way yet. So that's what I'll be reading this week too.

 

[mumto2]

I likely was the one who linked these when they were free. (In fact, the latter is still free.) I've read the second but not the first, and I agree that it's not the author's finest. I actually prefer her romantic suspense series which has main characters that continue throughout the series. That series starts with a currently free prequel that has just been released ~ One Night With You: A Fatal Series Prequel Novella. Book one in the series proper (not free) is Fatal Affair: Book One of the Fatal Series.

 

 

A contemporary romance I'd recommend when you're next in the mood is (not free) Julie James' About That Night (Berkley Sensation). It's part of a fun series, but it stands alone well. The author writes witty dialogue.

 

Regards,

Kareni

I was going to recommend Julie James also. I have read and enjoyed a few of hers and her books are what I thought of first. I am doing my insomnia posting and can't think of any more with the suspense element right now. I am sure I will think of several tomorrow. ;)

 

These are some others that are good but generally lack the suspense aspect of Marie Force and Julie James:

 

Susan Mallery's Fools Gold series has had at least one book that was a Kindle freebie. I can't remember which one but it may be on your device because it was linked here I think. I am currently reading these. There are several, as in about 20, and all have been enjoyable.

 

Another series I enjoyed was Kristen Higgins' Blue Heron series. I read the whole thing quickly. Always a good sign.

 

All of these authors are pretty common in overdrive libraries so it is pretty easy normally to check one out when you are in the proper mood for fluffy stuff.

[idnib]

About 40 pages to go in The Folly, Idnib. I'll start the chat!

 

Ivan Vladislavić was born in South Africa and writes in English.  I think that needs to be made clear since one might assume that he is another of these Eastern European writers that I tend to find in dusty corners of bookstores and libraries.  Vladislavić's allegorical fable, The Folly, was first published in South Africa in 1993 and is now made available in the US thanks to dear Archipelago Books.

 

And what a tale it is! The middle class lives of Mr and Mrs Malgas are rudely interrupted by the appropriately named Nieuwenhuizen ("new house" in Afrikaans) when he sets up camp on the empty lot next door.  He pitches a tent and dances about the lot to gather materials there. A layout of a house seems to evolve as he pounds large nails in an apparent random pattern that may or may not have meaning.  Mr. Malgas watches this life of apparent freedom in admiration and is soon sucked into the vision that Nieuwenhuizen is creating.  Although on more than one occasion, the neighbor must remind hardware salesman Malgas that he must expand beyond his literal view of the world:

 

 

Mrs (as Malgas's wife is called in the tale) is disgusted by it all.  That does not keep her from keeping watch while perched on a stool behind a curtain.  She scrubs Mr's dirty and aching bath in the tub while trying to figure out just what the heck is going on next door.  Is her husband losing his mind?

 

Fun little book so far!

 

Thanks for starting the discussion!

 

I'm also enjoying this little book. The writing is straightforward and engaging. 

 

I don't think Mr. Malgas admires only the life of freedom, although I think that's a large part of it. I think he might also respect Nieuwenhuizen's ability to re-use objects in a clever way, in contrast with the shiny new objects he sells in his hardware shop.

 

What do you think about Mrs. Malgas and her penchant for examining her objects d'art? 

[mumto2]

I just finished the new Kathy Reichs novella Bones on Ice before starting her latest book.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25708561-bones-on-ice. It was really good and extremely interesting. I knew basically nothing about climbing Everest other than dangerous. A frozen body is recovered and autopsied by Temperance. Good mystery and quick read. I haven't found her latest books nearly as satisfying as this short (104 pages) version.

[Jane in NC]

Checking in late as we spent the day in Houston examining the special exhibit of Habsburg bling at the art museum, including the Velasquez painting of the Infanta Maria Teresa which we all knew from our art history curriculum but actually got to see! We were like a bunch of hayseeds, standing there staring at it slackjawed for so long. Look at that, paw, all the way from Aw-stree-ya! Shore is purty, Betty Lou.... Honestly though, sometimes I wish I didn't have to drive three hours through cow country just to get to a half-decent museum. The Habsburg knickknacks were fantastic. What shall we put in the middle of our table this month, Franz-Josef? Ach how about a few gold nereids sitting on a carved walnut elephant, holding up gold-framed gem-carved cameos of our various family members? That will look splendid next to the gold-and-rare-shell triple-tiered sorbet holder from Uncle Karl.

 

 

I love Velasquez.  And I too drove three hours (although partially through swine country) to see a show of Velasquez and El Greco at Duke's Nasher Art Museum a few years ago.

 

City of Thieves was one of my top 5 last year. I followed it with The Seige which did not disappoint.

 

 

I fear that I am going to be sent to the Contrarian's Corner today.  In 2014 I wrote:

 

I have to be the odd woman out. Benioff's City of Thieves disappointed me, possibly because I recently finished Dunmore's exquisite book The Siege. I do not doubt that Benioff did his research but I felt the book was more of an improbable Hollywood buddy movie. Dunmore painted the challenges of life in Leningrad so well that I tasted the sawdust bread. Maybe the timing was bad....

 

 

Maybe Shawne had the right idea:  City of Thieves followed by the more serious book, The Siege.

 

Although, to be fair,  Eliana was not as captivated by The Siege as I was.  She noted:

 

I wanted Siege to captivate me - and I did enjoy it (if one can be said to 'enjoy' living through a siege with characters!) ... and I loved the use of Pushkin especially - though other than the poetry, I didn't get a strong sense of place and culture... I've started 900 Days, perhaps that will give me the pieces I felt I was missing.

 

 

Look, if I have to be confined to the Contrarian's Corner, I'd like to have company!

 

My book club read that this year too.  We all hated it.  All of us.  We spent a pleasant afternoon talking about all the things we hated about it. 

 

Pass me the smelling salts!

 

Thanks for starting the discussion!

 

I'm also enjoying this little book. The writing is straightforward and engaging. 

 

I don't think Mr. Malgas admires only the life of freedom, although I think that's a large part of it. I think he might also respect Nieuwenhuizen's ability to re-use objects in a clever way, in contrast with the shiny new objects he sells in his hardware shop.

 

What do you think about Mrs. Malgas and her penchant for examining her objects d'art? 

 

It seems that everyone has objects filling their lives, real or imagined.  Mr has his hardware, Mrs her tchotchkes, Nieuwenhuizen has all of the stuff in the imagined house (including the rumpus room) as well as his tin can cups, etc. As a reader, I am identifying with Mrs, watching the action unfold from behind the curtain. I think she is holding on to those objects as a way of holding on to the comfort of the past.

 

I thought I would finish the book last night but I was so tired from the long drive, etc. And this is an ending that I suspect I will want to savor.

 

Now off to the corner I go!

[Stacia]

21 Signs That Prove Booksellers Are The Absolute Best

[Kareni]

A neat post I came across this morning ~

 

From the Open Culture site Illustrations for a Chinese Lord of the Rings in a Stunning “Glass Painting Styleâ€

 

Regards,

Kareni

[idnib]

It seems that everyone has objects filling their lives, real or imagined.  Mr has his hardware, Mrs her tchotchkes, Nieuwenhuizen has all of the stuff in the imagined house (including the rumpus room) as well as his tin can cups, etc. As a reader, I am identifying with Mrs, watching the action unfold from behind the curtain. I think she is holding on to those objects as a way of holding on to the comfort of the past.

 

I thought I would finish the book last night but I was so tired from the long drive, etc. And this is an ending that I suspect I will want to savor.

 

Now off to the corner I go!

 

I found it interesting when Mrs was counting her objects, which I found interesting because I sometimes count/add/multiply things if I'm feeling a lot of anxiety. It relieves stress. I do agree with you about the book's general focus on objects.

 

I am not as far along as you are, maybe 60 pages to go. I also thought I might finish last night, but I ended up listening to music instead. I can only do one or the other at the same time.

[Butter]

Since we pre-ordered Library of Souls (third Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children book), we were able to get a sneak peak at the first 100 pages.  My daughter and I devoured it.  That book is going to be SO good!  The problem?  It's still another 8 days before the book is released and I really, really want to know what happens next!

 

Also, yesterday I discovered it is absolutely impossible to explain what Miss Peregrine is about.  It makes no sense, but the books are so very good!

 

I'm about halfway through The Picture of Dorian Gray.  It was slow to get started, but is quite interesting now.

[Angel]

I've never heard this expression!  Is it a regional saying?

 

Regards,

Kareni

:lol:  Only regional to my dh!  Yes, it is a reference to Candy Crush, which I was sure I would never play but when I can't bring my mind to focus on anything else, it is mind-numbingly addictive.  Dh always asks me if I'm "crushing the candies."   :laugh:

 

Meanwhile I read two teen retellings from Frankenstein and Dracula.

Were the retellings in Dutch or English? Care to share the titles?

 

 

 I've started Longbourn by Jo Baker, which is Pride and Prejudice from the servants' point of view.  So far so good, but that's only after 30 pages!!  

I have this on my shelf!  I found it at a thrift store in almost perfect condition.  I've forgotten that I wanted to read it!

[Kareni]

I'm pretty sure that's a reference to an app called 'Candy Crush.' It seems to be very popular but I couldn't tell you what it entails.

 

 

 Yes, it is a reference to Candy Crush, which I was sure I would never play but when I can't bring my mind to focus on anything else, it is mind-numbingly addictive.  Dh always asks me if I'm "crushing the candies."   :laugh:

 

Thanks for the explanation.  And, speaking as someone who was once addicted to Tetris, this is probably something I should steer clear of.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

I found it interesting when Mrs was counting her objects, which I found interesting because I sometimes count/add/multiply things if I'm feeling a lot of anxiety. It relieves stress. I do agree with you about the book's general focus on objects.

 

I am not as far along as you are, maybe 60 pages to go. I also thought I might finish last night, but I ended up listening to music instead. I can only do one or the other at the same time.

 

Another counter/multipier here. 

 

Finished the book and I don't know what to think.  The ending was fine, but the bit leading up to the heading had me scratching my head.