Book a Week 2015 - BW37: Waiting Afield at Dusk

[Violet Crown]

I didn't expect to run into that name on this forum. The Ben Lilly Legend is another of dh's favourites.

Oooh! That's one of the ones I just got! <moves book to top of TBR stack>

[Butter]

Ladies, my dad has pancreatic cancer and had surgery today.  Where his tumor was is the only place it's curable (20% of pancreatic cancers).  The surgery was 7 hours long.  They removed the head of his pancreas (including the tumor), 10" of small intestine, some lymph nodes, and his gallbladder.  The surgeon said it went well!  A vein gave him some trouble so my dad lost a lot of blood (they'll decide in the morning if he needs a blood transfusion), but that was the only complication.  He's got a long recovery ahead of him.  At least a week in the hospital and 12+ weeks to really feel back to himself (and it's been about 6 months already since he first got sick and had surgery in June and then several rounds of chemo).  I am just so relieved this surgery is done and went about as good as we could hope.

[Kareni]

Wishing your father a successful recovery, Heather, and future good health.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

Great news, Heather! Prayers for his speedy and complete recovery.

[Jane in NC]

Sending your father best wishes for a smooth recovery, Heather.  Sending you some virtual hugs too since I suspect you may need them.

 

Jane

[Robin M]

Lots of hugs, prayers and good thoughts for a steady recovery, Heather.   :grouphug:

[JennW in SoCal]

Wishing a swift and full recovery for your dad, Heather.

 

Can we send books? For either one of you?

[Butter]

Wishing a swift and full recovery for your dad, Heather.

 

Can we send books? For either one of you?

 

That's so sweet :)  We're both good on books.  My dad doesn't read much, but my mom reads aloud to him all the time :)

[idnib]

Heather, wishing your father a speedy recovery.

 

:grouphug:

[Stacia]

Heather, glad to hear that your dad's surgery went as well as could be expected under the circumstances.

 

Hoping this is the first of many positive steps for him during his recovery. 

 

:grouphug:

[aggieamy]

Heather - I am delighted to hear that everything sounds positive.  What good news!  I can't imagine the stress your family must have been under.  ((HUGS)) 

[Stacia]

Angel, your call on the book. I have not read either one of them. 

[Guest]

 

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. 

 

 

 

 

I should put this back on my TBR list.  I read The Siege first and then, after hearing some the thoughts from fellow readers here, didn't think reading this one right afterward would work well for me.

 

 

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:   Although I know intellectually how quickly our lives can be turned topsy-turvy, it never fails to take my breath away when I'm faced with the reality, in my own life or someone else's.  

 

 

 

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.

 

Here's a link to the Guardian's article about it (it was one of the 100 best novels in the recently completed list).  McCrum says:" Wells's fans will have their favourites. But I have chosen The History of Mr Polly, a novel from Wells's early middle age (he wrote it when he was 44), a delightful comedy of everyday Edwardian England that draws inspiration from its author's own life. Moreover, as Wells put it in the preface to "the Atlantic Edition" of 1924, "a small but influential group of critics maintain that The History of Mr Polly is the writer's best book". If he could not quite accept that, he said, he would still concede that "certainly it is his happiest book, and the one he cares for most"."

 

...but what the article doesn't convey is how endearing and hopeful a tone there is to a plot which could have been very dreary and grim.

 

 

 

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!

 

 

That sounds fascinating, Jane!  I'm tentatively adding it to my TBR list...  thank you!

[idnib]

That sounds fascinating, Jane!  I'm tentatively adding it to my TBR list...  thank you!

 

PM me if you want me to mail you my copy.

[Guest]

 

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.  

 

 

Yes, I think that is how I should have done it  (after reading Negin's review and having Stacia remind me how her enthusiasm caused me to put it on my TBR list in the first place, I'm putting it back on... but wondering if it has been long enough since reading the Siege that I can appreciate it properly.)

 

I think I needed a more tangible sense of time/place/culture and my brain kept reaching for it... and not having that kept me from connecting as strongly with the story as I might have otherwise.  It is a beautifully written, moving story, and I do recommend it to anyone interested!  

 

(By contrast, Penelope Fitzgerald's Beginning of Spring had a story line that was less satisfying, but the evocation of time and place permeated the book and the balancing of silence and statement was woven through all the levels.  ....I hadn't realized how much that facet of storytelling matters for me.)

 

 

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

 

I just finished, but also found I needed to read it in small doses.  I'm still reading In The Footsteps of Marco Polo - what a crazy adventure!  ...but, so far at least, I'm not feeling much connection to MP, despite the many quotes and references, I'm not sure why.  (I am, btw, very much enjoying the book for itself.)

 

 

Uh-oh. 

 

It has been decades since I read it, but I loved Room with a View.  I keep meaning to reread it and Howard's End (and to try Passage to India again which I bailed on decades ago after hearing spoilers and haven't come back to since). 

 

 

I somehow went from taking one American Sign Language class at the local community college to being a full-time student. Oops. We'll see how that works out on top of attempting to homeschool and do a few outside classes with 4 little ones, getting 0 sleep with the baby, and dealing with all of the appointments that go along with a foster lovey. I'm fairly sure I've lost my mind. ;)

 

 

:hurray:   Hurrah!  I hope it is a wonderful, fulfilling adventure.  I went back to school a decade ago with 6 kids (ranging from 2 to 10), a stack of health issues, and while working as a TA to keep our family afloat... and I don't know how I did it, it sounds crazy (and sounded crazy at the time), but it was wonderful.  Really hard work, but it was so good for me.

[mommymilkies]

Ladies, my dad has pancreatic cancer and had surgery today.  Where his tumor was is the only place it's curable (20% of pancreatic cancers).  The surgery was 7 hours long.  They removed the head of his pancreas (including the tumor), 10" of small intestine, some lymph nodes, and his gallbladder.  The surgeon said it went well!  A vein gave him some trouble so my dad lost a lot of blood (they'll decide in the morning if he needs a blood transfusion), but that was the only complication.  He's got a long recovery ahead of him.  At least a week in the hospital and 12+ weeks to really feel back to himself (and it's been about 6 months already since he first got sick and had surgery in June and then several rounds of chemo).  I am just so relieved this surgery is done and went about as good as we could hope.

:grouphug:  I wish him a speedy recovery!

[Guest]

 

Yeah. I took up Zombie Running this morning instead.  :D Enjoying that app! Hard to outrace the zoms in an ankle-length skirt, though.

 

Wouldn't it depend on how tight the skirt was?  Mine are near ankle length, but have a lot of fabric and I don't think they'd be hard to run in.  I can't physically test them without unpleasant repercussions, but now I'm curious.... 

 

 

 

Eliana, I've never enjoyed Damia either, the first two books in that series suffer from being expanded short stories, I always feel like I'm missing part of the story, and I love McCaffrey's Pern series
 

 

 

How are the later ones in the series?  

 

The jury is still out on whether I can really appreciate any McCaffreys I didn't read as a teen.... those all have the special glow of books that seemed so much deeper when I first read them, books I dove into and expanded as I read them.  The depths aren't there now, but the echoes are even with some of the romance ones (Kilternaen Legacy, frex)...  

 

 

Madame Bovary is one of the few classics I've never been able to "get." I've read it twice; no charm either time.

 

I reread it recently (in the fabulous Geoffrey Wall translation) and although I wouldn't describe it as charming, this time around I did find it compelling, a very real depiction of the devastation Emma's confused yearnings wrought on herself and those around her.  I found her pathetic when I was a teen, but this time I saw how little guidance she ever had for finding value in herself and her life, and how she flailed around looking for the storybook externals she associated with the meaning and satisfaction her heart and soul were reaching for.  ...that, with the right tools, she could, perhaps, have found or made in what she had... or, if she'd been born in less privileged circumstances, she might have found in doing the work she would have had to do.

 

Hello, hope you all don't mind me stopping in. I am usually a lurker, but I've had a chance to do some reading of my own lately and would love to share,and get more inspiration :)

 

 

 

I'm a dedicated lurker...it seemed like a good time to post.

 

 

 

Welcome, both of you!   We are always happy to have more voices here.

 

I stopped lurking a few years ago, and this has become not just a source of recommendations and a forum where I can burble about my reading, but  a treasured oasis in my life.  I hope you will find joy here too.  :grouphug:

 

 

 

 

Ya know, I think I have to get onto the Archipelago subscription bandwagon too.  I just sent Chameleons on to Eliana.  Can't wait to see how she takes that talking Amphibian That Shall Not Be Named...

 

Mazel tov!  ....and I look forward to hearing about your wonderful discoveries from them.

 

....and ***squee***   :party:

 

I have been intrigued by that book since Stacia first shared about it, but it must be very wonderful because copies don't seem to be turning up on the HPB clearance shelves.... 

 

Thank you, darling.   :grouphug:

 

 

[Guest]

Ladies, my dad has pancreatic cancer and had surgery today.  Where his tumor was is the only place it's curable (20% of pancreatic cancers).  The surgery was 7 hours long.  They removed the head of his pancreas (including the tumor), 10" of small intestine, some lymph nodes, and his gallbladder.  The surgeon said it went well!  A vein gave him some trouble so my dad lost a lot of blood (they'll decide in the morning if he needs a blood transfusion), but that was the only complication.  He's got a long recovery ahead of him.  At least a week in the hospital and 12+ weeks to really feel back to himself (and it's been about 6 months already since he first got sick and had surgery in June and then several rounds of chemo).  I am just so relieved this surgery is done and went about as good as we could hope.

 

  :grouphug:

 

Heather, what an ordeal for all of you.  Although this is the best possible situation, I imagine it is still so hard a path to walk.  You will be in my heart and prayers, that you should continue to have the best possible outcomes, that your family should be surrounded by love and support, that you have as much peace of heart as is possible.  

[Stacia]

Sat down and read a small Archipelago book today: In Red by Magdalena Tulli.

 

I've had this one on my shelf for a bit & tried reading it a couple different times, but just couldn't get into it. I decided to give it one last try & have now read it in one day. It's a strange story, unsettling, though sometimes beautiful too. I like this review/description of it & it describes it better than I can. Even with the unusual & bizarre happenings, I can't really say this story is magical realism, but in a sense, it may be. Partly it reminded me of the old, scary, dark fairy tales from Europe but with a modern edge where the evil beings are war (the two world wars bookend the novel), inertia, & cold-hearted business. There's a coldness & distance in the presentation style, but it is also deeply touching & makes you feel the futility of war (among other things).

 

I will say that, for some reason, I can see this story as a modern dance ballet with a very neutral color palette (white, gray, black) with symbolic slashes of red throughout. There's definitely a stage/scenery bent to the writing that makes me picture it in motion on stage. I think it could be a grand & dramatic ballet.

 

I know my review sounds disjointed, but I'm afraid that may the best I can do with this book. Anyone else want to give it a shot & post your opinions? Let me know & I'll get it in the mail to you. 

[Stacia]

I don't know that I've posted a recent list of my books. Since I don't have access to that document right now, I looked at my list over on Goodreads. Here is my shortlist of favorites in 2015:

 

The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

The Good Lord Bird by James McBride 

Guantánamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi 

The Martian by Andy Weir 

[mumto2]

:grouphug: Heather, It sounds like the absolute best result that could come out of a the situation. You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks.

[Jane in NC]

Note to Robin: Eliana and I both seem interested in rereading E.M. Forster. If you want to assign him to a month in 2016, I will be happy to lead the discussion. Maybe Forster in February?

[Chrysalis Academy]

:grouphug: , Heather. I hope your dad is doing well today.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Note to Robin: Eliana and I both seem interested in rereading E.M. Forster. If you want to assign him to a month in 2016, I will be happy to lead the discussion. Maybe Forster in February?

 

I'd be up for that. I have a lovely copy of A Passage to India that someone gave me as a gift many, many years ago. I've been carting it around ever since. Some day I should actually read it!  I didn't love A Room With a View,  but that's the only Forster I've ever read.

[Angel]

I love that book.

 

 

I'm almost halfway through the 5th Michael Vey book (Storm of Lightning).  My son listened to the whole thing yesterday.  He said it wasn't as good as the first four because nothing super exciting happened (um... some exciting stuff has happened so far in my reading, but, whatever, I guess it's not like blowing up the Ampere).  He said it was filler like he only had stuff for 6 books and he is making it a series of 7.  I can kind of see what he means, but everything that is happening is clearly setting up the final two books and everything is very necessary.  These book are 300ish page books.  Without this "not so exciting" book, he'd have to add 150 pages to the next two books, but Richard Paul Evans clearly wanted to keep these books within the same ballpark length of each other.

Interesting!  I think dh is going to buy it today or tomorrow.  He heard Richard Paul Evans on Glen Beck and someone contacted him about making it a tv show instead of a movie.  I wonder if any of that will pan out.  

 

Ladies, my dad has pancreatic cancer and had surgery today.  Where his tumor was is the only place it's curable (20% of pancreatic cancers).  The surgery was 7 hours long.  They removed the head of his pancreas (including the tumor), 10" of small intestine, some lymph nodes, and his gallbladder.  The surgeon said it went well!  A vein gave him some trouble so my dad lost a lot of blood (they'll decide in the morning if he needs a blood transfusion), but that was the only complication.  He's got a long recovery ahead of him.  At least a week in the hospital and 12+ weeks to really feel back to himself (and it's been about 6 months already since he first got sick and had surgery in June and then several rounds of chemo).  I am just so relieved this surgery is done and went about as good as we could hope.

:grouphug:  I will be keeping you all in my prayers.  

 

Angel, your call on the book. I have not read either one of them. 

Then let's go with Brave, New World.  I truly don't remember it and am curious to read it with not only older eyes but a different worldview than I had at 17.  I just ordered it from my library.  I don't know how long it'll take to get into my hands.   ;)

 

We had our book club last night.  I was definitely low man on the totem pole since I had only  read one measly book since our last meeting.   :o   My friend read 84 Charing Cross Rd. and absolutely raved about it!  I told her I thought I had heard of it, and sure enough it was on my Amazon wish list which means I heard about it here lol!

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

Then let's go with Brave, New World.  I truly don't remember it and am curious to read it with not only older eyes but a different worldview than I had at 17.  I just ordered it from my library.  I don't know how long it'll take to get into my hands.   ;)

 

 

 

If you haven't read The Tempest recently, I'd suggest reading/watching it before.  BNW is so full of Shakespeare allusions, especially to that play. I know I got a lot more out of it in my recent re-read just because I had more familiarity with the allusions.  Once character practically speaks Shakespeare.

[Lady Florida.]

:grouphug: Heather :grouphug:  I'm glad your dad is in that small group of people with a curable type of this disease. I wish him an uneventful recovery. You and your family will be in my thoughts.

[Lady Florida.]

I had a conversation with a friend recently about 3 star reviews. She said she didn't read certain books because she saw that I only gave them 3 stars, and we often like the same books. I told her in my world 3 stars is a decent review and that she would probably enjoy those books. Today someone in our book club posted this on our facebook group. It seems I'm not alone in thinking a 3 star review isn't a "don't waste your time with this book" review.

 

http://bookriot.com/2015/07/13/truth-three-star-review-not-bad-review/

 

 

 

 

 

 

I reread it recently (in the fabulous Geoffrey Wall translation) and although I wouldn't describe it as charming, this time around I did find it compelling, a very real depiction of the devastation Emma's confused yearnings wrought on herself and those around her.  I found her pathetic when I was a teen, but this time I saw how little guidance she ever had for finding value in herself and her life, and how she flailed around looking for the storybook externals she associated with the meaning and satisfaction her heart and soul were reaching for.  ...that, with the right tools, she could, perhaps, have found or made in what she had... or, if she'd been born in less privileged circumstances, she might have found in doing the work she would have had to do.

 

 

 

 

I didn't quote Violet Crown's post you were responding to, but the above refers to Madame Bovary. I read it for the first time not long after reading Anna Karenina (also for the first time). The women had some similarities and though I had more sympathy and understanding for Emma than for Anna, I liked Anna Karenina much better than Madame Bovary.

 

Note to Robin: Eliana and I both seem interested in rereading E.M. Forster. If you want to assign him to a month in 2016, I will be happy to lead the discussion. Maybe Forster in February?

 

A Room With a View is my first Forster, though A Passage to India has been on my TBR list for ages. I'd be in for Forster in February.

 

 I didn't love A Room With a View,  but that's the only Forster I've ever read.

 

I started out not liking it at all and worrying that the rest of my book club would hate it (it was my choice). It started getting better around Chapter IV. I'm now part way through Chapter IX and am liking it much better than I did at first.

[Guest]

 

.  Anyway, while doing these things I have been listening to a dramatization on the BBC of a novel by Hans Falleda, Every Man Dies Alone or Alone in Berlin.  Why have I never heard of this remarkable book based on a true story?  A working class couple decide to perform acts of civil disobedience in a small way by writing postcards critical of Hitler and the Nazis and leaving these cards around Berlin.  They are betrayed and arrested--you know the ending.

 

The novel was published in Germany in 1947.  It was only translated into English in 2009.  In 2016 it will appear on a screen somewhere near you with the title Alone in Berlin.

 

 

Oooh!  I started that book several months ago, but set it aside and had forgotten about it.  I should pull it back out.  I was loving it, but was in the middle of too many books & too much busy-ness.  Thank you for bringing it to mind (and confirming that it would continue to be wonderful!)

 

 

Ohhh, Jane & idnib, I got a catalog from Archipelago in the mail the other day. Finally had a few minutes to sit down & look at it. Looks like the upcoming December release is A General Theory of Oblivion by Jose Eduardo Agualusa.   :hurray:  He's the author of The Book of Chameleons (a book I absolutely loved... & I think Pam enjoyed it too, lol). I don't always read more than one book by an author, but in his case, I'm thinking I'll be ordering the book & making an exception.

 

And, Pam, I noticed that the upcoming January release is another book by Elias Khoury: Broken Mirrors.

 

Actually, there are lots of goodies in this catalog that are leaving this reader drooling....

 

Wow!  There are so many enticing books coming up.  I look forward to hearing about them from our BaW subscribers.... 

 

 

 

I recently had a fantasy of meeting up with some of you BaWers in real life. This involved renting an RV and going to several national parks out west.  Your post has me reconsidering...Maybe that RV should be a bookmobile.  BaWers on tour with favorite volumes to dispense?

 

 

:hurray:   What a wonderful idea!  ...though I still wish there were a realistic way to have a retreat together... or even the group road trip we joked about (though with the number of us calling shotgun, we'd need an absurd number of vehicles!)

 

Several years ago, I was introduced to the Scottish writer D.E. Stevenson via these threads. Wikipedia says she wrote over 40 "light romance" novels. I would called Miss Buncle's Book an entertainment.  Light and fun.

 

 

Miss Buncle Married was placed on my library list where it grew digital dust.  On my last visit to the main library that keeps the old volumes, I borrowed a well loved edition with a library card in the back pocket stamped 1946 as the earliest date.  One of my missions in life is to borrow beloved books that have not found their way off the shelves in a while to keep them in circulation.  This one is in such bad shape that it will not surprise me if I am declared the last reader of this particular copy. And then it will cease to exist in the system.  Sigh.

 

I read those too (inspired also by folks here).  My library just has the recent rereleases - which gives me a different kind of joy... knowing that a book is in print again and can be found by more people.

 

I read 'Will I Ever Be Rid of You?'

 

Sadly the answer is "probably not."

 

I was very angry with the way the book ended. A book about an abuse dynamic ended with therapy recommendations that support the abuse dynamic. How stupidly, nauseatingly stupid is that?

 

:grouphug:

 

....and scary.  I imagine I am not the only young person who imprinted on books I read in ways that could have been dangerous had I picked the wrong ones.

 

 

Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry

 

 

This is a kids' book, but an amazing one.  ...and it gave me the strongest visceral connection to that time and place from an African-American (child's) perspective.  More recently I've been able to handle some adult writers who have given me a more adult viewpoint, but this one I love.

 

ymmv.  :)

 

 

 

 

[Stacia]

I had a conversation with a friend recently about 3 star reviews. She said she didn't read certain books because she saw that I only gave them 3 stars, and we often like the same books. I told her in my world 3 stars is a decent review and that she would probably enjoy those books. Today someone in our book club posted this on our facebook group. It seems I'm not alone in thinking a 3 star review isn't a "don't waste your time with this book" review.

 

http://bookriot.com/2015/07/13/truth-three-star-review-not-bad-review/

 

That article sums up my opinion too. I consider 3 stars to = fine, meaning it was probably enjoyable enough, not perfect but fine, & worth my time overall to read it. Maybe not a memorable book for the long run but one worthy of my time when I read it.

 

I had to read A Room with a View and A Passage to India in high school. I was the type of kid who actually read the books (vs. reading those yellow Cliff Notes books, lol, like so many other students) & A Passage to India ranked among my most disliked required reading, lol. I thought it was incredibly boring & not much happens. I'm sure that's not true entirely, but I have a very jaded vision of it. I remember A Room with a View being fine, not great but not bad either -- probably a 3 star type book. 

 

NoseInABook, hang in there! What a crazy schedule (crazy in a good way, right? ;) ), but if anyone can manage to pull it off, I think it will be you! 

 

Heather, sending more  :grouphug:  for your dad & family.

 

Angel, I'll request Brave New World from the library too. Don't know how long it will take to get it. Rose, thanks for the mention of the Tempest; I'll request it too. It has been ages since I've read Shakespeare. 

 

Eliana, glad to hear you're still plugging away at the Marco Polo books too. I'm finding the In the Footsteps one interesting, especially at those little overlapping intersections where they'll mention some minor thing, then pull out a quote from MP's account that points out the same thing. One thing, though, that just screams in my mind throughout this book is that it would have been so much harder for two women to undertake the same journey as there are some extremely dangerous areas (for anyone), but definitely enough places where the culture is so male-dominated & centered that, realistically, it would have been almost impossible for two women to have traced the same route. :glare:  I do admire the guys' dedication to MP's trek. What they accomplished is really quite amazing. MP too. 

[idnib]

Note to Robin: Eliana and I both seem interested in rereading E.M. Forster. If you want to assign him to a month in 2016, I will be happy to lead the discussion. Maybe Forster in February?

 

I would enjoy this very much.

[Kareni]

Several of you have read books by Nnedi Okorafor

 

 

For this week I read Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor.

 

 

 

2015 Books Read (my favorites are in green):

Africa:

• Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor, pub. by Viking (Penguin Group). Nigeria.

 

... Akata Witch, by Mnedi Okorafor, a marvelous YA set in Nigeria, ...

 

I thought of you when I saw this novella review ~

First Look: Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti (September 22, 2015)  by Mala Bhattacharjee

 

"Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs...."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[Butter]

:grouphug: , Heather. I hope your dad is doing well today.

 

So far so good!  He's on fetanyl so he's feeling pretty good.  He's very talkative and when he dozes off he hums to himself.  He's just a wee bit high  :lol:  He didn't end up needing a blood transfusion and so far the stitches are holding (that's the main side effect they worry about in the first few days since if the stitches don't hold digestive fluid will be dumped into the abdomen and that's very, very bad).  He'll be getting up to walk in a couple hours.  He's not looking forward to that.  He's a bit confused about what day it is and time seems to make no sense to him.  Last night he got mad at my mom because he was watching the clock and it got to be 10 and then 11 and then 12 and she never showed up and he was all worried.  Then he realized it was dark out and it was the middle of the night, not day time like he thought!  He was in surgery all day so he "lost" all those hours.  So all is going well so far.  We're praying this continues.

[idnib]

If you haven't read The Tempest recently, I'd suggest reading/watching it before.  BNW is so full of Shakespeare allusions, especially to that play. I know I got a lot more out of it in my recent re-read just because I had more familiarity with the allusions.  Once character practically speaks Shakespeare.

 

Oh interesting! I haven't read BNW but I really like The Tempest. This could be good.

[Angel]

If you haven't read The Tempest recently, I'd suggest reading/watching it before.  BNW is so full of Shakespeare allusions, especially to that play. I know I got a lot more out of it in my recent re-read just because I had more familiarity with the allusions.  Once character practically speaks Shakespeare.

 

It has been about 3 or 4 years since the Tempest.  I'll probably pull it off the shelf and read it again.  Thanks for the heads up.

[Stacia]

Still mulling over In Red from yesterday. Originally, I had a hard time getting into it (took a few tries before I actually ended up reading the whole thing) -- part of the reason was that, at first, it seemed heavy on adjectives. 

 

Oddly, there was another book I read a few years ago that I had a hard time getting into for the very same reason; the use of language just seemed excessive. 

 

But, with both books, once I got over the hump, I was pulled into the world & was glad to have experienced the author's work. 

 

Anyway, since I was thinking of that (slim) parallel between the books, I thought I'd give a mention of that other book, The Dream Life of Sukhanov by Olga Grushin, for those who might be interested. 

 

Both are worthy reads & might appeal to some of you BaWers.

[Robin M]

Note to Robin: Eliana and I both seem interested in rereading E.M. Forster. If you want to assign him to a month in 2016, I will be happy to lead the discussion. Maybe Forster in February?

:thumbup1:   Sounds like a great idea. Please remind me in December when I'm putting all the new year stuff together. 

[Kareni]

Last night's book group discussion of A Tale for the Time Being was enjoyable.  A couple of people brought Japanese themed dishes in honor of the (part) Japanese setting, and we have a new member to the group.  We'd be ten people if everyone came.

 

Those who've read the book may recall that Jiko, the Buddhist nun, is believed to be 104 years old.  This morning my husband found a wheat penny in his pocket.  It was dated 1911 which makes it 104 years old -- a curious coincidence.  We then wondered  when wheat pennies were made.  It turns out they were made from 1909 to 1958, so this penny was amongst the oldest.  I'm reminded of the children's book Hitty Her First Hundred Years in which the story of a doll's first hundred years are recounted.  If that penny could talk, I imagine it might have a few stories to tell.  Any authors out there? 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

I was in the mood to read something new & different. I started poking around a couple of the websites of indie publishers I like (Archipelago, Melville House, & Coffee House) & stumbled across a new book that looks good. I did a quick lookup on B&N, saw that my local store had it in stock, & ran out to buy it. Lol.

 

The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli, translated from the Spanish by Christina MacSweeney, published by Coffee House Press. 

 

The review by the LA Times. 

 

The Publishers Weekly starred review says... 

 

One of the most unforgettable images in any book this year is that of Gustavo “Highway†Sánchez Sánchez, the protagonist of Luiselli’s delightfully unclassifiable novel, walking around the streets of Mexico City, smiling at people with the teeth of Marilyn Monroe installed in his mouth—teeth he won at an “auction of contraband memorabilia in a karaoke bar in Little Havana.†Auctioneering is Highway’s trade, and, according to him, he’s the best at what he does because he’s a “lover and collector of good stories, which is the only honest way of modifying the value of an object.†Luiselli’s novel takes the same liberties with traditional storytelling as Highway: this isn’t so much a novel as a contorted collection of narrative yarns. In one section, Highway auctions 10 of his original teeth (remember, he has Marilyn Monroe’s in his mouth), passing them off as the teeth of Virginia Woolf, Plato, and G.K. Chesterton, among others. In another section, Highway creates allegories using various auction lots, including a prosthetic leg, as starting points, which quickly spin out and feature a who’s who of real Spanish-language writers. In one, the Argentine writer Alan Pauls talks about horse depression; in another, Mexican novelist Yuri Herrera is a policewoman; Luiselli’s parents put on rat and mouse costumes and have “outlandish, noisy, uninterrupted coitus.†These off-the-wall turns are surprising and charming, but, above all, there is an insatiable hunger for storytelling in these pages. Luiselli’s (Faces in the Crowd) novel so completely buys into its conceit—the author herself makes an appearance in an allegory as a 15-year-old “mediocre high school student [who] stammered and overused the suffix -lyâ€â€”that it’s difficult not to follow wherever it takes you.

 

Really looking forward to reading this one!

 

And, not to be a book-buying enabler or anything :leaving: , but when I was on the Coffee House Press website, I noticed they are selling grab bags, each of which contains three or more backlisted titles. Each set is $10 (which includes tax & shipping). 

 

Do you like surprises? We’ve put together mystery grab bags filled with three or more CHP backlist titles. Each grab bag has a common theme connecting (sometimes loosely) the included books. Go ahead, take a chance. We’ll send you one for just $10.00—the bag isn’t included, but tax and free domestic shipping are.  
 

$10.00
 

Categories available:  

Be Here Now!

Born on the Fourth of July (poetry)

Born on the Fourth of July (prose)

Heart Shaped Box

If I Had a Hammer

Murder, They Wrote

New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down

Poems, Naturally

Save the Drama for Your Mama

Things Get Weird

Ways of Looking

Where in the World Is Coffee House Press (poetry)

Where in the World Is Coffee House Press (prose)

 

I figure I can't go wrong with three books from Coffee House Press for $10. Pondering which category to choose & "Things Get Weird" is the top contender for me. :lol: Anyone else going to order a grab bag? If so, what set?

 

Hmmmm. Decisions. Decisions. 

[Kareni]

 

The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli, translated from the Spanish by Christina MacSweeney, published by Coffee House Press. 

 

I came across this title recently.  Having had some bad dental experiences as a child, I instinctively cringed and decided to stay far, far away from this book.

 

As regards the Coffee House Press books, I'd select "Things Get Weird" for you, too.  For me, the obvious selection would be "Heart Shaped Box."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

A currently free Kindle book that might be of interest to some.  The title is certainly catchy!

 

"The author combines highly effective Joseph Heller-style political and social satire with some surprisingly touching personal moments... Erickson welds all of these elements together into a hugely enjoyable comic novel. A fast-paced, raucous tour through the last half-century alongside a modern-day Candide."-- Kirkus Reviews

 

Pianist in a Bordello by Mike C Erickson

 

"What would happen if a politician decided to tell the truth—the whole truth?

Richard Youngblood, aspiring Congressman, is about to find out. He’s running on a platform of honesty and transparency—and against the advice of his friends and advisers he’s decided to start with himself. His autobiography will lay his entire life bare before voters just days before the election.

And what a life he’s had. Born in a commune and named Richard Milhous Nixon Youngblood as an angry shot at his absent father, Richard grows up in the spotlight, the son of an enigmatic fugitive and the grandson of a Republican senator. He’s kidnapped and rescued, kicked out of college for a prank involving turkeys, arrested in Hawaii while trying to deliver secrets to the CIA…Dick Nixon Youngblood’s ready to tell all.

He’ll even tell his readers about the Amandas—three women who share a name but not much else, and who each have helped shape and define the man he’s become.

Are voters really ready for the whole truth?
Are you?

Pianist in a Bordello is a hilarious political romp through the last four decades of American history, from a narrator who is full of surprises."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I seem to be re-reading my Julie James collection and ignoring my ever growing stacks of library books.  Late last night, I finished re-reading the author's most recent book, Suddenly One Summer.  I enjoyed it once again.

 

"Divorce lawyer Victoria Slade has seen enough unhappy endings to swear off marriage forever. That doesn't mean she's opposed to casual dating—just not with her cocky new neighbor, who is as gorgeous and tempting as he is off-limits. But once she agrees to take on his sister's case, she's as determined to win as ever—even if that means teaming up with Ford....

Investigative journalist Ford Dixon is bent on finding the man who got his sister pregnant and left her high and dry. He's willing to partner with Victoria, despite the fact that the beautiful brunette gets under his skin like no other woman. He might not be looking to settle down, but there's no denying the scorching attraction between them. Still, the more time he spends with Victoria, the more he realizes that the one woman as skeptical about love as he is might be the only woman he could really fall for…"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Do you ever feel like you're talking to yourself?

 

Here's a free Kindle fantasy short story that I've heard good things about.

 

The Bone Knife: A Short Story by Intisar Khanani

 

"Rae knows how to look out for family. Born with a deformed foot, she feigns indifference to the pity and insults that come her way, learning to be wary of all things beautiful. So Rae instantly distrusts their latest visitor: an appallingly attractive faerie whose mere presence imperils the secret her sister guards. But when the local townspeople show up demanding his blood, Rae must find a way to protect both her sister’s secret and their guest. Even if that means risking herself."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Kareni, you're not talking to yourself! Ok, now you've got me on a contemporary romance reading kick. Life has been stressful the past couple of months & these seem to be a nice, light antidote -- easy to read & quick (vs. Marco Polo, lol). Perhaps this is exactly what I needed to stumble into right now. I read another freebie kindle one: The Consultant by Jayne Blue. I enjoyed it. Kind of fun to read as it was set at a small tv station (journalism was my major in college). Again, a factor that I think I liked was that the main characters were well-matched as far as careers, being driven, etc.... Plus, they were both in their early 40s, I think. 

 

I don't think The Story of My Teeth would set off any dental nightmares, but I'll keep all of you posted. ;)  :lol:  I had plenty of bad dental visits as a kid too.

 

Re: the very early mention in the thread of City of Thieves. I said that years ago that I had seen an article that said much of it was based on his grandparents' lives. Well, I went looking around for that &, instead, found plenty of interviews where he said it is entirely fiction. Oops. Sorry for the earlier misinformation. Still enjoyed the story, though.

[Kareni]

Ok, now you've got me on a contemporary romance reading kick. ...

 

Who are you?  and what have you done with my Stacia?

If Violet Crown starts recommending books published this century, I'm going to be scanning the sky for flying pigs!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[prairiegirl]

Oh my goodness!  I am finally here!   My computer had a virus so it needed to go to the computer hospital for a week and then when I got it back I had to sign into all of my forums but this one would not let me in.  For some reason, though, it let me in today.

 

Heather, :grouphug: ,  your family is in my thoughts as you travel down the path of recovery.

 

Stacia, :grouphug: , I'm sorry that life is stressful right now.  May you find the right book that will allow you to fall heart first into the story and get lost in it for just a little while.

 

I have made a radical book decision for me.  I have decided not to obtain any more library books until maybe Christmas so I can focus on pre-reading the kids'  books and on the gazillion books I have lurking in my basement.  We'll see how long I stay with this decision.  :laugh:

[Violet Crown]

If Violet Crown starts recommending books published this century, I'm going to be scanning the sky for flying pigs!

 

I almost protested this, but suddenly remembered this is the twenty-first century.

 

Have there been any books published in the 21st century? Surely it's too early to tell.

[Stacia]

 

(The second pig showed up because VC can quote Devo.)

[NoseInABook]

Indigomama, Orphan Train made me cry through the entire book!

 

Jane, an RV bookmobile camping trip?! *swoon* Yes, please! And you just reminded me how much I used to love the name Taliesin when I was a kid. 

 

Aggieamy, I laughed out loud but yes, fan girl long dead authors... and well, some quite alive ones too.

 

Heather, oh wow. Praying for him!!

 

Eliana, oh wow! If you can do it with 6, I am sure I can manage it with my 5 (2 weeks to not quite 8 years)! So far school as an adult is massively different than as a young kid fresh out of high school. I find myself looking for assignments to do early. Hah. I'll admit I never managed to get my bachelor's degree because each time I'd enroll, we'd either move because I got married, then I got pregnant. Then I got pregnant again. And again. AND AGAIN! Every single time I went back, a test was sure to show two pink lines a few weeks in. I shouldn't be surprised that I got a newborn a few days before classes started. ;)

 

Kareni, definitely going to check out the free zombie book. Free and able to put on my Kindle is right up my alley these days.

 

Stacia, thanks for the encouragement. You enjoy your sweet fluff. Sometimes we all need a season of just nice, chilled out reading that will allow us to escape for a while.

 

I'm still reading a paper version of Whiskey Beach and started The Martian on my Kindle. I figure two books will do for now and I remembered to grab the Kindle as I ran out the door to babysit for a friend so The Martian it is tonight!

[Butter]

I finished Michael Vey 5: Storm of Lightning today.  SOOOO good!  5/5 stars.  Definitely.  My son is right that it wasn't super action packed, but there still was a lot of action and the end... I was like "nooooo! not again!"  I can't wait for the last two books!

 

An update on my dad, he is doing *great.*  The incision is healing nicely, there's no digestive juices in the drainage (that would be very bad), and he's taken several walks over the last couple days.  The doctor doing his rounds today said he wished he could take my dad around with him to see his other patients because he's doing the recovery thing right.  A lot of people refuse to use that breathing thing that helps prevent pneumonia or to get up and walk.  My dad is doing everything they tell him to because he is determined to heal well.  The pathology report was even better than expected.  The cancer was 100% contained in the head of the pancreas and the margins were clear.  No cells at all in the lymph nodes.  My dad's only complaint is he still can't eat until Monday.  He has to test clear of digestive juices through then and then he can have something more than water or apple juice.  (This is because if he tests positive, he will be sent to emergency surgery; also this gives his small intestine time to heal without food pushing through it.)  He's starving!