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Book a Week 2015 - BW38: September Equinox


Robin M
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Happy Sunday dear hearts:  We are on week 38  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 - September Equinox:   The September Equinox is upon us as of Wednesday the 23rd.  Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the beginning of Autumn and for those in the Southern Hemisphere, it is the beginning of Spring.. Both day and night are exactly 12 hours long all over the world and the earth's axis which is usually tilted at about a 23.5 degree angle towards the sun, will be perpendicular to the sun's rays.  It is the tilt in the Earth's axis which is responsible for causing the seasons.  Fascinating! 

 
I love autumn's cooler days and vibrant colors and curling up with a good book. Which brings us to our annual fall/spring reading mini challenge.  Think of all the symbols and sounds of the seasons.  What immediately came to my mind for Autumn is rain, pumpkins, orange, red, yellow, leaves, crunchy, splash, cool, shadows, thanksgiving, wood smoke and rain coats.  For Spring, dancing, may pole, eggs, purple, yellow, birds chirping, and water.  Chose a symbol or sound and find a book with that word in the title.  It can be one already on your shelves, a reread or a brand new find.  
 
I went with orange and found a delightful cozy tea shop mystery series which includes Blood Orange Brewing by Laura Childs:
 
 
BloodOrangeBrewing.jpg
 
 
Then yellow and found Carolyn Brown's The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop, # 3 in her Cadillac series which looks like a fun, cozy read.  
 
 
cover3d-the-yellow-rose-beauty-shop.png
 
 
 
Pick a word and pick a book and have fun! 
 
 
***************************************************************
 
History of the Medieval World 
 
Chapter 45 -  Paths into Europe  pp 341 - 350
 
**************************************************************
 
What are you reading this week?
 
 
 
 
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I'm coming to you live from my window's 10 touch screen laptop.  How do you like my new look?   :hat:

 

I'm knee deep in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series # 4 - The Shadow Rising.

 

Still ignoring Swann's Way and poor Mr. Swann who just found out Odette is cheating on him.   :lol:

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I didn't read much last week, with everything going on, but I did finish listening to Here There Be Dragons.  I had started and abandoned this awhile ago, but Shannon, who is reading the whole series, assures me that the series improves and begged me to read along with her, so I compromised and did the audio.  It was ok.  It was a fun puzzle figuring out all the literary allusions. I've started reading the second book in the series too. It's fairly undemanding reading, so isn't a bad choice for the moment.  I'm also listening to Excellent Sheep which is a really wonderful and challenging attack on the elite US educational system. I'm reading another brain-bender at the moment, but I'll post more about it when i finish.  

 

Books Read in September:

134. Here, There Be Dragons - James Owen

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

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What are you reading this week?

 

I'm about a quarter of the way through The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  I've never read a Sherlock Holmes book before.  This is a pre-read for Cameron reading it in school.  I'm liking it.  Benedict Cumberbatch plays Sherlock well given what I've read in this book.

 

Tuesday Library of Souls comes out.  I've also promised my daughter I will finally read the four Maze Runner books.

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I finished Bulwer-Lytton's Paul Clifford, and I can assure you it's 500 pages of prose just as purple as its famous opening. Plot: a young man, born into poverty but honest at the core and improbably able to obtain a classical education, is sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit, and there corrupted. He takes up the dual life of gentleman by day and highwayman by night. He plans to marry a wealthy heiress and retire, but falls in love with her despite himself. But can he marry the woman he loves when his base birth and criminality would bring her ruin?

 

Still reading Piers Plowman; halfway through. My reading is going something like this: Forthi, ye correctours, claweth heron, and correcteth first yowselve,/ And thanne mowe ye manliche--"Mommy does this dress look all right? Can you button it for me? Is it the right size?"--... manliche seye, as David made the Sauter:/ Existimasti inique quod ero--"Mommy did you see how I sewed a buttonhole? Look. No, look. No I didn't clear my plate, I'm still hungry. What else is there? Can I just get myself some crackers? Hurray!" ... quod ero tui--"How come she gets crackers? But I can't, I already cleared my plaaaaaaaate...."

 

Started also on The Ben Lilly Legend, by J. Frank Dobie. Thanks to a welcome nudge!

 

ETA: If anyone fancies some Victorian romance, PM me and I'll send you Paul Clifford.

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Finished The Boys in the Boat this week and really enjoyed it. This is the story of the University of Washington crew team and how they came together and eventually won the 1936 olympic race against all odds. I really wanted to skip the background stuff and just go the next race over and over again, but while I may have peeked a time or two, I did go back and read the background stuff too. Excellent story.

 

Started Glimmerglass this week which I am enjoying--about halfway through now. I have Slaughterhouse Five ready to go for Banned Books Week. Never read it or any other Vonnegut. Then Go Set a Watchman, unless Library of Souls becomes ready at the library.

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Over the last few days, I zipped through three motorcycle club romances by Chantal Fernando.  (Lots of adult content.)  These were a pleasant way to pass the time, but I doubt I'll re-read them. 

 

Dragon's Lair (Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club)

 

Arrow's Hell (Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club Book 2)

 

Tracker's End (Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club Book 3)

 

Regards,

Kareni

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I finished This Won't Take But a Minute, Honey by Steve Almond - a small book (not just short, but thin and with a smaller-than-usual width and length) with 30 flash fiction pieces and 30 very short essays, many of which connected to each other so it sometimes seemed more like one essay broken into thirty-seven parts. The essays were clear and to the point and some of them addressed common problems that come from learning from writing books - ways that the lessons of writing books get misunderstood or misapplied.

 

I also finished Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson. These stories reminded me of Bukowski with less objectification of women, a little deeper, a prose style that's less spare, takes more time (not too much) for description. I'll definitely check out more of Johnson's work. Maybe a book of poetry or a novella. Also, according to Wikipedia, Johnson homeschooled two of his three children. 

 

 

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Last week was one filled with distractions so I did not read much. I flew to the Midwest yesterday to visit family and friends so I don't know how much reading I will do this week. On the plane I started reading The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves. At the moment, one family member is watching football, another napping. I have made a cup of tea so it looks like a good time to open a book.

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Most of my reading this week has been for the kids, reading King Lear and pre-reading some stuff for school. The main thing I'm reading for myself is Anansi Boys. This is my second Gaiman book and I'm quite enjoying it. The Washington Post called it "a tale to end all tall tales" and I agree.

 

I'm mostly on my own with the kids this week so I'm not sure how much reading I'll get done.

 

At one point a few years ago I started reading House of Leaves but didn't finish due to the effort required when I had so many things going on in life. It's still sitting on my shelf and I'm thinking of starting over with it in October. What I read was fantastic but puzzling and strange. I know it's on a lot of "scariest books ever written" lists. Has anyone else read it? Did you like it? No spoilers, please.

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I read 101 Weekends in Europe - 1 Star - I cannot even begin to explain how much I love Europe. I am crazy about it and dream of visiting there almost every single day. I also deplore the fact that we live so far from it. We live far from anywhere and anyone really. If money wasn’t a factor, we would visit there at least once a year, if not more.

I bought this book in a London train station, thinking that it would help with regards to planning any future trips. The pictures are nice, yet the book is really quite basic and left me longing for more. It lacks any sort of personal touch, opinions, recommendations, that sort of thing. Some blogs and other sites will be far more helpful. I think I’ll refer to Rick Steves books. I’m also open as to favorite European destinations!

 

9781847730817.jpg

 

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.

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I actually have three books in the stack with fall colors in the titles. I have been reading Ann Cleeves Shetland series very slowly. I have been reading Red Bones, the third, at a rate of a few pages a week. Hopefully Robin's challenge will speed me up. ;)

 

I also have a book with a perfect fall title in the kindle stack, Days of Goldhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6432106-days-of-goldby Jude Deveraux. Depending on which list I refer to it could be the first in her Edilean series....I read the other first one in the series and loved it a couple of weeks ago. I hope to read this one this week also.

 

Finally there is the read along with Amy and Rose which starts tomorrow for Amy and I in honour of Agatha Christie. The Man in the Brown Suit was chosen because we aren't sure if we have read it. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209194.The_Man_in_the_Brown_Suit

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I have been happily reading Judith Cutler's Fran Harmon https://www.goodreads.com/series/63069-fran-harmanand loving it. The main character is a policwoman nin Kent who is in her early 50's and has never married. Find myself really relating to her as she negotiates her personal and professional situations. The crimes tend to be a bit gritty but the descriptions are pretty mild. I just noticed that my ratings seem to be improving as I read these. :lol:

 

I also read a book by a new to me author of crime fiction who I am going to meet at an event later this fall. Nick Quantrll's Broken Dreams was good. It reminded me of JK Rowling's detective fiction only this was written first. It is a story centered on a man who becomes a private detective after his wife's death. It takes place in a town that my family visits occasionally Hull. I learned some fascinating background. I already knew Hull was a poor town, one of the worst in England, partly due to the fishing industry basically ending. Think really fabulous old buildings that are neglected horribly......lots of other stuff too. They do have a really good aquarium. Anyway the story is grim but the descriptions are pretty mild overall. I am just pointing this out because I want people to know before they read....think JK Rowling level.

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I finished Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  It's told in two parts.  The first part is Sherlock solving a crime (a murder).  The second part is the background behind why the murder happened.  It was good.  4/5 stars.  It lost a star because the second part was a bit boring for about half of it.  I felt a little bit like Doyle was just trying to make it long enough.

 

I'll start Maze Runner tonight.  My daughter will be happy.

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Jane, dear, when was the last time you read The Headmistress? You might like to reread it... Heavenly fluff...

 

I listened to my husband read Highland Laddie Gone and a Terry Pratchett through a haze of flu. (There are some advantages to being sick on vacation.) Later, I read Before Lunch and The Headmistress to myself. I finished listening to the Libravox version of Persuasion, which I find intriguing in part because of its passing comments on the lifves of sailors. Things like the rush to get their kit ready when they discover they are shipping out earlier than expected are SO familiar lol.

 

Nan

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I'm about halfway through The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli & am enjoying this bizarrely unique tale very much. So far, it's worth every penny of my-run-out-now-and-buy-it impulsive purchase. How can I not love a garrulous auctioneer who has his crooked teeth pulled & replaced by a set that purportedly belonged to Marilyn Monroe (bought at auction in Little Havana) while he tells this story?  :lol:

 

The NPR review of it is here

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I'm about halfway through The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli & am enjoying this bizarrely unique tale very much. So far, it's worth every penny of my-run-out-now-and-buy-it impulsive purchase. How can I not love a garrulous auctioneer who has his crooked teeth pulled & replaced by a set that purportedly belonged to Marilyn Monroe (bought at auction in Little Havana) while he tells this story? :lol:

 

The NPR review of it is here.

:lol: I can actually get it from a library. The cover cracks me up...the teeth look pretty silly, dancing. Which considering the horrors of tooth pulling....

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Jane, dear, when was the last time you read The Headmistress? You might like to reread it... Heavenly fluff...

 

I listened to my husband read Highland Laddie Gone and a Terry Pratchett through a haze of flu. (There are some advantages to being sick on vacation.) Later, I read Before Lunch and The Headmistress to myself. I finished listening to the Libravox version of Persuasion, which I find intriguing in part because of its passing comments on the lifves of sailors. Things like the rush to get their kit ready when they discover they are shipping out earlier than expected are SO familiar lol.

 

Nan

Sorry you have had the flu, Nan. I really need to get my flu shot!

 

And it has been too long since I have read The Headmistress. Oh do I love Angela Thirkell!

 

Kathy, so far so good with Ann Cleeves. I am enjoying the story development -- and lack of gruesome detail.

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I was reading in fits and starts last week. I was able to indulge in some long afternoons of reading which allowed me to finish the 4th of the original 4 Shetland mysteries, all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed. My other 2 books have been slow going, though.

 

Not so sure about Longbourn, the "downstairs" side of Pride and Prejudice.  The details of downstairs life are vividly described but so far am not convinced the author has novel's worth of a story to tell.  It may get put aside if things don't pick up soon or if it proves to be as predictable as it seems. 

 

After a mid-book lull, The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin seems to be picking back up. It started so strong that I had high expectations it would be an exceptionally good and original fantasy. It was disappointing for it to devolve into some standard tropes.  It's funny, but I originally was happy to have this book on audio so I could listen on my commute to my current music gig, but I've got people to carpool with so my listening time has been severely limited!  I'd have finished it by now in paper or kindle format.

 

Any of you familiar with Tess Gerritsen?  A friend pressed a book into my hands, an advanced reader copy of Playing with Fire, a standalone thriller in which a piece of music ties together the modern USA and WWII Italy.  My friend loved it so much he is planning on buying it to give as gifts to people when it comes out!

 

 

ETA  I should never write my Sunday BaW update while unwinding from a gig by drinking a beer and watching football. I'm just now rereading my post and fixing stupid errors... 

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And it has been too long since I have read The Headmistress. Oh do I love Angela Thirkell!

 

 

There are some Boy scenes and some knitting scenes that made me think of you.

The boat actually turns out not to be a bad place to have flu. And thankfully, mostly I was too sick to care about our precious sailing vacation, the first we,ve managed for three years. If it hadn,t been so short, the flu wouldn,t have been much of a problem. We had a few adventures. We took off at the end of one long day,s packing and were motoring at least 10 miles from any land, or so we thought, when the depth suddenly went from out-of-range (anything over 199ft) to 14 ft. Very scary, in the dark. A few seconds later, the bottom dropped back down to out-of-range. Then it went to 15.4ft for a few seconds, then back. Then it went to 15.4 and stayed there. We were frantically looking over the side, checking the chart and gps, waiting for a lurch as we hit something. It was an especially dark night. The new moon had set and there was haze, so not enough starlight to be much use. Nothing happened and after a few minutes, the depth sounder returned to normal. The whole thing started with a small sploosh astern of us. We suspect some whales were checking us out! It happened right where we usually see them. Pretty scary. Another night, the wind shifted and the anchor flopped over and dragged and we bumped the beach. We were awake listening to the wind when it happened, so we were able to motor ourselves off again easily and reset the anchor. We saw a bunch of gannets and grebes and a few loons, and two young eagles playing. I always worry that the eagles will grab the kitty and carry her off to eat. I like ospreys better. Porpoises and seals and a minky (in daylight) also.

 

Nan

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Last week continued the recent trend of reading mostly short and/or lighter things... which is okay, but I have so many longer, denser books I *want* to be reading... so I hope things shift soon.

 

2 plays:

 

The Millennium Approaches (part 1 of Angels in America) by Tony Kushner: This has been sitting on my 'out to read' list for a while, but the topic is one that didn't feel very accessible to me.  ...and then I read Intolerable and started thinking about gay narratives and what it is/has been to be a gay man in my lifetime.  ...and that thinking lead to pulling this out.  I think I needed to really see that this experience of life is a foreign to me as any of the world travel or historical reading I've done... and as important for me to 'visit'... as important for me to 'hear'.  I'm still processing the play itself, perhaps I'll have coherent thoughts once I read part 2.

 

Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus: I don't think I'd read this one before.  It was hard to read as itself, I kept seeing it in dialogue with Sophocles's Antigone, with Euripides's Suppliant Women... and with various other versions and narrative strands.

 

3 poetry books:

 

Canti by Leopardi: This has been on my TBR list since it came out several years ago, and was bumped up when I found an inexpensive used copy.  As I've gotten older I've become less and less patient with this flavor of poetic melancholy, but apparently delivery makes an enormous difference because these I devoured.

 

Nothing to Declare: Poems by Henri Cole: This, on the other hand, I pulled off the 'new books' shelf at the library somewhat at random.  ...so on the other end of the spectrum from the Leopardi in every possible way.  ...and I didn't devour them, nor will I assert that they belong on a comprehensive reading list... but they caught my attention with their finely balanced language and elusive flickers of image and meaning.

 

Guantanamo by Frank Smith: The Leopardi and the Cole, while very different in form and flavor, are both more recognizably poetry than this powerful but enigmatic work.  I was pleased this offers both the French and the English - I read most of it in French, but lacked some of the vocabulary.  

 

Here's the book description:

 

Poetry. Literary Nonfiction. Middle Eastern Studies. Bilingual Edition. Translated from the French by Vanessa Place. Shortlisted for the 2014 PEN Award for Poetry in Translation. In January 2006, responding to pressure from the American press, the Department of Defense released three hundred and seventeen verbal trials from Guantanamo naval base, the prison camp used to house accused terrorists. From these documents comes GUANTANAMO by Frank Smith. Appropriating language from the interrogation minutes, Smith shapes these questions and answers into a literary world as faceless and recursive as the interrogations themselves, leading us away from the comfort of reason and the hope of resolution. In this bilingual edition, translated into English by Vanessa Place, GUANTANAMO unsettles the categories of law and poetry, innocence and guilt, translation and interpretation. 

 

 

 

Once again, I'm going to post what I have & try to finish annotating the rest...

 

 

 

 

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Not so sure about Longbourn, the "downstairs" side of Pride and Prejudice.  The details of downstairs life are vividly described but so far am not convinced the author has novel's worth of a story to tell.  It may get put aside if things don't pick up soon or if it proves to be as predictable as it seems. 

 

My MIL essentially said the same thing, which is why I haven't read it yet.

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There isn't really a tidy way to group the other half of last week's reading... 

 

 

2 philosophy-ish books

 

I have a stack of books I'm reading bit-by-but that relate to this (religious) season, but I also picked up Buber's The Way of Man According to the Teachings of Hasidim which I loved enough to make me to pause and question my certainty that I am not, myself, chasidic.  (For the moment at least, my certainty was re-established, but I will spare you the details.)

 

I also read David Malouf's The Happy Life: The Search for Contentment in the Modern World.  It wasn't very deep or satisfying, but I enjoyed the discussion and the gentle poking at ideas... and the (light) tying in to some of the philosophical history... It is a slim book, more of a long essay than a short book, so some of the slightness is a matter of available space, but the meandering (pleasantly!) and the lack of satisfying conclusion seem intentional rather than a product of format.  I did enjoy it, but I think I prefer his fiction. 

 

2 works of fiction:

 

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler: Like Breathing Lessons, this had pieces of the experience of middle aged motherhood that resonated for me in ways I can't quite articulate, but found moving, unsettling, validating, and compelling, but the soap-opera -ish plot elements just don't work for me.  (I have this complaint about so many works of modern fiction. ... but I'll spare you the soapbox-ing for now)

 

Queen Zixi of Ix by Baum: My little guy wanted an Oz book (again!  already!) for his bedtime story, but I wasn't up for that yet, so we compromised with this, which he hadn't heard before.  It has many of the elements that I am fond of in Baum's stories, but I was a little sad to see that I no longer love this book.  ...but, still, hurrah for a queen leading her armies... and being an antagonist and a witch, but still sympathetic and not at all "wicked"... and (spoiler!) she ends up a friend and ally.  ...but 'boo' for her motivation being all about appearance. 

 

 

 

1 nonfiction:

 

The Travels of Marco Polo: This is, as others have commented, such a mixed bag.  Some parts are dull and/or repetitive, some are odd or delightful or hilarious or intriguing.  But what fascinated me all the way through is trying to glimpse some clues about the man telling these stories.  There isn't much to get hold of, but it kept me reading and puzzling and examining his (translated and told to someone else) language... I appreciated the photo sections in my edition (taken from a European television production) - gorgeous and often very evocative.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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re: Loungbourn: I was intrigued by the description, but discouraged by the responses of some readers/writers whose opinions I have always found insightful.  I'm already wary of Austen spin-offs, so that was the final straw.  (Though if you come back here, Jenn, and rave about it, it could well end up back on my TBR list....)

 

I'm coming to you live from my window's 10 touch screen laptop.  How do you like my new look?   :hat:

 

 

 You are beautiful, darling (as always!)  How is the transition going?

 

 

Last week was one filled with distractions so I did not read much. I flew to the Midwest yesterday to visit family and friends so I don't know how much reading I will do this week. 

 

I hope you have a wonderful visit, love!

 

 

To stop my brain from going all OCD when I am finished studying for the day, I've been reading Laura Lippman's Tess Monaghan series. PI in Baltimore, reasonable writing, sympathetic characters, and mostly only a dollar or so on Kindle. Lots of 'em too.

 

I find it amazing the way my reading shifts as my life shifts.  I can't always articulate the needs being met, but I've found that I am happier when I trust those reading instincts and give my mind what it says it needs.  

 

 

I listened to my husband read Highland Laddie Gone and a Terry Pratchett through a haze of flu. (There are some advantages to being sick on vacation.) Later, I read Before Lunch and The Headmistress to myself. I finished listening to the Libravox version of Persuasion, which I find intriguing in part because of its passing comments on the lifves of sailors. Things like the rush to get their kit ready when they discover they are shipping out earlier than expected are SO familiar lol.

Nan

 

:grouphug:   I hope you are feeling better, sweetheart!  ...and I love that you see Persuasion through that lens!  

 

 

Sorry you have had the flu, Nan. I really need to get my flu shot!
 

 

I've been sick, so I'm waiting to recover first, but I do need to keep pestering the kids' pediatrician's office to see if they've got their delivery yet.  ...each year they start out saying 'the end of August', shift to 'mid-September' and actually receive them near the beginning of October.  ...but I like to get it taken care of as early as possible, as much for the removal of a looming task as for the other, more sensible reasons.

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Most of my reading this week has been for the kids, reading King Lear and pre-reading some stuff for school. The main thing I'm reading for myself is Anansi Boys. This is my second Gaiman book and I'm quite enjoying it. The Washington Post called it "a tale to end all tall tales" and I agree...

I listened to Anansi Boys with my son last year -- we both enjoyed it going through, and it's stayed with me rather more than I might have expected.

 

 

I've begun reading Terry Pratchett to my mum. I was so sure she'd like it if I could get her into it, but didn't think she'd stick at it long enough herself. She's pretty much bed ridden and seems to like having someone read her bed time stories, lol.

  :001_wub:  :001_wub: How lucky she is (and you as well)...

 

 

There are some Boy scenes and some knitting scenes that made me think of you.

The boat actually turns out not to be a bad place to have flu. And thankfully, mostly I was too sick to care about our precious sailing vacation, the first we,ve managed for three years. If it hadn,t been so short, the flu wouldn,t have been much of a problem. We had a few adventures. We took off at the end of one long day,s packing and were motoring at least 10 miles from any land, or so we thought, when the depth suddenly went from out-of-range (anything over 199ft) to 14 ft. Very scary, in the dark. A few seconds later, the bottom dropped back down to out-of-range. Then it went to 15.4ft for a few seconds, then back. Then it went to 15.4 and stayed there. We were frantically looking over the side, checking the chart and gps, waiting for a lurch as we hit something. It was an especially dark night. The new moon had set and there was haze, so not enough starlight to be much use. Nothing happened and after a few minutes, the depth sounder returned to normal. The whole thing started with a small sploosh astern of us. We suspect some whales were checking us out! It happened right where we usually see them. Pretty scary. Another night, the wind shifted and the anchor flopped over and dragged and we bumped the beach. We were awake listening to the wind when it happened, so we were able to motor ourselves off again easily and reset the anchor. We saw a bunch of gannets and grebes and a few loons, and two young eagles playing. I always worry that the eagles will grab the kitty and carry her off to eat. I like ospreys better. Porpoises and seals and a minky (in daylight) also.

 

Nan

:scared:  :scared:  :scared:

 

 

 

 

The Millennium Approaches (part 1 of Angels in America) by Tony Kushner: This has been sitting on my 'out to read' list for a while, but the topic is one that didn't feel very accessible to me.  ...and then I read Intolerable and started thinking about gay narratives and what it is/has been to be a gay man in my lifetime.  ...and that thinking lead to pulling this out.  I think I needed to really see that this experience of life is a foreign to me as any of the world travel or historical reading I've done... and as important for me to 'visit'... as important for me to 'hear'.  I'm still processing the play itself, perhaps I'll have coherent thoughts once I read part 2.

 

Just yesterday, my eldest and I were talking about Angels in America -- she has for a sociology class to come up with an example of contemporary art that somehow materially moved the mark on the political process, and I suggested Angels.  I remember a million years ago seeing it in NY and staggering around speechless for days...  it took a very long time for me, then, to process it (though the context then was so different)... I'm eager to hear your thoughts after Part 2...

 

 

 

I have a stack of books I'm reading bit-by-but that relate to this (religious) season, but I also picked up Buber's The Way of Man According to the Teachings of Hasidim which I loved enough to make me to pause and question my certainty that I am not, myself, chasidic.  (For the moment at least, my certainty was re-established, but I will spare you the details.)

:lol: Someday I'd sure love to hear the details....

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And books...

 

Enrique's Journey, by Sonia Nazario - a Pulitzer-winning journalist account of the harrowing journey taken (mostly on top of freight trains) by a 16 yo Honduran boy to the US, to be reunited with his mother, who'd left to find work to support her children back home when he was 6.  Heartbreaking.

 

The Mind-Body Problem, by Rebecca Newburger Goldstein (reread).  I enjoy this author very much, and think this was the first of her books I ever read, way back when I was a graduate student, and it was fun to recalibrate my response to it... guess what, I'm a different person now! :lol: Anyway, it's a very fun, very smart, wry-yet-ultimately compassionate novel... a bit more purple than I remembered.

 

Return: Daily Inspiration for the Days of Awe, by Erica Brown.  Eliana dear, did you recommend this last year?  If so, thank you... Hovering in a terrain somewhere between Devotions and self-help literature... there were bits I liked very much, and others that don't much speak to where I am at the moment.  But although I do try to do some sort of Days of Awe-related reading each fall, I've never worked through a Program like this, and I found I appreciated the structure...

 

 

 

Several others still under way, including still (sigh) Karamazov, which I think I only made 75-ish pages of progress.  Time to step it up.

 

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I re-read yet another of my stash of Julie James' books last night; once again, I enjoyed it.

 

Love Irresistibly  by Julie James

 

 

"HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS... 
A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that.

AND WHAT HE WANTS IS HER
A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time from the one woman with whom he could fall terrifyingly, irresistibly in love. . ."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

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! ...and I love that you see Persuasion through that lens.

The whole book is full of the problems of shipping out. A main plot piece is about the problems of forming and maintaining relationships when one ships out for long periods of time. That is something that is way too familiar as well. Unfortunately.

 

Nan

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I've begun reading Terry Pratchett to my mum. I was so sure she'd like it if I could get her into it, but didn't think she'd stick at it long enough herself. She's pretty much bed ridden and seems to like having someone read her bed time stories, lol.

Coming from a read aloud to other adults family, your mum seems really normal to me lol.

 

She is lucky to have you. And we are all lucky to have Terry Pratchetts. They make good reAd alouds, don,t they?

 

Nan

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I read 101 Weekends in Europe - 1 Star - I cannot even begin to explain how much I love Europe. I am crazy about it and dream of visiting there almost every single day. I also deplore the fact that we live so far from it. We live far from anywhere and anyone really. If money wasn’t a factor, we would visit there at least once a year, if not more.

I bought this book in a London train station, thinking that it would help with regards to planning any future trips. The pictures are nice, yet the book is really quite basic and left me longing for more. It lacks any sort of personal touch, opinions, recommendations, that sort of thing. Some blogs and other sites will be far more helpful. I think I’ll refer to Rick Steves books. I’m also open as to favorite European destinations!

 

9781847730817.jpg

 

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.

Negin, I can,t remember where you are living at this time. America? Would Quebec City be cheaper for you than Europe? Not quite the same, I know, but perhaps better than nothing?

 

I love exploring Europe, too. I keep wanting to sail in Scandinavia. Or hike there. Where do you want to go next?

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Tuesday Library of Souls comes out.  I've also promised my daughter I will finally read the four Maze Runner books.

I'll be interested in how you find them.  I read them in August.  Well, I didn't read the prequel.  I wanted to get on to other things  ;)

 

I've begun reading Terry Pratchett to my mum. I was so sure she'd like it if I could get her into it, but didn't think she'd stick at it long enough herself. She's pretty much bed ridden and seems to like having someone read her bed time stories, lol.

What a special time!  And love the bolded!  What a great picture!

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I finished Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Saturday.  I originally picked this up for my banned book, since I decided to do TKAM as my Pulitzer Prize book, however, I’m going to do Brave, New World with Stacia so, F. 451 will go under my book with a number in the title.  It was a quick read but a little strange.  Montag was manic and fevered.  His actions were so erratic.  I wanted to keep whispering in his ear like Faber to tell him what to do.  Once more I found a very disturbing model of education, and though this one is based on an imaginary future, again there is a scary feeling of present day happenings.  Quote:  â€œThe home environment can undo a lot you try to do at school.  That’s why we’ve lowered the kindergarten age year after year until now we’re almost snatching them from the cradle.† :eek: There is actually a whole page and a half I’d like to quote but I’ll refrain.  ;) I enjoyed the ending as regards to the preservation of the books.  Clever.  GLAD I READ IT, GOOD ENOUGH

 

That's book #34 for me, so still behind.  :glare:   I was looking over my list for the year, though, and I've read seven "classics" so far this year.  

 

Northanger Abbey

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Treasure Island

Pygmalion

The Red Badge of Courage

To Kill a Mockingbird

Fahrenheit 451

 

I had hoped to read more classics this year.  Funny enough, I'm not sure that any of these were on my list.  

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Well, if I had an endless supply of book-buying money, I would be buying multiple copies of The Story of My Teeth & mailing them out to all of you, my BaW friends. Alas, I don't. So, I hope that at least a few of you will be intrigued enough to find a copy through your library or to buy a copy. 

 

I think a couple of you are ok w/ modern/experimental novels & many of you haven't tried them/may not be interested in them. This book, though, might be a good portal into trying something different. It can be enjoyed as a story (with our rascally, garrulous auctioneer), but it's really so much more than that. For it being a relatively short & simple book, there are a lot of layers, a lot of clever nods to people & places, some deep & interesting ideas about the intersection of art/literature/value/society. It also had some nice intersections with other things I've read, just one being the people who read aloud in cigar factories in Cuba (or, really, in manufacturing venues in Mexico also); fyi, I first heard about that in the historical fiction book I read a few weeks ago called The Distant Marvels. VC & Jane, I'll point out Jacobus de Voragine as another (but I'm not going to tell you why -- you'll just have to read the book yourselves). ;)  And don't forget Marilyn Monroe's teeth.  :lol:

 

I really don't want to give away too much of the story, or the structure, or all the things that make this book just such a delight. But, I do want to recommend it (highly) to you if you want to push yourselves out of the normal boundaries of your reading. Don't read too many reviews or summaries ahead of time. Trust where author Valeria Luiselli will take you & take the plunge. I dare you. :D   

 

P.S. For this particular book, I think the print version would probably be better than an ebook version. 

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I'll be interested in how you find them.  I read them in August.  Well, I didn't read the prequel.  I wanted to get on to other things  ;)

 

So far I've read 7 or 8 chapters and the movie makes quite a bit more sense.  I thought the movie made sense.  Guess not.  Ani told me that now the books will stop resembling the movies very much, however.

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Oh, & idnib, I forgot to mention House of Leaves.

 

I have tried reading it twice & it completely creeped me out by about page 30 both times. A bad enough feeling that I was sure that I didn't want to go there & end up reading something that I couldn't un-read. Like hair standing up the back of my neck level creepy. I even made special trips to return it to the library both times (to get it out of my house). Crazy. I know.

 

I, of course, was interested in it because of its unique style & design, but couldn't get past the sincere feeling of dread (at least for me).

 

Can't wait to hear your comments on it, if you do read it.

 

I did read his short book/long poem (?) The Fifty-Year Sword a few years ago. It would fit for a Halloween reading in that it's a little spooky (but not downright creepy or terrifying). I know the title of that one has nothing to do with Robin's seasonal word challenge, though. Lol. I guess I'm just mentioning it because it is something I've read by him. I also tried his book (or poem? or what?) Only Revolutions, but it was too far out (even for me) & I just couldn't get very far into it or even understand what the heck was going on.

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Heather, how's your dad doing? Was he finally able to (safely) eat today?

 

He was doing really well until last night.  He hadn't used the button thingy for extra pain meds since Friday, but last night he was in so much pain he was shaking and sweating and feeling nauseas.  My mom is staying at the hospital with him and neither got much sleep.  The nurses told him to push the button, but on max he was still in horrible pain.  This morning when the surgical team came on their rounds a resident discovered that at some point my dad's epidural had come out of his back and all the pain medication was just getting dumped on the bed!  He had had no pain meds for almost 12 hours.  No wonder he was hurting so much.  It's taken all day to get his pain under control.  By about 5pm he was finally starting to relax.  Because of that he couldn't eat anything more than vegetable broth (though he says the hospitals vegetable broth is pretty incredible).  It's been a rough day.

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Well, if I had an endless supply of book-buying money, I would be buying multiple copies of The Story of My Teeth & mailing them out to all of you, my BaW friends. Alas, I don't. So, I hope that at least a few of you will be intrigued enough to find a copy through your library or to buy a copy. 

 

I think a couple of you are ok w/ modern/experimental novels & many of you haven't tried them/may not be interested in them. This book, though, might be a good portal into trying something different. It can be enjoyed as a story (with our rascally, garrulous auctioneer), but it's really so much more than that. For it being a relatively short & simple book, there are a lot of layers, a lot of clever nods to people & places, some deep & interesting ideas about the intersection of art/literature/value/society. It also had some nice intersections with other things I've read, just one being the people who read aloud in cigar factories in Cuba (or, really, in manufacturing venues in Mexico also); fyi, I first heard about that in the historical fiction book I read a few weeks ago called The Distant Marvels. VC & Jane, I'll point out Jacobus de Voragine as another (but I'm not going to tell you why -- you'll just have to read the book yourselves). ;)  And don't forget Marilyn Monroe's teeth.  :lol:

 

I really don't want to give away too much of the story, or the structure, or all the things that make this book just such a delight. But, I do want to recommend it (highly) to you if you want to push yourselves out of the normal boundaries of your reading. Don't read too many reviews or summaries ahead of time. Trust where author Valeria Luiselli will take you & take the plunge. I dare you. :D   

 

P.S. For this particular book, I think the print version would probably be better than an ebook version. 

 

Who could resist such a recommendation? I just put it on hold.

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I finished Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Saturday. 

 

This book has a soft spot in my heart as we were assigned to read it before Ray Bradbury came to our school and we got to meet him and ask him questions! Somewhat hilariously, we were assigned to read this in 4th grade. In retrospect I'm thinking the person who convinced Mr. Bradbury to visit and the teacher who decided we should read F 451 in 4th grade moved in very different circles.

 

Oh, & idnib, I forgot to mention House of Leaves.

 

I have tried reading it twice & it completely creeped me out by about page 30 both times. A bad enough feeling that I was sure that I didn't want to go there & end up reading something that I couldn't un-read. Like hair standing up the back of my neck level creepy. I even made special trips to return it to the library both times (to get it out of my house). Crazy. I know. 

 

I, of course, was interested in it because it it's unique style & design, but couldn't get past the sincere feeling of dread (at least for me). 

 

Can't wait to hear your comments on it, if you do read it.

 

I did read his short book/long poem (?) The Fifty-Year Sword a few years ago. It would fit for a Halloween reading in that it's a little spooky (but not downright creepy or terrifying). I know the title of that one has nothing to do with Robin's seasonal word challenge, though. Lol. I guess I'm just mentioning it because it is something I've read by him. I also tried his book (or poem? or what?) Only Revolutions, but it was too far out (even for me) & I just couldn't get very far into it or even understand what the heck was going on.

 

I think I got a little further along than you did before giving up. Maybe page 75? I didn't give up because I was creeped out, I gave up because it was a lot of effort keeping track of the loose notes, 3-page long footnotes, different font colors and styles to represent different origins of information, etc. I just got busy, I guess. 

 

It's been sitting on my bedroom bookcase for a couple of years. That said, DH is out of town this week and for an insane moment I thought I might get a jump start and I realized that was crazy talk!

 

I didn't know about the poems, will have to look into those.

 

This morning when the surgical team came on their rounds a resident discovered that at some point my dad's epidural had come out of his back and all the pain medication was just getting dumped on the bed!  He had had no pain meds for almost 12 hours.  No wonder he was hurting so much. 

 

Oh no! I'm so sorry this happened. I'm glad they found the problem and corrected it. Hopefully he sleeps well tonight.  :grouphug:

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