Book a Week 2015 - BW38: September Equinox

[JennW in SoCal]

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. 

 

 

 

If my life didn't resemble the disorganized chaos of scattered puzzle pieces I might be able to focus on something other than mysteries, but for now I'm just going to vicariously enjoy some of these quirky books through the rest of you. The Story of my Teeth is on my TBR wish list, so perhaps one day...

 

Heather -- I didn't mean to click "like"on the post about your dad. I was on auto-like-click mode.  That's just awful he had to suffer so long.  Poor guy, hope he rebounds from that trauma and that your mom is able to get a good night's rest tonight. 

 

Rosie -- you'll have to report on your mom's response to Terry Pratchett.  Which titles are your reading? 

 

Oh and Angel -- Fahrenheit 451, to me, is a homeschooling manifesto! A call to abandon our flat screen tvs and to read books! To have conversations around the dinner table, just like Clarisse and her "odd" family! 

 

And Eliana -- I am going to abandon Longbourn.  I may skim parts to get the gist of what happens, but from what I've read the plot is as predictable as I feared. No need to waste precious time on an annoying book!

 

Back to the chaos at hand. I swear I spend more time just sorting music and juggling schedules to accommodate students and rehearsals than I do actually making music. 

[Kareni]

Wishing your father a pain-free recovery, Heather.  And sending good healthy thoughts to all of those who are sick.

 

 

I finished two books today ~

 

The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel

 

This was an intriguing story which I enjoyed.  (Even if I was crying on about page two.)

 

"After her husband’s sudden death over ten years ago, Kate Waithman never expected to be lucky enough to find another love of her life. But now she’s planning her second walk down the aisle to a perfectly nice man. So why isn’t she more excited?

At first, Kate blames her lack of sleep on stress. But when she starts seeing Patrick, her late husband, in her dreams, she begins to wonder if she’s really ready to move on. Is Patrick trying to tell her something? Attempting to navigate between dreams and reality, Kate must uncover her husband’s hidden message. Her quest leads her to a sign language class and into the New York City foster system, where she finds rewards greater than she could have imagined."

 

 

The second book I read was also intriguing though I found myself skimming from time to time. 

 

Two Across by Jeffrey Bartsch

 

"Highly awkward teenager Stanley Owens meets his match in beautiful, brainy Vera Baxter when they tie for first place in the annual National Spelling Bee-and the two form a bond that will change both of their lives.

 

Though their mothers have big plans for them-Stanley will become a senator, Vera a mathematics professor-neither wants to follow these pre-determined paths. So Stanley hatches a scheme to marry Vera in a sham wedding for the cash gifts, hoping they will enable him to pursue his one true love: crossword puzzle construction. In enlisting Vera to marry him, though, he neglects one variable: she's secretly in love with him, which makes their counterfeit ceremony an exercise in misery for her.

 

Realizing the truth only after she's moved away and cut him out of her life, Stanley tries to atone for his mistakes and win her back. But he's unable to find her, until one day he comes across a puzzle whose clues make him think it could only have been created by Vera. Intrigued, he plays along, communicating back to her via his own gridded clues. But will they connect again before it's all too late?"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Idnib, my best friend's dh read House of Leaves quite a few years ago. I remember him saying similar things about the footnotes, color, etc.... He's very artistic so I was surprised it bothered him (as in irritating, not the creepiness level). He finished it but didn't like it because he felt that it was too gimmicky.

[Guest]

If my life didn't resemble the disorganized chaos of scattered puzzle pieces I might be able to focus on something other than mysteries, but for now I'm just going to vicariously enjoy some of these quirky books through the rest of you. The Story of my Teeth is on my TBR wish list, so perhaps one day...

 

<snip>

And Eliana -- I am going to abandon Longbourn.  I may skim parts to get the gist of what happens, but from what I've read the plot is as predictable as I feared. No need to waste precious time on an annoying book!

 

Back to the chaos at hand. I swear I spend more time just sorting music and juggling schedules to accommodate students and rehearsals than I do actually making music. 

 

I think the puzzle-piece-ness of my life has led to my focus on shorter works, things I can carry in my purse and read bits of here and there, or follow when half asleep at night...  I hope you get to do less juggling soon and more music making!

 

re: abandoning Longbourn: you are wise... sometimes I have trouble letting even a dull book go.  (I have one now by an author whose first book I enjoyed, but this one is dragging and unengaging... but I keep hoping.)  So, thank you!  You have not only validated my decision not to read Longbourn, you have inspired me to ditch a boring book!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

Oh, no!  I am so glad it was finally caught, but horrified that he had to endure so much pain for so long.  (((Heather))) I hope tomorrow is smooth sailing for all of you.

 

 

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. 

 

 

Do you think I'd be okay with it?  ...because you have certainly intrigued me!  ...and I love how I've grown as a reader thanks to your encouragement to stretch myself.

 

 

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

 

Now that you say that, I can see it and it seems so obvious, but I had never seen in that way.  Thank you.  You have enriched my appreciation of a very beloved book.  

 

 

 

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...

 

 

 

Yes, I think I did recommend it.  I'm rereading it again this year, too.  The self-help parts aren't my thing, but the daily readings focused on a specific theme has been a good focal point for me in my cheshbonos (spiritual accounting).  I'm also rereading The First Ten Days which uses the ten sefiros, one for each of these days.  Its reading are much shorter, and much lighter, but, as with the author's book for sefiros, it helps me reflect and to see each of these days as its own unique process within the framework of the yamim noraim (Days of Awe)

 

 

 

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...

 

 

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

 

I've set it aside for the moment - I haven't felt ready for part 2 just yet, but I suspect I will have a flood of thoughts and reactions once I've finished it and processed it.

 

I hadn't stepped back enough to think about the potential sociological impact.  How interesting.  ...and I think a rewarding question to have in the back of my head as I read further.  Thank you, love.

 

It would be such a delight to share and muse and question together some day.  :grouphug:

 

Gmar v'chasima tovah, dearest.

[TeacherZee]

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?

 

Oh come and sail and hike here!!!! It is truly beautiful!

[Rosie_0801]

Rosie -- you'll have to report on your mom's response to Terry Pratchett.  Which titles are your reading? 

 

I've started with 'Equal Rites.' I'll probably go back to the first two now I've cleaned out the shed and found them again...

[Lady Florida.]

Heather - What an awful thing for your dad to have to endure! I hope they get his pain managed and will make it a point to check the epidural regularly.

 

Stacia - The Story of My Teeth looks interesting, and I know i heard of it before (have you mentioned it previously?). I downloaded the sample on Amazon and was intrigued. It's on my TBR list but will have to go to next year. I already have so many I want to finish or get to for the remainder of this year. 

 

Angel - I tried to read Fahrenheit 451 several times and couldn't get through it. I always loved the movie and really wanted to be able to like the book. It just didn't happen.

 

 

I haven't started anything new and am still plugging along with a number of books. I'm mainly concentrating on:

 

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman - about 3/4 of the way through. Can't turn on my Kindle wifi until I finish.

 

A Room With a View - I'm glad I stuck with this. It started getting better. Then I started kind of liking it. Now I'm loving it.

 

Moll Flanders - I'm not sure what Defoe was going for here. A morality tale? The plight of women and their limited options at that time? Just a bawdy (for its time) tale? Whatever his motives, it's an easy listen when I'm chopping vegetables, folding laundry, or doing other mindless tasks. 

 

I'm going to a meeting tonight to discuss Station Eleven. It's not book club, just a friend who read it and really wanted to discuss it. She posted on facebook asking if there was interest in a discussion and got a pretty good response. I think we'll have about 8-10 people there.

 

[mumto2]

Heather :grouphug: What a dreadful experience. But his surgery is remarkable.

 

Stacia, I can't find a hardcopy of The Story of My Teeth so will have to go with the kindle version. The search engines have really offered up some horrifying and depressing books when I type that title in. For some reason I always browse what comes up even when what I am looking for isn't there.

 

I have started The Man in the Brown Suit. Good so far.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I just checked and my copy of The Man in the Brown Suit is at the library, so I will have to swing by and pick it up later today.

 

I'm reading Twelve Years a Slave, which is definitely the best slavery-narrative I've read so far.  I'm also reading The Search for the Red Dragon and reading/listening to Remarkable Creatures and listening to Excellent Sheep.

 

The book I just finished is The Soul of the Marionette by John Gray.  Not the Venus/Mars John Gray, but the social and political theorist.  Weird path led me to this book - I recently finished re-reading His Dark Materials, and I saw that Pullman had cited a short story by Heinrich von Kleist, 'The Puppet Theatre', as a major influence, along with Paradise Lost and Blake's poetry.  As I was searching the library for the von Kleist story, this book popped up so I put it on hold too.  While I was waiting for it, there was a brief discussion of HDM on another thread, where someone posted that it was a Gnostic polemic.  I've heard of Gnosticism but really know very little about it, but this was intriguing (I had been arguing that Pullman's books aren't atheist at all, but I wasn't sure what they were).  So I start reading Gray's book, and voila - I realize not only is Pullman's book Gnostic, but so is a lot of my own world view.  I'm not a Christian, so this surprised me, but Gray does a fascinating job making an argument that the whole modern materialist scientific-enlightenment worldview is really a different take on Gnosticism.  I probably only followed about 10% of his argument, but it was really interesting. This is a book I might have to turn around and read again. It also inspired me to learn more, so I'm watching a GC on Gnosticism.  Interesting personal exploration this whole thing as led to, I have no idea where it is going but it will definitely enrich our discussions of HDM when Shannon reads the series this year.

[KathyBC]

 

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.

 

Disappointed my library system doesn't have Nick Quantrill. Loved Robert Galbraith/Rowling.

[Robin M]

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

 

Slowly,  I'm weaning myself away from using the mouse, and treating it like my ipad.  Can be frustrating at times, but getting there. Successfully copied all my email settings and folders over last night so I didn't lose all my saved emails. Patting myself on the back since I don't consider myself technologically savvy.    Gave up on the Easy Transfer method because it takes too darn long.   Easier to save files to usb and copy.  Right now just concentrating on Email and documents.  There are lots of programs,  I don't use very often, so will leave unless the need arises.Besides that, I'm having fun checking out all the nifty windows 10 gadgets when I have time.    

[Robin M]

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.

:grouphug:   So glad they discovered the problem, just sorry it wasn't sooner and he had endure all the pain.  Hope he is doing better today.  

[NoseInABook]

I started House Of Leaves too but my older brother saw it and stole it from me. He swore up and down to return it but I never saw it again. *sigh* Maybe I'll remind him and he'll buy me a new copy. I'm looking forward to some creepy reading for October. It's my favorite!

[Ali in OR]

I finished Glimmerglass and enjoyed it. It's kind of fairy-tale, kind of mystery, kind of dreamlike (not nightmarish but that slightly disturbing quality of some dreams). A once-artist in her later middle-age years moves to a small village where things are a little different seeking her muse, a return to art, seeking perhaps a family. She gets caught up in a family mystery and grows through her adventures. Hard to describe well--probably Amazon reviews would do a better job! Anyway, this was passed to me by Stacia (thank you!) and I would love to pass it on to anyone else who would like to try it. It's just under 200 pages and I found it an easy read if that helps. PM me if you'd like it next.

 

 

ETA: Glimmerglass will be off to Angel next!

 

[idnib]

I started House Of Leaves too but my older brother saw it and stole it from me. He swore up and down to return it but I never saw it again. *sigh* Maybe I'll remind him and he'll buy me a new copy. I'm looking forward to some creepy reading for October. It's my favorite!

 

If you get a copy we could read it together.

[Angel]

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.

Aly had told me the same thing!  And she was right!  I watched the movie after reading the book and things made more sense but they obviously strayed.  We haven't had the opportunity to see The Scorch Trials movie yet, so we'll see what they do with that.

 

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.

 

4th grade!  :eek:  I can't imagine!  But still a lovely connection to have.

 

Oh and Angel -- Fahrenheit 451, to me, is a homeschooling manifesto! A call to abandon our flat screen tvs and to read books! To have conversations around the dinner table, just like Clarisse and her "odd" family! 

 

And Eliana -- I am going to abandon Longbourn.  I may skim parts to get the gist of what happens, but from what I've read the plot is as predictable as I feared. No need to waste precious time on an annoying book!

 

Definitely could be a homeschool manifesto  :001_smile:   But it wasn't only the tv's, it was also the earbuds.  I was shocked when I finally realized basically what his wife had in her ears.  I have found people don't get as freaked out about their tv viewing as much as their music.  :laugh:  I'm appalled when I go to a restaurant and see a family eating and one or more of the kids with earbuds.  Eek!

 

 

Two Across by Jeffrey Bartsch

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

This sounds intriguing!

[Angel]

Thankfully, The Tempest was a quick read.  I picked it up to read before beginning Brave, New World (which I’m still waiting on from the library).  It’s been 3.5 years since I last read The Tempest.  It is a good story but there isn’t as much depth to it when compared to other Shakespeare’s.  I don’t really remember my thoughts on it the first time, which is a little embarrassing.  I had strong reactions to all the other Shakespeare’s I read when I did a class for Skye and her friends.  I’m kind of a hopeless romantic but it’s no surprise that Miranda would fall for Ferdinand.  He’s the first boy she’s seen lol.  There’s not much to their “romance†either.  Trinculo and Stephano are supposed to be funny but not really, so the humor is lacking.  I do like Prospero’s long speeches!  I would like to see a well done movie of this.  For class we watched the one with Helen Mirren, but I wasn’t for a woman Prospero or a naked Ariel.  AN OKAY SHAKESPEARE. 

 

(Kind of obvious) Quote:  “O, brave new world that has such people in ‘t!† also

 

“The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.†

[idnib]

4th grade!  :eek:  I can't imagine!  But still a lovely connection to have.

 

In retrospect, I'm pretty sure someone at the school had a personal connection to Mr. Bradbury. When he or she told the other teachers he could come for a visit, I think my homeroom teacher thought we should have at least read something by him and assigned it as outside reading. I'm pretty sure she had not read it herself, but since we weren't going to discuss it in class and were saving our questions for the author, she probably didn't worry about it. She may have been unfamiliar with his works but figured if he was coming to an elementary school, he was fine.

 

I recall soon after this we had to use her new last name, so planning her wedding had probably added to the lack of time for proper research.

[Nan in Mass]

Heather, I am so sorry! How horrible! Holding your father and family in the light...

Nan

[Stacia]

Ali, glad you enjoyed Glimmerglass. I agree that it's a pretty quick, easy read. Angel, I think you will like it too.

 

Kathy, I didn't mention The Story of My Teeth before I ran out to do my impulse purchase of it. An hour before that, I hadn't even heard of it myself. Looking forward to hearing what some of you think of it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Eliana, yes, I think you'd be fine with it. You might even be a little bit charmed. I don't think it will end up as a favorite of yours, but I think it's a good choice for you when you feel like some boundary-stretching into modern/experimental writing. (And I think it would be a better fit for you than various other modern/experimental works I've read.)

 

Mumto2, I'm kind of curious what strange & weird toothy tomes you turned up in your searches. Anyone else now picturing Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors? Lol.

 

 

 

 

I'm trying to buckle down & finish my Marco Polo books because I really need to move on to Slaughterhouse-Five (for my book club), The Tempest, & Brave New World. Plus, I really want to do some spooky reading in October too. (Any suggestions for that?... other than House of Leaves, lol.)

 

ETA: The Story of My Teeth is nothing like the Steve Martin video or anything like that! So don't worry! Lol. Mumto2's comment made me think of it.

[Stacia]

Heather, I sure hope your dad is having a better day today. How's he doing?

[Butter]

Aly had told me the same thing!  And she was right!  I watched the movie after reading the book and things made more sense but they obviously strayed.  We haven't had the opportunity to see The Scorch Trials movie yet, so we'll see what they do with that.

 

Ani and I went to see Scorch Trials Saturday.  The Cranks are terrifying.  I'm like, "Really? Zombies?"  There's a lot of bad language (mostly the s-word) which is weird since James Dashner is pretty specific about using substitute non-cuss-cuss-words.  I feel like they tried really, really hard to make it PG-13 since it's YA and it's right on the line.  I've often taken younger than 13 year olds to PG-13 movies (Hunger Games, Harry Potter, etc.), but Scorch Trials is a pretty firm 13+ in my head.  The movie was good, I just think it could have been better.  My daughter said she liked it, but she's not sure where most of it came from because it's definitely not in the book!

 

Speaking of PG-13, my son is beyond thrilled that they finally rated The Martian and it's PG-13.  We don't watch R rated movies and he was so worried it would end up rated R.  My husband and I will take him to see it for his 14th birthday (which is the day after the movie is being released).

 

I've put Maze Runner aside for the time being because Library of Souls was delivered to my Kindle this morning :)

[Butter]

Heather, I sure hope your dad is having a better day today. How's he doing?

 

He's doing perfect!  Thanks for asking.  They finally got on top of his pain and so it's being well-managed now.  Once the epidural came out they couldn't replace it so he's on IV meds now.  The surgeon came this morning and said as long as he continues as he has so far, he can go home tomorrow!  That's unheard of!  The Whipple Procedure is a 1 1/2-2 week hospital stay.  He'll be 6 days post-op tomorrow.  He's just gotten better so fast and as awful as the Night of Pain was it did prove that he can handle it and didn't need such strong narcotics anymore (he'll still be going home on oral narcotics, of course).

 

The surgeon also said that only 1 in 5 pancreatic cancers are operable.  Of the last 20 people this surgeon had who needed chemo prior to surgery, my father is *the only one* who, after chemo, was still a candidate for surgery!  On top of that, the tumor was completely contained with good margins and no sign of spreading to other organs.  That's not very common even in operable pancreatic cancers.  Usually the surgery buys you a couple years.  In his case, he is likely one of the few completely cured by it.  Amazing.

 

He had two drains and one was removed a bit ago.  Daddy's had drains removed before (he had prostate cancer removed 7 years ago and has had kidney stone surgeries), but this one was quite an experience.  My sister said she was just waiting for the multi-colored handkerchiefs to come out of him as well.  The drain was the longest one any of them have ever seen.

[Stacia]

Wow, Heather, great update! So happy for him & all of you! Happy hugs all around!

[Kareni]

 ... Anyone else now picturing Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors? Lol. ...

 

 

I was having my teeth cleaned once when the Dentist song came over the stereo system.  You can believe I made a comment as soon as I was able!

"You'll be a dentist. You have a talent for causing things pain! Son, be a dentist. People will pay you to be inhumane! You're temperment's wrong for the priesthood, And teaching would suit you still less. Son, be a dentist. You'll be a success. 

You'll be a dentist. You have a talent for causing things pain! Son, be a dentist. People will pay you to be inhumane! You're temperment's wrong for the priesthood, And teaching would suit you still less. Son, be a dentist. You'll be a success."

...

 

I still have no intention of reading The Story of My Teeth!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Rofl, Kareni.

 

And don't you want to make pigs fly on your end too (by reading The Story of My Teeth)?! ;-)

 

Eta: It does seem pretty cruel, if funny, that the dentist song played while you were in the dentist's chair. I take it he wasn't sporting an Elvis hairdo & big leather boots while singing along, right?

[Kareni]

Rofl, Kareni.

 

And don't you want to make pigs fly on your end too (by reading The Story of My Teeth)?! ;-)

 

Eta: It does seem pretty cruel, if funny, that the dentist song played while you were in the dentist's chair. I take it he wasn't sporting an Elvis hairdo & big leather boots while singing along, right?

 

Nope, no pigs will be flying here!

 

And, no, I'm happy to say the dentist was not garbed a la Steve Martin.  Had he been, I'd probably have headed for the hills!

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[mumto2]

Stacia, When looking for The Story of My Teeth I found all sorts of things, everything from autobiographies to zombies and vampires in most libraries. For some reason my library (my actual local system) just comes up with social service type reports involving abuse, teeth not in the title. No how to brush type books even...Not sure what that says about where I live? My neighbouring system is seems to be obsessed with brushing (not a bad thing), teeth need to be in the title there. It is odd how differently the search engines work. Neither system has the book unfortunately.

 

:lol: Kareni

 

Heather, Thanks for the update on your dad. Wow, going home so quickly.

[Kareni]

Some currently free Kindle books that might interest some:

 

Out There: a novel by Sarah Stark

 

"In this lyrical, evocative novel, Stark summons the possibility of salvation in tragedy. Iraq war veteran Jefferson Long Soldier returns home with a wounded soul and a copy of Gabriel García Márquez's novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, which he carried with him through combat and credits for saving his life. But when neither family nor a psychologist can help ease his transition to civilian life, Jefferson journeys by motorbike across Mexico in search of salvation and the reclusive García Márquez. A tribute to magical realism and the transforming power of fiction, Stark's novel juxtaposes violence and gentleness and merges logic with sensuous atmosphere to question the boundaries of reality. Jefferson's struggle for peace reveals an existence as fluid and magical as a dream but with consequences." ---Publishers Weekly (starred review)

 

**

 

Eliana has spoken highly of this author:  
Stray (Touchstone Book 1) by Andrea K. Höst

 

"On her last day of high school, Cassandra Devlin walked out of exams and into a forest. Surrounded by the wrong sort of trees, and animals never featured in any nature documentary, Cass is only sure of one thing: alone, she will be lucky to survive.

The sprawl of abandoned blockish buildings Cass discovers offers her only more puzzles. Where are the people? What is the intoxicating mist which drifts off the buildings in the moonlight? And why does she feel like she's being watched?

Increasingly unnerved, Cass is overjoyed at the arrival of the formidable Setari. Whisked to a world as technologically advanced as the first was primitive, where nanotech computers are grown inside people's skulls, and few have any interest in venturing outside the enormous whitestone cities, Cass finds herself processed as a 'stray', a refugee displaced by the gates torn between worlds. Struggling with an unfamiliar language and culture, she must adapt to virtual classrooms, friends who can teleport, and the ingrained attitude that strays are backward and slow.

Can Cass ever find her way home? And after the people of her new world discover her unexpected value, will they be willing to let her leave?"

 

**

 

Photographic: A Novel by K.D. Lovgren

 

"When Jane married Ian Reilly, he wasn't famous, just a method actor with a dream. In the seven years since their marriage, he's catapulted to the A-list, they own a secluded farm in the Midwest, and Jane and Ian are living separate lives.

While Ian films a blockbuster, action-packed version of The Odyssey on the island of Crete, Jane is hunted by a tabloid photographer who won't take no for an answer.

As Odysseus, Ian is six thousand miles away and three thousand years in the past. His plunge into the tribulations of an ancient Greek hero has left her an unwilling Penelope. When the tabloids break an on-set story too outrageous to ignore, Jane undertakes an epic journey of her own to uncover the truth."

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[Guest]

He's doing perfect!  

 

 

:hurray:   That is amazing, Heather!  I am so happy for you (and him!).  I hope the transition to home goes as smoothly as possible, with a speedy, complete recovery to follow.  

 

 

Kathy, I didn't mention The Story of My Teeth before I ran out to do my impulse purchase of it. An hour before that, I hadn't even heard of it myself. Looking forward to hearing what some of you think of it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Eliana, yes, I think you'd be fine with it. You might even be a little bit charmed. I don't think it will end up as a favorite of yours, but I think it's a good choice for you when you feel like some boundary-stretching into modern/experimental writing. (And I think it would be a better fit for you than various other modern/experimental works I've read.)

 

 

 

 

Thank you, love!  I have placed a hold at my library - it is apparently a popular book, so it might be a bit before it actually comes to me, but I look forward to being stretched.... and charmed! 

 

 

Slowly,  I'm weaning myself away from using the mouse, and treating it like my ipad.  Can be frustrating at times, but getting there. Successfully copied all my email settings and folders over last night so I didn't lose all my saved emails. Patting myself on the back since I don't consider myself technologically savvy.    Gave up on the Easy Transfer method because it takes too darn long.   Easier to save files to usb and copy.  Right now just concentrating on Email and documents.  There are lots of programs,  I don't use very often, so will leave unless the need arises.Besides that, I'm having fun checking out all the nifty windows 10 gadgets when I have time.    

 

You are so brave!  I tend to cling to my older devices/software and resist improvements if they would require me to develop new patterns.  I am glad you are having some fun and starting to get your files shifted over.  

 

I'm reading Twelve Years a Slave, which is definitely the best slavery-narrative I've read so far. 

 

The book I just finished is The Soul of the Marionette

 

re: 12 Years a Slave: This has been on my lists for an absurd number of years, but I have been too timid to pick it up.  I wanted to ask how harrowing it is... but that feels a bit like asking the same question about a Holocaust memoir... of course it is harrowing... and of course I should stop procrastinating and read it already!

 

re: Soul of the Marionette: I've only read the Pullman once - and I hated it, passionately, for its ending... which felt outrageous to me on so many levels, but I have always been puzzled at hearing it described as an atheist counterpart to Lewis. I'm not in the right space for this book right now, but I'm adding it to my lists for later. ...and doing so caused me to be intrigued by a number of his other titles as well.  Thank you!

[Guest]

 

 

Thankfully, The Tempest was a quick read.  I picked it up to read before beginning Brave, New World (which I’m still waiting on from the library).  It’s been 3.5 years since I last read The Tempest.  It is a good story but there isn’t as much depth to it when compared to other Shakespeare’s.  I don’t really remember my thoughts on it the first time, which is a little embarrassing.  I had strong reactions to all the other Shakespeare’s I read when I did a class for Skye and her friends.  I’m kind of a hopeless romantic but it’s no surprise that Miranda would fall for Ferdinand.  He’s the first boy she’s seen lol.  There’s not much to their “romance†either.  Trinculo and Stephano are supposed to be funny but not really, so the humor is lacking.  I do like Prospero’s long speeches!  I would like to see a well done movie of this.  For class we watched the one with Helen Mirren, but I wasn’t for a woman Prospero or a naked Ariel.  AN OKAY SHAKESPEARE. 

 

 

 

For me the heart of the book is forgiveness, letting go of past pain and anger, and building a new future, even if it is from the ashes of the past.

 

...and, for me, the play hinges on Ariel's line (roughly):  "Mine would, sir, were I human".

 

...but it isn't a saintly kind of forgiveness... it is a very rough, human, imperfect process... with anger and pain and issues with power and control.  ...look at how controlling Prospero is, how much he seems to need control after having been so impotent in the face of his brother's plots.  He has so much anger... and so much hurt.  ...but he comes to a place of setting aside his drive for revenge, of having faith that a better future can be built.   ...enough faith that he discards his surety of power.

 

It speaks to me much more now in middle age than it did when I was younger.  ...though I am also more intensely aware of the implicit issues of colonialism in the depiction of Caliban... and having read some of the ways Latin American thinkers have used that imagery, I now read the play with a split perception... though the juxtaposition raised interesting thoughts about perception and reality... about power and agency and forgiveness... and so much more.

 

...but on the eve of Yom Kippur, my primary resonance is with the theme of forgiveness.  

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

 

re: 12 Years a Slave: This has been on my lists for an absurd number of years, but I have been too timid to pick it up.  I wanted to ask how harrowing it is... but that feels a bit like asking the same question about a Holocaust memoir... of course it is harrowing... and of course I should stop procrastinating and read it already!

 

re: Soul of the Marionette: I've only read the Pullman once - and I hated it, passionately, for its ending... which felt outrageous to me on so many levels, but I have always been puzzled at hearing it described as an atheist counterpart to Lewis. I'm not in the right space for this book right now, but I'm adding it to my lists for later. ...and doing so caused me to be intrigued by a number of his other titles as well.  Thank you!

 

I know exactly what you mean about the "how harrowing" question.  I'm about halfway through, and so far, it is very dramatic, but not as harrowing as, say, Uncle Tom's Cabin or Beloved.  Solomon Northup, the narrator, is so *real*, so down to earth, so clearly a person just like you or me who found himself in a completely untenable position, but there is no drama, in the sense of no added drama that you feel like is there to tug your heartstrings.  It requires no suspension of disbelief, because it is entirely real.  It's very shockingness grows out  of the matter-of-factness with which this amazing man tells his story.  Anyway, I do recommend it at this point, though I will report back if it gets too horrible.

 

I would say The Soul of the Marionette is very uneven.  Parts of it were brilliant and thought provoking, but more than half the time I didn't really understand quite where he was coming from.  But it was a good kind of confusion, that made me want to learn more and form my own opinions.  One of the things that struck me was his refutation of the idea popularized by Pinker and others recently that humanity is getting less violent.  That was a thought-provoking argument.  And the link he made between a modern scientific worldview and gnosticism was extremely thought provoking.  Like I said, I have been watching a Great Course and i've put a bunch of books on hold, inspired by this read.  It's been awhile since I've taken the time to try and learn something entirely new for my own sake entirely, rather than as preparation for teaching.  So I am grateful for that inspiration.

[Kareni]

Yet another Julie James book demanded to be re-read.  I own seven of her eight books, so I'll soon be finished with this adventure as I only have a couple of books left in my pile.  I enjoyed re-reading this.

 

It Happened One Wedding (FBI/US Attorney Book 5) by Julie James

 

"SHE KNOWS BETTER THAN TO SAY “I DOâ€

After a humiliating end to her engagement, investment banker Sidney Sinclair is done with commitment-phobic men. But when her sister winds up engaged after a whirlwind courtship, Sidney is thrown into close contact with exactly the kind of sexy playboy she wants to avoid—the gorgeous best man. She’s stuck with him, for better or worse, until her sister walks down the aisle, but that doesn’t mean she has to give in to his smooth advances, no matter how tempting they are…

BUT HE MAKES IT HARD TO SAY “I DON’Tâ€

Special agent Vaughn Roberts always gets his man on the job and his woman in bed. So Sidney’s refusal to fall for his charms only makes him more determined to win over the cool and confident redhead. Only what starts out as a battle of wills ends up as a serious play for her heart. Because the one woman who refuses to be caught may be the only one Vaughn can’t live without…"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Angel]

In retrospect, I'm pretty sure someone at the school had a personal connection to Mr. Bradbury. When he or she told the other teachers he could come for a visit, I think my homeroom teacher thought we should have at least read something by him and assigned it as outside reading. I'm pretty sure she had not read it herself, but since we weren't going to discuss it in class and were saving our questions for the author, she probably didn't worry about it. She may have been unfamiliar with his works but figured if he was coming to an elementary school, he was fine.

 

I recall soon after this we had to use her new last name, so planning her wedding had probably added to the lack of time for proper research.

:lol:

 

Ani and I went to see Scorch Trials Saturday.  The Cranks are terrifying.  I'm like, "Really? Zombies?"  There's a lot of bad language (mostly the s-word) which is weird since James Dashner is pretty specific about using substitute non-cuss-cuss-words.  I feel like they tried really, really hard to make it PG-13 since it's YA and it's right on the line.  I've often taken younger than 13 year olds to PG-13 movies (Hunger Games, Harry Potter, etc.), but Scorch Trials is a pretty firm 13+ in my head.  The movie was good, I just think it could have been better.  My daughter said she liked it, but she's not sure where most of it came from because it's definitely not in the book!

 

Speaking of PG-13, my son is beyond thrilled that they finally rated The Martian and it's PG-13.  We don't watch R rated movies and he was so worried it would end up rated R.  My husband and I will take him to see it for his 14th birthday (which is the day after the movie is being released).

 

I've put Maze Runner aside for the time being because Library of Souls was delivered to my Kindle this morning :)

I figured it would be pretty PG-13.  The Cranks were creepy enough in the book and Hollywood loves to sensationalize those kinds of things even more.  Aly already knew that the movie didn't follow the book.  I guess her and dh are wondering if they meshed in some of the third book.  We plan to see it in the next week or two.  Dh and Aly spent the Dave Ramsey entertainment budget going to see a special Doctor Who showing at the theater.  He "forgot" to inform me that the tickets were $17 a seat.  :glare:

 

So did you find The Martian to be a PG-13 book?  I've been back and forth on whether or not to read it because we don't do R movies or R books, lol, and I can't get a definitive answer.  I'm totally intrigued by the book and the movie, though.

 

 

 

For me the heart of the book is forgiveness, letting go of past pain and anger, and building a new future, even if it is from the ashes of the past.

 

...and, for me, the play hinges on Ariel's line (roughly):  "Mine would, sir, were I human".

 

.

I certainly never considered that, but it does make sense.  The Tempest doesn't seem to fit neatly in the major categories of Shakespeare (History, Comedy, Tragedy).  I like your take on it, though, and do remember Ariel's line jumping out at me too.  

[Nan in Mass]

Eliana - I finally got around to following the link in your signature. What a stunning hymn! (It seems wrong to call it a song and I don,t know the proper term.)

Nan

[Nan in Mass]

Heather, I am so happy about your dad. I hope things continue to improve as rapidly. : ) Nan

[Kareni]

 

So did you find The Martian to be a PG-13 book?  I've been back and forth on whether or not to read it because we don't do R movies or R books, lol, and I can't get a definitive answer.  I'm totally intrigued by the book and the movie, though.

 

Angel, here's a review that I think you'll find informative ~

 

Is The Martian okay for middle school kids to read?

Do read the comments.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Angel]

Skye suggested that I read mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine since I just read To Kill a Mockingbird.  The main character identifies with Scout and so there are references to TKaM.  She has actually wanted me to read this for a while but I shy away from super emotional books.  I want to escape in my reading from all the real life emotions around me and just be happy.  The story (and it is fiction…I thought it was a true story) is about a young girl with Asperger’s who loses her brother in a school shooting. And I finished it in one day. It is a truly interesting look into how she thinks and feels, therefore providing a glimpse into the life of an Asperger’s child.  Skye is my Aspie.  I know things are difficult for her.  Some days I remember this and some days I forget.  It made me remember that it is a struggle for her every day whether I can see the struggle or not.  She loved the way that this book put some things into words for her.  Especially, she liked how the young girl explained her anxiety by “that recess feeling in my stomach.† I found myself remembering when Skye was 10 (like Caitlin) and couldn’t articulate her feelings well, and seeing just how far she has come now at almost 21.  I found it INSPIRATIONAL!

[Kareni]

And one more informative review for you, Angel ~

 

ABaFT (Adult books for teens): The Martian by Andy Weir

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Angel]

Angel, here's a review that I think you'll find informative ~

 

Is The Martian okay for middle school kids to read?

Do read the comments.

 

Regards,

Kareni

Thank you so much!!  Exactly what I was looking for!!  The book is not for me.  I don't do the F word unless it comes as a major surprise.  It makes my skin crawl.  I also had to stop reading the comments.  Shiver.  Appalled.   :eek:  Heading back to my ostrich hole   :leaving:

[Chrysalis Academy]

Thank you so much!!  Exactly what I was looking for!!  The book is not for me.  I don't do the F word unless it comes as a major surprise.  It makes my skin crawl.  I also had to stop reading the comments.  Shiver.  Appalled.   :eek:  Heading back to my ostrich hole   :leaving:

 

Don't feel bad, Angel, I don't have a problem with 4 letter words, but I found The Martian unreadable because I felt like I was sitting on the shoulder of an overgrown adolescent male.  I have felt sheepish to admit it, but despite the promising topic, I just couldn't get myself to read that book.   :leaving:

[Shawneinfl]

Ani and I went to see Scorch Trials Saturday.  The Cranks are terrifying.  I'm like, "Really? Zombies?"  There's a lot of bad language (mostly the s-word) which is weird since James Dashner is pretty specific about using substitute non-cuss-cuss-words.  I feel like they tried really, really hard to make it PG-13 since it's YA and it's right on the line.  I've often taken younger than 13 year olds to PG-13 movies (Hunger Games, Harry Potter, etc.), but Scorch Trials is a pretty firm 13+ in my head.  The movie was good, I just think it could have been better.  My daughter said she liked it, but she's not sure where most of it came from because it's definitely not in the book!

 

Speaking of PG-13, my son is beyond thrilled that they finally rated The Martian and it's PG-13.  We don't watch R rated movies and he was so worried it would end up rated R.  My husband and I will take him to see it for his 14th birthday (which is the day after the movie is being released).

 

I've put Maze Runner aside for the time being because Library of Souls was delivered to my Kindle this morning :)

 

I saw this with my son on Saturday and had the exact same reaction. I turned to him and asked "why am I sitting in a zombie movie?" I guess that's what I get for not reading any of the books first.

[idnib]

I'm 3rd in line on Overdrive for The Martian and now I'm wondering how it's going to go.

[Kareni]

Another currently free Kindle book; this one is described as urban fantasy ~

 

Nolander (Emanations, an urban fantasy series Book 1) by Becca Mills

 

"Beth Ryder knows she's different. In a tiny rural town, being an orphaned and perpetually single amateur photographer crippled by panic disorder is pretty much guaranteed to make you stick out like a sore thumb.

But Beth doesn't understand just how different she really is.

One day, strange things start cropping up in her photos. Things that don't look human. Impossible things. Monstrosities. Beth thinks her hateful sister-in-law, Justine, has tampered with her pictures to play a cruel joke, but rather than admitting or denying it, Justine up and vanishes, leaving the family in disarray.

Beth's search for Justine plunges her into a world she never knew existed, one filled with ancient and terrifying creatures. Both enemies and allies await her there—a disturbingly sexy boss, a sentient wolf with diamond fur, body-snatching dinosaur-birds. Separating the allies from the enemies is no easy chore, but in this strange new world, allies are a necessity. A plot is afoot, and Beth—whose abilities no one seems able to explain—may well hold the key to solving it."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm 3rd in line on Overdrive for The Martian and now I'm wondering how it's going to go.

 

Well, the good news is, however it goes, you are in good company!!!  ;)  :D

[Stacia]

I like Rose's answer! Lol.

 

Loved The Martian, my 14yo does too. There is, however, pretty liberal use of the F-word. Bad language doesn't bother me for the most part, but my dad was a sailor & my sister uses more colorful language than a sailor, so Mark Watney's profanity didn't make much of a dent for me. ;-) I'm not much of a cusser myself, but if I were stranded on Mars all by myself, I might be inclined to cuss. A lot. Lol. And, as I like to point out, the Mythbusters (as well as other scientists) have proven that cussing can actually help reduce pain.

 

Just had to post & be a pot-stirrer! ;-p

 

Violence & hatred are much more bothersome for me than any kind of foul language.

[Tress]

Loved The Martian, my 14yo does too. There is, however, pretty liberal use of the F-word. Bad language doesn't bother me for the most part, but my dad was a sailor & my sister uses more colorful language than a sailor, so Mark Watney's profanity didn't make much of a dent for me. ;-) I'm not much of a cusser myself, but if I were stranded on Mars all by myself, I might be inclined to cuss. A lot. Lol. And, as I like to point out, the Mythbusters (as well as other scientists) have proven that cussing can actually help reduce pain.

 

Just had to post & be a pot-stirrer! ;-p

 

Violence & hatred are much more bothersome for me than any kind of foul language.

I really liked The Martian (read it in January) and don't even remember any colorful language, I read it in Dutch so maybe they eddited it all out :huh:.

[Shawneinfl]

I loved The Martian - especially all the engineering. I usually HATE books with the F-word but in this case it seemed appropriate. If I were stuck on Mars I might resort to such language myself. :laugh:

[Angel]

Don't feel bad, Angel, I don't have a problem with 4 letter words, but I found The Martian unreadable because I felt like I was sitting on the shoulder of an overgrown adolescent male.  I have felt sheepish to admit it, but despite the promising topic, I just couldn't get myself to read that book.   :leaving:

It is a promising topic!  Oh well!

 

I saw this with my son on Saturday and had the exact same reaction. I turned to him and asked "why am I sitting in a zombie movie?" I guess that's what I get for not reading any of the books first.

:lol:

 

Just had to post & be a pot-stirrer! ;-p

 

 

No Pot-stirring!!   :svengo: This is the Book a Week thread!  Get your priorities right!   :lol:

[Onceuponatime]

Yahoo! I finished Packing for Mars. Now on to a bit of fall themed fluff, The Pumpkin Muffin Mystery.