Book a Week 2015: BW43 - jack o'lantern & tale of stingy jack

[JennW in SoCal]

We had a death in the family so we are flying to the upper Midwest today.

 

I was prepared last night to go get some cold weather clothing and saw the weather is going to be almost identical to the Bay Area. Strange for November.

 

I hope I'll get to check in with BaW this week but I'm not sure. It's all very last minute. Wishing you all a good week, just in case.

 

Safe travels and condolences to you and your family. 

 

I think I'm going to curl up in bed with a book for the rest of the day. And that is the last book-related comment in my post. I just got back from an unplanned visit to the dermatologist - long story, but serendipitous - in a desperate attempt to figure out the source of my chronic itchy rash. She think it is dermatitis herpetiformis, which means I probably have celiac's disease.  So, hm. I guess getting a diagnosis will be a relief, and I should be grateful that the allergen is actually something I have power to remove, rather than a nonspecific environmental sensitivity.  At the same time, I'm feeling a little bit stunned and sorry for myself - not to mention sore from 3 biopsies now that the novacain is wearing off.  So, yeah, maybe I can make a dent in my book stack. I don't think I'm really good for anything else today.

 

Visits to the doctor are generally a good enough excuse for a little book time. Biopsies deserve a long afternoon of books and a possible diagnosis means a soft blankie and pillow AND a stack of books.  :grouphug:   

[Jane in NC]

Rose dear,

 

You have certainly earned the right to curl up with a book or three.  Feel better soon.

 

Jane

[Kareni]

My sympathies, idnib; safe travels away and home.

 

 

I think I'm going to curl up in bed with a book for the rest of the day.

 

 

Sending you good book thoughts.  I hope that the diagnosis will lead to happier days.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Butter]

We had a death in the family so we are flying to the upper Midwest today.

 

I'm very sorry.

 

I think I'm going to curl up in bed with a book for the rest of the day. And that is the last book-related comment in my post. I just got back from an unplanned visit to the dermatologist - long story, but serendipitous - in a desperate attempt to figure out the source of my chronic itchy rash. She think it is dermatitis herpetiformis, which means I probably have celiac's disease.  So, hm. I guess getting a diagnosis will be a relief, and I should be grateful that the allergen is actually something I have power to remove, rather than a nonspecific environmental sensitivity.  At the same time, I'm feeling a little bit stunned and sorry for myself - not to mention sore from 3 biopsies now that the novacain is wearing off.  So, yeah, maybe I can make a dent in my book stack. I don't think I'm really good for anything else today.

 

I have Celiac.  My daughter, youngest son, and father do as well.  It is VERY overwhelming at first.  It's a pain sometimes for sure, but it gets easier over time.

[Kareni]

This afternoon, I finished re-reading Jennifer Ashley's historical romance The Duke's Perfect Wife (Mackenzies Series).  This is the fourth in a series, and it could be read as a stand alone.  Nonetheless, I'd recommend reading the series in order, particularly since the first in the series is a definite favorite of mine.  I enjoyed revisiting this book.

 

 

"Lady Eleanor Ramsay is the only one who knows the truth about Hart Mackenzie. Once his fiancee, she is the sole woman to whom he could ever pour out his heart.

Hart has it all--a dukedom, wealth, power, influence, whatever he desires. Every woman wants him--his seductive skills are legendary. But Hart has sacrificed much to keep his brothers safe, first from their brutal father, and then from the world. He's also suffered loss--his wife, his infant son, and the woman he loved with all his heart though he realized it too late.

Now, Eleanor has reappeared on Hart's doorstep, with scandalous nude photographs of Hart taken long ago. Intrigued by the challenge in her blue eyes--and aroused by her charming, no-nonsense determination--Hart wonders if his young love has come to ruin him . . . or save him."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Pam in CT]

Idnib, my condolences and safe travels.

 

 

Rose, off to bed with a good stack of not-too-heavy books and a large steaming cup of tea of choice.  We know several families affected by celiac, and as Butter said, they were overwhelmed at first but did make their way to a manageable rhythm.   :grouphug:

[aggieamy]

 

The Wheel on the School: I haven't revisited this in ages... I still find it a delightful blend of charming and very real.

 

 

That is one of the read alouds that DD and I both remember in such great detail.  It's funny how somethings just get wonderfully embedded in your mind and other books I'll read halfway through before I start thinking ... "Have I read this before?"  We are reading The House of Sixty Fathers right now and it's lovely also.  Has your family already read it?

 

 

[aggieamy]

Rose and idnib - ((HUGS))

 

It seems like our poor little BaW group is having so many hardships right now. 

[Stacia]

Ah, Rose, no wonder you want to crawl in bed with a book or books. :grouphug:  Good to find out a diagnosis, yes, but also a daunting thing to take in as you learn & implement change too. Take care of yourself.

[mumto2]

Rose :grouphug:

[Stacia]

Getting a jump on my November non-fiction reading, I read James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time. It really contains two letters -- one to his 14yo nephew and another, much longer one, that seems to be more of an open letter to America in general about race & religion. These were written & published in the early 1960s.

 

I picked up Baldwin's work after reading Ta-Nehisi Coates' letter to his teen son about being black in America today. (The book, Between the World and Me, was just published a couple of months ago.) Coates was apparently inspired by Baldwin's work & the two have much in common as they share the same themes & because, even though time has moved forward, the state of the issues covered hasn't moved forward nearly as much, if at all.

 

While I find Coates' work important, even critical to read as an American (probably especially necessary since I'm a white American), I found it hard to connect to in some places. Some of it seemed too personal (like I was intruding where I shouldn't be), some was family history, just a meandering mix, really. I think Baldwin comes across a little more clearly, is a little more focused, has a lot of social, political, & religious commentary to make. Somehow I found it easier to step into understanding Baldwin's words.

 

Another strongly relevant book that should be required reading.

[Kareni]

From the Washington Post:

 

 

A book review ~

 

‘The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh’ is a honey pot of nostalgia

 

 

and

 

a game review for fans of Moby Dick ~

 

‘Dick’: An American literary classic as a ribald card game

 

*** ***

 

And, from a different site, here's a review of a vampire novel that predates Dracula ~

 

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu  by Carrie S

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

We had a death in the family so we are flying to the upper Midwest today.

 

I was prepared last night to go get some cold weather clothing and saw the weather is going to be almost identical to the Bay Area. Strange for November.

 

I hope I'll get to check in with BaW this week but I'm not sure. It's all very last minute. Wishing you all a good week, just in case.

I'm so sorry. Safe travels.

 

ETA: Ah, and Rose. Yes, curl up and rest.

[JennW in SoCal]

 

a game review for fans of Moby Dick ~

 

‘Dick’: An American literary classic as a ribald card game

 

 

Oh my goodness I may have to get this for the college boy for Christmas!  From the review:

 

On the very first round, Americans’ most intimidating novel suddenly seems like a vast ocean of dirty Mad Libs.

 

And that they are on white cards.  Those of you who've read Moby Dick, do you recall the entire chapter on the color white, that chapter that tries to answer the question, what IS white?

[Jane in NC]

It was just pointed out on the Boards that today is Lady Florida's birthday. Happy birthday Kathy! Hope you are doing something fun today!

[Stacia]

Kathy, . Hope you've had a lovely day.

[LaughingCat]

 

A Town Like Alice, by Nevil Shute.  Stacia recommended this, for Australia.  A WWII occupation/POW/unlikely love story, which starts in Malaya, dips briefly over to England, and resolves ultimately in Australia.  It reminded me a good bit of Agnes Newton Keith's memoir Three Came Home, which for some reason (?) I read repeatedly as a child (I know, explains a lot, huh.).  Anyone ever come across this?  

 

Way, way behind but this just reminded me of when I read A Town Like Alice years ago....  my Mom had given me a copy of the mini series A Town Like Alice, telling me it was her favorite movie EVER.  Not being a movie watcher, it took me months to start watching it.  After watching the first 2 hours in Malaya, I happened to talk to my Mom and mentioned how very sad it was, and I hoped it picked up... "No, it just get sadder" she said.   Well, that was the end of that movie!  lol.....  until at a library sale I happened across a copy of the book and thought to give it a try  and found that I enjoyed the '2nd half' quite a lot, more than enough to make up for the first half, and didn't find it sad at all.    I did finally watch the 2nd half of the mini series at that point but it did not live up to the book IMO. 

 

Interesting to see that Three Came Home is based on actual experiences of a woman's internment during the war.

 

For me this week, inhaled the first Temeraire books by Naomi Novik (Uprooted)

• His Majesty's Dragon (2006) / Temeraire (UK)
• Throne of Jade (2006)
• Black Powder War (2006)
• Empire of Ivory (2007)
• Victory of Eagles (2008)

and would have continued but the 6th book was not available as an ebook at the library so I had to put it on hold.

The first of these was the best IMO,  the rest had too much about the military maneuvers for my taste ( although it didn't slow my reading down lol!)

[Robin M]

Get your last minute Halloween reads in with .99 kindle reads of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Woman in White, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Lovecraft Unbound. Also the Kindle deal of the day is Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard by Kim Newman.  

[Butter]

I'm reading Red Badge of Courage.  I'm about 1/3 through it.  Yuck.  Awful.  There's good reason I didn't read it when it was assigned by my tutor!  It's horrid.  I hate it.  Seriously, I can't use enough negative words about this horrid book.

[Rosie_0801]

I've just finished reading 'The Weed Forager's Handbook, Adam Grubb and Annie Raser-Rowland.' Really, why didn't they teach us this stuff in school? My mother could have used this info when she had 2/3 of an acre of weeds and three children who ate like horses!

[Loesje22000]

We had a death in the family so we are flying to the upper Midwest today.

 

I was prepared last night to go get some cold weather clothing and saw the weather is going to be almost identical to the Bay Area. Strange for November.

 

I hope I'll get to check in with BaW this week but I'm not sure. It's all very last minute. Wishing you all a good week, just in case.

My condoleances idnib and safe travels!

[mumto2]

Happy Birthday Kathy!

 

For me this week, inhaled the first Temeraire books by Naomi Novik (Uprooted)

• His Majesty's Dragon (2006) / Temeraire (UK)
• Throne of Jade (2006)
• Black Powder War (2006)
• Empire of Ivory (2007)
• Victory of Eagles (2008)

and would have continued but the 6th book was not available as an ebook at the library so I had to put it on hold.

The first of these was the best IMO, the rest had too much about the military maneuvers for my taste ( although it didn't slow my reading down lol!)

His Majesty's Dragon was recently in my pile. I didn't have time to read it but glad to know you really enjoyed the series. Now I have motivation to get it back! :)

[mumto2]

I forgot to include a recently completed historical romance here, Isabella Bradford's A Wicked Pursuit. It is the first in a series but the only book by this author I have read. I really enjoyed it and will be looking for more.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18803019-a-wicked-pursuit

[Jane in NC]

Quick favorite Halloween story:

 

When my son was growing up, our town was sparsely populated.  Children who trick-or-treated had to walk distances but were richly rewarded by those giving out treats.

 

When The Boy was about 8 or 9, I was escorting him and his good buddy on the candy mission.  We walked past a single block dead end street (we have a lot of those) where a porch light was on.  The children's librarian was home!

 

Within a few minutes the boys were at her door hollering Trick or Treat!  A very embarrassed librarian came to the door. She and her husband had been out that evening.  We saw her porch lights before the automatic timer turned them off.  She was mortified and said had she known that two of her best customers from the library were to call that night...

 

Around the corner came her husband bearing cans of vegetables.  "Would you like some peas?"  Now it was the boys' turn to be mortified while the librarian and I hooted with laughter. 

 

The boys passed on the peas.  They still had a haul of candy that night.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Thanks for the good wishes, guys. Overwhelmed is a good way to describe what I'm feeling, plus a little sore from multiple biopsies. But it could be a lot worse, I continue to believe that I have the problems of the fortunate.

 

I was able to finish The Man in the High Tower by Philip K Dick. This is by far my favorite book of his. I love so many things about it. I love the complicated, interesting characters, not a single one of whom is remotely heroic, but all of whom are complex, nuanced, and believable. I love how he shifts his language to reflect the influence of the different cultures. I don't speak Japanese, so I don't know if it is correct that it is a language that often omits the understood subject, like Spanish does, but whether it is accurate or no, his portrayal of the language of the Japanese rulers of western America, and the adopted diction of the whites, was masterful and really pulled you into the vision. The Buddhist influences, the use of the I Ching and divination were very interesting, too and the whole elucidation of the quest for knowledge - what can be known, what can't be known but only felt - was captivating.

 

Here was a favorite passage:

 

"Why struggle, then? Why choose? If all alternatives are the same . . . 

Evidently we go on, as we always have . . . An unfolding process. We can only control the end by making a choice at each step. . . We can only hope. And try. . . We do not have the ideal world, such as we would like,  where morality is easy because cognition is easy. Where one can do right with no effort because he can detect the obvious. . .

 

It goes on, the internecine hate. Perhaps the seeds are there, in that.  They will eat one another at last, and leave the rest of us here and there in the world, still alive. Still enough of us once more to build and hope and make a few simple plans."

[redsquirrel]

I've just finished reading 'The Weed Forager's Handbook, Adam Grubb and Annie Raser-Rowland.' Really, why didn't they teach us this stuff in school? My mother could have used this info when she had 2/3 of an acre of weeds and three children who ate like horses!

 

She could have put you out to graze!

 

I thought I would pass this on. It's an interview with Patrick Modiano, who won last year's Nobel for literature.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/31/patrick-modiano-interview-paris-nobel

 

His works aren't translated into English very often, but I did read an anthology of his short stories this year.  They were...well... he has a strong, well developed voice, I will say that.  I can't imagine reading a story by him and not knowing it is his.  And I say that with respect and admiration.

 

I am hoping to finish the Ferantte book this weekend. I just need TIIIIIIME!!! :banghead:   Stupid life, getting in the way of my reading time

[idnib]

Hi all, and thanks for the good wishes.

 

I have a few minutes while everyone grabs some stuff from the breakfast buffet. 

 

‘Dick’: An American literary classic as a ribald card game

 

Thanks, I'll have to check it out. Here's another one we own after reading about it (I think) on Mental Multi-vitamin's blog. FYI, the same folks are also running a Kickstarter for a Beowulf game. It's been repeatedly delayed so don't go by any specific dates they may give.

 

Quick favorite Halloween story:

 

When my son was growing up, our town was sparsely populated.  Children who trick-or-treated had to walk distances but were richly rewarded by those giving out treats.

 

When The Boy was about 8 or 9, I was escorting him and his good buddy on the candy mission.  We walked past a single block dead end street (we have a lot of those) where a porch light was on.  The children's librarian was home!

 

Within a few minutes the boys were at her door hollering Trick or Treat!  A very embarrassed librarian came to the door. She and her husband had been out that evening.  We saw her porch lights before the automatic timer turned them off.  She was mortified and said had she known that two of her best customers from the library were to call that night...

 

Around the corner came her husband bearing cans of vegetables.  "Would you like some peas?"  Now it was the boys' turn to be mortified while the librarian and I hooted with laughter. 

 

The boys passed on the peas.  They still had a haul of candy that night.

 

This reminds me!

 

My mom arrived in this country for the first time right before Halloween. (My dad had already been here for a few years on a scholarship.) He forgot to tell her about Halloween, went to the lab for the night, and suddenly kids wearing costumes were ringing the doorbell and holding open sacks. She called a neighbor who assumed she knew more than she did and told her they were looking for things to eat. (There was also a bit of a language problem, to be fair.)  So my mom started handing out cans of food.

 

As for books, I've brought along In Cold Blood and The Girl with the Gifts.  I'm not sure how much reading time I'll have this week.

[JennW in SoCal]

Way, way behind but this just reminded me of when I read A Town Like Alice years ago....  

 

[snip]

 

For me this week, inhaled the first Temeraire books by Naomi Novik (Uprooted)

• His Majesty's Dragon (2006) / Temeraire (UK)
• Throne of Jade (2006)
• Black Powder War (2006)
• Empire of Ivory (2007)
• Victory of Eagles (2008)

and would have continued but the 6th book was not available as an ebook at the library so I had to put it on hold.

The first of these was the best IMO,  the rest had too much about the military maneuvers for my taste ( although it didn't slow my reading down lol!)

 

I read A Town Like Alice last year and really, really liked it.

 

And I read the first 3 Temeraire books several years ago. I loved, and have reread, the first book, but couldn't quite get pulled into continuing the series. I'm more caught up in another Napoleonic Era historical fiction series, Master and Commander.  Every once in awhile I wonder what a crossover fan fiction book could be like, with Captain Aubrey having to allow Temeraire on board....

 

 

Went to see Elizabeth George last night with about 100 other women, all over the age of 50! There were some men there, but my dh was joking that the most of the husbands were probably like him: home in front of the tv, switching back and forth between the ball game and the current season of Gold Rush!  Anyway, she is clearly a seasoned speaker at signings, giving thoughtful and detailed answers, managing the crowd well, repeating questions so the people in the back could hear, too. Nobody asked her what is sometimes on my mind in regard to her books -- "wtf have you been doing with our favorite characters? Have you lost your mind?!"  But she did talk about peopling her series with a big group of characters so she could decide which characters would best move a story along. My take away was that it isn't her fault that I can't stand the Deborah St James character, she felt a story she wanted to tell would work better with Deborah so she wrote it. That the book annoyed me doesn't seem to be an issue for her -- she is keeping herself interested as a writer, moving her pieces around her own chess board.  In an answer to a question I asked, she said the wonderful Italian detective from the last book will likely make another appearance or two down the line! She said the Italian police system is just far too complicated to research and understand for her to be tempted to give that character a series of his own.

 

She also talked about the craft of writing, which made me think of our writers here.  Have any of you heard of her book Write Away?  She said the book covers what she used to teach in writers courses.  She talked about the research she does, about getting up early each morning to write til noon -- she is clearly very disciplined and orderly in her craft!

 

Her latest is quite the tome -- have to finish a couple of other books (Poynton, for one) before I wade in!

[Jane in NC]

Thanks for the Elizabeth George update, Jenn.  I am one who has given up on her books since 1) I don't like where she has traveled with some of her characters in order to keep the series going and  2) Deborah St. James drives me crazy.  My complaints seem to resonant with every other former fan of the series but apparently not all since she keep selling her books.

 

And your husband is a saint for accompanying you!

[Lady Florida.]

Hugs to Heather, idnib, and Rose.  :grouphug:

 

 

 

 

 

I am 3/4 done with Ferrante's "Those who leave and those who stay", the third book in the Neapolitan series. As with the previous two, there are parts that are tedious, but man, when she grabs you, she grabs you hard.  And, because it is me, I have trouble keeping all the characters straight, which is a feature of the story and not a bug.  It is meant to be complicated and sprawling.  If you want to read the series, and I highly recommend it, and you prefer or don't mind paper books, I think I suggest this one not be a e-book. If I had a paper book, I would be keeping one finger on the list of characters and relationships at the front of the book and be flipping back and forth constantly. Or I would do like my friend does and make little notes in the margins of who is who. It is more difficult for me to do on an ebook, to flip to the character chapter, and get back to my place, so I don't do it enough. Sometimes it doesn't matter, but there have been a few chapters where some went over my head because I just can't remember who belongs to which family and why that makes this particular thing important.

 

 

 

I finished the first one, My Brilliant Friend, yesterday. I do read exclusively on my Kindle but don't have a problem flipping around on the Paperwhite. I didn't need to in this book though. I'm still deciding how I feel about it. The ending was abrupt. There were parts as you said, that were tedious, yet I couldn't stop reading it. While I will continue the series I'm still a bit puzzled as to why it gets such rave reviews. 

 

 

A book review 

and

 

a game review for fans of Moby Dick ~

 

‘Dick’: An American literary classic as a ribald card game

 

*** ***

 

 

 

:lol:  It looks like a slightly less vulgar version of Cards Against Humanity, and with a specific focus unlike CAH. 

 

It was just pointed out on the Boards that today is Lady Florida's birthday. Happy birthday Kathy! Hope you are doing something fun today!

 

 

Kathy, . Hope you've had a lovely day.

 

 

Happy Birthday Kathy!

 

 

Thank you for the birthday wishes. I did enjoy my day. I did only what I wanted to do (my idea of a good birthday) which of course included reading. By finishing My Brilliant Friend I reached my Goodreads goal of 60 books this year. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished The Secret Chord, by Geraldine Brooks. It was fantastic. I grew up hearing the story of David, not as a story only, but as history, the history of my ancestors, both physical and spiritual. But I always found him such an incomprehensible character, and his god an incomprehensible god. How can a man who made so many bad choices - brutal and bloody choices, selfish and sensual choices - be a man after god's own heart? Geraldine Brooks does a fabulous job of bringing David to life, as a real, well-rounded, comprehensible character. Told in the voice of the prophet Natan, who was beside David and prophesied both his success and the punishments he would suffer for his choices, this portrait of David makes sense of his story, his character, and the world in which he lived.  I look forward to each new Geraldine Brooks publication, whatever the subject, and she hasn't disappointed me yet.  I think Caleb's Crossing is her only fiction I haven't read yet.  

 

I also haven't read Nine Parts of Desire, and I'd be interested to hear what any of you who did read it thought. I have a vague memory that someone who is in a better place to judge than I - Negin, was it you? read it and wasn't impressed. But I don't remember the details of the review.

[Jane in NC]

I finished The Secret Chord, by Geraldine Brooks. It was fantastic. I grew up hearing the story of David, not as a story only, but as history, the history of my ancestors, both physical and spiritual. But I always found him such an incomprehensible character, and his god an incomprehensible god. How can a man who made so many bad choices - brutal and bloody choices, selfish and sensual choices - be a man after god's own heart? Geraldine Brooks does a fabulous job of bringing David to life, as a real, well-rounded, comprehensible character. Told in the voice of the prophet Natan, who was beside David and prophesied both his success and the punishments he would suffer for his choices, this portrait of David makes sense of his story, his character, and the world in which he lived.  I look forward to each new Geraldine Brooks publication, whatever the subject, and she hasn't disappointed me yet.  I think Caleb's Crossing is her only fiction I haven't read yet.  

 

I also haven't read Nine Parts of Desire, and I'd be interested to hear what any of you who did read it thought. I have a vague memory that someone who is in a better place to judge than I - Negin, was it you? read it and wasn't impressed. But I don't remember the details of the review.

 

Geraldine Brooks was a guest on Diane Rehm's program discussing this book earlier in the month.  Let's just say that some listeners/commenters were rankled.

 

[Robin M]

Hugs Idnib, Rose and Nan!

 

Happy Birthday Kathy! 

 

Happy Halloween to all!  

 

Flavor wire shares 20 of the creepiest haunted houses in literature.

 

Check out New Yorker's article - The Horror of the Unreal featuring Thomas Ligotti.

 

Tor talks about 17 Bewitching Books for Halloween.    I totally forgot about witches this year for spooktacular reading month.  Some more books to add to my every growing pile. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Robin M]

 

Thanks for the good wishes, guys. Overwhelmed is a good way to describe what I'm feeling, plus a little sore from multiple biopsies. But it could be a lot worse, I continue to believe that I have the problems of the fortunate.

 

I was able to finish The Man in the High Tower by Philip K Dick. This is by far my favorite book of his. I love so many things about it. I love the complicated, interesting characters, not a single one of whom is remotely heroic, but all of whom are complex, nuanced, and believable. I love how he shifts his language to reflect the influence of the different cultures. I don't speak Japanese, so I don't know if it is correct that it is a language that often omits the understood subject, like Spanish does, but whether it is accurate or no, his portrayal of the language of the Japanese rulers of western America, and the adopted diction of the whites, was masterful and really pulled you into the vision. The Buddhist influences, the use of the I Ching and divination were very interesting, too and the whole elucidation of the quest for knowledge - what can be known, what can't be known but only felt - was captivating.

 

 

Thank you!  I've had the book in my stacks for a long time. One of those I'll get around to it one of these days.Your comments make me want to read it now.    Adding it to my read it sooner than later shelf.  :lol:

[Robin M]

Well, pooh. I messed up multi quote somehow and tried to post again. I got a message - you've posted too much and you have to wait 8 minutes before you can post again.   :confused1: :glare: :huh:   :crying:   :ohmy:    :willy_nilly: :svengo:  :toetap05:

[Stacia]

Well, pooh. I messed up multi quote somehow and tried to post again. I got a message - you've posted too much and you have to wait 8 minutes before you can post again.   :confused1: :glare: :huh:   :crying:   :ohmy:    :willy_nilly: :svengo:  :toetap05:

 

Maybe it was 8 seconds? I get that message sometimes. I think you can only post once a minute. Not sure...

[Robin M]

 

She also talked about the craft of writing, which made me think of our writers here.  Have any of you heard of her book Write Away?  She said the book covers what she used to teach in writers courses.  She talked about the research she does, about getting up early each morning to write til noon -- she is clearly very disciplined and orderly in her craft!

 

Her latest is quite the tome -- have to finish a couple of other books (Poynton, for one) before I wade in!

I have Write Away and wasn't too terrible impressed with it.  If anyone wants to read it, let me know and I'll pass it on.   I tried to read With No One as Witness and unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

Geraldine Brooks was a guest on Diane Rehm's program discussing this book earlier in the month.  Let's just say that some listeners/commenters were rankled.

 

 

That doesn't surprise me - David is a figure many people feel strongly about. And the book makes him really, really human, in a way that people who want to see him as an entirely heroic figure would be very uncomfortable with.  But, not unlike other flawed heroes like Odysseus, Achilles, etc.

[Jane in NC]

Amusing tweets of the day:

 

From @rstevens:

 

 

Why do these kids keep knocking on my door in period dress and yelling ‘PRIDE AND PREJUDICE�

 

To which @crispyterson responds

 

 

What you've got there is an infestation of Darcies. I'll go get some anti-gentry spray from the truck.

 

[Butter]

Halfway through Red Badge of Courage.  Hate it even more.

[Kathleen.]

I read Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and my 9yo read "Frankenstein makes a Sandwich" by Adam Rex.  They're both awesome books.  

Happy Halloween...  :zombie:

[Stacia]

I read Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and my 9yo read "Frankenstein makes a Sandwich" by Adam Rex.  They're both awesome books.  

Happy Halloween...  :zombie:

 

:iagree:

 

[Robin M]

Link to week 44  - please continue conversation in new thread