Book a Week 2015 - BW44: Nonfiction November

[KathyBC]

Slightly off-topic, does anyone know why I can't this thread on the Chat Board? The only way to find it seems to be to do a search for Book a week, My Content not having worked for some time again.

[Kareni]

Slightly off-topic, does anyone know why I can't this thread on the Chat Board? The only way to find it seems to be to do a search for Book a week, My Content not having worked for some time again.

 

I have the same issue, Kathy, so you're not alone.  Sometimes this thread shows up in My Content, but often it does not.  It's a mystery.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Today I finished the contemporary romance Primal Force (A K-9 Rescue Novel) by D. D. Ayres which I enjoyed. 

 

 

"Passion is always worth fighting for…

 

Jori Garrison trains dogs for Warrior Wolf Pack, which provides service animals for disabled veterans. Four years ago, she was wrongly convicted of a crime—thanks to her no-good ex- fiancé. Now she just wants to live her life in peace with her beloved dogs. No men, no complications. But it's hard to play it cool when a lethally hot male is on her tail—and the attraction is fierce, mutual, and dangerous….

PRIMAL FORCE

Lauray "Law" Batisse is a Military Police veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan. Haunted by the loss of his K-9 partner in combat, he's reluctant to accept a service dog named Samantha into his life. But once he meets her trainer—the gorgeous Jori Garrison—he can't fight his primal instincts. And neither can Jori. This sexy alpha male might be the only man strong enough to unleash her desires. And when unseen enemies start hunting them down, he and his new K-9 partner might be her only hope…to survive."

 

If you enjoy romances which feature dogs, you might like this one.  From time to time, we learn the dog's point of view.  While this is part of a series, it can definitely stand alone.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[JennW in SoCal]

Slightly off-topic, does anyone know why I can't this thread on the Chat Board? The only way to find it seems to be to do a search for Book a week, My Content not having worked for some time again.

 

I always open the notifications box (where the "likes" show up) and click on the thread name there (I don't click the "post you made" link unless I want to glory in my pithy comments again, lol!). Once the thread opens there is a "new messages" or "new content" or some such link at the top that will take me to the newest message -- provided the thread has moved past page 1!!  

 

I do the same thing on my phone -- find the thread via notifications, but finding the newest or most recent posts might require a bit of scrolling.

[LaughingCat]

Slightly off-topic, does anyone know why I can't this thread on the Chat Board? The only way to find it seems to be to do a search for Book a week, My Content not having worked for some time again.

I click on 'follow this topic' every week so it shows up under Content I Follow -- otherwise I can't ever find it again (and the chat board sucks me into a vortex so I try to avoid it)

[KathyBC]

I click on 'follow this topic' every week so it shows up under Content I Follow -- otherwise I can't ever find it again (and the chat board sucks me into a vortex so I try to avoid it)

Ah, that was helpful, thanks!

[Maela]

Last night I read Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas.  It's a nonfiction graphic novel that I got for DD, an admirer of Jane Goodall.  I liked it a lot.  :-)

 

 

 

ETA:  I also read Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein because Dd is reading it.  Cute book.

[Stacia]

I click on 'follow this topic' every week so it shows up under Content I Follow -- otherwise I can't ever find it again (and the chat board sucks me into a vortex so I try to avoid it)

 

:iagree:

 

Under "My Settings", "Notification Options", I have the first two boxes under "Topics & Posts" selected:

 

-- Check the box to auto follow topics you reply to w/ the setting to "Immediate".

-- Check the next box to be "Notification List" for Notification method to use for replies to followed topics.

 

(You can also use this area to set getting notifications if someone likes or quotes your posts too.)

 

Then, when you open up the boards, you should see a red number box next to the notifications icon at the top right of the page that will let you know how many new posts there are. If you click on that icon, a list will show that says things like, "Laughing Cat replied to Book A Week...", "Jane in NC replied to Book a Week...", & so on for whatever threads you are following. If you click on any one of those (doesn't matter which one, just pick one that is in the thread you want to see, like Book a Week), it should take you to the thread starting with where you last read it (so you don't have to scroll to find the last place you read).

[Maus]

Oops, I'm behind AND I haven't been posting as I finished.

 

43.  "Rising Strong" by Brene Brown.  Had a lot I need to work on in it, about the process of getting back on your feet after "fails."

 

42. "The Cokeville Miracle" by Hartt and Judene Wixom. (LDS)  I remember when this incident happened, and I think I read the book years ago under it's original title, which was something like "Save the Children?"  Also watched both the old movie (starring Richard Thomas of John Boy Walton fame) and the new one.  Besides the appeal for the miracles that happened, it was also interesting to see something of the mind set of the bomber, David Young.  

 

41. "The New Testament." (KJV)

40. "The Book of Mormon" (LDS).

39. "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson" (LDS).

38. "The United States Enters the World Stage: from Alaska Purchase through World War I" and "The United States in World War II" by Christopher and James Lincoln Collier.  Really need to get these.  But, wahoo!  I went to the quarterly library book sale Wednesday, and scored five of the 23 volumes, and even better:  I was there the last hour when they changed the price from $1.00 a book to $5.00 a bag!

37. "Indians, Cowboys, and Farmers and the Battle for the Great Plains" and "The Rise of Industry" by Christopher and

James Lincoln Collier.

36. "Slavery and the Coming of the Civil War" and "The Civil War" by Christopher and James Lincoln Collier.

35. "The American Revolution" and "Hispanic America, Texas, and the Mexican War" by Christopher and James Lincoln Collier.

34. "Pilgrims and Puritans" and "The French and Indian War" by Christopher and James Lincoln Collier.

33.  "Flygirl" by Sherri L. Smith.

32. "mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine.

31. "The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders" by Elizabeth Verdick & Elizabeth Reeve, M.D.

30. "Asperger's and Girls" by Tony Attwood.

29.  "A Veiled Antiquity" by Rett MacPherson.

28. "As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust" by Alan Bradley.

27. "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

26. "Temple Theology: An Introduction" by Margaret Barker.

25. "Walking With the Women of the New Testament" by Heather Farrell (LDS). 

24. "Cub Scout BEAR Handbook."

23. "How to Read Literature Like  a Professor for Kids" by Thomas C. Foster.

22.  "Women and the Priesthood" by Sheri Dew (LDS).

21. "No More Meltdowns" by Jed Baker, Ph.D. 

20. "Amazed by Grace" by Sheri Dew (LDS).

19. "Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace" by Sarah Mackenzie.

18. "How to Become a Straight-A Student" by Cal Newport.

17. "Eight Plus One" by Robert Cormier.

16.  "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand.

15. "How to Train Your Dragon" by Cressida Cowell.

14.  "As You Wish" by Cary Elwes.

13. "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. 

12. "My Louisiana Sky" by Kimberly Willis Holt. 

11. "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself" by Alan Alda.  

10. "When I Was Your Age" edited by Amy Ehrlich.

9. "Freak the Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick.  

8. “Broken Things to Mend†by Jeffrey R. Holland (LDS)

7. “When You Can't Do It Alone†by Brent Top. (LDS)

6. “What to Do When You Worry Too Much†and “What to Do When Your Temper Flares†by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.â€

5. “Tales of a Female Nomad†by Rita Golden Gelman.

4. “Heaven is for Real†by Todd Burpo.

3. "Your Happily Ever After" and "The Remarkable Soul of a Woman" by Dieter F. Uchtdorf. (LDS)

2. "Cliff-Hanger" by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson.

1. "Rage of Fire" by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson.

[Jane in NC]

I loved The Winter's Tale.  Thank you so much Rose and Stacia for suggesting this.

 

This is a Shakespearean play in which the women (Hermione, Paulina, Perdita) have great lines. 

[Butter]

I finished reading Pride and Prejudice this morning.  I loved it.  The words Austen used are so lovely.

[redsquirrel]

I just finished Ferrante's Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay.  I really dragged that one out, lol.  The book was going on at it's usual clip and then the main character threw a hand grenade on her entire life.  At this point in the series, I know so much about her, her weaknesses, her fears, her strengths that I feel like I know her life better than I know my own. It actually became uncomfortable to read what was happening and I could only do it in very, very small doses. The entire book is written in very brief chapter, that take 3 to 5 mins to read. I had to force myself to read two at a time to finish the book because I was just dying. So, it took me forever to get through the end of the book.  I am so glad there is another book, not because I am dying to read yet another 450 pages of this, but because I could not stand it if the story stopped where it did.

 

All her books end very abruptly but the next one picks up almost exactly where the previous one stopped.  It is really just one enormous book. I've got the last book in the series and I think I will save that for after the holidays.

 

I have already started on The Martian, and from what I have been told, it is an exciting read that I will prob finish quickly.

 

And the two cookbook I am reading are:

 

Baking Chez Moi: Recipes from my Paris Home to Your Home by Dorie Greenspan

 

Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi

 

I already know I want the Greenspan book...my life just isn't complete without it.  And I am prob going to feel the same way about Jerusalem.  Everyone has already cooked through both of those books already, so I am really, really late to the game. But I am having fun playing catch up.

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished listening to Charles and Emma: The Darwin's Leap of Faith during a long drive this morning.  It was a fantastic book, although rather risky to listen to while driving, as the last hour had me tearing up quite a lot.  It was a nice complement to David Quammen's bio The Reluctant Mr. Darwin which I read earlier this year.  Quammen's book focused on the post-Voyage years and the research, dilemmas and heartache leading up to the publication of Origin.  Charles & Emma covered the same period, to the end of their lives, but it focused more on the relationship of the Darwins, their lives as a couple and as parents and partners, as much as it did on Charles's work. It was drawn largely from their letters and diaries and their children's letters, and it had such an intimate tone and feeling. It biographied Emma as much as Charles. She was an amazing person. The description of her later years - the 14 years she lived on after Charles's death - is how I hope the end of my life goes.  It was a reallly lovely, intimate portrait of two brilliant people and their partnership, their decision to keep talking and listening to each other although they came down on different "sides" of the religion debate.  It also presented a much more accurate and clear picture of Charles's own views on god, religion, and origins than you often see caricatured.  I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about these two fascinating people and the world they lived in.

[Onceuponatime]

I finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I think my younger self might have liked it, but I wasn't all that thrilled and skimmed through some parts to get it over with quicker. It was less violent and more realistic than Wuthering heights, but still seemed exaggerated for effect. I understand it was quite revolutionary in its time. Again, I am so glad to be living in this time.

 

I've started Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It promises to be more interesting to my current self. 😊

[redsquirrel]

I finished listening to Charles and Emma: The Darwin's Leap of Faith during a long drive this morning.  It was a fantastic book, although rather risky to listen to while driving, as the last hour had me tearing up quite a lot.  It was a nice complement to David Quammen's bio The Reluctant Mr. Darwin which I read earlier this year.  Quammen's book focused on the post-Voyage years and the research, dilemmas and heartache leading up to the publication of Origin.  Charles & Emma covered the same period, to the end of their lives, but it focused more on the relationship of the Darwins, their lives as a couple and as parents and partners, as much as it did on Charles's work. It was drawn largely from their letters and diaries and their children's letters, and it had such an intimate tone and feeling. It biographied Emma as much as Charles. She was an amazing person. The description of her later years - the 14 years she lived on after Charles's death - is how I hope the end of my life goes.  It was a reallly lovely, intimate portrait of two brilliant people and their partnership, their decision to keep talking and listening to each other although they came down on different "sides" of the religion debate.  It also presented a much more accurate and clear picture of Charles's own views on god, religion, and origins than you often see caricatured.  I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about these two fascinating people and the world they lived in.

 

Def adding this these to my list!  Sounds right up my alley.

[Kareni]

A few books that are currently free to Kindle readers:

 

 

Non-fiction: The Brothers: The Tsutsumi Family  by Lesley Downer

 

The Brothers’ was a ‘The New York Times’ Book of the Year in 1995.

‘Lesley Downer ... has written a gripping book.’ David Sanger, New York Times Book Review

 

**

 

American historical mystery: Die Fasting (The Thomas Dordrecht Historical Mystery Series Book 1) by Jonathan Carriel

 

"The year is 1758, and though the locale is workaday New York, the landscape is wildly exotic. Our fresh-faced hero is Thomas Dordrecht, raised on a remote farm—now in the heart of modern Brooklyn—speaking both Dutch and English. Though he thinks himself unusually worldly, he has no idea what he’ll face when he agrees to defend the claims of King George II in the brutal French and Indian War. In six exciting months, he gains a lifetime’s education not only in honor, courage, and tenacity, but in rashness, cowardice, falsehood … and murder!"

 

Three sequels are also currently free.

 

***

 

Contemporary romance:   Every Other Saturday by M. J. Pullen

 

"Even though their daughters have been in the same Jewish preschool class for three years, struggling store owner Julia Mendel and sports blogger Dave “from the Man Cave†Bernstein have never gotten along. She sees him as a definitely arrogant, possibly misogynist symbol of everything that’s wrong with the men in her life. He sees her as the odd, short-tempered PTA president, out to make his life more difficult at every opportunity."

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Stacia]

I'm now reading another of my non-fiction November selections: The Fire This Time (2007) by Randall Kenan. I'm reading it in complement with James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time (1963) and Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me (2015).

 

A great trio, I think.

 

Kenan's latest, alternating memoir and commentary, is an intelligent homage to James Baldwin's celebrated 1963 The Fire Next Time, and an important book in its own right. Early on, an especially vibrant memory of his surrogate father's attempt-against all advice and odds-to remove the enormous pile of brush in the back of their lot becomes a powerful metaphor for the book's larger concern, overcoming racial division: "the gradualness of it, the day-by-day, one-whack, one-bush, one-shovel-at-a-time nature of the work." Proclaiming that "positive news abounds," Kenan's examination of figures in the African-American community include the jubilant observation that emerging celebrities, as well as accomplished individuals like astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Sesame Street's Elmo (Kevin Clash) and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Robin Givham are all famous in their own right, and "little is made of their obvious, undeniable blackness." Still, new challenges and setbacks lurk: hip hop and "the ethos that has risen up around it," AIDS and a lack of voice and leadership in black churches, among others. Kenan poses many difficult questions, such as why the high school dropout rate among African-Americans is so high, why African-Americans pay higher mortgage rates and why CDC estimates say one in three black gay men are HIV positive, making this book a perfect catalyst for lively discussion, and a fine state-of-the-issues update on Baldwin's 45-year-old touchstone.

 

[Butter]

Today I read Petey by Ben Mikaelsen.  It's about a person who was born with cerebral palsy back in the 20s before they knew that CP was or how to treat those with it (the book is fictional, but the character of Petey is based on a real life person).  He was misdiagnosed as being an "idiot" and at two years old was confined to an insane asylum.  He of course was not an "idiot" at all and was just trapped in a useless body.  He learned to communicate with the help of his slightly slow and club footed friend who was abandoned at the asylum in the middle of a snowstorm.  Eventually he was moved to a nursing home where, as an old man, he was befriended by a teenage boy who needed a friend just as much as Petey did.  It's a beautiful book.  Parts are heartbreaking, parts are heartwarming.  If you've never read it, you really should.  I got it from the library because my friend wanted my opinion on if we should pick it for a book club book.  She and her kids (homeschoolers, ages 10, 14, and 16) listened to it and all loved it.  I just texted her and said definitely we should do this one for book club in January!  It's a quick read (I literally read it all today - of course I currently have a lot of time to sit around and read lol) since even though it's almost 300 pages, it's aimed at middle grades.  It's just a really, really good book.

[Stacia]

Petey sounds like a great book, Heather. Thanks for the recommendation!

[Mom-ninja.]

Finished Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge and also Audrey at Home by her son Luca Dotti. 

 

Face Paint was interesting to read about makeup throughout history. I especially like how Greeks found the unibrow in women to be desirable. They would be horrified at the plucking and waxing in the recent past and today. Humans have been painting themselves since ancient times, and this book touched on the why a little but not deep enough for me. 

 

The Audrey book was a quick and interesting read. It is filled with the personal recipes that Audrey made herself or loved. I managed to not drool on the library book but barely. If you like books filled with personal story and recipes interwoven then you will like this book. Audrey was an addicted fan to pasta, chocolate, and ice cream. My kind of friend! According to her son she ate these three items with shameless gusto. I have never made tomato sauce from scratch but now I am seriously tempted to do so. 

[Butter]

I am down to two categories for the special book challenge I'm doing this year.  An author that has the same initials as me and a book with bad reviews.  I picked some random Harry Harrison book that our library had on Overdrive for the initials and borrowed a books eligible for Kindle Lending Library for the one with bad reviews.  It's a James Franco book (apparently James Franco thinks he can write *and* act) called Actors Anonymous.  It has 2 1/2 stars on Amazon and so far I am confused as to how it has that many.  It claims to be a novel, but it is definitely not a novel.  It's more like short stories to go along with this made-up 12 step program (a story or rant or random words strung together in strange sentences or whatever you'd call it), one for each step.  The stories are written supposedly by actors (which are likely all James Franco) and it's all about whining about being an actor.  Seriously.  Because it's so annoying to be an actor.  Bonus annoying points if you are *famous* and can make a living at it.  So, so odd.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished Loosed Upon the World: The Saga Anthology of Climate Fiction, edited by John Joseph Adams. This book is a collection of extremely readable, extremely compelling stories that imagine the immediate future and the possible effects of climate change on the earth and its inhabitants. I kind of think that this anthology, or something like it, should be required reading for everyone on the planet. The best speculative fiction challenges us to escape the fog of denial. I'm not talking about Denial, as in Climate Change Denial, I'm talking about the everyday garden-variety denial that lets us avoid going to the doctor to have them check out that new mole, because if it is skin cancer we'd rather not know about it. These stories make you think about the future, and the possible consequences of our current, business as usual path. But not by preaching at you: by making you feel. By creating characters and situations you empathize with. You can picture yourself faced with these same challenges and dilemmas. And you wonder, you have to wonder, what you would (will?) do in similar situations.

 

I'm also slowly reading The Winter's Tale, just an act a day, while I wait for the Winterson book to come in from the library.  Wow, Act 3 is intense, isn't it? Hermione has some magnificent speeches.  Her dilemma is perfectly clear, and perfectly impossible: of course, if you would have the temerity to commit adultery and plot against the life of the king, you would have the temerity to lie about it. So she can't win. But boy, what a magnificent speech in her own defense!  I know this play was written late, long after the death of Elizabeth, but what it made me think of was the ordeal and trial of Anne Boleyn. She, too, was in an impossible situation - once the king had decided to get rid of her, there was literally nothing she could have said or done to defend herself against the charges.

 

I really like this play. I know you have to suspend disbelief a lot in Shakespeare, Realism not being a value of 17th century drama, but the one part that bugs me is Leontes. He behaves too erratically, changes too quickly, from a welcoming friend to a suspicious husband to a tyrannous king. He claimed he would accept the judgement of the oracle, no one made him send for its judgement, yet once it gave an answer he didn't like, he ignored it.  Yet then he changed again, just as quickly, to being remorseful.  It doesn't quite work - if he was mad, which his earlier behavior implies, how could he change back so quickly? It kind of turns his character into a caricature and weakens its power some, at least for me.  How did others read Leontes? What motivated him? Madness? Divine intervention? Or is that the wrong question?

 

 

[Stacia]

I finished Loosed Upon the World: The Saga Anthology of Climate Fiction, edited by John Joseph Adams. This book is a collection of extremely readable, extremely compelling stories that imagine the immediate future and the possible effects of climate change on the earth and its inhabitants. I kind of think that this anthology, or something like it, should be required reading for everyone on the planet. The best speculative fiction challenges us to escape the fog of denial. I'm not talking about Denial, as in Climate Change Denial, I'm talking about the everyday garden-variety denial that lets us avoid going to the doctor to have them check out that new mole, because if it is skin cancer we'd rather not know about it. These stories make you think about the future, and the possible consequences of our current, business as usual path. But not by preaching at you: by making you feel. By creating characters and situations you empathize with. You can picture yourself faced with these same challenges and dilemmas. And you wonder, you have to wonder, what you would (will?) do in similar situations.

 

I'm also slowly reading The Winter's Tale, just an act a day, while I wait for the Winterson book to come in from the library.  Wow, Act 3 is intense, isn't it? Hermione has some magnificent speeches.  Her dilemma is perfectly clear, and perfectly impossible: of course, if you would have the temerity to commit adultery and plot against the life of the king, you would have the temerity to lie about it. So she can't win. But boy, what a magnificent defense!  I know this play was written late, long after the death of Elizabeth, but what it made me think of was the ordeal and trial of Anne Boleyn. She, too, was in an impossible situation - once the king had decided to get rid of her, there was literally nothing she could have said or done in her defense.  

 

I really like this play. I know you have to suspend disbelief a lot in Shakespeare, Realism not being a value of 17th century drama, but the one part that bugs me is Leontes. He behaves too erratically, changes too quickly, from a welcoming friend to a suspicious husband to a tyrannous king. He claimed he would accept the judgement of the oracle, no one made him send for its judgement, yet once it gave an answer he didn't like, he ignored it.  Yet then he changed again, just as quickly, to being remorseful.  It doesn't quite work - if he was mad, which his earlier behavior implies, how could he change back so quickly? It kind of turns his character into a caricature and weakens its power some, at least for me.  How did others read Leontes? What motivated him? Madness? Divine intervention? Or is that the wrong question?

 

I'm not sure I feel brave enough to read Loosed Upon the World. I will add it to my reading list, even so.

 

I like your second paragraph about The Winter's Tale. I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would, esp. going in knowing the overall story summary. I mean, how can you go from the crazy/tyrannical/jealous/insane behaviors (& their consequences) to a happy ending? Kwim? I wasn't sure I'd be able to buy it. I knew I would have to suspend disbelief, but I was still wary of it. It worked, for the most part, though. Leontes -- just a jealous tyrant, imo. I don't think I ever saw him as really insane but as evil (driven by jealousy & power). You will really like Winterson's take on Leontes (Leo in her book). Because Shakespeare's protrayal of him leaves you wondering & it's hard to figure out why he went around the bend (so to speak), I think Winterson tapped into the emotional core of him (as well as of the other major players). I feel like I understood Leontes/Leo better in Winterson's version of him. Not that I liked him better, necessarily, but I 'got'/understood him better.

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm not sure I feel brave enough to read Loosed Upon the World. I will add it to my reading list, even so.

 

I like your second paragraph about The Winter's Tale. I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would, esp. going in knowing the overall story summary. I mean, how can you go from the crazy/tyrannical/jealous/insane behaviors (& their consequences) to a happy ending? Kwim? I wasn't sure I'd be able to buy it. I knew I would have to suspend disbelief, but I was still wary of it. It worked, for the most part, though. Leontes -- just a jealous tyrant, imo. I don't think I ever saw him as really insane but as evil (driven by jealousy & power). You will really like Winterson's take on Leontes (Leo in her book). Because Shakespeare's protrayal of him leaves you wondering & it's hard to figure out why he went around the bend (so to speak), I think Winterson tapped into the emotional core of him (as well as of the other major players). I feel like I understood Leontes/Leo better in Winterson's version of him. Not that I liked him better, necessarily, but I 'got'/understood him better.

 

 

Oh good! I was hoping that Winterson achieved exactly what you describe. From reading past books of hers, I knew it was well within her capacity.

 

Looks like it is at the library! I'll have to go pick it up today.

[Violet Crown]

Richardson - Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (18th century)

 

Hurrah! Are you reading it in English? If you find any aspects of Pamela annoying, there was a parody sequel written by Henry Fielding, called "Shamela," that you might enjoy.

 

I've been so horribly slow lately that I'm going to count the libretto to Aïda, the dress rehearsal of which I took Wee Girl to last night. She read her children's version of it ahead of time, frowned, and said, "I don't think this ends very well." Uh, no, entombed alive, not so good.

 

Dh got a copy of Die Brücke from the university library (in English--thanks Loesje!) but it has been displaced from the top of my TBR pile by some Texas history, J. H. Faulk's Fear on Trial, which I'd been meaning to get to. Faulk was a popular radio/tv personality in the '50s who objected to a private organization that had taken it upon itself to ferret out Communists, and his challenge earned him an accusation of "subversive activity" and for a while destroyed his career. Our central public library is now named for Faulk.

[Kareni]

I just finished Mary Balogh's Only a Kiss: A Survivors' Club Novel which I enjoyed.  I think this may be my favorite, thus far, of the six book series; there is one more book still to come.  It could be read as a standalone book; however, it makes more sense to start with the first book.

 

"The Survivors’ Club: Six men and one woman, injured in the Napoleonic Wars, their friendships forged in steel and loyalty. But for one, her trials are not over....

Since witnessing the death of her husband during the wars, Imogen, Lady Barclay, has secluded herself in the confines of Hardford Hall, their home in Cornwall. The new owner has failed to take up his inheritance, and Imogen desperately hopes he will never come to disturb her fragile peace.

Percival Hayes, Earl of Hardford, has no interest in the wilds of Cornwall, but when he impulsively decides to pay a visit to his estate there, he is shocked to discover that it is not the ruined heap he had expected. He is equally shocked to find the beautiful widow of his predecessor’s son living there.

Soon Imogen awakens in Percy a passion he has never thought himself capable of feeling. But can he save her from her misery and reawaken her soul? And what will it mean for him if he succeeds?"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Here's an illustrated version by Julian Peters of

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot

 

Regards,

Kareni

[redsquirrel]

Hurrah! Are you reading it in English? If you find any aspects of Pamela annoying, there was a parody sequel written by Henry Fielding, called "Shamela," that you might enjoy.

 

I've been so horribly slow lately that I'm going to count the libretto to Aïda, the dress rehearsal of which I took Wee Girl to last night. She read her children's version of it ahead of time, frowned, and said, "I don't think this ends very well." Uh, no, entombed alive, not so good.

 

Dh got a copy of Die Brücke from the university library (in English--thanks Loesje!) but it has been displaced from the top of my TBR pile by some Texas history, J. H. Faulk's Fear on Trial, which I'd been meaning to get to. Faulk was a popular radio/tv personality in the '50s who objected to a private organization that had taken it upon itself to ferret out Communists, and his challenge earned him an accusation of "subversive activity" and for a while destroyed his career. Our central public library is now named for Faulk.

 

Reading "Pamela" and then "Shamela" is a lot of fun! 

 

I am a few chapter into The Martian and Holy Moley, is it exciting!  I am loving it!

 

I am also attempting to read Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant . I say attempt because it is a graphic novel and it is devilishly difficult on my kindle.  It isn't an e-book, but is read in my browser, it gave me no choice in the matter, and I need to enlarge by quite a bit and keep moving the page around to read the whole thing etc etc.  And it is a very challenging subject, that if aging parents and what that looks like.  I borrowed it on a whim, I had a graphic novel on my 'to be read' list for this year, but I didn't think I would try one on the Kindle.  So, we'll see how it goes.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Here's an illustrated version by Julian Peters of

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

My favorite poem ever!!!!   :001_wub:

[JennW in SoCal]

Here's an illustrated version by Julian Peters of

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Magnificent! 

 

Thank you for sharing.

[mumto2]

I decided to try one of Jane's favorite authors for cold war spy novels, John Le Carre. I loved this genre many years ago and don't remember reading this author but am not sure. Pretty sure I never read Our Game as nothing was familiar. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/920799.Our_Game. It is an old book made timely thanks to ongoing issues so it didn't necessarily feel like an almost 20 year old book. A retired British spy who specialised in Soviet issues suddenly finds himself in the center of a situation caused by one of his best friends (former associate) and his current love interest disappearing. His civilian life and his former secret profession collide. I didn't find it as incredable as the Goodreads review seems to but did appreciate it for not being a typical spy thriller.

[Pam in CT]

Heather, such good news re: scheduling.

 

Jane, LOL re: flapdragon.  Will definitely work that into the menu planning...

 

 

re: literary smells... :lol:

I often think about how horrific the smells must have been in the days before regular sanitation. ...

 

I always admired the LOTR movies because the characters were dirty, really dirty - dirt in the fingernails, etc. That struck me as a particularly realistic feature.

Yabbut, for the exception that proves the rule, I point you toward Legolas' hair.  (Dang, I miss GIFs.)

 

 

 

Slightly off-topic, does anyone know why I can't this thread on the Chat Board? The only way to find it seems to be to do a search for Book a week, My Content not having worked for some time again.

 

I always open the notifications box (where the "likes" show up) and click on the thread name there (I don't click the "post you made" link unless I want to glory in my pithy comments again, lol!). Once the thread opens there is a "new messages" or "new content" or some such link at the top that will take me to the newest message -- provided the thread has moved past page 1!!  

 

I do the same thing on my phone -- find the thread via notifications, but finding the newest or most recent posts might require a bit of scrolling.

 

I click on 'follow this topic' every week so it shows up under Content I Follow -- otherwise I can't ever find it again (and the chat board sucks me into a vortex so I try to avoid it)

I have no idea what you ladies are talking about.  None.at.all.  Glad to know you worked out Kathy's issues, though...

 

 

 

I finished Loosed Upon the World: The Saga Anthology of Climate Fiction, edited by John Joseph Adams. This book is a collection of extremely readable, extremely compelling stories that imagine the immediate future and the possible effects of climate change on the earth and its inhabitants. I kind of think that this anthology, or something like it, should be required reading for everyone on the planet. The best speculative fiction challenges us to escape the fog of denial. I'm not talking about Denial, as in Climate Change Denial, I'm talking about the everyday garden-variety denial that lets us avoid going to the doctor to have them check out that new mole, because if it is skin cancer we'd rather not know about it. These stories make you think about the future, and the possible consequences of our current, business as usual path. But not by preaching at you: by making you feel. By creating characters and situations you empathize with. You can picture yourself faced with these same challenges and dilemmas. And you wonder, you have to wonder, what you would (will?) do in similar situations.

This looks great - thank you.

 

 

 

I am also attempting to read Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant . I say attempt because it is a graphic novel and it is devilishly difficult on my kindle.  It isn't an e-book, but is read in my browser, it gave me no choice in the matter, and I need to enlarge by quite a bit and keep moving the page around to read the whole thing etc etc.  And it is a very challenging subject, that if aging parents and what that looks like.  I borrowed it on a whim, I had a graphic novel on my 'to be read' list for this year, but I didn't think I would try one on the Kindle.  So, we'll see how it goes.

Bummer re: Kindle version.  I can see how that might be very unsatisfying.  I really enjoyed (? not quite the right word) this book and have given it to a couple of friends who are caring for parents under similarly challenging circumstances.  

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

re: literary smells... :lol:

Yabbut, for the exception that proves the rule, I point you toward Legolas' hair.  (Dang, I miss GIFs.)

 

  

 

 

Yeah, but he's an elf! Elves are never dirty, or smelly, or anything less than absolutely fabulous.  At all times.  I think it's a law of nature.  ;)  :D

[Pam in CT]

Books-

 

The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems, by Pablo Neruda.  A wonderful collection that spans nearly his whole writing career, mostly love poems.  Stacia, you might enjoy this edition - the Spanish is laid out side-by-side to the English.  (The Spanish is too hard for me to read straight, but I'm using it as a sort of exercise.)

 

A Bride for One Night: Talmud Tales, by Ruth Calderon.  This was a re-read for one of my IRL book groups - an interesting method of examination, and feminist riff, on 17 very succinct stories from Talmud (part of oral Torah).  The author is a member of the Israeli Knesset.

 

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 1: The Sword of Summer, by Rick Riordan (YA). Read this with Stella - Riordan's first in a series of Norse gods.  Good fun.

 

 

Jane, I too am (re)reading Fire Next Time; I'm not quite done.  I haven't read it since high school, when my mother chucked it at me without comment or context.  It's different, this time...

 

 

I have to run off now - eek!

[Chrysalis Academy]

I meant to warn anybody that reads Loosed Upon the World - read it in small doses.  Some of the stories made me cry. I read no more than one a day, and spaced the book out over a month. I think if you read it straight through cover to cover you'd probably be paralyzed by depression.  Read it, but don't let it destroy you.

[Kareni]

I finished Ashley Gardner's Murder Most Historical: A Collection of Short Mysteries which I enjoyed.  This is a collection of three stand alone mysteries -- all are historical (Paris 1679, London 1880, and London 1820) and the last story also has a paranormal element. 

 

"Three historical mysteries span time from the court of Louis XIV to Victorian London. Meet Émilie d’Armand, a young woman who witnesses corruption and murder in seventeenth-century France (The Bishop’s Lady), and Katherine Holloway, an English cook sought after by the wealthy, who finds herself embroiled in murder, assisted only by the mysterious Daniel McAdam (A Soupçon of Poison). Finally, explore the darker side of Regency London in an alternate look at that period. Robert Archer, an army soldier whose family faces ruin, searches in desperation for a way to heal his family, assisted by an unlikely ally (A Matter of Honor)."

 

 

The stories are similar in style to the author's Captain Lacey Regency mysteries; the first book of that series is available free to Kindle readers ~

The Hanover Square Affair (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries Book 1)  by Ashley Gardner/Jennifer Ashley

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Butter]

This book I am reading (Actors Anonymous) is so incredibly weird.  It's mostly stream of consciousness.  I'm starting to think James Franco is certifiably insane.  There was this bizarre poemish thing about River Phoenix.  And a lot of whining about how awful it is to be an actor.  He wrote that he doesn't care if his book is unpopular because he's already rich from acting.  There's a lot of sex, too.  Apparently James Franco likes that perk of being a famous actor.  I'm truly puzzled how anyone could've rated this book 5 stars (there are a few, though the 1 and 2 stars far outweigh them).

[Kareni]

A couple of enjoyable posts from BookRiot ~

 

Adventurous Children’s Books by Karina Glaser

 

and

 

10 Gorgeous Journals That Will Inspire You to Write by Kate Scott

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

I finished The Fire This Time by Randall Kenan, rounding out my trio of reading letters/essays about race in America:

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (1963)

The Fire This Time by Randall Kenan (2007)

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015)

 

I have to say that this book resonated the most with me of the three. Perhaps it is because the author & I are closest in age/time growing up, perhaps it is that we both spent part of our childhoods in rural North Carolina (he lived there; I had extended family that lived there & spent a good bit of time there as I grew up), perhaps it is that we have similar news/cultural/social references (being from the same generation).

 

I've found all three books to be intensely personal & hard to rate. They have stretched my brain & my heart, my soul too. Simply because of something called race, they have lived & experienced a different life than I have; fortunately, they have shared their experiences, thoughts, & feelings on paper. There is a lot to think about here in these letters & essays, especially in light of all our race-related killings, riots, protests, & crimes in this 'modern' day & age of 2015. We've come a long way, yet have an awfully long way to go too. Thank you, Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Kenan, & Mr. Coates.

[Stacia]

Also, I know some on here are fans of Sofi Oksanen's books. (I haven't read her books yet.) But, when I was at the library, I came across one by her that was published earlier this year & thought I would mention it in case you didn't know she had another book out: When the Doves Disappeared.

 

 

(The cover art is what drew my eye....)

 

From the acclaimed author of "Purge "( a stirring and humane work of art "The New Republic") comes a riveting, chillingly relevant new novel of occupation, resistance, and collaboration in Eastern Europe.

1941: In Communist-ruled, war-ravaged Estonia, two men are fleeing from the Red Army -- Roland, a fiercely principled freedom fighter, and his slippery cousin Edgar. When the Germans arrive, Roland goes into hiding; Edgar abandons his unhappy wife, Juudit, and takes on a new identity as a loyal supporter of the Nazi regime . . . 1963: Estonia is again under Communist control, independence even further out of reach behind the Iron Curtain. Edgar is now a Soviet apparatchik, desperate to hide the secrets of his past life and stay close to those in power. But his fate remains entangled with Roland's, and with Juudit, who may hold the key to uncovering the truth . . .

Great acts of deception and heroism collide in this masterful story of surveillance, passion, and betrayal, as Sofi Oksanen brings to life the frailty and the resilience of humanity under the shadow of tyranny.

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished The Fire This Time by Randall Kenan, rounding out my trio of reading letters/essays about race in America:

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (1963)

The Fire This Time by Randall Kenan (2007)

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015)

 

I have to say that this book resonated the most with me of the three. Perhaps it is because the author & I are closest in age/time growing up, perhaps it is that we both spent part of our childhoods in rural North Carolina (he lived there; I had extended family that lived there & spent a good bit of time there as I grew up), perhaps it is that we have similar news/cultural/social references (being from the same generation).

 

I've found all three books to be intensely personal & hard to rate. They have stretched my brain & my heart, my soul too. Simply because of something called race, they have lived & experienced a different life than I have; fortunately, they have shared their experiences, thoughts, & feelings on paper. There is a lot to think about here in these letters & essays, especially in light of all our race-related killings, riots, protests, & crimes in this 'modern' day & age of 2015. We've come a long way, yet have an awfully long way to go too. Thank you, Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Kenan, & Mr. Coates.

 

Well, if you want more on this theme, I can now recommend The Sellout by Paul Beatty.  When I first started reading it, I thought that the bitter/rage undercurrent was going to drown out the excellent satire, but it didn't.  This book was as much about the quest to define identity, and the anger the protagonist felt was as much against his father, who tried to define his identity and it was to the culture that slaps labels and stereotypes everyone.  In fact, that I think a big theme was the emptiness felt by an adult who rejects his father's choice of an identity, but then struggles to find one of his own.  The book was bitingly funny, satirical, and the figurative  language, metaphors etc. were superb.  He managed to put the most unexpected things together inside one sentence, creating images you never would have imagined, but that were absolutely, perfectly evocative of his message. The imagery was a bit relentless at times, this was another book that I couldn't have read in a single sitting, you kind of have to take a break and savor the imagery.

 

So, recommended, but with big caveats:  Lots of difficult and disturbing language, regular 4-letter words, the n-word.  Lots of disturbing ideas about race and American culture.  Not for the faint-hearted, but I'm very glad I read it.

[Kareni]

Last night I finished Amanda Quick's latest historical romance Garden of Lies which I enjoyed.

 

"The Kern Secretarial Agency provides reliable professional services to its wealthy clientele, and Anne Clifton was one of the finest women in Ursula Kern’s employ. But Miss Clifton has met an untimely end—and Ursula is convinced it was not due to natural causes.
 
Archaeologist and adventurer Slater Roxton thinks Mrs. Kern is off her head to meddle in such dangerous business. Nevertheless, he seems sensible enough to Ursula, though she does find herself unnerved by his self-possession and unreadable green-gold eyes…
 
If this mysterious widowed beauty insists on stirring the pot, Slater intends to remain close by as they venture into the dark side of polite society. Together they must reveal the identity of a killer—and to achieve their goal they may need to reveal their deepest secrets to each other as well…"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Angel]

Many thanks, Heather.  I had known about the fictional abridgement aspect of the book but wasn't certain that the editions were the same save for the illustrations.  It's good to know -- especially since reading the book was my suggestion!

 

Regards,

Kareni

I read The Princess Bride in January of this year.  I'm curious to hear your review of it.  It was not what I expected.

 

Great news! I saw the other doctor this morning and she can get me in for surgery on the 23rd! I can handle 19 more days :)

 

This is a blessing in disguise I think.  This doctor is super thorough and specializes in uterine and vaginal prolapse and urinary incontinence.  She did a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic 7 years ago for pelvic reconstruction.  She discovered that in the last month I also developed a rectocele so now I have that, cystocele, urethra out of place and moving around too much, and 3rd degree uterine prolapse. Everything is just collapsing in on itself in there.

 

She's going to do the hysterectomy, fix the rectocele and cystocele and secure the urethra like it should be and do the bladder sling. She's also going to tack my vagina up to the ligaments since I have a lot of years ahead of me and to reduce the risk of needing a future surgery. Because my dad had prostate cancer 7 years ago and they have found a link between fathers with prostate cancer and daughters with ovarian cancer and they believe ovarian cancer begins in the fallopian tubes, she will also be taking out my tubes while she is in there to reduce that risk.

 

So a bit more than I was expecting, but I think this doctor is definitely the best I could have found.  Thank goodness my friend gave me the number and urged me to call.  19 more days!

I'm so glad you are getting this taken care of sooner rather than later!

[Chrysalis Academy]

One of my favorite quotes from Winterson's The Gap of Time:

 

Another good one:

 

"I discover that grief means living with someone who is not there."

 

Equally true if the someone is not there emotionally or mentally (i.e. dementia), no?

[Stacia]

More in non-fiction November. I'm currently reading Amy Poehler's book (memoir?): Yes Please (for my book club).

 

So far it's ok, but I'm thinking I may like her like I like David Sedaris -- heard/seen rather than in writing. It's fine in written form, but I find her funnier when I see her performing. Same with Sedaris; he's fine in written form, but so much funnier when you hear or see him reading some of his own essays.

[Pam in CT]

I finished The Fire This Time by Randall Kenan, rounding out my trio of reading letters/essays about race in America:

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (1963)

The Fire This Time by Randall Kenan (2007)

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015)

 

I have to say that this book resonated the most with me of the three. Perhaps it is because the author & I are closest in age/time growing up, perhaps it is that we both spent part of our childhoods in rural North Carolina (he lived there; I had extended family that lived there & spent a good bit of time there as I grew up), perhaps it is that we have similar news/cultural/social references (being from the same generation).

 

I've found all three books to be intensely personal & hard to rate. They have stretched my brain & my heart, my soul too. Simply because of something called race, they have lived & experienced a different life than I have; fortunately, they have shared their experiences, thoughts, & feelings on paper. There is a lot to think about here in these letters & essays, especially in light of all our race-related killings, riots, protests, & crimes in this 'modern' day & age of 2015. We've come a long way, yet have an awfully long way to go too. Thank you, Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Kenan, & Mr. Coates.

 

 

Well, if you want more on this theme, I can now recommend The Sellout by Paul Beatty.  When I first started reading it, I thought that the bitter/rage undercurrent was going to drown out the excellent satire, but it didn't.  This book was as much about the quest to define identity, and the anger the protagonist felt was as much against his father, who tried to define his identity and it was to the culture that slaps labels and stereotypes everyone.  In fact, that I think a big theme was the emptiness felt by an adult who rejects his father's choice of an identity, but then struggles to find one of his own.  The book was bitingly funny, satirical, and the figurative  language, metaphors etc. were superb.  He managed to put the most unexpected things together inside one sentence, creating images you never would have imagined, but that were absolutely, perfectly evocative of his message. The imagery was a bit relentless at times, this was another book that I couldn't have read in a single sitting, you kind of have to take a break and savor the imagery.

 

So, recommended, but with big caveats:  Lots of difficult and disturbing language, regular 4-letter words, the n-word.  Lots of disturbing ideas about race and American culture.  Not for the faint-hearted, but I'm very glad I read it.

 

Since reading Coates this summer and re-reading Baldwin this week, I've been thinking a lot about father-shaped holes.  Also about how language and blind spots shape (and limit) my response to text.  Works in progress.

[Butter]

I finished Actors Anonymous by James Franco.  At times it actually got coherent.  Most of the time it was so incredibly strange.  Parts are autobiographical, parts are based on reality, and parts of completely fantasy.  The poemish thing about River Phoenix was odd.  The part of an article with annotations by THE ACTOR (he loves to refer to himself that way) including for the missing section was weird.  The bits of script were strange, too.  I definitely learned that James Franco is a very foul-mouthed sex obsessed man.  There's a LOT of sex, both gay and straight.  It's just a seriously bizarre collection of loosely related stories and things.  I'm shocked it's rating was 2 1/2 stars.  It doesn't deserve it.  Seriously, Franco should stick to acting.  He's a lot better at acting than writing (though he spends a lot of time whining about being an actor, but he seems pretty glad he's a rich and famous actor).

[Kathleen.]

I read "Number Talks" by Sherry Parrish and my 9yo read "What Was the First Thanksgiving" by Joan Holub. Both were really interesting books.

 

:)

[Robin M]

Link to week 45 - please continue conversation in new thread