Book a Week 2015 - BW49: cookish, bookish news and birthdays

[Stacia]

and... can I just say, coming into this thread after sallying forth into some of the other ones, Out There, feels like coming inside from a typhoon.  Just sayin'.  Thanks, ladies.   :grouphug:

 

Agree 100%!

[Shawneinfl]

The only contribution I have for cookbooks is the link to Weight Watcher's Recipe Cards from the 70's which I try to read every few years or so - they make me laugh so hard I'm crying.

Edited December 8, 2015 by Shawneinfl

[Stacia]

The only contribution I have for cookbooks is the link to Weight Watcher's Recipe Cards from the 70's which I try to read every few years or so - they make me laugh so hard I'm crying.

Those are hilarious!

 

I just sent the link to my sister. Gotta share the love! Lol.

[Pam in CT]

Pam, :grouphug: :grouphug:  for you & your dad. Glad to hear he's improving & home. Hospitals are never fun. But, I've heard that the cranky patients are the ones who tend to heal well!

 

Well then, he should be in Excellent Shape   :laugh: .

[Kareni]

...  Weight Watcher's Recipe Cards from the 70's...

 

Those are seriously scary yet amusing!  Thanks for sharing the link. 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Butter]

I finished War of the Worlds by HG Wells today.  I didn't like it.

[Nan in Mass]

Shawne - I,d love to read the recipes themselves... once I can see clearly again. Some of these made me laugh so hard I cried. This is what my father, who prefered plain food, saved me from, I guess. These look like some of the things other people,s mils bring to clan parties. There is a trifle that appears from time to time that consists of bacon bits, cool whip, and frozen peas.

 

Pam - Yikes! I,m so sorry you all had to go through that. I hope he stays healthy for a good long time now.

 

Jane and Amy - Oops! Sorry!

 

Nan

[Robin M]

and now for something slightly different -  I'm handing out homework for 2016.  Ack... she's doing what?  :leaving:

 

Totally volunteer and you can say  :thumbdown: or  :thumbup1: or  :zombiechase: .

 

Take your favorite bookish subject and for example. 

 

Eliana, women's literature,

Pam - prophets, parables, inspiration

Stacia - translated works  / banned books 

Jane -  Forster or Darwin  /  something covering the Golden Legend

Kareni -  Paranormal / romance 

Amy - historical or detective fiction 

Jenn - musical 

Rosie - thought provoking

Rose - renaissance 

Robyn - writing

 

and the rest of you wonderful ladies 

 

And write up something for one of the sunday posts.  Do I have any takers?

Edited December 9, 2015 by Robin M

[Violet Crown]

Late again. I've finished The Good Soldier Å vejk, which I imagine is what Catch-22 would have been like if written by Rabelais. In Czech.

 

Rosie, I hope things went okay.

 

Amy, happy belated birthday.

[Stacia]

Well then, he should be in Excellent Shape   :laugh: .

 

:thumbup1:  (Plus, I guess the hospital staff is glad he left! That might be better for your health too! ;) )

 

Be sure to let him know that he's in great shape!

 

and now for something slightly different -  I'm handing out homework for 2016.  Ack... she's doing what?  :leaving:

 

:eek:  Homework?!?!?! (Now you're getting harsh on us! Have we been bad lately?)

 

That said....

 

 

 

 

 

 

yeah, I'm game. I'll put something together for one of the Sundays.

[idnib]

The only contribution I have for cookbooks is the link to Weight Watcher's Recipe Cards from the 70's which I try to read every few years or so - they make me laugh so hard I'm crying.

 

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:

 

I was in tears! I finally changed my signature.

[Stacia]

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:

 

I was in tears! I finally changed my signature.

 

Ooohhhh, you'll have to share your recipe for: idnib's "taquitos"!

 

 

Can't wait!

 

(Hey, maybe you could do a Sunday post of books & good Mexican cooking!)

 

P.S. I have my toast ready to go. So, I'm ready for the recipe whenever you want to post it. :lol:

 

P.P.S. My cooking skills are so advanced that I don't even have to pull out my Fannie Farmer book to look up how to do toast! Well, unless you want me to add an egg to it. Then I'm gonna need to look it up. :leaving: :lol:

Edited December 9, 2015 by Stacia

[Kareni]

... I'm handing out homework for 2016. 

 

 

 

Take your favorite bookish subject and for example. 

 

Kareni -  Paranormal / romance 

 

And write up something for one of the Sunday posts.  Do I have any takers?

 

With a healthy amount of notice, I think/believe/hope I could come up with a Sunday post. 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[LaughingCat]

Ooohhhh, you'll have to share your recipe for: idnib's "taquitos"!

 

 

Can't wait!

 

(Hey, maybe you could do a Sunday post of books & good Mexican cooking!)

 

P.S. I have my toast ready to go. So, I'm ready for the recipe whenever you want to post it. :lol:

 

P.P.S. My cooking skills are so advanced that I don't even have to pull out my Fannie Farmer book to look up how to do toast! Well, unless you want me to add an egg to it. Then I'm gonna need to look it up. :leaving: :lol:

 

LaughingCat's taquito's.... cut crusts off bread, toast lightly, spread some peanut butter thinly on the bread, starting at one side roll toast so that peanut butter is in the middle, poke a toothpick through the middle to hold it together.... voila! tacquito's.  Dip in honey.

 

Note: didn't read the WW cards...my own creation based off memories of so-called 'ethnic' food eaten at my house when young :rofl:    Here's an actual example, scramble some eggs with small amount of very mild jarred salsa (or just tomatoes in a pinch) and voila... Huevos Rancheros.

[JennW in SoCal]

The only contribution I have for cookbooks is the link to Weight Watcher's Recipe Cards from the 70's which I try to read every few years or so - they make me laugh so hard I'm crying.

 

:lol:  :rofl: I'm going to have nightmares tonight.  Those photos and those props are taking me back to a very scary place in childhood.  Not entirely sure what that scary place is, but clearly something I've repressed for decades. The food?  Never saw any of that, though my mother, like any good 1950s and 60s housewife, was a queen of casseroles and jello salads. 

 

I immediately shared the link with my dh, who said I may be laughing, but he's convinced I secretly want to create a Frankenfurter Spectacular! 

 

I'm glad I had fish tacos tonight, and not "fish tacos" or fish "tacos" or "fish" tacos. 

 

and now for something slightly different -  I'm handing out homework for 2016.  Ack... she's doing what?  :leaving:

 

Totally volunteer and you can say  :thumbdown: or  :thumbup1: or  :zombiechase: .

 

:thumbup1:  :nopity:   and   :willy_nilly:

[JennW in SoCal]

 

Note: didn't read the WW cards...my own creation based off memories of so-called 'ethnic' food eaten at my house when young :rofl:    Here's an actual example, scramble some eggs with small amount of very mild jarred salsa (or just tomatoes in a pinch) and voila... Huevos Rancheros.

 

 

I mis-read this.  Thought the Huevos Rancheros included mild salso (or just tomatoes in a pinch) and VODKA. 

 

Usually it's tequila that makes a gal say, "¡olé!"

Edited December 9, 2015 by JennW in SoCal

[Loesje22000]

Loesje, your English is good. Every once in awhile, your word order sounds slightly foreign to my New England ears, but so does the word order of other, non-USA speakers, occasionally. I have never seen a post by you that was confusing or difficult to understand. I always am amazed when I remember that you are living in a non-English speaking country and posting in a foreign language. You are doing great. : ) I wish I could find a board like this one in French, for my own practice. An artist support group, maybe, since I am no longer homeschooling.

 

Nan

Thank you for the compliment Nan!

It doesn't feel like 'good' as it doesn't come easily.

I only speak English in real once in two years, when we have holidays in the UK.

[Rosie_0801]

re: Rosie - holding you in the light.  Hope it went all right yesterday.

 

Only half as bad as it could have been, thank you.

[Rosie_0801]

and now for something slightly different -  I'm handing out homework for 2016.  Ack... she's doing what?  :leaving:

 

Rosie - thought provoking

 

And write up something for one of the sunday posts.  Do I have any takers?

 

Not here you don't!  :scared:

 

I have enough provoking my thoughts without looking for more! (Psychiatrist assessment in Feb, then trial in March.) I intend to do my best to follow Kareni's example and spend the year reading a considerable amount of romance novels because the most romantic thing anyone has said to me within memory was telling me to drive safely. Which I do.  :auto:

Edited December 9, 2015 by Rosie_0801

[Loesje22000]

Can somebody help me?

 

I started yesterday reading the Victorians:

http://www.bookdepository.com/Victorians-N-Wilson/9780099451860

 

I like it so far and noticed there is a sequel: after the Victorians.

 

Does a book like this exist for the era before the Victorians?

It doesn't have to be limited to UK history, World History is also fine.

 

 

[mumto2]

Rosie, once again :grouphug:

[Jane in NC]

and now for something slightly different -  I'm handing out homework for 2016.  Ack... she's doing what?  :leaving:

 

Totally volunteer and you can say  :thumbdown: or  :thumbup1: or  :zombiechase: .

 

Take your favorite bookish subject and for example. 

 

Eliana, women's literature,

Pam - prophets, parables, inspiration

Stacia - translated works  / banned books 

Jane -  Forster or Darwin  /  something covering the Golden Legend

Kareni -  Paranormal / romance 

Amy - historical or detective fiction 

Jenn - musical 

Rosie - thought provoking

Rose - renaissance 

Robyn - writing

 

and the rest of you wonderful ladies 

 

And write up something for one of the sunday posts.  Do I have any takers?

 

Yes to Forster but I think the Golden Legend should be passed to VC who recommended the book to me.  I see you had not given her an assignment. :sneaky2:

 

Also, I would like to volunteer to do something on an Eastern European writer or three.

 

Perhaps Mumto2 could cover cozy English village life?

 

 

[Jane in NC]

Late again. I've finished The Good Soldier Å vejk, which I imagine is what Catch-22 would have been like if written by Rabelais. In Czech.

 

 

Funny you should mention Heller.  I stumbled upon this 2013 article from the Telegraph in which he credits HaÅ¡ek as an influence:

 

 

The Czech writer Arnošt Lustig said that Joseph Heller once told him at a New York party for Milos Forman in the late 1960s that he couldn not have written Catch-22 without first reading Hašek’s unfinished World War One satire. In Hašek’s bitterly funny tale, a crazy state bureaucracy traps a hapless soldier - in much the same way Heller's hero Yossarian is trapped.

This, however, was the paragraph in the article that led to a grin:

 

 

The power of Å vejk to subvert continued long after the author's death. Gustáv Husák, the General Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party who replaced Prague Spring reformer Alexander DubÄek in 1968, told the people in the late 1970s to "stop Svejking!".

 

I was wondering how the Nazis had reacted to Å vejk.  No surprise, there, I guess.  They burned the books.

[mumto2]

Yes to Forster but I think the Golden Legend should be passed to VC who recommended the book to me. I see you had not given her an assignment. :sneaky2:

 

Also, I would like to volunteer to do something on an Eastern European writer or three.

 

Perhaps Mumto2 could cover cozy English village life?

 

 

I can put together something "British cozies set in villages". My only request is we wait until later in the year for the topic.

 

Last night I read the latest Stephanie Plum book, Tricky Twenty-two. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24980765-tricky-twenty-two. Great escapism, lots of good chuckles, with my favourite bounty hunter. These books are pure formula and absolutely nothing really new ever happens but they always manage to be fun. Stephanie always ruins cars (normally blows them up) and is still trying to decide between the same two men. I still enjoyed it.....

[Chrysalis Academy]

and now for something slightly different -  I'm handing out homework for 2016.  Ack... she's doing what?  :leaving:

 

Totally volunteer and you can say  :thumbdown: or  :thumbup1: or  :zombiechase: .

 

Take your favorite bookish subject and for example. 

 

Eliana, women's literature,

Pam - prophets, parables, inspiration

Stacia - translated works  / banned books 

Jane -  Forster or Darwin  /  something covering the Golden Legend

Kareni -  Paranormal / romance 

Amy - historical or detective fiction 

Jenn - musical 

Rosie - thought provoking

Rose - renaissance 

Robyn - writing

 

and the rest of you wonderful ladies 

 

And write up something for one of the sunday posts.  Do I have any takers?

 

I'm totally game, but can I change my assignment (after all, I am a homeschooler, we never like to follow the program  ;))?

 

Maybe dystopian lit or sci fi?  Or science?  Or Shakespeare? or modern/classic pairings?

 

I'm hoping to know something about the renaissance by the *end* of 2016! :D  

[Shawneinfl]

I mis-read this.  Thought the Huevos Rancheros included mild salso (or just tomatoes in a pinch) and VODKA. 

 

Usually it's tequila that makes a gal say, "¡olé!"

 

Jenn, I have to admit, I also read it as "vodka". :laugh:

[Pam in CT]

and now for something slightly different -  I'm handing out homework for 2016.  Ack... she's doing what?  :leaving:

 

Totally volunteer and you can say  :thumbdown: or  :thumbup1: or  :zombiechase: .

 

Take your favorite bookish subject and for example. 

 

Eliana, women's literature,

Pam - prophets, parables, inspiration

Stacia - translated works  / banned books 

Jane -  Forster or Darwin  /  something covering the Golden Legend

Kareni -  Paranormal / romance 

Amy - historical or detective fiction 

Jenn - musical 

Rosie - thought provoking

Rose - renaissance 

Robyn - writing

 

and the rest of you wonderful ladies 

 

And write up something for one of the sunday posts.  Do I have any takers?

 

 

I'm totally game, but can I change my assignment (after all, I am a homeschooler, we never like to follow the program  ;))?

 

Maybe dystopian lit or sci fi?  Or science?  Or Shakespeare? or modern/classic pairings?

 

I'm hoping to know something about the renaissance by the *end* of 2016! :D  

Bless you, Rose, I was just about to go there myself, and I'm not even a homeschooler, just not very good at following programs...

 

 

Robin, can I do Science and Spirit?  That way I can work in both Rabbi Sacks and Cloud Atlas.....   :lol:

[Jane in NC]

Jenn, I have to admit, I also read it as "vodka". :laugh:

 

You girls hit the sauce early!

 

Rose, do you want Darwin?  (I'll trade you my Darwin--assignment that is--for a MyÅ›liwski.)

 

Edited December 9, 2015 by Jane in NC

[Pam in CT]

Oh yeah, and speaking of sauce, I'm going to make me up some huevos rancheros WITH vodka.  That's my kind of cooking style.  Then I'm doing up a Weight Watchers card for it.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I'm reading through a fascinating book on everyday life in Victorian times.  I don't remember the name as it's on my bedside table but I'll make a point of remembering it in the morning and reporting back. 

 

Did I miss the post with the title? 

 

Happy belated birthday!

 

 

I'm a lover of Austen and haven't liked any of the books I read that are based on her characters,...

 

Likewise. Although I've never actually read all the way through any of them - mostly glancing through descriptions was enough for me.  I remember reading about someone who tried to read a sequel to one of Austen's books, but had to reread the original afterwards to cleanse her soul. That's exactly how I felt when I tried to read a sequel to du Maurier's Rebecca. 

 

 

and... can I just say, coming into this thread after sallying forth into some of the other ones, Out There, feels like coming inside from a typhoon.  Just sayin'.  Thanks, ladies.   :grouphug:

 

So true...it's a jungle out there...thankfully I've been picked up my knight errant education again...

 

Speaking of sallying forth....DD and I left Don Quixote and Sancho to their own devices for a few months while she adjusted to the workload and expectations of high school, and we dealt with a family emergency. Now that things are *knocks on wood* calmer, we've picked it up again. We were discussing a section and I read aloud a few lines commenting how wonderful they are. DD looked at me very concerned and said, "I'm not sure you should keep reading this book. I'm afraid it's making you worse than you already are."  :huh:   I wasn't quite sure how to take that!  :glare:  :laugh:

Edited December 9, 2015 by Woodland Mist Academy

[Woodland Mist Academy]

My cookbook contribution...

 

In Beverley Nichols' semi-autobiographical/memoir novel A Thatched Roof, in a long forgotten cupboard of an old cottage, A Receipt Book of Cookery 1698 was discovered: 

 

Eagerly we leant over that book in the fading light - a golden October sunset that flooded on to the yellowing paper - yellow to yellow, with the grave black letters dancing before our eyes, as though they were overjoyed to be read again. As we turned the pages it seemed that there was a scent in the old room of ghostly sweetmeats; there drifted back to us the perfume of curious country wines, the aroma of forgotten preserves, the bittersweet flavour of kitchens which have long crumbled into dust...

 

Later in the book he muses:

 

As I wander through this Receipt Book, it becomes more and more evident that I shall have to publish it one day in its entirely, with a preface of enchanting prose that will drift as lightly and as savourously as the scent of roast meats from the kitchen when the door is open on winter nights, and hunger is griping you."

 

I did some searching a few years ago and found that he did, indeed, carry through with that plan.  In 1968 In an Eighteenth Century Kitchen was published, complete with Nichols' preface of enchanting prose, which he concludes with:

 

 The romantic background to this small volume - the manner of its finding, the nature of its contents, and the fact that now, after the lapse of centuries, it may make its unobtrusive way around the world - all these things are so obvious that they need to be stressed. Nor need we enlarge upon the staggering contrasts between the world in which it made its first appearance and the world in which it is published today. But I hope that the modern housewife, if she is kind enough to glance through it in her super-streamlined kitchen, may spare a moment to reflect on those contrasts, and even to ask herself whether they are all in her favour - whether indeed, this stream-lining may not have taken some of the spice out of life, and whether there may perhaps be connection between frozen food and frozen emotion.

 

Half a century later, we are still asking the same question...

 

 

Edited December 9, 2015 by Woodland Mist Academy

[Robin M]

I have an eclectic array of cookbooks including Moosewood, Rachel Ray, Williams Sonoma, and even one written by someone with my maiden name so just had to get it.  However,  the one most used is my Good Housekeeping cookbook from the 70's. The cover is missing and it's a bit spattered. I probably should have it rebound.  But,  I do have a tendency to use allrecipes.com these day for quick instructions when putting something together.

 

Rose -- Hugs, darling and remember - we all think you are amazing

 

 

 

 

[Robin M]

Stacia:  yeah, I'm game. I'll put something together for one of the Sundays

 

Awesome! Thank you!

 

Kareni:  With a healthy amount of notice, I think/believe/hope I could come up with a Sunday post. 

 

Wonderful, Thank you!  Is this sufficient notice?  :laugh:  :tongue_smilie:  Will mostly like be mid yearish.

 

Jenn:   :thumbup1: 

 

Thanks, doll! 

 

Rosie: Not here you don't!  I have enough provoking my thoughts without looking for more! (Psychiatrist assessment in Feb, then trial in March.) I intend to do my best to follow Kareni's example and spend the year reading a considerable amount of romance novels because the most romantic thing anyone has said to me within memory was telling me to drive safely. Which I do.   :auto:

 

 

Totally understand.  We'll throw a few scantily dressed men, err books,  your way this coming year.

 

Jane:  Yes to Forster but I think the Golden Legend should be passed to VC who recommended the book to me.  I see you had not given her an assignment. :sneaky2:

 

Also, I would like to volunteer to do something on an Eastern European writer or three.

 

Perhaps Mumto2 could cover cozy English village life?

 

 

 

Thank you and great idea Jane.   Yes, with the European writers.   

 

Violet Crown, if you are willing or want to do something else within your favorite era. 

 

Mumto2  - I can put together something "British cozies set in villages". My only request is we wait until later in the year for the topic. 

 

 

Terrific, thank you!   Is mid yearish good or towards the end of the year?

 

 

Rose: I'm totally game, but can I change my assignment (after all, I am a homeschooler, we never like to follow the program  Maybe dystopian lit or sci fi?  Or science?  Or Shakespeare? or modern/classic pairings? I'm hoping to know something about the renaissance by the *end* of 2016!

 

Thank you and yes,you may change your assignment.   I'm leaning toward the modern / classic pairings and you could possible collaborate with Eliana, However, any of the above will do.

 

Pam:   Robin, can I do Science and Spirit?  That way I can work in both Rabbi Sacks and Cloud Atlas.....   :lol:

 

 

Yes, darlin. That would be great.  Thank you! 

 

 

I got interrupted.  Hubby stayed home from work yesterday) If your name wasn't on the list, ladies, it doesn't mean you aren't included.  Chime in if you have a favorite you would like to discuss.  

 

We may end up spending most of our year East of the Prime Meridian, on land and sea  with a few forays West.  There have been calls for more women authors so making sure we have both a female and male author flavor of the month.  We are going to start off in the Indian Ocean.  

 

This is what I have so far. 

 

January:   Male - Vikram Seth – A suitable Boy  /  Female - Arundhati Roy  

February:  Male -  e.m. Forster – a passage to india   / isak dinenson (Karen Blixen) Out of Africa 

March:   male  David Malouf (Australia)  /   Joan Druett  (new Zealand)

April:   (naturalists)    Charles Darwin Voyage of the Beagle / Edith Wharton /  Plus National Poetry Week. The month will be busy with Darwin and his travels which will take us through quite a few places, west and east of the p.m. and end in England. Then we will dip down into the Mediterranean sea.

May:    Orham Pamuk  (Turkish) 

June:   Dante- Paradiso  

 

Midyear -  We can either go east and start concentrating on north and south america or stay in the Mediterranean for an extended time.  Think I'll play with it both ways and see what works.  

 

Again, all this is just for fun, encouragement to spread your reading wings and nor is it mandatory for you to read the authors or books listed.  No panicking about not reading something with literary points. I'm just as much into romance and paranormals and mysteries as the next person.  There will be plenty of fluffy reads as well as lots of rabbit trails to pursue.        

 

ETA:  No I didn't forget Moby Dick- he's been relegated to the 2nd half of the year. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2015 by Robin M

[idnib]

Ooohhhh, you'll have to share your recipe for: idnib's "taquitos"!

 

 

"Taquitos" 1970s WW style:

 

Toast "bread" in a toaster. Smear some canned "chicken" spread on the "bread" and roll up. Repeat 10 times. Meanwhile, dissolve some "gelatin" in 2 TB of hot water. Once dissolved, add 1 cup cold water and 1 cup cold "salsa" from a can, not a fancy schmancy jar. Line up "taquitos" in a tray and pour "gelatin" mixture over. Chill until set. Serve with "cottage cheese" and "lime jello" set with "fruit cocktail" for dessert. Watch the children fight over the single one-half maraschino "cherry" included in the fruit cocktail can. Olé!

 

 

 Here's an actual example, scramble some eggs with small amount of very mild jarred salsa (or just tomatoes in a pinch) and voila... Huevos Rancheros.

 

That sounds a bit like the More-With-Less cookbook I mentioned upthread.

 

And write up something for one of the sunday posts.  Do I have any takers?

 

The only themed reading I do is probably of no interest to anyone here (history of alternative medicine in Europe and the U.S.) and the books will have to be purchased as they are rather obscure, expensive, and out of print, usually. I don't really talk about them in BaW threads. I'll pass on the Sunday post and not subject anyone!

Edited December 9, 2015 by idnib

[Chrysalis Academy]

You girls hit the sauce early!

 

Rose, do you want Darwin?  (I'll trade you my Darwin--assignment that is--for a MyÅ›liwski.)

 

 

Totally, I'd love to do Darwin, I read  two bios in 2015 and will be reading Voyage and maybe Origins in 2016.  Plus we're studying Evolution in the spring. So I'll have lots of thoughts.  I hope.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished listening to Steven Pinker's The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century. I really enjoyed it.  Listening was slightly distracting, because I actually know what Steven Pinker's voice sounds like, so I kept "hearing" him speak in his highly cultured, slightly nasal Canadian/East Coast blueblood accent, and it kind of clashed with the reader's voice. But it was a lovely book, bringing psycholinguistics and memory research to bear on issues of writing with clarity, coherence, and grace.  Highly recommended.  I will definitely be having Shannon read it in a couple of years. It does have a few R-rated bits, and it's just too erudite for a middle-grader, I think, but it will be a very nice high school style manual.

Edited December 9, 2015 by Chrysalis Academy

[Lady Florida.]

I'm chuckling at all the requests for changes. We are so obviously homeschoolers. We will do it our way.  :lol: 

 

I got interrupted.  Hubby stayed home from work yesterday)

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets thrown off when that happens. It's not that I don't like having him home, but I have a routine and when he's home unexpectedly it tends to confuse me. :)

 

If your name wasn't on the list, ladies, it doesn't mean you aren't included.  Chime in if you have a favorite you would like to discuss.

I'm not officially volunteering, and I don't even think I have an area of expertise, but if there's a gap I'll see if I can think of something.
 
 

We may end up spending most of our year East of the Prime Meridian, on land and sea  with a few forays West.  There have been calls for more women authors so making sure we have both a female and male author flavor of the month.  We are going to start off in the Indian Ocean.

Nigeria is just barely east of the Prime Meridian. May I suggest Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie? And no, I definitely wouldn't volunteer for that. I'm a white woman from the U.S. and don't feel I could do her justice.
 
 

Again, all this is just for fun, encouragement to spread your reading wings and nor is it mandatory for you to read the authors or books listed.  No panicking about not reading something with literary points. I'm just as much into romance and paranormals and mysteries as the next person.  There will be plenty of fluffy reads as well as lots of rabbit trails to pursue.

I love my mysteries!

[Lady Florida.]

Totally, I'd love to do Darwin, I read  two bios in 2015 and will be reading Voyage and maybe Origins in 2016.  

 

I've been trying to read both since late last year. It's not that I'm not interested, but they're just so dry. Voyage is so much like the travelogues that were popular back then, and Origin is just, well, dry. I haven't given up though. Maybe 2016 will be the year I can finish one or both.

[Lady Florida.]

I finished War of the Worlds by HG Wells today.  I didn't like it.

 

Glad to know I'm not alone. I read it a few years ago with a Goodreads group and was one of the few who didn't like it. The group wasn't happy with us. I suppose everyone is supposed to like all H. G. Wells novels. I also tried more than once to get through The Time Machine, and couldn't finish. 

[Stacia]

Kathy, I liked (not sure that's exactly the right word) The Time Machine because I read The Sparrow years ago. It was interesting to see the parallels (& I would have probably been a better reader of The Sparrow if I had been familiar with The Time Machine first).

 

To me, The Time Machine was interesting because it seems like it must have been so different (literature-wise) for the time in which it was written. I imagine it was somewhat shocking & weird.

[Kareni]

 

Wonderful, Thank you!  Is this sufficient notice?  :laugh:  :tongue_smilie:  Will mostly like be mid yearish.

 

Yes, this is definitely sufficient notice.  However, a gentle reminder three or so weeks before would certainly be appreciated!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Shawneinfl]

Oh yeah, and speaking of sauce, I'm going to make me up some huevos rancheros WITH vodka.  That's my kind of cooking style.  Then I'm doing up a Weight Watchers card for it.

 

I can't wait. :hurray:

[Nan in Mass]

Does anyone have any book suggestions for a 14yo girl? She dances a lot (classical, jazz, tap), is a good student, likes art, and that is all I know about her despite the fact that she is my niece. Which feels really strange but I only see her a few times a year and she has zero interest in getting to know each other and I have respected that. So I guess at books she might like each year. I think she reads for fun, but isn,t a bookworm, so anything I give her has to be quick and absorbing.

 

Nan

[Stacia]

Nan, I wonder if she has read The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series? My dd loves them. The English teacher my dd had in 10th grade loved them. If she's into fantasy at all, I think they may be a hit.

 

Amazon Best Books of the Month, September 2011: Karou is a seventeen-year-old art student with a most unusual family. From his desk in a dusty, otherworldly shop, her mysterious, monstrous father sends her on errands across the globe, collecting teeth for a shadowy purpose. On one such errand, Karou encounters an angel, and soon the mysteries of her life and her family are unraveled--with consequences both beautiful and dreadful. National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor has created a lushly imaginative, fully realized world in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Taylor’s writing is as sumptuous as poetry, and the story overflows with dark and delightful magic, star-crossed love, and difficult choices with heartbreaking repercussions. Readers of all ages will be utterly enchanted.

 

There are three books in the series. (I haven't read any of them, so I'm just posting a guess based on something my dd has enjoyed.)

Edited December 9, 2015 by Stacia

[mumto2]

 

 

Is mid yearish good or towards the end of the year?

 

 

 

This is what I have so far.

 

 

January: Male - Vikram Seth – A suitable Boy / Female - Arundhati Roy

February: Male - e.m. Forster – a passage to india / isak dinenson (Karen Blixen) Out of Africa

March: male David Malouf (Australia) / Joan Druett (new Zealand)

April: (naturalists) Charles Darwin Voyage of the Beagle / Edith Wharton / Plus National Poetry Week. The month will be busy with Darwin and his travels which will take us through quite a few places, west and east of the p.m. and end in England. Then we will dip down into the Mediterranean sea.

May: Orham Pamuk (Turkish)

June: Dante- Paradiso

 

Midyear - We can either go east and start concentrating on north and south america or stay in the Mediterranean for an extended time. Think I'll play with it both ways and see what works.

 

Again, all this is just for fun, encouragement to spread your reading wings and nor is it mandatory for you to read the authors or books listed. No panicking about not reading something with literary points. I'm just as much into romance and paranormals and mysteries as the next person. There will be plenty of fluffy reads as well as lots of rabbit trails to pursue.

 

ETA: No I didn't forget Moby Dick- he's been relegated to the 2nd half of the year.

Mid year on should be great. Our travel plans have no dates yet. I think anytime from mid April on should be fine. I just want to be home and a bit organized! I see from your schedule you plan for our reading to be in England (at least partially) in April....maybe.....if you want me to I can try and be ready. I hope to do a bit of reading first and try a couple of recommendations that I have never gotten around to. :lol:

[mumto2]

Nan, I wonder if she has read The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series? My dd loves them. The English teacher my dd had in 10th grade loved them. If she's into fantasy at all, I think they may be a hit.

 

 

There are three books in the series. (I haven't read any of them, so I'm just posting a guess based on something my dd has enjoyed.)

Nan, My dd really enjoyed this series also. Yes, Stacia recommended for her at some point.

[Stacia]

I'm going ahead & putting in my vote for heading to South America for reading in the second half of 2016. I've woefully under-read for that area this year & hope to remedy that for myself next year.

 

Pam, I'm trying to get through the Of Penguins & Cocktails (or whatever the title is) Antarctica book before the end of the year. I'm imitating the Little Engine That Could: I think I can! I think I can! (It's mediocre & also easy to put down & not pick up again.)

 

:lol:

[Butter]

Glad to know I'm not alone. I read it a few years ago with a Goodreads group and was one of the few who didn't like it. The group wasn't happy with us. I suppose everyone is supposed to like all H. G. Wells novels. I also tried more than once to get through The Time Machine, and couldn't finish. 

 

I read The Time Machine a few months ago and actually liked that one a lot.  That one had actual action and things happened.  The War of the Worlds could've been condensed to, "Cylinders from Mars fell to the Earth.  Martians came out of them and decimated all of London.  Then the Martians died because they were overcome by bacteria Earthlings are immune to.  And then when I randomly went back to my home, my wife showed up at the exact same time even though everyone else in the area I left her had been killed by the Martians because this book has got to have a happy ending.  The End."

Edited December 9, 2015 by Butter

[Stacia]

I read The Time Machine a few months ago and actually liked that one a lot.  That one had actual action and things happened.  The War of the Worlds could've been condensed to, "Cylinders from Mars fell to the Earth.  Martians came out of them and decimated all of London.  Then the Martians died because they were overcome by bacteria Earthlings are immune to.  And then when I randomly went back to my home, my wife showed up at the exact same time even though everyone else in the area I left her had been killed by the Martians because this book has got to have a happy ending.  The End."

 

I've never read The War of the Worlds (nor have I ever really wanted to read it), so I appreciate your concise summary! :lol:

 

(It makes me think of the Book-A-Minute website. Maybe you should submit your summary to them!)

[Nan in Mass]

Thank you Stacia and Mumto2. I will try that. We are unlikely to know if she liked it, but at least this has a chance of being successful. I usually just double whatever I have ordered for my other 14yo niece and cross my fingers, but I want to get the clan 14yo something having to do with ASL, which she is studying on her own, and doubling obviously won,t work this year lol.

 

Nan