Book a Week 2015 - BW51: winter solstice

[Violet Crown]

Stacia, virtual hugs and empathy. Sometimes it seems like the burden can't get any heavier and then it does.

 

Jane, thank you for reading all (all!) of the Legenda Aurea, so I don't have to. The martyrdom/virginity dynamic is interesting and is much commented-upon. One understanding is that in an age when opportunity for martyrdom was scarce, virginity (also hard to pull off, but at least possible) became a substitute opportunity for physical renunciation.

 

I am enjoying The Compleat Angler wildly despite my utter lack of interest in fishing. It is so full of gems.

----------

On carp not thriving in ponds:

 

And the like I have known of one that has almost watched the pond, and at a like distance of time, at the fishing of a pond, found of seventy or eighty large Carps not above five or six: and that he had forborne longer to fish the said pond, but that he saw in a hot day in Summer, a large Carp swim near to the top of the water with a Frog upon his head, and that he upon that occasion caused his pond to be let dry: and I say, of seventy or eighty Carps, only found five or six in the said pond, and those very sick and lean, and with every one a Frog sticking so fast on the head of the said Carps, that the Frog would not be got off without extreme force or killing: and the Gentleman that did affirm this to me, told me he saw it, and did declare his belief to be (and I also believe the same) that he thought the other Carps that were so strangely lost, were so killed by frogs, and then devoured.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Violet Crown

[Jane in NC]

Stacia, virtual hugs and empathy. Sometimes it seems like the burden can't get any heavier and then it does.

 

Jane, thank you for reading all (all!) of the Legenda Aurea, so I don't have to. The martyrdom/virginity dynamic is interesting and is much commented-upon. One understanding is that in an age when opportunity for martyrdom was scarce, virginity (also hard to pull off, but at least possible) became a substitute opportunity for physical renunciation.

 

I am enjoying The Compleat Angler wildly despite my utter lack of interest in fishing. It is so full of gems.

----------

On carp not thriving in ponds:

 

And the like I have known of one that has almost watched the pond, and at a like distance of time, at the fishing of a pond, found of seventy or eighty large Carps not above five or six: and that he had forborne longer to fish the said pond, but that he saw in a hot day in Summer, a large Carp swim near to the top of the water with a Frog upon his head, and that he upon that occasion caused his pond to be let dry: and I say, of seventy or eighty Carps, only found five or six in the said pond, and those very sick and lean, and with every one a Frog sticking so fast on the head of the said Carps, that the Frog would not be got off without extreme force or killing: and the Gentleman that did affirm this to me, told me he saw it, and did declare his belief to be (and I also believe the same) that he thought the other Carps that were so strangely lost, were so killed by frogs, and then devoured.

 

And VC brings the thread back to Christmas.  Carp, of course, is traditional Christmas Eve fare in middle and eastern Europe.  Did you know that carp were raised in fish farms during the Middle Ages for the holiday feast?  NPR had an interesting carp story last year.

 

[Pam in CT]

To quote from the new film, "That's not how the force works!"  :D

 

 

Ah. Well, I'll know better after I see it later today....

[Stacia]

mumto2, looks like Kathy already answered how to delete shelves. Re: the other part of your question, I think there is a little bit of control on getting to select which shelves show up first in your lists. It's the same page where you would delete shelves. You would choose an option called "sticky". On the right side of the page, there is an explanation of what "sticky" means. I haven't used it yet myself, though.

 

You gals have jogged my memory re: Star Wars books. My dc read various ones/series when they were younger. Dd still has some squirreled away somewhere in her room. We also have various DK books (the ones w/ all the photos) about Star Wars because dd loves looking in detail at all the costuming (why she likes Amidala so much) & such. We used to have a book (we got it at a Scholastic warehouse sale once) called Star Wars: The Power of Myth. It's a DK-style kids book that kind of loosely ties parts of the various Star Wars pieces to common themes in literature. So, there's some Star Wars literary analysis for you. :lol:

 

Luke Skywalker equals Roland, Ben Kenobi equals Merlin, and the Death Star is the minotaur's labyrinth. Without a doubt, George Lucas owes much of the phenomenal success and gut-level resonance of his Star Wars series to a deft use of myth and universal archetypes. Fans of Joseph Campbell (and anyone else who's spent more than two shakes analyzing Lucas's Wookiee-subtle use of symbolism) won't find more than superficial insights in Star Wars: The Power of Myth, but by all means, don't let that keep you from the fun. Kids--and anyone who loves to analyze the similarities between Stormtrooper armor and 15th-century Gothic battle gear--will quickly find themselves engrossed in this picture-heavy survey of intergalactic mythology (despite maybe a bit too much emphasis on Western legends and, even less forgivable, The Phantom Menace).
 

Under headings like "Sacrifice and Betrayal," "Descent to the Underworld," and "Reconciliation with the Father," screen shots and detailed diagrams from the SW flicks (many recycled from previous DK books) share space alongside classical illustrations and neat-o closeups of lightsabers and blasters. Some connections come across seamlessly (we all knew Yoda was a Zen Buddhist), while others border on the sketchy (what does a Naboo N-1 fighter have to do with Odin's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, anyway?). But DK's usual slick packaging and clean presentation makes up for any faults, making this a more than reasonable--and likely even educational--acquisition for young fans. --Paul Hughes

 

I'm sure I've probably seen the original Star Wars movies on video at some point (surely I watched them again when my dc were young), but I still don't have a huge memory overall of the movies. I think the original three are fine as cheesy, throwback cultural favorites. I do think George Lucas brings out the worst acting ever from his actors. I think all the Star Wars movies have terrible, terrible acting. It makes me cringe it's so bad. And since the movies are so famous, so popular, & GL has such a famous reputation, I have to guess he does that on purpose...? But why? I have never understood that.

 

I am sure we will go see the Star Wars movie at some point. (We have a movie pass -- our annual Christmas present from my parents -- that allows us two free movie tickets throughout the year at most local theaters. So, that's why we can & do go to lots of movies. Often, the theaters will make you wait until a movie has been out for two weeks before allowing passes, so we may wait a bit before seeing it.)

 

Re: the Toys for Tots thing again. Both my dc were also impressed that someone donated an entire Harry Potter set in hardcover.

 

Hi, shukriyya. Hope you plan to join back in for 2016.

 

Heather, how's your recovery going?

 

Eliana, you haven't given us a grandbaby update lately. Would love to hear how your lovely family is doing.

 

Thanks, everyone. I'll happily receive your good wishes & hugs. I, too, hope this is a better week.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Stacia

[mumto2]

Kathy and Stacia, Thank you both! I have just been into Goodreads and got rid of my old shelves that are no longer used. I used the sticky and I think it worked wonderfully. 2016 now sits on top under read, to read, and currently reading. I am actually pretty excited about this and may add some more shelves to go with Robin's challenges. The question is how many will I actually do? ;) Other than BINGO planning to add when I have a book to place on the shelf!

 

I can't remember if anyone else is still reading Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series in our group but will go ahead and post. I finally read the latest Depraved Heart. I thought the series was back on track with the last book and to be fair many of my complaints about the characters being ruined in previous books is not the problem. The problem here is I just really think she needs a new villain. I really would like a truly new book.....not one that relies on past books so heavily. It was a bit of a summary shown from different angles with some new bits. I was disappointed.

[Kareni]

We're very happy here because my daughter arrived home last night after about fifteen months in South Korea.  She'll likely be home for several months before returning to Korea. 

 

***

 

I finished Darkest Before Dawn (KGI series) by Maya Banks.  This is the latest in a romantic suspense series.  While I enjoyed a number of the earlier books in the series, this one left me feeling rather uninspired.

 

"The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business.
Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.
Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the U.S. government can’t...

The enigmatic Hancock has been both opponent and ally to the KGI teams for as long as they've known him. Always working a deep game, Hancock's true allegiance has never been apparent, but one thing is for certain—he never lets anything get in the way of duty.

But now, his absolute belief in the primacy of his ultimate goal is challenged by a captive he's been ordered to guard, no matter how much she suffers in her prison. She's the only woman who's ever managed to penetrate the rigid walls surrounding his icy heart, but will he allow his perplexing feelings for the beautiful victim to destroy a mission he's spent years working to complete or will he be forced to sacrifice her for “the greater good.â€"

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Chrysalis Academy]

Ah. Well, I'll know better after I see it later today....

 

We're going this afternoon too!  :hurray:

[aggieamy]

 

So, the real question is...

Burt Reynolds > Harrison Ford OR Harrison Ford > Burt Reynolds???

 

Smokey and the Bandit Burt Reynolds was pretty hot. 

 

Okay ... I'm going to give it a try.

 

James Herriot >  1980's Paul Hogan > Indiana Jones Harrison Ford = Smokey and the Bandit Burt Reynolds > Bertie Wooster

 

My last book was Connie Willis' The Doomsday Book. Finished it the week of Thanksgiving and loved it. It's been on my shelf for ages and my oldest read it a couple of years ago, so I don't know what took me so long to get around to it. Then we all got sick immediately after I put the book down, which was a little disconcerting considering the book's subject matter, but as it turns out we didn't have flu or plague, which was a relief.

 

 

This book is on my New Years Resolution shelf.  I've been wanting to read it for so long and everyone seems to recommend it!

[aggieamy]

Kathy and Stacia, Thank you both! I have just been into Goodreads and got rid of my old shelves that are no longer used. I used the sticky and I think it worked wonderfully. 2016 now sits on top under read, to read, and currently reading. I am actually pretty excited about this and may add some more shelves to go with Robin's challenges. The question is how many will I actually do? ;) Other than BINGO planning to add when I have a book to place on the shelf!

 

I can't remember if anyone else is still reading Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series in our group but will go ahead and post. I finally read the latest Depraved Heart. I thought the series was back on track with the last book and to be fair many of my complaints about the characters being ruined in previous books is not the problem. The problem here is I just really think she needs a new villain. I really would like a truly new book.....not one that relies on past books so heavily. It was a bit of a summary shown from different angles with some new bits. I was disappointed.

 

Have you shared your Goodreads page?  I thought you might keep it secret but I don't remember ...  Seems like your Goodreads page might be a good place for me to look for books that I'll like.  :)

[aggieamy]

Has anyone here read the Jane Whitefield books by Thomas Perry?  They look interesting but I can't tell from the reviews and descriptions if they are icky.  ie blood, torture, lots of s@x, etc ...

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/817768.Vanishing_Act

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

Audible members, do you know if there's a specific time credits become available? Is there some West Coast USA time schedule? My account says my next credit will be available on 12/21/2015 which of course is today, but my account shows zero credits available. I'll wait until tonight before I contact support, but just wondered if anyone here knows something I don't know.

 

ETA: Never mind. I found it. Your credits appear at the same time your membership became active. I have no clue what time of day I restarted, but I apparently the clock hasn't reached that time yet. :)

Edited December 21, 2015 by Lady Florida

[Stacia]

Amy, I love that 1980s Paul Hogan always shows up on your hunky man lists.

 

:lol:

[Stacia]

Kareni, I'm so excited for your & your family that your dd is home for a bit!!! :)

[Guest]

Last week's reading was heavily shaped by BaW recommendations (or gifts!) and The Story of Science... with a little poetry thrown in for good measure:

 

BaW inspired:

 

Rue du Retour: Thank you, Rose, for the book & Stacia for the recommendation (and, I think, for the book as well - if I remember correctly she sent it to Rose who sent it to me).  What an amazing, beautiful book!  ...but, oh, so hard to read some of the early sections.  It was only the reviews here that kept me reading through the worst accounts.  The recovery and reflection are woven through the experiences themselves in a powerful, exquisite way.  A book I suspect I will come back to more than once in future years (though I will probably skim/skip the most intense sections next time around).

 

The Story of My Teeth: recommended by Stacia.  What an absurd, wild ride of a book!  It isn't a story that touched my heart, but it engaged my mind and interest and the last chapter tipped some things on edge and had a poignancy I appreciated. 

 

The Frozen Thames: recommended here by Jane.  The opening with its quick, impressionistic sketch of Matilda's escape across the ice grabbed me at once - it is a story I know, from a period I was once immersed in.  Each vignette is brief, often poignant, told with the crystal clarity of the ice it is set on. 

 

The Jews of Greece: Mentioned here by, Pam.  The photos and captions (which encompass about a third of the book) were fascinating and made me want more.  The essay preceding them drove me up the wall.  I have a thing about books which present supposition as fact & the number of times the author would assert that "surely" this or "certainly" that or attributed motive without any reasonable source (and all of this in the context of emphasizing how little real data we have) was enough that I was not the most sympathetic of readers.  ...and then the either errors or sloppiness (calling a "mechitza" a "women's section" was weird).  All of which left me mistrustful... and the perception I have of specific biases did not help.  ...but when he wasn't trying to do big picture history, when he stuck to the specifics of specific communities, I was fascinated. 

 

Duino Elegies: Cstarlette read these recently which inspired me to pull it out and try to revisit it.  I read a bit about other translations & the analysis of various versions gave me an hightened appreciation of the poems themselves (read in Snow's exquisite renditions).

 

Citizen: An American Lyric: inspired by our readings and conversation on race.  This was not a comfortable read, but it touched on issues we've been exploring in ways that added to my internal conversation and processing.

 

Story of Science inspired:

 

 

Timaeus by Plato (Peter Kalkavage translation): This translation & the supporting materials are *amazing*.  Don't even think about using a different one.  Really.  (Despite Susan's reassurance that that the other one she suggests will be fine).  The intersections with this and modern science and science thinking in general are fascinating... but I can't stop thinking about the use of geometry.  ...someone else, please read this and marvel with me!  ...and now I want to read more Plato... and wander off on Plato related rabbit trails...

 

On The Motion of the Heart and Blood in Animals by William Harvey: I'd read Circulation of the Blood a few lifetimes ago, but found this much more engaging... and I found his prose delightful!  I think if you aren't familiar with the anatomy of the heart, having an illustration or two handy might help. 

 

Parts of Animals by Aristotle: Not on Susan's list, but I realized I don't own an complete copy of History of Animals (something I need to rectify...) and I wasn't quite ready to start his Physics... With both of these (Aristotle & Harvey) seeing the process of thought is delightful and fascinating.

...and doing this reading is making me happy  - I have missed science oriented reading....

 

Poetry:

 

The Death of King Arthur translated by Armitage: A very nicely done translation of what is better known as The Alliterative Morte Arthure and a nice companion to my (much earlier) read of Layamon.  Now I want to read Wace... and maybe move on to Mallory... that might get me to (finally) read Ishiguro's recent book that touches on the matter of Britain...

 

The Mountain Poems of Meng Hao-Jan: a lovely translation from Archipelago Press (so, perhaps, it should have gone above as BaW inspired!)

book description:

 

The first full flowering of Chinese poetry occurred in the illustrious T’ang Dynasty, and at the beginning of this renaissance stands Meng Hao-jan (689-740 c.e.), esteemed elder to a long line of China’s greatest poets. Deeply influenced by Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism, Meng was the first to make poetry from the Ch’an insight that deep understanding lies beyond words. The result was a strikingly distilled language that opened new inner depths, non-verbal insights, and outright enigma. This made Meng Hao-jan China’s first master of the short imagistic landscape poem that came to typify ancient Chinese poetry. And as a lifelong intimacy with mountains dominates Meng’s work, such innovative poetics made him a preeminent figure in the wilderness (literally rivers-and-mountains) tradition, and that tradition is the very heart of Chinese poetry.
This is the first English translation devoted to the work of Meng Hao-jan. Meng’s poetic descendents revered the wisdom he cultivated as a mountain recluse, and now we too can witness the sagacity they considered almost indistinguishable from that of rivers and mountains themselves.

 

 

 

The Woman Who Fell From the Sky by Joy Harjo: None of the descriptions I read of this highlight the part the stood out most starkly for me: these poems are threaded through with the pain and grief of a people whose lives are still shadowed by their national tragedies. 

 

Other

 

Saga of the Volsungs: I am doing a slow reread of The Nibelungenlied and wanted to revisit this for some comparisons.   This is not one I am fond of, but I appreciated to seeing it again and refreshing my memory.

[mumto2]

Have you shared your Goodreads page? I thought you might keep it secret but I don't remember ... Seems like your Goodreads page might be a good place for me to look for books that I'll like. :)

I haven't shared because my bf and I tend to communicate about our reading via Goodreads. Sometimes I rate books more with her taste in mind than I would want to do for everyone. Sometimes a 5* means you need to read this one and it might be because of the dog or some other silly reason to anyone but us. Dd is part of the group too (she knows most of our inside jokes).

 

I am also a bit obnoxious. I tend to update my page counts and fill all 10 currently reading slots when bored and never read them. Don't necessarily want to put everyone through that because I think they both get emails everytime and I enjoy being obnoxious. :lol:

 

If you still want to friend me after being forwarned send me a pm.

[Butter]

Heather, how's your recovery going?

 

Very well, thanks for asking!  I get uncomfortable if I sit up too long, but I have to force myself to sit a few hours every afternoon now.  It's been 4 weeks today.

[Stacia]

Rue du Retour: Thank you, Rose, for the book & Stacia for the recommendation (and, I think, for the book as well - if I remember correctly she sent it to Rose who sent it to me).  What an amazing, beautiful book!  ...but, oh, so hard to read some of the early sections.  It was only the reviews here that kept me reading through the worst accounts.  The recovery and reflection are woven through the experiences themselves in a powerful, exquisite way.  A book I suspect I will come back to more than once in future years (though I will probably skim/skip the most intense sections next time around).

 

The Story of My Teeth: recommended by Stacia.  What an absurd, wild ride of a book!  It isn't a story that touched my heart, but it engaged my mind and interest and the last chapter tipped some things on edge and had a poignancy I appreciated.

 

Love hearing your comments.

 

I saw Jumex juice in the store the other week & had to smile!

 

Very well, thanks for asking!  I get uncomfortable if I sit up too long, but I have to force myself to sit a few hours every afternoon now.  It's been 4 weeks today.

 

So glad to hear you're improving! :grouphug:

Edited December 21, 2015 by Stacia

[Guest]

 

 What do you think of when it comes to Winter or summer if you are in the Southern Hemisphere?    

 

 

 

 

I think of greyness, of rain, of frantic Fridays with Shabbos starting around 4pm, of curling up with a book hearing the rain drumming on the roof, the smell of latkes frying while the candles shine into the darkness and we read a silly Chelm story....

 

The Bingo looks so fun!  I never tabulated my results for the November one, but it inspired me to read many wonderful books I'd been meaning to get to!  I think I'll borrow the suggestion made here & create a Goodreads shelf for the Bingo so I can keep track more easily...

 

 

I wrapped up one year-long read this week, The Forest Unseen by David George Haskell.  Lovely book.  It has dated entries, each an observation of the same spot in the forest, made throughout the year, and digressions on topics in botany, zoology, ecology, and natural philosophy.  Shannon and I read it together, each entry on its date (or close to it).  It was wonderful.

 

 

Ooh!  That looks wonderful.  Nature writing is on my dream list for next year and this looks like an excellent starting place.  Thank you!

 

 

 

Jane's foray into trout Fishing in America reminded me that I had picked up a beautiful little edition (original cost 2 shillings!) of Izaak Walton's seventeenth-century classic The Compleat Angler, or The Contemplative Man's Recreation, which has needed reading for a long time. A quaint and entertaining work that Walton wrote and then re-wrote and expanded over the next quarter of a century, full of fishing-related poetry, folklore, tales, and advice, in the frame of a discussion between Walton's alter ego, Piscator, and various characters of the English Interregnum countryside (Walton by the way greatly disapproved of the Puritan ban on Friday fish-eating as damaging to fishermen's livelihoods)

 

This is something I've only read in excerpts... and I've always meant to remedy the failing... maybe next year?

 

 

I've got something in mind for pretty much every category on the Bingo. I thought I'd have trouble with "Written in Birth Year" but I see 1971 was a good year - here are a few options on my TR list, in case anyone else was born in the same year:

 

Angle of Repose - Wallace Stegner

The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula LeGuin

The Book of Daniel - E. L. Doctorow

Brief Gaudy Hour: A Novel of Anne Boleyn - Margaret Campbell Barnes

 

Lathe of Heaven is my husband's favorite LeGuin & one I keep meaning to try again now that I loved her Lavinia (I had decided that LeGuin & I just didn't click, but Lavinia was one my favorite reads the other year)

 

Brief Gaudy Hour is an okay Tudor historical fiction - light years better than some recent ones - but not something I'd ever press upon anyone.  ymmv :)

 

 

 

Some bookish items:

 

 

Since I wrote above about learning something from a book I just read, this piece hit home.  It's a fascinating and short read ~

 

The Best Facts I Learned from Books in 2015 by Kathryn Schulz

 

 

 

**

 

Your guide to reading the world

 

"“I’d always thought that I was well-traveled,†says writer Ann Morgan (TED Talk: My year reading a book from every country in the world), but â€œactually, when I looked at my bookshelves, they told a very different story about me.†Her shelves were crowded with English-language books, mainly from English-speaking countries. From the rest of the world? “Hardly anything,†she says. So in 2012 she set for herself an ambitious goal: Read one book from every country on earth in one year."

i

 

The Schultz added some more books to my TBR lists in addition to being an amusing read (Empires of the World and The Fly Trap are especially appealing)

 

Ann Morgan's book was a disappointment - I wanted her to talk more about the books themselves and/or the literatures of the various countries rather than the more meta issues.  I should try again later (with a better set of expectations)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[idnib]

Books I am reading right now: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, House of Leaves, The Power of Myth, and Predictably Irrational.

 

Did any of you audible members download the holiday freebie?  It is The Chimes, by Charles Dickens, read by Richard Armitage. What a voice! I put the modern retelling of Emma on standby while I enjoy this one on my long commutes.  And unfortunately, thanks to holiday traffic, those commutes have been epically nasty.

 

I downloaded it but haven't listened. Honestly it was more because of Armitage than Dickens.  :leaving:

 

Jenn--we saw the new Star Wars film today and have over analyzed it too.  In general we all enjoyed it, taking it for what it is, i.e. a Star Wars film and nothing profound. 

 

 

Speaking of Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth, there's a piece about Star Wars right in the intro, written by Bill Moyers:

 

 

Walking to work one morning after Campbell's death, I stopped before a neighborhood video store that was showing scenes from George Lucas' Star Wars on a monitor in the window. I stood there thinking of the time Campbell and I had watched the movie together at Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in California. Lucas and Campbell had become good friends after the filmmaker, acknowledging a debt to Campbell's work, invited the scholar to view the Star Wars trilogy. Campbell reveled in the ancient themes and motifs of mythology unfolding on the wide screen in powerful contemporary images. On this particular visit, having again exulted over the perils and heroics of Luke Skywalker, Joe grew animated as he talked about how Lucas "has put the newest and most powerful son" to the classic story of the hero.

"And what is that?" I asked.

"It's what Goethe said in Faust but which Lucas has dressed in modern idiom--the message that technology is not going to save us. Out computers, our tools, our machines are not enough. We have to rely on our intuition, our true being."

"Isn't that an affront to reason?" I said. "And aren't we already beating a hasty retreat from reason, as it is?"

"That's not what the hero's journey is about. It's not to deny reason. To the contrary, by overcoming the dark passions, the hero symbolizes our ability to control the irrational savage within us." Campbell had lamented on other occasions our failure "to admit within ourselves the carnivores, lecherous fever" that is endemic to human nature. Now he was describing the hero's journey not as a courageous act but as a life lived in self-discovery, "and Luke Skywalker was never more rational than when he found within himself the resources of character to meet his destiny."

 

So essentially I am re-visiting Star Wars from a different perspective these days.  :laugh:

 

 

 

 

The Gap of Time: The Winter's Tale Retold, by Jeanette Winterson, recommended here by Rose and Eliana and Jane and I don't know how many others of you.  Oh, this is beautiful.... I'm all in knots, now, re: forgiveness v frozen-ness....  There are only three possible endings to a story — if you put aside And They All Lived Happily Ever After, which isn’t an ending, but a coda.  The three possible endings are: Revenge. Tragedy. Forgiveness.  Rose, sally forth sooner rather than later into Angle of Repose, while Gap is still fresh in your mind; I think you will appreciate doing them close to one another...

 

A General Theory of Oblivion, by Jose Eduardo Agualusa (of Chameleon fame!).  Jane and idnib, have you discussed this yet?  It's one of the Archipelago subscription so I assume you have, but when I tried to search only only a longing musing by Stacia came up.  Stacia, I'll send it on to you if you haven't read it yet.  I think you'll like it -- set in the same chaos surrounding Angolan independence and spanning similar re-writing personal history, with a Stacia-like note of weirdness though it doesn't quite cross into outright magic realism.  I liked it, though not so much as Chameleon.

 

 

Gap of Time is sitting on my homeschool table and I was waiting for winter so I guess I can start! I'll add Angle of Repose to the list.

 

A General theory of Oblivion is sitting on my nightstand. Luckily, it is rather dust-colored. I need to get caught up on my subscription!

 

 

 

 

How about a little Star Wars nostalgia?  Did you see the original the theater?  How about the others? Any fond memories to share?

 

I saw the original in the theatre and it was the first movie I had seen on a big screen. I was amazed!

 

Timaeus by Plato (Peter Kalkavage translation): This translation & the supporting materials are *amazing*.  Don't even think about using a different one.  Really.  (Despite Susan's reassurance that that the other one she suggests will be fine).  The intersections with this and modern science and science thinking in general are fascinating... but I can't stop thinking about the use of geometry.  ...someone else, please read this and marvel with me!  ...and now I want to read more Plato... and wander off on Plato related rabbit trails...

 

I ordered it and hope to marvel soon!

 

 

[Kim in Appalachia]

Star Wars....

 

I was 7 when it came out.  It was special to me because my brother and I saw it together (he was terminally ill).  We both became Star Wars obsessed.  I dressed up as Leia for Halloween.  My brother's mattress, on the new bed he got that year, had Star Wars all over it.  He got a lot of great Star Wars stuff for Christmas too.  Empire Strike's Back was a super sad movie for me.  I went, without my brother (he had died the year before) and then the movie was sad too.  All I could think about was how much he would have loved the big reveal.  

 

Stacia, :grouphug: 

 

 

 

I finished, Started Early, Took my Dog, by Kate Atkinson.  It was the 4th in the Jackson Brodie series.  I thought that was the going to be the last one, but she left it open to write more.  I did enjoy it, but I need a break from her writing (which is top quality).  I'm unsure what I'll read next.  I have 3 books on hold at the library.  One I am next in line for, so maybe it will come in soon.  It's by Joe Abercrombie. I've never read his books, but I've always been tempted too.  I'm waiting on Half a King.   

[Kareni]

Kareni, I'm so excited for your & your family that your dd is home for a bit!!! :)

 

Thank you!  It's wonderful to have her here, to be able to see her in person (as opposed to via Skype which we do appreciate), and to hear random stories of her life and experiences.

 

Hoping that life is looking up for you and yours.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

:grouphug: , Kim. I guess Star Wars is awfully bittersweet for you.

[Guest]

re: Timeaus

 

I ordered it and hope to marvel soon!

 

:001_wub:  :grouphug:

 

I read this cold the first time, which had its own amazing value.  This time, I read Kalkavage's into in snippets paired with the section's he's discussing, read the footnotes as I went along, and dipped into the appendices as inspired...  [ETA: the cold reading was when I was 17 and read Timeaus for the very first time, not a preliminary reading this time followed by an in-depth one.  Just realized how unclear my phrasing was!]

 

I've started Jacob Klein's Commentary on Plato's Meno because it has such an interesting perspective on reading Plato, as well as some references specifically to Timeaus, but I also want to read something I've never read before, but has been on my TBR list for ages: Klein's Greek Mathematical Thought - Timeaus has me really pondering math in Greek philosophy... and Eva Brann's What Then is Time (which, sadly, and unlike the others, is not already on my shelves... and, even sadder, is too expensive to impulsively purchase... and not in any of my library systems.

 

...and Derrida has an essay on khora - a term I don't really dare try to define, but that you will encounter in Timeaus - that is calling to me. 

 

Pause for a moment of intense jealousy that my parents got to learn with some of these folks... (not Derrida, obviously). 

 

But, perhaps, what I will do is just pick Timeaus back up and read it again... and poke some more at the ideas and thoughts it is triggering. 

 

I will stop burbling... but, oh what a sweet friend you are to join me in this!

 

 

Edited December 21, 2015 by Eliana

[Pam in CT]

We're very happy here because my daughter arrived home last night after about fifteen months in South Korea.  She'll likely be home for several months before returning to Korea. 

 

15 months!!   That's a full-blown megaparty.  :party:  :party:  :party:  :party:

 

 

 

idnib, thanks for that gorgeous Moyers on Campbell on Star Wars on technology v. "life lived in self-discovery" quote.  Almost worth springing for a new edition.

 

 

 

Star Wars....

 

I was 7 when it came out.  It was special to me because my brother and I saw it together (he was terminally ill).  We both became Star Wars obsessed.  I dressed up as Leia for Halloween.  My brother's mattress, on the new bed he got that year, had Star Wars all over it.  He got a lot of great Star Wars stuff for Christmas too.  Empire Strike's Back was a super sad movie for me.  I went, without my brother (he had died the year before) and then the movie was sad too.  All I could think about was how much he would have loved the big reveal.  

 

 

Hard to "like" this...  :grouphug: ....

[idnib]

re: Timeaus

 

 

:001_wub:  :grouphug:

 

 

I've started Jacob Klein's Commentary on Plato's Meno because it has such an interesting perspective on reading Plato, as well as some references specifically to Timeaus, but I also want to read something I've never read before, but has been on my TBR list for ages: Klein's Greek Mathematical Thought - Timeaus has me really pondering math in Greek philosophy... and Eva Brann's What Then is Time (which, sadly, and unlike the others, is not already on my shelves... and, even sadder, is too expensive to impulsively purchase... and not in any of my library systems.

 

...and Derrida has an essay on khora - a term I don't really dare try to define, but that you will encounter in Timeaus - that is calling to me. 

 

Aaaannndddd...I'm already out of my depth.  :laugh:

[mumto2]

 

 

I finished, Started Early, Took my Dog, by Kate Atkinson. It was the 4th in the Jackson Brodie series. I thought that was the going to be the last one, but she left it open to write more. I did enjoy it, but I need a break from her writing (which is top quality). I'm unsure what I'll read next. I have 3 books on hold at the library. One I am next in line for, so maybe it will come in soon. It's by Joe Abercrombie. I've never read his books, but I've always been tempted too. I'm waiting on Half a King.

Kim :grouphug:

 

Did you know Case Histories is a bbc tv series? It apparently has been on pbs. My bf is able to check the dvds out at her library. The actor who plays Jackson Brodie is a favorite for both of us. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/jYDt5J2hdMYwP8hfwwTnzK/jackson-brodie. The books are something I plan to read one day.

[Rosie_0801]

Amy, I love that 1980s Paul Hogan always shows up on your hunky man lists.

 

:lol:

 

And when you hit *your* 80's, you can watch him again in 'Charlie and Boots!'

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

 

 

Gap of Time is sitting on my homeschool table and I was waiting for winter so I guess I can start! I'll add Angle of Repose to the list.

 

 

RE: Timaeus

I ordered it and hope to marvel soon!

 

 

We're covering a lot of the same reading ground! Have you started The Invention of Nature yet? I got it, but I'm trying to wrap up a couple of other things before the end of the year.

 

I also ordered Timaeus. Eliana, you have to promise to hold our hands! Plato intimidates me.  :leaving:

[Kareni]

We talked previously about books we will be giving for the holidays. 

 

 

Here are some books that my daughter will be receiving:

 

Korean:

 

The Little Prince

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, first volume 

Aesop's Fables 

Hans Christian Andersen Tales

 

English:

 

The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron

The Spirit War by Rachel Aaron

 

 

Some books my husband will be receiving:

 

The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton

Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Onceuponatime]

I finished The Earthsea Trilogy. I liked it for the most part. It became clear that the author's message was about living this life fully, because we can't escape death; and immortality as a human would probably be unpleasant. I've started Mistletoe and Murder by Carola Dunn, my seasonal pick.

 

For the life of me, I can't remember the first time I saw Star Wars, even though I was 12 when it came out. I probably saw it in a rerelease or in my late teens on vhs. All I know is my kids have been enamored of it as long as I can remember. My 2nd son (22 now) requested A New Hope every time it was his turn to pick a movie, when he was 5. He walked around humming the theme song and substituted nerfherder for stupid, which is still a thing in our family. My 16 is very into the books by Timothy Zahn and other authors, plus the cartoons. He was upset when Disney bought the rights, because their new authors are not as good (according to him). The three boys still at home spend a lot of time discussing the canon, they have multiple Dk Star Wars Universe books, and my youngest has been collecting the Star Wars Shakespeare editions, then there is always Wookiepedia.

 

I do remember going to the theater with my three oldest to see "episode one" when it came out. I laughed out loud when one of the first lines spoken was, "I've got a bad feeling about this." I got shushed.

 

ETA: my mom is taking us all to see the movie on Christmas night. We are trying to ignore the fact that half the world will have seen it by then.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Onceuponatime

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished HotMW!!  :party:

 

 

We saw Star Wars today.  The girls loved it.  It was derivative of the original trilogy to a degree that was almost campy - it must have been intentional - but it also was a little disappointing. It's like they wanted so badly to get back the magic of the original that they went a little too far in repeating the formula.   OTOH, this film was probably made by kids who were born into a whole Star Wars Universe, not like us old-timers who experienced it in the original, as something unique and new.  Maybe?  I dunno. I liked it fine, but I'm not enraptured.

[idnib]

We're covering a lot of the same reading ground! Have you started The Invention of Nature yet? I got it, but I'm trying to wrap up a couple of other things before the end of the year.

 

I also ordered Timaeus. Eliana, you have to promise to hold our hands! Plato intimidates me.  :leaving:

 

I have not started The Invention of Nature yet. In fact, I no longer have it. I ordered a copy for my FIL and I wasn't going to be able to receive it on time for Christmas (I have them sent first to me for wrapping, then I re-mail to the Midwest) so I wrapped and mailed him my copy instead and am waiting on "his" copy for my reading.

 

I'm happy you are joining in Timaeus! I agree hand-holding is in order.

[Guest]

We're covering a lot of the same reading ground! Have you started The Invention of Nature yet? I got it, but I'm trying to wrap up a couple of other things before the end of the year.

 

I also ordered Timaeus. Eliana, you have to promise to hold our hands! Plato intimidates me.  :leaving:

 

Much of Plato is deceptively simple.  Timaeus doesn't quite have that challenge.  There is some very evident complexity...

 

...but with all of Plato, I find it helpful to start from a place of openness to my own ignorance, to my own lack of understanding. 

 

And what I didn't realize until I reread Timaeus last week is that is also where I tend to start when I engage with science.

 

With wonder, with questions, with *what* did that sentence just say?  and how on earth did we get from A to B... and then looking more closely, poking at the text, the problem, the question, the concept... and then starting to see glimmers of how it all comes together... and how amazing it all is.

 

With Timaeus, it wasn't the cosmology, it was the.. well, the unreliable narrator, to oversimplify and the question of the role of philosophizing in  science...

 

...and the geometry!  ... why? 

 

When you go to explain the universe and how it functions... geometry... and music. 

 

We can all hold hands and dabble on the edges of wonders together... the water isn't too cold. and we'll stick to the shallows... and gaze off at the depths.

[Guest]

Aaaannndddd...I'm already out of my depth.  :laugh:

 

Me too.

 

...but it is exciting to catch these glimpses of how much more there is than I can see or understand right now... a little like reading Ulysses and knowing I was missing so much... and enjoying the bits and pieces of dabbling in the greater depths, but staying close to the shore still so I didn't get lost....

[Pam in CT]

Much of Plato is deceptively simple.  Timaeus doesn't quite have that challenge.  There is some very evident complexity...

 

...but with all of Plato, I find it helpful to start from a place of openness to my own ignorance, to my own lack of understanding. 

 

And what I didn't realize until I reread Timaeus last week is that is also where I tend to start when I engage with science.

 

With wonder, with questions, with *what* did that sentence just say?  and how on earth did we get from A to B... and then looking more closely, poking at the text, the problem, the question, the concept... and then starting to see glimmers of how it all comes together... and how amazing it all is.

 

With Timaeus, it wasn't the cosmology, it was the.. well, the unreliable narrator, to oversimplify and the question of the role of philosophizing in  science...

 

...and the geometry!  ... why? 

 

When you go to explain the universe and how it functions... geometry... and music. 

 

We can all hold hands and dabble on the edges of wonders together... the water isn't too cold. and we'll stick to the shallows... and gaze off at the depths.

All right, I'm in too, with fear and trembling.  

[Violet Crown]

I'm up for a jaunt through the Platonic realms, too. We shall go build the Universe with triangles.

 

More Fun Fish Facts from The Compleat Angler, set to verse:

 

And when the Salmon seeks a fresher stream to find,

(which hither from the Sea comes yearly by his kind)

As he towards season grows, and stems the watery tract

Where Tivy falling down, makes an high cataract,

Forced by the rising rocks that there her course oppose,

As though within her bounds they meant her to inclose;

Here when the labouring fish does at the foot arrive,

And finds that by his strength he does but vainly strive,

His tail takes in his mouth, and, bending like a bow

That’s to ful compass drawn, aloft himself doth throw...

-----------

Who knew that's how salmon swim upstream?

[idnib]

We can all hold hands and dabble on the edges of wonders together... the water isn't too cold. and we'll stick to the shallows... and gaze off at the depths.

 

Love this.

 

Me too.

 

...but it is exciting to catch these glimpses of how much more there is than I can see or understand right now... a little like reading Ulysses and knowing I was missing so much... and enjoying the bits and pieces of dabbling in the greater depths, but staying close to the shore still so I didn't get lost....

 

Yes!

 

All right, I'm in too, with fear and trembling.  

 

:hurray:

[Chrysalis Academy]

I have not started The Invention of Nature yet. In fact, I no longer have it. I ordered a copy for my FIL and I wasn't going to be able to receive it on time for Christmas (I have them sent first to me for wrapping, then I re-mail to the Midwest) so I wrapped and mailed him my copy instead and am waiting on "his" copy for my reading.

 

I'm happy you are joining in Timaeus! I agree hand-holding is in order.

 

Oh good, then we can read it together in 2016!  

[Mom-ninja.]

I read The Japanese Skin Care Revolution - 4 Stars - Skin care fascinates me. As a former esthetician, I love reading up on all that, but only as far as things that I can do myself: exfoliants, masks, massages, facials, and so forth.

 

Do you know that Paula just published a new book? It's sitting next to my bed. I love the ingredient glossary. So handy. 

 

 

 

I finished Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers and liked it. My first book by him and enjoyed his humor. Very readable science book. Will read his others. 

[Robin M]

Memories of Star Wars.  17 years old in 1977 and the hype had attracted our attention.  My family loved sci fi so off we trooped to the movie theater.  The line snaked around the parking lot, but we all had a good time chatting away while we waited.   Amazing, awesome movie which we saw quite a few times.  Watched every single movie when it came out.  Some 40 years later I introduce James to New Hope and a star wars fan is born.  We bought all the movies and watched them over and over again.  Debated the chronology 4,5,6 being our 1,2,3, way back when.  Since then he's read quite a few books - some of them a bit too racy or dark for my liking so using my parental prerogative to say yeah or nay.  Yes, we're thrilled the movie is out, yet we will wait until later or even til the dvd comes out because my kiddo simply cannot stand movie theaters. I don't blame him.  

 

Yes, I had a crush on Hans Solo but he had competition in Tom Selleck as well as Burt Reynolds. Yes, Smoky and the Bandit was a favorite and the cause of lots of girlish fantasies.  But I also had a thing for the CHIP's guys, Starsky and Hutch,  Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy and Yes, The Monkees. I loved all of them, including Peter.  Yes, I'm very much a 70's gal.  

 

 

[Robin M]

By the way, I added SWB's list for science reads she included in the expanded edition of Well Educated Mind on the 52 Books blog. 

 

Powells have posted their best of and picks of the season

 

Working on updating our postcard, book exchange, amazon wishlist lists so if you haven't sent me your address, please pm it to me.  How am I suppose to surprise you if I don't have your address.   :wub:

 

“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.“

― Winnie the Pooh

 

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug: 

 

 

 

 

 

[Negin]

Do you know that Paula just published a new book? It's sitting next to my bed.

Yes! Mine is by my bed also :). I haven't read it yet, just skimmed through it. I plan on reading it very soon. I have her other books and love them. The only one that I don't have is her hair one. They told me that they don't plan on publishing an updated version. I wish they would. 

[Mom-ninja.]

Yes, I do wish they did more with hair. 

[Lady Florida.]

Memories of Star Wars.  17 years old in 1977 and the hype had attracted our attention. 

 

I thought we were fairly close in age, based on some things you've said before. I'm about 5 years older than you. :)

[Mom-ninja.]

I'm absolutely sorry to be the one to point out the gross error posted here but.....

 

Legolas > Aragorn

 

If I'm being attacked I want Legolas by my side. Then I want him by my side when I'm not under attack. 

[Kim in Appalachia]

Kim :grouphug:

 

Did you know Case Histories is a bbc tv series? It apparently has been on pbs. My bf is able to check the dvds out at her library. The actor who plays Jackson Brodie is a favorite for both of us. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/jYDt5J2hdMYwP8hfwwTnzK/jackson-brodie. The books are something I plan to read one day.

 

 

I saw it come up on Amazon.  I wonder if it's on Netflix?? It wasn't on Prime.

[JennW in SoCal]

Yes, I do wish they did more with hair. 

 

:confused1:  ??!!

 

Perhaps I shouldn't read the thread backwards before coffee...

[Lady Florida.]

:confused1:  ??!!

 

Perhaps I shouldn't read the thread backwards before coffee...

 

 

Oh good. It's not just me.  :lol:

[Mom-ninja.]

:confused1:  ??!!

 

Perhaps I shouldn't read the thread backwards before coffee...

 

Sorry, Negin and I were discussing Paula Begoun and her new book on skin care. She has great websites too. Anyway, she doesn't do much research and reviews for hair products. Wish they would as my hair is thinning.

[Pam in CT]

I'm absolutely sorry to be the one to point out the gross error posted here but.....

 

Legolas > Aragorn

 

If I'm being attacked I want Legolas by my side. Then I want him by my side when I'm not under attack. 

 

Oh, under attack, sure, I'll give you Legolas, there.

 

 

("That still only counts as one!")    :lol: