Book a Week 2016 - BW3: Martin Luther King

[mumto2]

 

Deja Dead - This is the first book in the Temperance Brennan series on which the tv show Bones was based. I read the first chapter a while ago, but was getting a bit grossed out by the description of the body. I knew the author likes to make sure everything is scientifically correct but it was still hard to read. I hoped that once it got past that it would concentrate on solving the murder, so I decided to give it another try. So far, so good.

I have read most of this series and enjoyed it. Just remember that Temperance Brennan in the books is not the same as on Bones and I think you will really enjoy them. In the books she is much more of a real person and older with a real persons problems. I actually prefer the books but I am really fascinated by forensic science so these books are a favorite.

[Maus]

Now I've kind of got an NDE string going.  Same phenomena as binge watching a tv series?  I tend to read in clusters. 

 

6. "To Heaven and Back" by Mary C. Neal, MD.

5. "When Will the Heaven Begin?" by Ally Breedlove.

4. "Four" by Virginia Roth.

3. "Allegiant" by Virgina Roth.

2. " Insurgent" by Virginia Roth.

1. "Divergent" by Virginia Roth.

[Angel]

While I'm asking for suggestions - what is your favorite Arthurian book?  I'm hoping to try something new and great for the Bingo square.

 

Here's what I've read:

-Mary Stewart's Arthurian series (The Crystal Cave et al)

-The Once & Future King

-Sir Gawain & the Green Knight

-The Mists of Avalon

The Mists of Avalon was my favorite in my early 20's!  I'm far from being a "girl-power" kind of person, but I loved the different perspectives of the women in this book!  I think I read The Crystal Cave a few years ago.  It certainly didn't have the appeal of The Mists of Avalon, though.

 

Angel, yes, Hemingway shows up on the banned lists:

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons

Something to keep in mind for September maybe  ;)

 

I had started First Frost before I realized that I wanted to finish Harry Potter 6 and 7 before we have our Harry Potter marathon party in February so I'm going to try and speed through those book before coming back to First Frost.  Actually, I can't remember Garden Spells well, so I almost feel the need to reread that before getting into First Frost.  

 

I also started Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde today for Aly's co-op class.  

[Stacia]

For crstarlette (& others):

What’s One Literary Magazine Everyone Needs To Be Reading?

[melmichigan]

Hi everyone!  I'm sorry, but there are just to many posts this early in the year for me to listen to them all right now.  I'll have to catch up when I can read them.  Robin, thank you for the birthday wishes!  I missed the post last week and just came across it searching for my last post.  It was a very quiet celebration. ;)

 

I got some good news today, my MRI was negative for any acute trauma, so just post-concussion, no other injury.  I'm still struggling with my vision and headaches.  I'm go see the eye doctor later this week, but since it gets progressively worse throughout the day my primary doctor thinks it just my brain needing more time to recover.  Thanks to Robin I've figured out how to get my phone to read kindle books to me, and I'm taking advantage of the credits I had stored on audible.

 

Since the 9th of January I've listened to:

The Dirt on Ninth Grave(Charley Davidson, #9), which was disappointing. Maybe it would have been different reading versus listening, but the whole Charley has amnesia thing drove me nuts after a little while.  I think it could have worked for a few chapters, or a novella, but not a whole book!  To me, it sounded like filler with very little forward movement in the story. 

 

Wildfire on the Skagit (Firehawks, #9) and Hot Point (Firehawks, #10)  were good.  I enjoy M. L. Buchman.  Even though the kindle app doesn't read to me as smooth as a narrator does, it was nice to finish #9, which I was reading before I fell. 

 

Archangel's Enigma (Guild Hunter, #8) was really good.  I love everything Nalini Singh and this was no exception.

 

Charming (Seven #6.5) was a nice continuation in the series.

 

Target Engaged (Delta Force, #1), again Buchman, but a new series.  I loved Night Stalkers, so this was a good start.

 

Bound to Darkness (Midnight Breed #13). This series still works for me.

 

I have a few things on my audible line up, and a few things downloaded on my kindle so we'll see how the rest of the week goes.  Best wishes to everyone!  I hope the new year is treating everyone well and I look forward to seeing all the new book lists.

Edited January 20, 2016 by melmichigan

[Stacia]

And, a couple more articles re: this week's theme...

 

Article: The Price of Black Ambition by Roxanne Gay

 

An interesting piece of history & reality I stumbled across on wikipedia: The Negro Motorist Green Book

Edited January 20, 2016 by Stacia

[Woodland Mist Academy]

 

I will see your hand and raise by one. I do not like Georgette Heyer. I read The Grand Sophy and was bored out of my mind. I don't plan to ever read one of her bore me to tears books ever again. 

 

Dangerous confession to this crowd. I'll hide behind you.

 

I've never been able to get past the first few pages...  :ph34r:    I'm hoping to try again this spring or summer...  Perhaps I've just not been in the right mood...

 

 

Has anyone seen my pitchfork?  

 

:zombiechase:

[Bluegoat]

For those reading A Suitable Boy - if you would be interested in some visual accompaniment, I recently watched a rather good mini-series, Indian Summers, set just slightly earlier than A Sutable Boy.  I'm not sure if it's easy to find, but I really enjoyed it.

[Pam in CT]

re: Green Book

 

 

And, a couple more articles re: this week's theme...

 

Article: The Price of Black Ambition by Roxanne Gay

 

An interesting piece of history & reality I stumbled across on wikipedia: The Negro Motorist Green Book

Yeah.  We didn't learn about the Green Books in Am Stud history back in my day... nor have my 2 older kids in theirs.

 

 

The New York Public Library has online copies of the various editions here.

[Kareni]

 

I got some good news today, my MRI was negative for any acute trauma, so just post-concussion, no other injury.  I'm still struggling with my vision and headaches. 

 

I hope that things will improve for you.

 

***

 

I finished my re-read of Andy Weir's The Martian which my book group will be discussing this  Thursday.  It's my third time through as I first read it in April 2014 then listened to the book with my husband sometime later.  I enjoyed it again.

 

The members of my book group have been having fun talking about what food they'll be bringing to share.  Those of you who have read the book or seen the movie will doubtless appreciate this. 

 

One member is bringing potatoes au gratin in honor of Mark Watney's Ares 3 mission. 

 

Another said, "Since I am sure Ares V mission was able to grow more crops on Mars, and cabbage was included, I will make sweet and sour cabbage for Thursday."

 

Yet another, "In honor of the success of the tropical biosphere established on Mars by Ares VIII, in which pineapple and mango were grown, I'll bring a fruit salad."

 

I always bring brownies and was told, "I was looking up astronaut food. They have brownies in space!!"

 

My daughter (who has also read the book) will get to come along, too.  I'm looking forward to it as it sounds like it will be a fun meeting.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mom-ninja.]

While I'm asking for suggestions - what is your favorite Arthurian book?  I'm hoping to try something new and great for the Bingo square.

 

Here's what I've read:

-Mary Stewart's Arthurian series (The Crystal Cave et al)

-The Once & Future King

-Sir Gawain & the Green Knight

-The Mists of Avalon

I vote for Mists of Avalon

[Χά�ων]

I vote for Mists of Avalon

Second

[Kareni]

I came across this work of historical fiction which is based on the true story of the an Irish hero, Robert Emmet, that is currently free to Kindle readers.  Perhaps it might appeal to some here.

 

Tread Softly On My Dreams (The Liberty Trilogy) by Gretta Curran Browne

 

 

"THE BOOK SOME CRITICS ARE CALLING - THE IRISH `LES MISERABLES'

WHAT THE PRESS SAY ABOUT “TREAD SOFTLY ON MY DREAMSâ€

“A compelling mix of political thriller and love story, beautifully written, meticulously researched, immensely enjoyable and, by turns, heartbreaking and uplifting.†– THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

“I can honestly say it’s one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read for some time. I can’t recommend it highly enough.†– IRISH WORLD

“Written with feeling and humour, and the meticulous research illuminates the scene without ever intruding upon itâ€. – SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

“A very fine achievement.†– SUNDAY PRESS

“Her research brought her to the Wicklow Hills, the archives in Dublin Castle, and back again to the Crown papers in London … an incredible tale of political corruption.†– ‘IRISH TIMES

“A hidden, secret story behind the commonly received “factsâ€, one that has nothing to do with legend … cuts across political or religious prejudices.†– BELFAST TELEGRAPH

 

 

AN EPIC NOVEL FROM IRELAND’S PAST. (Book One of THE LIBERTY TRILOGY)

"The Emmets are Protestants, belonging to the elite society of Ireland’s ruling class. Born in 1778, Robert Emmet, the youngest son of the State Physician of Ireland, has grown up in the heart of a prosperous and loving family, one of the most respected in Dublin city. From his parents he acquired a deep love of Ireland and a commitment to justice. From his brother Thomas he acquired an understanding of the divisions and inequalities of his country.

In the historic year of 1798 Robert’s life changed from its charted course to one of rebellion. A brilliant student at Trinity, he casts aside all hopes of a scientific career, all the privileges of his class, to join the United Irishmen – a society dedicated to the union of Protestant and Catholic. But the men in Dublin Castle determined on the continuance of English rule, force him to flee to France. But even as his boat sails away from his beloved homeland, he looks back and knows he will return – to the cause of his country’s liberty, and to the beautiful girl he has fallen in love with, Sarah Curran, the daughter of Ireland’s most talented lawyer.

He returns – and meets Anne Devlin, a passionate and brave Catholic country girl, who becomes his most devoted companion.

Set against the background of the beauty of Ireland, the dark clouds of its past, as well as the humour and dreams of its people, this is a passionate and powerful true story of three young people, Robert Emmet, Anne Devlin, and Sarah Curran, drawn together in love, in hope, and tragedy."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

While I'm asking for suggestions - what is your favorite Arthurian book?  I'm hoping to try something new and great for the Bingo square.

 

 

 

My turn for a confession. I loathe all things Arthurian.  :leaving:

 

 

 

Well, except for the BBC show Merlin, but I think the only reason I enjoyed it is because we watched it as a family. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Arthurian stuff, either. Which is why I'm trolling for suggestions.  But clearly I worded my request badly.  I want something I *haven't* read before - so not Mists of Avalon, not Mary Stewart, not Sir Gawain, and not TH White.  Something new. Inspire me! Why should I find the Arthurian legends anything but depressing, misogynistic, oppressively Christian and dismissive of the pagan tradition/context? Why do we still read these legends? Why do they matter? Which one should I read?

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Chrysalis Academy

[Robin M]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Arthurian stuff, either. Which is why I'm trolling for suggestions.  But clearly I worded my request badly.  I want something I *haven't* read before - so not Mists of Avalon, not Mary Stewart, not Sir Gawain, and not TH White.  Something new. Inspire me! Why should I find the Arthurian legends anything but depressing, misogynistic, oppressively Christian in a pagan context? Why do we still read these legends? Why do they matter? Which one should I read???

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

Check out Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Series or Andre Norton's Merlin's Mirror. 

[Ali in OR]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Arthurian stuff, either. Which is why I'm trolling for suggestions.  But clearly I worded my request badly.  I want something I *haven't* read before - so not Mists of Avalon, not Mary Stewart, not Sir Gawain, and not TH White.  Something new. Inspire me! Why should I find the Arthurian legends anything but depressing, misogynistic, oppressively Christian in a pagan context? Why do we still read these legends? Why do they matter? Which one should I read???

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

I'm contemplating Tennyson's Idylls of the King. But I've never read it, so can't really recommend it to others. When my mom passed away, I claimed a bunch of her books--actually all 4 of us kids were finding things that appealed to us on her bookshelves. She was an English major in the '50's and I think several of my picks were books for her classes. I thought Idylls of the King was one of those. But when I got home and looked at it, I found her mother's maiden name in the front, so it was really my grandmother's book when she was a child I think. It was published in 1923--a tiny thing, "Macmillans Pocket Classics". So I'm going to give that a try sometime this year and see if I can follow it.

[Carrie12345]

I've only popped into a few BAW threads because I'm terrible with follow through.  But the timing is perfect on this one, because I just happen to be reading "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria".  Well, "just happen to" because it was available in my library's little sale corner, which was displaying Black History Month titles to overlap with MLK Day.  Written by a psychologist, the psych junkie in me had to have it.

 

It's taking forever for me to get through it. Every page has something so thought provoking, I'm spending much more time thinking than reading which, honestly, doesn't happen to me all that often. I think I "went in" with the expectation of firming up my existing views with more evidence and maybe some ideas about what I can do for change, but it's much more than that.

 

I was vaguely familiar with the concept of identity theory, from plenty of therapy and being related to a therapist, lol, but I hadn't really contemplated racial identity because I've had no need for it.  Even aware of white privilege, I hadn't seen just how deep it actually goes, how I've never done anything in the conscious context of "being white".  I've never struggled to be white enough for the white people I'm emotionally connected to, and/or less white for the people of color I'm emotionally connected to.  I've never wrestled with how I reflect on others, save for the rare business-social event, but even that is such a different context.  I've had the freedom to "do me" without the unasked for burden of representing white suburban chicks as a whole.  All of the good/bad/weird things I've done are attributed to me being me, not as part of a group filling or breaking stereotypes.

 

I don't think I can review the book on its simple content, because it's taking me on a ride way beyond the pages.  As an example of how far down the rabbit hole I'm traveling, I was startled to recognize this:  In my quite diverse area, I run into people of all backgrounds.  Despite the fact that I'm perfectly comfortable interacting with whomever, I do notice if someone is Black, or Hispanic, or Indian, etc.  I didn't see that as any sort of big deal since, duh, I have eyes.  But then I realized, I DON'T notice if someone is white.  Even after recognizing this, I went and hung out with a bunch of white people and, while driving home, realized, nope, not once did I notice that they were all white.  It's simply a given in my head, even when I'm a minority in my immediate neighborhood.

 

I have no idea where the rest of this book will take me, but I'm looking forward to the journey and figuring out what to do with all of these small/not-so-small discoveries.

 

 

 

[Loesje22000]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Arthurian stuff, either. Which is why I'm trolling for suggestions. But clearly I worded my request badly. I want something I *haven't* read before - so not Mists of Avalon, not Mary Stewart, not Sir Gawain, and not TH White. Something new. Inspire me! Why should I find the Arthurian legends anything but depressing, misogynistic, oppressively Christian in a pagan context? Why do we still read these legends? Why do they matter? Which one should I read???

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

This one?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008PE4022?keywords=jack%20whyte&qid=1453282548&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1

[Chrysalis Academy]

Check out Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Series or Andre Norton's Merlin's Mirror. 

 

Thanks, I will!

 

ETA: Ok, annoyingly my library doesn't have the first book of the Pendragon series, Taliesin, but it does have Book #2, Merlin. Is this a series you can jump into at book 2, or do I need book 1?

 

And the library has 85 Andre Norton books, but not that one. Grrr, it looks good. Amazon may be getting an order from me!

 

I'm contemplating Tennyson's Idylls of the King. But I've never read it, so can't really recommend it to others. When my mom passed away, I claimed a bunch of her books--actually all 4 of us kids were finding things that appealed to us on her bookshelves. She was an English major in the '50's and I think several of my picks were books for her classes. I thought Idylls of the King was one of those. But when I got home and looked at it, I found her mother's maiden name in the front, so it was really my grandmother's book when she was a child I think. It was published in 1923--a tiny thing, "Macmillans Pocket Classics". So I'm going to give that a try sometime this year and see if I can follow it.

 

I thought about this . . . let me know what you think of it! I do like Tennyson. I remember reading at some point that his treatment of Guinevere was rather . . . harsh.

 

This one?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008PE4022?keywords=jack%20whyte&qid=1453282548&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1

 

Hah, I put this one on hold last night! Great minds . . . 

Edited January 20, 2016 by Chrysalis Academy

[Nan in Mass]

I've only popped into a few BAW threads because I'm terrible with follow through. But the timing is perfect on this one, because I just happen to be reading "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria". Well, "just happen to" because it was available in my library's little sale corner, which was displaying Black History Month titles to overlap with MLK Day. Written by a psychologist, the psych junkie in me had to have it.

 

It's taking forever for me to get through it. Every page has something so thought provoking, I'm spending much more time thinking than reading which, honestly, doesn't happen to me all that often. I think I "went in" with the expectation of firming up my existing views with more evidence and maybe some ideas about what I can do for change, but it's much more than that.

 

I was vaguely familiar with the concept of identity theory, from plenty of therapy and being related to a therapist, lol, but I hadn't really contemplated racial identity because I've had no need for it. Even aware of white privilege, I hadn't seen just how deep it actually goes, how I've never done anything in the conscious context of "being white". I've never struggled to be white enough for the white people I'm emotionally connected to, and/or less white for the people of color I'm emotionally connected to. I've never wrestled with how I reflect on others, save for the rare business-social event, but even that is such a different context. I've had the freedom to "do me" without the unasked for burden of representing white suburban chicks as a whole. All of the good/bad/weird things I've done are attributed to me being me, not as part of a group filling or breaking stereotypes.

 

I don't think I can review the book on its simple content, because it's taking me on a ride way beyond the pages. As an example of how far down the rabbit hole I'm traveling, I was startled to recognize this: In my quite diverse area, I run into people of all backgrounds. Despite the fact that I'm perfectly comfortable interacting with whomever, I do notice if someone is Black, or Hispanic, or Indian, etc. I didn't see that as any sort of big deal since, duh, I have eyes. But then I realized, I DON'T notice if someone is white. Even after recognizing this, I went and hung out with a bunch of white people and, while driving home, realized, nope, not once did I notice that they were all white. It's simply a given in my head, even when I'm a minority in my immediate neighborhood.

 

I have no idea where the rest of this book will take me, but I'm looking forward to the journey and figuring out what to do with all of these small/not-so-small discoveries.

A old relative who has lived in the south all her life says what she notices and pays attentionto is a person,s culture, not their skin colour.

 

Nan

Edited January 20, 2016 by Nan in Mass

[Carrie12345]

A old relative who has lived in the south all her life says what she notices and pays attentionto is a person,s culture, not their skin colour.

 

Nan

 

A lot of people say similar things.  I don't doubt that they believe it.  I sort of did, myself.  Well, on the skin color.  I'm not sure how one assesses culture on the fly.

[Nan in Mass]

I finished Amrita (or, To Whom She Wills) by: http://t.alibris.com/search/books/author/Ruth-Prawer-Jhabvala

 

When I did a search for Amrita in Alibris, this fascinating list showed up: http://t.alibris.com/booksearch?keyword=Amrita&mtype=B&hs.x=-692&hs.y=-55&hs=Submit

 

Now I am reading The Martian. (We climbed into bed early with our books because with this wind, it is pretty cold anywhere but three feet from the fire.) On page 4, I asked my husband if it was going to be swears all the way through or whether it would be like the Star Trek tv series, where they do things at the beginning to give everyone the idea and then continue in a more standard fashion once everyone has been "trained" to assume certain things. He said no, I was going to have to put up with swearing every single page, but that I should be happy because I was getting to read a fun survival book without any animals being killed and eaten, that in his book (Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival), sheep, goats, and camels were constantly dying. Guess I will count my blessings lol.

 

Nan

[Pam in CT]

re Martian food:

I hope that things will improve for you.

 

***

 

I finished my re-read of Andy Weir's The Martian which my book group will be discussing this  Thursday.  It's my third time through as I first read it in April 2014 then listened to the book with my husband sometime later.  I enjoyed it again.

 

The members of my book group have been having fun talking about what food they'll be bringing to share.  Those of you who have read the book or seen the movie will doubtless appreciate this. 

 

One member is bringing potatoes au gratin in honor of Mark Watney's Ares 3 mission. 

 

Another said, "Since I am sure Ares V mission was able to grow more crops on Mars, and cabbage was included, I will make sweet and sour cabbage for Thursday."

 

Yet another, "In honor of the success of the tropical biosphere established on Mars by Ares VIII, in which pineapple and mango were grown, I'll bring a fruit salad."

 

I always bring brownies and was told, "I was looking up astronaut food. They have brownies in space!!"

 

My daughter (who has also read the book) will get to come along, too.  I'm looking forward to it as it sounds like it will be a fun meeting.

 

Regards,

Kareni

:lol: Your book group is AWESOME.

 

 

 

Check out Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Series or Andre Norton's Merlin's Mirror. 

NOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo......  (trails off into Martian universe and reversing time......)

 

Sorry dear Robin, we really must part ways on this one....  :lol:

 

My two younger kids love series, and we all like listening to audiobooks on long car drives, and we go on a lot of long car drives.  Once upon a time lo many years ago, I picked up the first two or three Pendragons from the library prior to a trip up to Acadia ME.  I was ALL DONE by the end of that trip, and I'm generally the parent responsible for picking up audiobooks at the library prior to long trips, so I figured we were all, all done.

 

But my son kept asking for the next in the series.  (There are, like, 17 in the series.  Something RIDICULOUS.)  Next long trip, my husband -- this is not family SOP -- picked up the next couple.  I couldn't take it, and used headphones to listen to something else.

 

Thereafter, my husband actually PURCHASED the last, oh, 13 in the series since he couldn't be bothered with library due dates and fines (this was before the glorious days of downloading library audiobooks), and the kids and he would listen to them alone.  It was a running family gag for, like, three YEARS since -- did I mention this?-- there are, like, 17 in the dang series....  I guess I should think of the whole affair as a glorious beautiful father-child bonding experience, but OMG they are AWFUL, awful, awful.

 

Anyway I didn't much care for them personally...  :lol: YMMV....

 

 

[Nan in Mass]

A lot of people say similar things. I don't doubt that they believe it. I sort of did, myself. Well, on the skin color. I'm not sure how one assesses culture on the fly.

This was a teacher, referring to in their students in their classroom, mostly, so not on the fly. They said black culture was shorted sighted than white culture and that was what mattered to them, not skin colour. The teacher/cafeteria link was what made me think of the comment. They are old and it would have been disrespectful for me to ask for more elaboration or argue, so that was the end of the conversation, but it was rather enlightening. It arose out of an observation they made that another family member was prejudiced, an observation I think that person would agree with and defend and site multiple reasons for.

 

Nan

[Lady Florida.]

I have to say that so far the BBC has done a good job on War and Peace. There are only two episodes available (I don't know how many are out in the UK), and I went ahead and bought the season on Amazon. They've been true to the events of the book in the first two at least, just without all of Tolstoy's battle descriptions and musings. 

[Mom-ninja.]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Arthurian stuff, either. Which is why I'm trolling for suggestions.  But clearly I worded my request badly.  I want something I *haven't* read before - so not Mists of Avalon, not Mary Stewart, not Sir Gawain, and not TH White.  Something new. Inspire me! Why should I find the Arthurian legends anything but depressing, misogynistic, oppressively Christian and dismissive of the pagan tradition/context? Why do we still read these legends? Why do they matter? Which one should I read?

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

Well, then I'm going to say since you dislike Arthurian stuff and have already read all those books then I'd say stop. No need to read more. You've done it. You've checked that box more than once. You don't enjoy the theme/topic so stop wasting precious reading time out of your life reading more books that you dislike. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

Well, then I'm going to say since you dislike Arthurian stuff and have already read all those books then I'd say stop. No need to read more. You've done it. You've checked that box more than once. You don't enjoy the theme/topic so stop wasting precious reading time out of your life reading more books that you dislike. 

 

You are probably right, but then there is that pesky square on the Bingo board . . . which I am being slightly OCD about!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[shage]

I finished Amrita (or, To Whom She Wills) by: http://t.alibris.com/search/books/author/Ruth-Prawer-Jhabvala

 

When I did a search for Amrita in Alibris, this fascinating list showed up: http://t.alibris.com/booksearch?keyword=Amrita&mtype=B&hs.x=-692&hs.y=-55&hs=Submit

 

Now I am reading The Martian. (We climbed into bed early with our books because with this wind, it is pretty cold anywhere but three feet from the fire.) On page 4, I asked my husband if it was going to be swears all the way through or whether it would be like the Star Trek tv series, where they do things at the beginning to give everyone the idea and then continue in a more standard fashion once everyone has been "trained" to assume certain things. He said no, I was going to have to put up with swearing every single page, but that I should be happy because I was getting to read a fun survival book without any animals being killed and eaten, that in his book (Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival), sheep, goats, and camels were constantly dying. Guess I will count my blessings lol.

 

Nan

Laughing. I started The Martian last night and wondered why such a smart person lacked an expansive vocabulary. I guess if you are stranded on Mars, only one word will do.

[PrairieSong]

I want to read The Martian, too! We gave it to our youngest son for his birthday and he loved it. He is out of town for a few days, the youngest of the long line of siblings. I'm filling the strange, heavy silence with Emma while I clean and organize. I bought the Kindle version last night just so I could get the Whisper Sync audio narrated by the wonderful Juliet Stevenson. $2.99, what a deal! You may remember she played the snotty Mrs. Elton in the movie version with Gwyneth Paltrow. "There was a shocking lack of satin!"

[wendy not in HI]

I read this thread with a sticky not open on my computer and add to my "to read" list - it is pretty impressive!  Unfortunately, my actual reading list is not so impressive...

 

Last week I read Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult.  I enjoyed all of the elephant info and liked the book until the sneaky twist right at the end.  Irritating.  I wouldn't really recommend it.  I don't have much else to say about it.  

 

Right now I'm reading Refuse to Regain by Barbara Berkeley, MD.  I have been dieting since just after Thanksgiving.  I am down twenty pounds with about 10 or 15 more to go.  I'm worried about regaining, and reading everything I can about keeping the weight off. I really like her perspective, but it is also discouraging to know that I can't eat chocolate chip cookies non stop and expect to not gain...

 

2016 Books

3 - Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

2 - The Beekeeper's Daughter

1 - Steven King 11/22/63

[Melinda in VT]

You are probably right, but then there is that pesky square on the Bingo board . . . which I am being slightly OCD about! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'm planning to fill that square with Jo Walton's book The King's Peace. I've only read four of her books so far, but she's already become an author I trust to take me anywhere and have the journey be worthwhile.

[Bluegoat]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Arthurian stuff, either. Which is why I'm trolling for suggestions.  But clearly I worded my request badly.  I want something I *haven't* read before - so not Mists of Avalon, not Mary Stewart, not Sir Gawain, and not TH White.  Something new. Inspire me! Why should I find the Arthurian legends anything but depressing, misogynistic, oppressively Christian and dismissive of the pagan tradition/context? Why do we still read these legends? Why do they matter? Which one should I read?

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Well, it isn't precisly a retelling, but you might try The Llyre of Orpheus.  It's about an arts organization run by a rather odd group of people who want to fund a project.  The one they settle on is to fund a doctoral thesis where the student is going to finish an uncompleted score for an opera about Arthur - with the condition that it also is performed.  Aside from the opera, the story explores some of the Arthurian themes. (The sub-title of the opera is The Magnanimous Cuckold.)

 

It's the third in a series but can be read without them, although they are also well worth reading IMO.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm planning to fill that square with Jo Walton's book The King's Peace. I've only read four of her books so far, but she's already become an author I trust to take me anywhere and have the journey be worthwhile.

 

That's the other book I put on hold last night!

[Tawlas]

Big News:

 

I FINISHED READING HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD by SWB. I'm so proud of myself lol. I've tried before, but gave up because I wasn't retaining anything and just checking off the chapter. This time I went through each chapter twice with two different coloured highlighters and I really feel like I accomplished something. Now I can finally get some of the other books in my stack finished, as this one has monopolized once the end was in sight.

 

This coming week, I'm hoping to finish Art of Communicating by Thich Nhat Hanh as well as Pride and Prejudice. I was lucky enough to have an hour and a half with no toddler in the library, so I made some progress on them yesterday as well as about half of "The Artist's Way for Parents" which I picked up on a whim while perusing the aisles.

 

Question. Do kids' read alouds count? We've picked up our read aloud pace here, having both individual bedtime read alouds as well as a family-wide bedtime read aloud. We read during morning time and I often have a history novel to read aloud in the middle of the school day. I remember reading somewhere that you can count these if you feel they are "worth" it - have a deeper message than say, "Caps for Sale", for example. So would "Little House in the Big Woods" count? What about "With Love From Anna" by Jean Little? A historical novel about a 14 year old French voyageur called "The Broken Paddle"? I'm not sure what's what, and I may just keep a separate list for read alouds with the kids --> something I've been meaning to do anyhow!

[Angel]

Check out Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Series 

Hmm, I'm not sure Rose would like Lawhead, but I could be wrong.  I think I've started his Pendragon series a few times when I was in my 20's, and I just couldn't get into it.  I wanted to like it, but it just didn't catch me.  I bought Skye a Lawhead book about Robin Hood two years ago, and she still hasn't finished it.  No connection to the characters and slightly boring.  

 

I see Pam didn't like it either  :laugh:

 

I'm contemplating Tennyson's Idylls of the King. But I've never read it, so can't really recommend it to others. When my mom passed away, I claimed a bunch of her books--actually all 4 of us kids were finding things that appealed to us on her bookshelves. She was an English major in the '50's and I think several of my picks were books for her classes. I thought Idylls of the King was one of those. But when I got home and looked at it, I found her mother's maiden name in the front, so it was really my grandmother's book when she was a child I think. It was published in 1923--a tiny thing, "Macmillans Pocket Classics". So I'm going to give that a try sometime this year and see if I can follow it.

Is it small and brown?  I have an old  tiny, brown copy of Idyll's of the King.  I wonder if it's the same copy.  

[Angel]

Big News:

 

I FINISHED READING HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD by SWB. I'm so proud of myself lol. I've tried before, but gave up because I wasn't retaining anything and just checking off the chapter. This time I went through each chapter twice with two different coloured highlighters and I really feel like I accomplished something. Now I can finally get some of the other books in my stack finished, as this one has monopolized once the end was in sight.

 

This coming week, I'm hoping to finish Art of Communicating by Thich Nhat Hanh as well as Pride and Prejudice. I was lucky enough to have an hour and a half with no toddler in the library, so I made some progress on them yesterday as well as about half of "The Artist's Way for Parents" which I picked up on a whim while perusing the aisles.

 

Question. Do kids' read alouds count? We've picked up our read aloud pace here, having both individual bedtime read alouds as well as a family-wide bedtime read aloud. We read during morning time and I often have a history novel to read aloud in the middle of the school day. I remember reading somewhere that you can count these if you feel they are "worth" it - have a deeper message than say, "Caps for Sale", for example. So would "Little House in the Big Woods" count? What about "With Love From Anna" by Jean Little? A historical novel about a 14 year old French voyageur called "The Broken Paddle"? I'm not sure what's what, and I may just keep a separate list for read alouds with the kids --> something I've been meaning to do anyhow!

I count any read alouds I do for school (which are not many now).

[Pam in CT]

re: Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria:

... It's taking forever for me to get through it. Every page has something so thought provoking, I'm spending much more time thinking than reading which, honestly, doesn't happen to me all that often. I think I "went in" with the expectation of firming up my existing views with more evidence and maybe some ideas about what I can do for change, but it's much more than that.

 

I was vaguely familiar with the concept of identity theory, from plenty of therapy and being related to a therapist, lol, but I hadn't really contemplated racial identity because I've had no need for it.  Even aware of white privilege, I hadn't seen just how deep it actually goes, how I've never done anything in the conscious context of "being white".  I've never struggled to be white enough for the white people I'm emotionally connected to, and/or less white for the people of color I'm emotionally connected to.  I've never wrestled with how I reflect on others, save for the rare business-social event, but even that is such a different context.  I've had the freedom to "do me" without the unasked for burden of representing white suburban chicks as a whole.  All of the good/bad/weird things I've done are attributed to me being me, not as part of a group filling or breaking stereotypes.

 

I don't think I can review the book on its simple content, because it's taking me on a ride way beyond the pages.  As an example of how far down the rabbit hole I'm traveling, I was startled to recognize this:  In my quite diverse area, I run into people of all backgrounds.  Despite the fact that I'm perfectly comfortable interacting with whomever, I do notice if someone is Black, or Hispanic, or Indian, etc.  I didn't see that as any sort of big deal since, duh, I have eyes.  But then I realized, I DON'T notice if someone is white.  Even after recognizing this, I went and hung out with a bunch of white people and, while driving home, realized, nope, not once did I notice that they were all white.  It's simply a given in my head, even when I'm a minority in my immediate neighborhood.

 

I have no idea where the rest of this book will take me, but I'm looking forward to the journey and figuring out what to do with all of these small/not-so-small discoveries.

OK, you convinced me, lol.  Onto the list.

 

Re White as Default: My (white) nephew is currently attending the same college that my (white) husband and I attended a millenium ago, and over the break our nephew was relaying consciousness-raising stories from the race-related activism that swept the campus fall... and my husband relayed a campus story from back in OUR days: A political science professor was lecturing a point about race, scribbling notes on the (old-fashioned) blackboard as he did.  He started drawing a diagram with stick figures to illustrate his point.  Within the point, a minority of the stick people had to be black.  So he colored in the faces -- with white chalk, recall this is on a black blackboard -- of a handful of the faces, to signify that those faces were "black."  Well, actually, white, but, well, in any event, different from the default norm.  Tom described it as an aha! moment.

 

 

[Pam in CT]

Well, it isn't precisly a retelling, but you might try The Llyre of Orpheus.  It's about an arts organization run by a rather odd group of people who want to fund a project.  The one they settle on is to fund a doctoral thesis where the student is going to finish an uncompleted score for an opera about Arthur - with the condition that it also is performed.  Aside from the opera, the story explores some of the Arthurian themes. (The sub-title of the opera is The Magnanimous Cuckold.)

 

It's the third in a series but can be read without them, although they are also well worth reading IMO.

:lol: OK, that is a pretty compelling argument, right there.

[Bluegoat]

Lawhead's books I find tend to have a very historical fiction feel to them, a bit like Tolkien or Kay.  The writing probably isn't quite as good as either of those, which isn't to say it's bad writing.  It tells the story seriously with a certain kind of gravitas.  I suspect it may appeal more in some ways to men, it tends to dwell a little more on military and strategic matters in a way I find more common in historical fiction aimed at a male audience.

 

Of the series, I enjoyed them, but I really very much liked the second one, Merlin.  It's set during the period where Druidism was waning and Christianity was waxing.  It very much tries to draw together the different ethnic and religious elements, that eventually came to create a Celtic/British identity later on, which I would say is a theme in the series as a whole. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

Big News:

 

I FINISHED READING HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD by SWB. I'm so proud of myself lol. I've tried before, but gave up because I wasn't retaining anything and just checking off the chapter. This time I went through each chapter twice with two different coloured highlighters and I really feel like I accomplished something. Now I can finally get some of the other books in my stack finished, as this one has monopolized once the end was in sight.

 

This coming week, I'm hoping to finish Art of Communicating by Thich Nhat Hanh as well as Pride and Prejudice. I was lucky enough to have an hour and a half with no toddler in the library, so I made some progress on them yesterday as well as about half of "The Artist's Way for Parents" which I picked up on a whim while perusing the aisles.

 

Question. Do kids' read alouds count? We've picked up our read aloud pace here, having both individual bedtime read alouds as well as a family-wide bedtime read aloud. We read during morning time and I often have a history novel to read aloud in the middle of the school day. I remember reading somewhere that you can count these if you feel they are "worth" it - have a deeper message than say, "Caps for Sale", for example. So would "Little House in the Big Woods" count? What about "With Love From Anna" by Jean Little? A historical novel about a 14 year old French voyageur called "The Broken Paddle"? I'm not sure what's what, and I may just keep a separate list for read alouds with the kids --> something I've been meaning to do anyhow!

 

:hurray: on finishing HotAW! That's a big accomplishment.

 

I do count full-length kid read alouds in my book totals. I don't count short books, picture books, etc. clearly intended for the elementary school crowd.  But yes, I'm reading Robin Hood by Green aloud to my 9 year old, and I will count that.  When I read the Dark is Rising series or The Chronicles of Prydain aloud to them at bedtime, I counted those books. I buddy-read Shakespeare plays with my 13 year old, and the Sonnets, and I'm reading aloud Voyage of the Beagle and SWB's Story of Science. Those will go on my read list, too.

 

Just use your judgment - there are no book-list police!  I think Robin's guidelines on her site say that children's books don't count, but I don't think anybody is doing a page count or looking over your shoulder or anything.  I feel like at least half of the books that I read each year are either read to kids, with kids, or pre-read because I might assign them to kids, or things I'm reading on a topic I will be teaching to a kid.  Heck, more than half I bet.

[Lady Florida.]

Big News:

 

I FINISHED READING HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD by SWB. I'm so proud of myself lol.

 

Question. Do kids' read alouds count? We've picked up our read aloud pace here, having both individual bedtime read alouds as well as a family-wide bedtime read aloud. We read during morning time and I often have a history novel to read aloud in the middle of the school day. I remember reading somewhere that you can count these if you feel they are "worth" it - have a deeper message than say, "Caps for Sale", for example. So would "Little House in the Big Woods" count? What about "With Love From Anna" by Jean Little? A historical novel about a 14 year old French voyageur called "The Broken Paddle"? I'm not sure what's what, and I may just keep a separate list for read alouds with the kids --> something I've been meaning to do anyhow!

 

Congrats on finishing HotAW!

 

 

Yes, I would count read alouds (not that we still read to the 18yo lol), just not things like picture books or little kid chapter books. 

 

 

Robin - if you see this. I can't get the bingo pdf. I thought I saved it but apparently not, so I was going to get it today. For some reason it doesn't show on the 52 Books blog and just shows me one of those little squares that tells you there's an image there (I need to see if Avast messed with my images) and when I went back to Week 1 here and clicked on it, I got an error page. Do you have a good link to the pdf? Should I pm you my email address?

[mumto2]

I have to say that so far the BBC has done a good job on War and Peace. There are only two episodes available (I don't know how many are out in the UK), and I went ahead and bought the season on Amazon. They've been true to the events of the book in the first two at least, just without all of Tolstoy's battle descriptions and musings.

Thanks for the review. I think I have 3 episodes on the recorder so far. I believe it is on Sunday evening. I think the series is supposed to be 6 episodes.

[KathyBC]

 it is also discouraging to know that I can't eat chocolate chip cookies non stop and expect to not gain...

 

I find that discouraging, too.

[Angel]

There are two British mysteries available for free today on Kindle

 

Lesley Cookman's Murder in Steeple Martin and

 

Andrea Frazer's Strangeways to Oldham.

 

Anybody read either of these?  Any reviews?

[mumto2]

There are two British mysteries available for free today on Kindle

 

Lesley Cookman's Murder in Steeple Martin and

 

Andrea Frazer's Strangeways to Oldham.

 

Anybody read either of these? Any reviews?

In my cozy mystery quest I have encountered both titles. I have actually read one in Lesley Cookman's series and thought it was pretty good. I picked one fairly far in....remember my ukulele question. Anyway I enjoyed the characters and thought the atmosphere was good. It was a series I said I would read more of.

 

I downloaded both so thank you. I have to admit the reviews of Strangeways to Oldham aren't positive.

[Nan in Mass]

re: Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria:

OK, you convinced me, lol. Onto the list.

 

Re White as Default: My (white) nephew is currently attending the same college that my (white) husband and I attended a millenium ago, and over the break our nephew was relaying consciousness-raising stories from the race-related activism that swept the campus fall... and my husband relayed a campus story from back in OUR days: A political science professor was lecturing a point about race, scribbling notes on the (old-fashioned) blackboard as he did. He started drawing a diagram with stick figures to illustrate his point. Within the point, a minority of the stick people had to be black. So he colored in the faces -- with white chalk, recall this is on a black blackboard -- of a handful of the faces, to signify that those faces were "black." Well, actually, white, but, well, in any event, different from the default norm. Tom described it as an aha! moment.

I had a similar experience in college, only it was pie chart, it wasn,t backwards (white=chalk, black=empty) and I probably wouldn,t even have noticed except that the professor made some comment about the blackboard in the next room being green. The incident that I had to think about happened in French class. We had to do a skit and someone suggested Gilligan,s Island. The African man in our group said yes, let,s he wanted badly to play the savage. Thoughts on art, theatrical casting, minorities in African counties, slavery, missionaries, steriotypes, sitcoms, prejudice, and anthropology ensued, until I gave it up and decided not it was too complicated to judge the right or wrong of.

 

Nan

 

ETA And that I had no right to judge.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Nan in Mass

[Nan in Mass]

I find that discouraging, too.

If it is any help, I have found that once my set point reset to my new weight, I could eat all the chocolate chip cookies I wanted one day, and then as long as I didn,t do it again (or something similar) the same week, nothing happened. Or it probably did, but with no particular effort on my part, my body did whatever it took to return me to the set point. It is resetting the set point that is the hard part. With luck, once you are at your target weight and have figured out what to eat on a daily basis so you are comfortably not dieting but also not gaining weight, you can go back to having a few treats each week or eating a large quantity of treats in one day. You can,t do it day after day, but neither are you looking at an entirely grim, cookieless future.

 

Nan

[aggieamy]

We are such a talkative bunch early in the year! 

 

I popped in to say I have finished two books which I have to report on:

 

The Blue Castle - LM Montgomery -  Wowza.  That was so so lovely.  Flufferton gals ... check it out.  You will love it!  Also after you read it you will be so amused by the awful cover that you find find yourself just staring at it and laughing.  Who made such a horrible cover for this book?!?!?  The book is set in early 20th Century in rural Canada.  The cover has two Yuppies (complete with sweater tied around the Ken dolls shoulders!) awkwardly standing in a field of ferns.  It hurts my eyes.

 

[Tawlas]

I find that discouraging, too.

Don't we all?!?! :P