Book a Week 2016 - Rabindranath Tagore

[Butter]

Has anyone read Petey by Ben Mikaelsen?  I'm leading our book club discussion on it tomorrow.  I've got several questions already, but if you've read it, what kinds of questions would you ask?

[aggieamy]

I have to share this because you gals are the only ones that will appreciate it.  Last night DS (2 yo) was a little hitting biting spitfire so DH took him on a drive to get him out of the house for a bit.  They ended up at the library and DH saw a book he thought I would like and brought it home ...  it was the next book in the Charles Lennox mystery series.  He had no idea that I had read and loved the previous ones and just randomly picked it out as something that sounded like an "Amy type book".  He's a keeper!  He got a kick out of the fact that it was currently a much discussed series on BaW.

 

 

Edited January 27, 2016 by aggieamy

[Jane in NC]

Thanks. Still, thinking about what others might read into certain passages is heightening my own awareness to issues I might otherwise have missed or dismissed, if I was merely reading for my own enjoyment.

Feeling your pain. I will be leading the discussion on A Passage to India and let's face it--the colonization of India is a difficult subject. I am currently reading an Armchair Traveller book on the Ganges. The river is intertwined with Hinduism to the point that no story of the river is complete without religion entering the tale. And Hinduism itself brings another layer of complexity.

 

India is a complicated place. Add the British, the partition, geography and poverty--should I hide now? Or should I let the tale unfold without fretting over analysis? I am choosing the latter.

[Negin]

My mother fell two days ago and broke her humerus; she was in the hospital overnight and is now at my sister's.  Her vision seems to be failing, so it's a worrying time.

 

 

My reading has pretty much come to a ground halt.  My father collapsed and was rushed to hospital with an aneurysm.  

 

 

:grouphug:   :grouphug:   :grouphug: to you both. 

[Bluegoat]

I've made my way through most of Homeward Bound - The Rise of the New Domesticity today, and I think I've put my finger on why I don't like it.  The author's view has become clear - people, and especially women, are turning to things like homemaking, gardening, the rejection of teh corporate world, because of a poor economy and because we have not implemented the feminist ideals for the workplace.  But this is a dangerous trend that could undermine those ideals and shackle women to children or the home or compromise their independance.  In fact, she seems to think its dangerous even when taken to the level of work in general, including talking about men who have concluded that the separation of work from domesticity is a bad thing.

 

At one point she approvingly quotes a commentator who said that it is ridiculous to consider growing your own vegetables is a contribution to income.  I couldn't quite figure out that one - that saving money through labour in the home is a type of contribution to income seems as simple as saying that increasing the energy efficiency in your house is a contribution to your power bill.

 

Even in her chapter on Attachment Parenting, where I actually agreed with many of her specific points, I found my back being put up.  Her basis for judgement, unlike the beginning of the book where it seemed neutral, seems to have shifted wholly to whether believing one thing or the other would impact mainstream feminist ideals negatively or whether it seems progressive or not.

 

I'm a little annoyed by the format at this point, which seems to be interview a women (or occasionally a man) who has decided to embrace domesticity in some way, then quote a bunch of experts (that is some people with different opinions who wrote articles) to show why this is dangerous or short-sighted or whatever.

 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

Robin- So were we wrong to talk about the New Jim Crow so much? Should we not do that? Too close to politics? -Nan

 

 

I'm not saying you all were wrong to talk about it.

 

In fact your conversations was a great example of how to politely have a discourse, without rancor and without attacking each other's opinions on a strong subject. I applaud you for that. However, there comes a point when the discussion starts circling that it should come to an end, or if you want to continue can be done so in private messaging. There is a fine line with the political issue which again was handled well. Make sense?

 

I'm glad this was asked and answered. I was also wondering. On the one had, we were discussing a book many of us read, related to one of the "topics of the week".  And it was an uncomfortable book, on an uncomfortable topic, so it's impossible to discuss in a way that guarantees that no one will feel uncomfortable. I don't know if that's even the goal! We can all choose which conversations to engage in and which to skim over.

 

On the other hand, the last thing we want is for discussions to cross a line that drives people away from what is ultimately a safe, friendly, and welcoming place.  I also think it was a nice example of how discussions can be handled with civility! But thanks for validating, Robin, that we did ok, but that it's ok to step away from the conversation, too.

[Kareni]

Has anyone read Petey by Ben Mikaelsen?  I'm leading our book club discussion on it tomorrow.  I've got several questions already, but if you've read it, what kinds of questions would you ask?

 

I haven't read it, but I found some resources ~

 

http://www.benmikaelsen.com/#!petey-lesson-plans/c1qjs

 

and

 

https://multcolib.org/petey

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Haven't read the article yet, just saw it come through my email from the NYRB newsletter:

The Anger of Ta-Nehisi Coates by Darryl Pinckney  

[idnib]

I've made my way through most of Homeward Bound - The Rise of the New Domesticity today, and I think I've put my finger on why I don't like it.  The author's view has become clear - people, and especially women, are turning to things like homemaking, gardening, the rejection of teh corporate world, because of a poor economy and because we have not implemented the feminist ideals for the workplace.  But this is a dangerous trend that could undermine those ideals and shackle women to children or the home or compromise their independance.  In fact, she seems to think its dangerous even when taken to the level of work in general, including talking about men who have concluded that the separation of work from domesticity is a bad thing.

 

I am always open to reading things with which I don't agree, but this would drive me crazy. I guess the "Bound" in the title has a heavier meaning to the author than we thought.

[Kareni]

After reading The Year We Fell Down, I've been on a Sarina Bowen re-reading kick.  I revisited the following new adult romances and enjoyed them all once more ~

 

The Year We Hid Away: A Hockey Romance (The Ivy Years Book 2)

 

Blonde Date: An Ivy Years Novella (The Ivy Years Book 0)

 

The Understatement of the Year (Ivy Years #3) (The Ivy Years)

 

I also read the contemporary romance novella Letters From Home by Beth Rhodes.  It was a pleasant book but not something I'd likely re-read.

 

"An Army doctor, Lena Rodriguez has always been too busy with school or the Army for romance. But the letters she received during deployment have captured her heart. Back home for the holidays, she awaits Christmas morning to meet the man who has turned her life upside down. When Zack Benson watched his best friend’s sister, Lena, leave for Afghanistan, he knew he had to tell her he loved her. So he sent her anonymous love letters. Now that she’s home, he realizes he’s made a tactical error. Lena has fallen for the man in those letters but still thinks of him as a brother. He has to convince her otherwise because if he succeeds, he’ll get the best Christmas present ever. But if he fails, he could lose her for good."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[Robin M]

Hmm!  This is lovely -  After the huge snowstorm, only women showed up to run the senate.   :laugh:

 

14 Secret Habits Every Book Lover is Guilty of.   Yep!!!!

 

And for our foodies - Tasty new cookbooks 

[Kareni]

Any Beatrix Potter fans here?

 

100 Years Later, Beatrix Potter’s Tale Of A Fanciful Feline To Be Published

 

"Penguin UK editor Jo Hanks happened to find an unfinished copy of a new Beatrix Potter series, Kitty-in-Boots, that Potter had hoped to finish, were it not for World War I and other “interruptions.†Because Potter had only completed one illustration, Roald Dahl illustrator Quentin Blake will complete the illustrations, and the volume will be published in September 2016. Best part? Kitty is a female feline!"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Butter]

Book #9: I read Terry Jones' Medieval Lives (by Terry Jones from Monty Python). http://www.amazon.com/Terry-Jones-Medieval-Lives/dp/0563522755/ Everything you think you know about how people lived in the middle ages is wrong.  It's a good book.  I think I liked his Who Killed Chaucer better.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Butter

[Nan in Mass]

I'm not saying you all were wrong to talk about it.

 

In fact your conversations was a great example of how to politely have a discourse, without rancor and without attacking each other's opinions on a strong subject. I applaud you for that. However, there comes a point when the discussion starts circling that it should come to an end, or if you want to continue can be done so in private messaging. There is a fine line with the political issue which again was handled well. Make sense?

 

Ok. : )

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I'm late in getting to the thread this week.  Here's a recap of last week's reading:

 

Finish Last Week - books 3 & 4
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Lewis - I'm reading through the series with my youngest now.  We have the movie to enjoy this weekend.

My Viking Vampire by Shannon - I downloaded this as a freebie about a month ago and had forgotten about.  It was an enjoyable read.  I gave it three stars on Goodreads and reviewed it.

 

Books In Progress
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Sloan - I'm close to halfway through and enjoying it so far

Jesus Calling by Young
ESV Bible - coming up on the end of Exodus

 

To Be Read
The Just City by Walton
Dark Horse by Diener

This Present Darkness by Peretti - the problem with dusty books is I set a priority on library books that have to be returned by a certain date.  I will come back to it though.

 

Goodreads

 

Now to catch up on the thread....

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished Blindness by Jose Saramago.  That is one incredibly powerful book. I feel gut-punched by it, even more than I did the first time I read it, some years ago now.  I had forgotten how powerful and brutal the central, climactic scene is. It was very disturbing, upsetting. I had strange stream-of-consciousness dreams this whole week that I've been reading it. It is just the ultimate post-apocalyptic piece of literature, on that thrusts in front of your face the possibilities, and the realities of our current cultural situation, too.  I place it up there with Cormac McCarthy's The Road for disturbing impact, and Truth.  Gah, I'm glad I read it again, but I'm glad I'm done, too.  I think I need a little fluff to recover.

[JennW in SoCal]

I just finished Danse Macabre, a mystery by violinist turned author Gerald Elias. It was a mixed bag. The solving of the mystery was rather convoluted, and the sleuth, a blind violin teacher, was a stretch to believe. But music was the centerpiece of the book, ultimately provided the big, final clue in solving the mystery, and with a professional violinist doing the writing, well, all the music was spot on. I got a big kick and some good laughs out of pointed commentary on the music business, and on the Suzuki violin method.  All in all, I can't necessarily recommend it, but some of you who enjoy mysteries might try this or one of his other books for a change of pace.

 

I never reported on finishing Welcome to Night Vale. It definitely is "out there", set in, maybe even beyond, a Twilight Zone or Twin Peaks world, but I thought was one of the more beautiful and honest depictions of raising teen agers that I've ever read. I know I'll want to revisit it 

 

And today I started listening to Bill Bryson's latest, The Road to Little Dribbling. The biggest disappointment is that he is not the narrator, so it is lacking the usual charm of his deadpan delivery.  And, as my college boy reported to me last week, he seems to have turned the corner into full on curmudgeon, the "get off my lawn ya d*mn kids" kind of old codger.  There have been delightful bits so far, too, but overall a disappointing start to something I had so looked forward to.

 

 

[mumto2]

I just finished Danse Macabre, a mystery by violinist turned author Gerald Elias. It was a mixed bag. The solving of the mystery was rather convoluted, and the sleuth, a blind violin teacher, was a stretch to believe. But music was the centerpiece of the book, ultimately provided the big, final clue in solving the mystery, and with a professional violinist doing the writing, well, all the music was spot on. I got a big kick and some good laughs out of pointed commentary on the music business, and on the Suzuki violin method. All in all, I can't necessarily recommend it, but some of you who enjoy mysteries might try this or one of his other books for a change of pace.

 

I never reported on finishing Welcome to Night Vale. It definitely is "out there", set in, maybe even beyond, a Twilight Zone or Twin Peaks world, but I thought was one of the more beautiful and honest depictions of raising teen agers that I've ever read. I know I'll want to revisit it

 

And today I started listening to Bill Bryson's latest, The Road to Little Dribbling. The biggest disappointment is that he is not the narrator, so it is lacking the usual charm of his deadpan delivery. And, as my college boy reported to me last week, he seems to have turned the corner into full on curmudgeon, the "get off my lawn ya d*mn kids" kind of old codger. There have been delightful bits so far, too, but overall a disappointing start to something I had so looked forward to.

Dd did go ahead and read Welcome to Night Vale. It was on the shared kindle system so when I went to start the book I was mysteriously at 99% done. She reported that it was good, a bit odd, and probably not my kind of book. :lol: Somehow I don't think she left with the raising teens pov. I have enjoyed the few pages I read, I may try to get back to it.

 

The violin mystery sounds intriguing, I may look for it. I did the suzuki method decades ago!

[Loesje22000]

Any Beatrix Potter fans here?

 

100 Years Later, Beatrix Potter’s Tale Of A Fanciful Feline To Be Published

 

"Penguin UK editor Jo Hanks happened to find an unfinished copy of a new Beatrix Potter series, Kitty-in-Boots, that Potter had hoped to finish, were it not for World War I and other “interruptions.†Because Potter had only completed one illustration, Roald Dahl illustrator Quentin Blake will complete the illustrations, and the volume will be published in September 2016. Best part? Kitty is a female feline!"

 

Regards,

Kareni

Thanks for sharing this!

I will try to remember this for dd's birthday.

[Soror]

mom2ees and Kareni- hugs for both of you

 

Read Move Your DNA yesterday, got it for my bday but only skimmed it, read it in its entirety, finally. It is about the affects of movement and the lack thereof on our body. It discusses diseases and ailments as by products of our changing lifestyle. It is really fascinating, it takes the info you've heard lately about how sitting is the new smoking and goes so much further, really she had started preaching about the harm of our lifestyle a long time ago, it is just now gaining more speed as traditional science is catching up. It is not a treatise on exercise however, as some would think, but about moving more in general. Although I love some specific exercise I agree with her that our focus has been off. Now I need to work on some of the alignment work in the book- a lot of the flexibility work I do naturally already but I know I'm off in various ways- that is a daunting task however.

 

 

 

1. The Crystal Cave- Stewart

2. The Hollow Hills- Stewart

3. The Last Enchantment- Stewart

4. The Wicked Day- Stewart

5. Younger Next Year for Women

6. Very Good Lives- Rowling- very, very, extremely short

7. Sword in the Stone (White)

8. The Lost Art of Walking

9. Move Your DNA

 

[Soror]

Book #9: I read Terry Jones' Medieval Lives (by Terry Jones from Monty Python). http://www.amazon.com/Terry-Jones-Medieval-Lives/dp/0563522755/ Everything you think you know about how people lived in the middle ages is wrong.  It's a good book.  I think I liked his Who Killed Chaucer better.

 

Hmm, sounds interesting, we watched a few of his documentaries, I didn't realize there were books as well.

Any Beatrix Potter fans here?

 

100 Years Later, Beatrix Potter’s Tale Of A Fanciful Feline To Be Published

 

"Penguin UK editor Jo Hanks happened to find an unfinished copy of a new Beatrix Potter series, Kitty-in-Boots, that Potter had hoped to finish, were it not for World War I and other “interruptions.†Because Potter had only completed one illustration, Roald Dahl illustrator Quentin Blake will complete the illustrations, and the volume will be published in September 2016. Best part? Kitty is a female feline!"

 

Regards,

Kareni

I saw this on FB, so exciting, can't wait until it is released.

[Pam in CT]

Re Night Vale:

 

 

.....

I never reported on finishing Welcome to Night Vale. It definitely is "out there", set in, maybe even beyond, a Twilight Zone or Twin Peaks world, but I thought was one of the more beautiful and honest depictions of raising teen agers that I've ever read. I know I'll want to revisit it 

 

.....

 

 

Dd did go ahead and read Welcome to Night Vale. It was on the shared kindle system so when I went to start the book I was mysteriously at 99% done. She reported that it was good, a bit odd, and probably not my kind of book. :lol: Somehow I don't think she left with the raising teens pov. I have enjoyed the few pages I read, I may try to get back to it.

The violin mystery sounds intriguing, I may look for it. I did the suzuki method decades ago!

 

There are some... very unusual reviews for this over on Amazon.  Worth a peek.

 

:lol:

 

Not my usual genre, but I have to confess to being rather intrigued.  Onto the list.

[Butter]

Dd did go ahead and read Welcome to Night Vale. It was on the shared kindle system so when I went to start the book I was mysteriously at 99% done. She reported that it was good, a bit odd, and probably not my kind of book. :lol: Somehow I don't think she left with the raising teens pov. I have enjoyed the few pages I read, I may try to get back to it.

 

Ah, Night Vale.  My daughter got Welcome to Night Vale the day it came out.  In November she took her father and brother (the 14 year old) to see Night Vale Live (and by took I mean she used the money she earns at her job and paid for all three tickets).  My 9 year old was disappointed he didn't get to go because he loves the Night Vale podcasts.  Night Vale is weird, but so, so funny.  The guy's delivery reminds me so much of my brother and that makes me laugh even more.

[mumto2]

Ah, Night Vale. My daughter got Welcome to Night Vale the day it came out. In November she took her father and brother (the 14 year old) to see Night Vale Live (and by took I mean she used the money she earns at her job and paid for all three tickets). My 9 year old was disappointed he didn't get to go because he loves the Night Vale podcasts. Night Vale is weird, but so, so funny. The guy's delivery reminds me so much of my brother and that makes me laugh even more.

You know she really wanted to go if she used her own money!!! It is always fascinating to see what makes them part with the money they have earned.

 

Pam, I suspect you will really like Night Vale. I will probably keep the extra kindle turned off until I have a chance to give the book a bit more of a chance....I liked it but dd seemed pretty confident I wouldn't.

 

The shared Kindle experience is always interesting. I put my fluff all on a kindle that is mine alone unless it is something that I know dd would like, Mysteries like Sue Grafton's etc. But alot of the stuff BaW talk convinces me to order I put unto the joint account and like to watch who looks at them.

[Bluegoat]

I've now finished Homeward Bound.  She has maintained the tack she established earlier, which is essentially that it's a bad thing, a response to a failure of society to provide a good workplace, and that women are embracing domesticity and that it will set back feminism and equality.

 

I've written a Goodreads review, here, for anyone that is interested.  Overall it read a little like an undergraduate paper.

 

The final chapter summarizes what she thinks the lessons of the New Domesticity should be - mostly they are shallow take-aways that fail to look very deeply into the class issues, the nature of work, or the nature of biological sexual differences.

 

Also she accuses Wendell Berry of being anti-intellectual.

 

I gave it a two star rating. 

 

 

[Kareni]

Yesterday I finished a re-read of the mystery Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux.  This is the first book in a series featuring two FBI agents.  (Adult content.)  I enjoyed revisiting the book.

 

"A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case.

 

Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work after his case blows up in his face. He's cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does. But when he's paired with Special Agent Zane Garrett, it's hate at first sight. Garrett is the perfect image of an agent: serious, sober, and focused, which makes their partnership a classic cliché: total opposites, good cop-bad cop, the odd couple. They both know immediately that their partnership will pose more of an obstacle than the lack of evidence left by the murderer.

 

Practically before their special assignment starts, the murderer strikes again – this time at them. Now on the run, trying to track down a man who has focused on killing his pursuers, Grady and Garrett will have to figure out how to work together before they become two more notches in the murderer's knife."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[shage]

I've now finished Homeward Bound. She has maintained the tack she established earlier, which is essentially that it's a bad thing, a response to a failure of society to provide a good workplace, and that women are embracing domesticity and that it will set back feminism and equality.

 

I've written a Goodreads review, here, for anyone that is interested. Overall it read a little like an undergraduate paper.

 

The final chapter summarizes what she thinks the lessons of the New Domesticity should be - mostly they are shallow take-aways that fail to look very deeply into the class issues, the nature of work, or the nature of biological sexual differences.

 

Also she accuses Wendell Berry of being anti-intellectual.

 

I gave it a two star rating.

I have appreciated your thoughts on this book because I have been wavering on whether to read it. Based on your reviews, I think it best I stay away.

 

Does she have a solution for how caregiving and nurturing can happen given we assign it so little monetary value? The idea that all parents should be in workforce and pay for child and eldercare doesn't work for me given those (mostly female) jobs often pay so little that the people working them cannot, in turn, outsource their own caregiving needs. (Countries that manage this successfully have a different social contract and tax system than the US.)

 

And laughing at the Wendell Berry comment. I think he can be alarmist and swing too far towards the Luddite end of the spectrum, but to accuse him of being anti-intellectual? That's like saying Eliana is anti-book.

[Bluegoat]

I have appreciated your thoughts on this book because I have been wavering on whether to read it. Based on your reviews, I think it best I stay away.

 

Does she have a solution for how caregiving and nurturing can happen given we assign it so little monetary value? The idea that all parents should be in workforce and pay for child and eldercare doesn't work for me given those (mostly female) jobs often pay so little that the people working them cannot, in turn, outsource their own caregiving needs. (Countries that manage this successfully have a different social contract and tax system than the US.)

 

And laughing at the Wendell Berry comment. I think he can be alarmist and swing too far towards the Luddite end of the spectrum, but to accuse him of being anti-intellectual? That's like saying Eliana is anti-book.

 

My impression is that she would like to see a universal daycare on the Scandinavian model, and I assume something similar for things like eldercare and such.

 

For me, while that could work, it's a bit of a weird solution - so you have a daycare teacher now who is well-paid and respected and has a job qualification, paid through the public purse.  But to me that solution is actually a further monetization and professionalization of pretty basic human activities, and I'm not sure it's a great answer.

 

My though is that a better solution would be some kind of guaranteed basic income, but that would actually be good for people who wanted to be home-makers of some kind, and I don't think she would like that idea. 

 

ETA - yes on WB, I can see why people might think he goes far on such things, though I don't agree.  But he never fails to think about things on many levels, or ask the basic questions.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Bluegoat

[idnib]

I've now finished Homeward Bound.  She has maintained the tack she established earlier, which is essentially that it's a bad thing, a response to a failure of society to provide a good workplace, and that women are embracing domesticity and that it will set back feminism and equality.

 

I've written a Goodreads review, here, for anyone that is interested.  Overall it read a little like an undergraduate paper.

 

The final chapter summarizes what she thinks the lessons of the New Domesticity should be - mostly they are shallow take-aways that fail to look very deeply into the class issues, the nature of work, or the nature of biological sexual differences.

 

Also she accuses Wendell Berry of being anti-intellectual.

 

I gave it a two star rating. 

 

Thanks for linking to your comments here and the link to the goodreads review. Not having read the book, this sounds like the kind of book written by someone who has a narrow view of groups in the U.S., a weaker grasp on the history of the U.S. pre-1950, and of world history in general. Maybe that's okay, as it's not a bad idea to have someone forward thinking point to other parts of the globe and asking why we're not doing something possibly as beneficial, but based on your reviews she sounds dismissive. While I would absolutely support a year off for family leave after birth/adoption, I'm not sure the effects would be what she wants because part of having everyone working is cultural, not just legislative, and people in the U.S. may be too individualistic for that. It may result in even more people deciding to stay home or do alternative work, if they are given a chance to spend a year bonding with their children. I would like that, but I'm not sure she would.

Edited January 28, 2016 by idnib

[Tawlas]

I'm having a lot of fun trying to figure out my next "on purpose" books to read in the next six weeks.  I also sat down and read The Explosive Child in one sitting, super interesting, I think it would work well in our house for our easily frustrated, hard-to-adapt - although I wouldn't say explosive - child.

 

Coming up next for sure is "Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner", "The History of the Medieval World" (I cannot spell Medieval correctly the first time through, for the life of me!!), "At Home: A Short History of Private Life" by Bill Bryson, "Oliver Twist" from WEM lists, "Introduction to Study of Religion" from Great Courses for my audio book and last but not least, "Rodale's Successful Organic Gardening:  Improving the Soil".  I'm also looking for more information on Zen Buddhism since the book I read by Hanh was so intriguing but I'm ordering in a bunch of library books, so I'll decide once I peruse the selection.  I also haven't ordered in a fiction book  - I'm leaning toward Girl At War by Sara Novic, it was on goodread's best fiction of 2015 list and my library has it :)

 

Happy page-turning all!

[Ali in OR]

I've now finished Homeward Bound.  She has maintained the tack she established earlier, which is essentially that it's a bad thing, a response to a failure of society to provide a good workplace, and that women are embracing domesticity and that it will set back feminism and equality.

 

I've written a Goodreads review, here, for anyone that is interested.  Overall it read a little like an undergraduate paper.

 

The final chapter summarizes what she thinks the lessons of the New Domesticity should be - mostly they are shallow take-aways that fail to look very deeply into the class issues, the nature of work, or the nature of biological sexual differences.

 

Also she accuses Wendell Berry of being anti-intellectual.

 

I gave it a two star rating. 

 

I'm almost at the halfway point--so far I don't see a bias that the New Domesticity is a bad thing (I'm in the middle of the chapter on DIY food). I do wonder if she'll get to the idea that many, many women want to be the ones taking care of their kids, taking care of the family home, keeping everyone on an even keel. True feminism gives women a choice; it doesn't push all women into the workforce whether they want to be there or not. And I'm not surprised that when they have a choice (mostly can they swing it financially), many women find home more rewarding than a full-time career (though I think many like to have a bit of a career). As I read I'm also pondering how much of this is really "New". Blogging is certainly new (and thus blogging about crafts, cooking, etc), but there have always been women who stay at home, take care of kids, enjoy crafts, make most of their food (for a variety of reasons), etc. I'm probably 20 years older than the women she highlights, but lots of the things she focuses on have been part of my everyday life (and my mom's before me, and her mom's before her, etc). I am enjoying the book and it does make me think about my choices and what my daughters' choices will be--worth reading I think.

[shage]

My impression is that she would like to see a universal daycare on the Scandinavian model, and I assume something similar for things like eldercare and such.

 

For me, while that could work, it's a bit of a weird solution - so you have a daycare teacher now who is well-paid and respected and has a job qualification, paid through the public purse. But to me that solution is actually a further monetization and professionalization of pretty basic human activities, and I'm not sure it's a great answer.

 

My though is that a better solution would be some kind of guaranteed basic income, but that would actually be good for people who wanted to be home-makers of some kind, and I don't think she would like that idea.

 

ETA - yes on WB, I can see why people might think he goes far on such things, though I don't agree. But he never fails to think about things on many levels, or ask the basic questions.

RE Scandinavia. It's hard to disagree that they have much figured out in terms of gender equality, economic fairness, and work/life balance. I am less certain that the model can be replicated or even should be given other alternatives to achieve the same goals.

 

I finished Berry's Our Only World several weeks ago and the vision he casts for community IMO is more viable and culturally suited to the US. It makes sense the Homeward Bound writer would hit his ideas head on.

[idnib]

RE Scandinavia. It's hard to disagree that they have much figured out in terms of gender equality, economic fairness, and work/life balance. I am less certain that the model can be replicated or even should be given other alternatives to achieve the same goals.

 

I kind of agree, but I do thing SAHMs are looked down upon more in Scandinavian countries than they are in the U.S., so while there's a nice opportunity for extended leave when children join the family, the expectation that the woman will re-join the workforce seems stronger there.

[AmandaVT]

Coming to make a confession of sorts- I was able to get a copy of Don Quixote from the library last week, but I've been too intimidated to read it! Ack. I think reading books on kindle has made me forget how large hardcovers can be! I am hoping that by writing this down here, it'll make me more likely to dive in. 

 

In the meantime, I've been reading Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell and am almost finished. I'm enjoying it so far.

[idnib]

Coming to make a confession of sorts- I was able to get a copy of Don Quixote from the library last week, but I've been too intimidated to read it! Ack. I think reading books on kindle has made me forget how large hardcovers can be! I am hoping that by writing this down here, it'll make me more likely to dive in. 

 

You can do it!  :hurray:

[Bluegoat]

Thanks for linking to your comments here and the link to the goodreads review. Not having read the book, this sounds like the kind of book written by someone who has a narrow view of groups in the U.S., a weaker grasp on the history of the U.S. pre-1950, and of world history in general. Maybe that's okay, as it's not a bad idea to have someone forward thinking point to other parts of the globe and asking why we're not doing something possibly as beneficial, but based on your reviews she sounds dismissive. While I would absolutely support a year off for family leave after birth/adoption, I'm not sure the effects would be what she wants because part of having everyone working is cultural, not just legislative, and people in the U.S. may be too individualistic for that. It may result in even more people deciding to stay home or do alternative work, if they are given a chance to spend a year bonding with their children. I would like that, but I'm not sure she would.

 

I'm not sure it would have the effect she wants either.  We have year long parental leave here - most of which can be taken by the father or mother - and I don't think the trend to put more emphasis on the domestic is less here at all.  In fact my experience is that your thought is accurate - a lot of moms do plan to go back to work initially but change their minds after having had that experience of being at home.  That's very anecdotal of course, but I think it's at least as plausible as what she thinks would happen.

 

I was thinking about it - I think she was very bothered by the idea of women having their identity closely tied to motherhood (as opposed to a job, I would ask?) and she was also very bothered by the tendency of many of the women she interviewed to say, one way or another, that women were biologically more likely to want or seek out those roles.  She didn't have much reason for that - it seemed to be an ideological position - at one point she talked about herself as a person who thinks women can and should do all the things that men do. 

 

I think that this may be a pretty fundamental tension that many women have with feminism and is coming out in these interviews she did. Some of them talked for example about experiencing the hormonal aspects of motherhood and how it changed their perspective, and I've read other writers who were critical of 2nd wave feminism on the basis that it didn't adequately address the biological questions about sex differences - just took an ideological stand.  It strikes me as something a lot of people are looking for some kind of more robust way of thinking about, because it is hard to deny those physical experiences if you have had them, even if you are really committed to the idea of women being able to do whatever men do, (or vice versa.)

[Bluegoat]

I kind of agree, but I do thing SAHMs are looked down upon more in Scandinavian countries than they are in the U.S., so while there's a nice opportunity for extended leave when children join the family, the expectation that the woman will re-join the workforce seems stronger there.

 

That, and from those I have spoken to, it is harder to justify that decision when the economics of it make it very easy to afford really good daycare.  The decision to stay home with a pre-schooler becomes very similar to the decision someone here makes to stay home and homeschool - a big sacrifice when compared to free schooling and an extra income.  And I would think that expectation also must ultimately affect other economic factors? 

 

It seems to me that as a society they have decided they want everyone to be workers, and by that they mean paid work.  For me, I much prefer the idea that most people work for themselves, own their own jobs, and domestic work is almost the most primary form of that.

[mumto2]

Bluegoat quote.......We have year long parental leave here - most of which can be taken by the father or mother - and I don't think the trend to put more emphasis on the domestic is less here at all. In fact my experience is that your thought is accurate - a lot of moms do plan to go back to work initially but change their minds after having had that experience of being at home. That's very anecdotal of course, but I think it's at least as plausible as what she thinks would happen.

 

We have the yearlong leave available also. I think that long leave sometimes makes the decision to go back to work harder for many previously very career minded women. Anecdotal also but several of my acquaintances with professional jobs/degrees have seriously modified their career paths, either returning to work with far fewer hours per week or not returning at all. I personally suspect more stay home here because of the leave compared to the US.

 

I finished a book that I picked partly for the coverhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8191206-steamedbut since I knew it had to be Steampunkish (new word) probably won't use for my bingo. The author is one the is recommended to me frequently by goodreads etc because I like fluff ;) but have never tried. I found Kate MacAlister's Steamed to be clever in concept but confusing in the actual book. One of the main characters and his sister are blown into an alternative world that is steampowered by an accidental explosion in a science lab. He lands on an airship and is instantly attracted to the female captain of the ship. The idea was fun but the book was written in the first person with both main characters fulfilling that role alternately. Keeping track of who "I" was kept me confused.

[Soror]

Finished today- The Queen of Air and Darkness from The Once and Future King. I'm hoping to finish OaFK this weekend so I can get going on Outlander, might be hard to pull myself away from the glorious weather. Spring like weather in January calls for playing outside.

[Butter]

Good: Last night's book club on Petey was lovely.  I had printed out a picture of the real life Petey (Clyde Cothern) meeting his long lost friend for the first time in 15 years.  The ladies just loved looking at that.  It's such a sweet picture.  Six women were here.  We had a wonderful conversation.  Lots of thought-provoking, intelligent discussion.  We picked books for the rest of the year.  In April we're reading Here's to the Ladies (a collection of short stories).

 

Bad: This morning I woke up to the news that a lovely young woman I know lost her boyfriend in a motorcycle accident yesterday.  Their son is not yet one year old.  I baby-sat him several times.  This is just tragic.  They were so happy together and that baby absolutely adored his Daddy.  Pictures of them together are adorable because the baby can't take his eyes off his father.  My heart is just broken for them.  He was only in his mid-20s.

[JennW in SoCal]

Oh Heather.  

 

I only clicked "like" for the good part of your post. I'm envious of those of you with IRL book clubs.

 

But the "bad" part of your post is truly awful. I'm so sorry about the young man and the son he has left behind.  

[Violet Crown]

Wanting to comment on so many of these posts; but dh just got home and I handled his absence for the last week-plus by collapsing into bed exhausted at the end of each day and watching Columbo and Star Trek on Netflix until I fell asleep. This weekend I hope to resume reading amd posting.

 

Bluegoat, in a nutshell, and I'll expand later, I'm pretty sure Veblen would have seen the "new domesticity" much as he sae the Arts and Crafts movement: as a deliberately wasteful occupation meant primarily to demonstrate wealth and status. Not that I'd agree--after all, I'm complicit in it too, and it's much more complex, as was the A & C movement--but I've seen a fair amount of evidence for that being at least partially convincing.

[idnib]

Bad: This morning I woke up to the news that a lovely young woman I know lost her boyfriend in a motorcycle accident yesterday.  Their son is not yet one year old.  I baby-sat him several times.  This is just tragic.  They were so happy together and that baby absolutely adored his Daddy.  Pictures of them together are adorable because the baby can't take his eyes off his father.  My heart is just broken for them.  He was only in his mid-20s.

 

I liked your post, but as a sign of support.  :grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[KathyBC]

Pride and Prejudice is from WEM, I suppose I'll start the next one on that list now. 

Do you take notes as suggested in WEM? This seems to be a stumbling block for me.

[Jane in NC]

I am so sorry to hear of your friend's loss, Heather.  Wishing your friend strength and peace.

 

A house painter has been in this week which seems to have affected my reading.  Guilt because someone else is working--not me??  Next week he moves into the kitchen/dining areas which means that I have a lot of stuff to move about in preparation.  Clutter anyone?  Maybe you can relate.

 

I did finish Along the Ganges, an armchair tour courtesy of writer Ilija Trojanow (translated from German). I felt pushed along in the crowd with him as he boarded trains and ferries or attended religious festivals.  The Ganges is a force onto itself--and an ecological nightmare. 

 

Have a good weekend, my bookish friends.  The sun is out here which makes me happy.

[Kareni]

Heather, my sympathies on the death of your friend's young man.  How tragic for all of those he left behind.

 

I'm glad you and your book group had a wonderful discussion.  I certainly am enjoying my book group; we're about to begin our third year together.  How long has your group been going?

 

**

 

Last night I finished book two in the series I've begun re-reading ~ 

 

Sticks & Stones (Cut & Run) by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

 

"Six months after nearly losing their lives to a serial killer in New York City, FBI Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are suffering through something almost as frightening: the monotony of desk duty. When they're ordered to take a vacation for the good of everyone's sanity, Ty bites the bullet and takes Zane home with him to West Virginia, hoping the peace and quiet of the mountains will give them the chance to explore the explosive attraction they've so far been unable to reconcile with their professional partnership.

Ty and Zane, along with Ty's father and brother, head up into the Appalachian mountains for a nice, relaxing hike deep into the woods... where no one will hear them scream. They find themselves facing danger from all directions: unpredictable weather, the unrelenting mountains, wild animals, fellow hikers with nothing to lose, and the most terrifying challenge of all. Each other."

 

This series is best read in order.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[melmichigan]

My sympathies Heather.  How terrible for all of you.  :grouphug:

[Lady Florida.]

I'm sorry about your friend, Heather.  :grouphug:

[mumto2]

Heather-I am so sorry for your friend's loss. :grouphug:

 

The Burn's dinner is happening as I post, very similar menu to last year's. The dc's are in serving mode and I am waiting to see if I am needed for clean up. Things are much more organized than last year so dh and I enjoyed a Chinese carryout at home. I am due for my first check in soon.

 

I finally got my hands on a book I have been waiting a long time for Anna Lee Huber's A Study in Death

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23398824-a-study-in-death?from_search=true&search_version=service. It is so good! :) This is another of my favourite series that is frequently recommended on goodreads with the St. Cyr books by CS Harris. I recommend starting in order with The Anatomists Wife. These are a bit milder overall I think.

[Butter]

I'm glad you and your book group had a wonderful discussion.  I certainly am enjoying my book group; we're about to begin our third year together.  How long has your group been going?

 

Last night was our first meeting!  When I lived in Springfield VA I went to a monthly book group for the whole 2 years I lived there.  It was wonderful.  I was in a book study group when Ani and Cameron were tiny.  We met weekly so our kids could play and we read just a couple chapters a week of self-help books (like 5 Love Languages).  It grew out of La Leche League.  It was still going when I moved away several months after it started. I went to an every other month book group here in Texas when we moved here, but after about a year I was asked to do something at church and the night conflicted so I had to drop out.  We read some interesting books in that group.  I hear they've spun off a second group for classics only now.