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Book a Week 2016 - Rabindranath Tagore


Robin M
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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.

 

Ah, Matchar in Homeward Bound did wonder about that, I think she found it less so than she expected - demographically the families she met weren't nearly as well off as she had thought they would be.  For the most part, while they were well-educated compared to working class people, economically they tended to be lower middle class.  A lot were scraping by. 

 

I also don't think it's particularly true of the A&C movement.  It's always been the case that those who are better off have more time and means to think idealistically but I don't think one can conclude that therefore the ideals are simply some kind of attempt to display class privilege, or, for that matter, that they are wrong.

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I accidentally read Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters last night.  I started it intending to just read a few pages and next thing I knew I had no intention of going to sleep until I knew who the murderer was.  Great story.  The whole series is just fantastic. 

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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.

:grouphug: So sorry.

 

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

It was a stumbling block for me as well, so I didn't for a long time. However, after taking several writing and literature classes, when I see a passage that strikes a chord, I'll highlight it and write it down. Otherwise will forget why it did, the next time I try to find it.  Have you noticed how a word or phrase may catch your attention but the next time not so much?

 

I dipped my toes into The Martian last night and ended up diving full in.   I have a thing about the f word being on the first page of a book and usually won't read past that because I know it will be sprinkled heavily throughout and don't necessarily enjoy that.  However, I let it go this time and enjoying the read. 

 

Speaking of which, just had to share 

 

Physicists in Poland have proven that all great books are just cascading multifractals, or something

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I spent yesterday in a haze of painkillers and ice packs after some oral surgery. Read for a bit, but mostly zoned out on Netflix and have a movie recommendation for you all that ties in tangentially on this week's India theme.  It is Meet the Patels, a documentary of a year in the life of actor Ravi Patel as he agrees to let his parents help arrange a marriage for him. It is filmed by his sister, so all the family scenes are open and honest, and more often than not, very funny. It captures the challenges of a first generation Indian/American torn between American and Indian culture. 

That looks good. 

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I accidentally read Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters last night.  I started it intending to just read a few pages and next thing I knew I had no intention of going to sleep until I knew who the murderer was.  Great story.  The whole series is just fantastic. 

 

Thanks for reminding me of this series.  I may have read the first book, but have added it to my Goodreads account. I adds something to my Goodreads account daily!

 

Butter, so sorry to hear about your young friend.  So hard when they are taken too soon.

 

I finished Jamaica Inn today, on audiobook.  It was an entertaining story. The thing that really stood out to me was the portrayal of an abused wife, standing by her man, excusing him, even trying to protect him.  I've never seen a film adaptation (I know there are some) but the right actress could steal the show with that character.

 

I also have a quibble with the (male) narrator of the audio.  I didn't like the way he did the protagonist's voice. She was a 23-year-old girl, brave and tough, but he made her sound old and prim. 

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I accidentally read Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters last night.  I started it intending to just read a few pages and next thing I knew I had no intention of going to sleep until I knew who the murderer was.  Great story.  The whole series is just fantastic. 

 

When my then 8th grader was studying the Medieval time period, I assigned a Brother Cadfael video as part of her work.  She and my husband (his part of homeschooling at that time was to do all viewings with her) went on to watch the entire collection of Brother Cadfael episodes.  The series stars Derek Jacobi, and the two of them would recommend them highly.

 

Cadfael (TV series) - Wikipedia

 

 

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.

 

 

I hope your group will thrive.  This is my fourth book group.  I was in one for some seven years before moving in 2002; it's still going strong.  Then I was in another group for about five or so years, but that one ultimately disbanded as most of the members did not make meeting (or reading the book) a priority and often only two of us read the book.  [At one point, I joined another group (does that make me a book group bigamist?) composed primarily of public school teachers.  I was a librarian at the time for a homeschooling resource center, but I never felt quite at home.]  My current group was started by that other person who read the book; we currently have about eight members and we almost always all read the book.  We also have a set meeting day (3rd Thursday of the month) which is working out well.

 

I enjoy hearing about other groups and how they operate, choose books, etc.

 

Regards,

Kareni

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I spent yesterday in a haze of painkillers and ice packs after some oral surgery. Read for a bit, but mostly zoned out on Netflix and have a movie recommendation for you all that ties in tangentially on this week's India theme.  It is Meet the Patels, a documentary of a year in the life of actor Ravi Patel as he agrees to let his parents help arrange a marriage for him. It is filmed by his sister, so all the family scenes are open and honest, and more often than not, very funny. It captures the challenges of a first generation Indian/American torn between American and Indian culture. 

 

 

That looks good. 

 

I ended up watching Meet the Patels and really enjoyed it. I can't say I was surprised by how it ended, because I kind of saw that coming.

 

I accidentally read Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters last night.  I started it intending to just read a few pages and next thing I knew I had no intention of going to sleep until I knew who the murderer was.  Great story.  The whole series is just fantastic. 

 

I can't remember if I tried to read the first book or not, but dh and I tried to watch the series. We just couldn't get into it. I've been wondering lately if it was one of those where we (or I if he's not interested) need to give it another try. I think it was either on Netflix or Acorn TV.

 

 

I finished Jamaica Inn today, on audiobook.  It was an entertaining story. The thing that really stood out to me was the portrayal of an abused wife, standing by her man, excusing him, even trying to protect him.  I've never seen a film adaptation (I know there are some) but the right actress could steal the show with that character.

 

I also have a quibble with the (male) narrator of the audio.  I didn't like the way he did the protagonist's voice. She was a 23-year-old girl, brave and tough, but he made her sound old and prim. 

 

I know there's an Alfred Hitchcock adaptation but can't remember if I ever saw it. I think it would be a good one for a current filmmaker to adapt.

 

I know what you mean about how some male narrators do a female voice. We all love the Harry Potter audio books, but Jim Dale's Hermoine often irritates me. She sounds old and prim too. I've never heard the Stephen Fry version.

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And I just finished book three in the mystery series that I'm revisiting; I enjoyed it once more.  Do read these in order if you choose to do so.

 

Fish & Chips (Cut & Run Series Book 3) by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

 

"Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are back on the job, settled into a personal and professional relationship built on fierce protectiveness and blistering passion. Now they’re assigned to impersonate two members of an international smuggling ring—an out-and-proud married couple—on a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean. As their boss says, surely they’d rather kiss each other than be shot at, and he has no idea how right he is.

Portraying the wealthy criminals requires a particular change in attitude from Ty and Zane while dealing with the frustrating waiting game that is their assignment. As it begins to affect how they treat each other in private, they realize there’s more to being partners than watching each other’s backs, and when the case takes an unexpected turn and threatens Ty’s life, he and Zane will have to navigate seas of white lies and stormy secrets, including some of their own."

 

Regards,

Kareni

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These books all sound intriguing to me and are currently free to Kindle readers ~

 

 

The Hummingbird Wizard by Meredith Blevins

 

"Meredith Blevins covers new literary ground...pulling it off with flair and grace and humor." ---Jonathan Kellerman

"An exciting debut. Meredith Blevins has written a thoroughly original first novel with characters you'll never forget."
--Tony Hillerman,


"A terrific read of a truly intriguing, finely crafted mystery."
--Clive Cussler,

And Publishers Weekly raved in a STARRED REVIEW:"Fascinating gypsy lore, unforgettable characters and a wicked sense of humor distinguish Blevins's highly unusual mystery debut... This stellar first, with its assured prose, will delight any mystery fan.

LIBRARY JOURNAL named it one of their TOP FIVE books of the year.

 

"GYPSIES ARE FOREVER. AND SO HELPFUL IN A FAMILY MURDER!
Once you marry into a gypsy clan, just try to get out! Annie Szabo loved her husband, but after his death, she was only too happy to leave his outrageous clan behind, especially her pushy mother-in-law, Madame Mina. But Mina wasn't just any pushy relative. As the heart of the close-knit Szabo family, she was also powerful, stubborn, and devoutly to be avoided.

Well, too bad for Annie! When her oldest friend, Jerry, turns up dead, she’s plunged back into the family she tried to leave behind. She knows Jerry was murdered, but how is she supposed to prove it?

Easy, if you’ve got a gypsy family. Or anyway, easier. So before you know it, Annie’s knee-deep once again in ancient curses, petty theft, and, everyone’s favorite--love magic. All thanks to Madame Mina’s psychic skills and a certain wildly sexy gypsy and his shady P.I. father.

As Annie turns amateur detective, THE HUMMINGBIRD WIZARD turns sexy. Truth to tell, it’s probably one of the sexiest mysteries you're ever going to read, but not because it's explicit--there’s just something about that…wizard. Lawyers, criminals, kink, magic, and more murder mysteries, coupled with Blevins’ trademark humor, make for a delicious—and very funny-- supernatural cozy, with a healthy dose of romance."

 

***

 

Also Wolves of the Northern Rift (A Magic & Machinery Novel Book 1)  by Jon Messenger

 

"In a world of science, magic is an abomination.

Magic is an abomination. It spread from the Rift, a great chasm hundreds of miles long that nearly split the southern continent in two. The Rift was a portal, a gateway between their world of science and the mythological world of magic.

On the northern continent of Ocker, King Godwin declared that no magical monstrosity would be allowed within their borders. The Royal Inquisitors were formed to investigate reports of mystical occurrences and, should they be found, to destroy them.

Inquisitor Simon Whitlock knows his responsibilities all too well. Along with the apothecary, Luthor Strong, they’ve spent two years inquiring into such reports of magical abominations, though they’ve discovered far more charlatans than true magical creatures. When assigned to investigate Haversham and its reports of werewolves, Simon remains unconvinced that the rumors are true. What he discovers in the frozen little hamlet is that the werewolves are far more real than he believed; yet they’re hardly the most dangerous monster in the city."

 

***

 

The Foxhole Court (All for the Game Book 1)  by Nora Sakavic

 

"Neil Josten is the newest addition to the Palmetto State University Exy team. He's short, he's fast, he's got a ton of potential—and he's the runaway son of the murderous crime lord known as The Butcher.

Signing a contract with the PSU Foxes is the last thing a guy like Neil should do. The team is high profile and he doesn't need sports crews broadcasting pictures of his face around the nation. His lies will hold up only so long under this kind of scrutiny and the truth will get him killed.

But Neil's not the only one with secrets on the team. One of Neil's new teammates is a friend from his old life, and Neil can't walk away from him a second time. Neil has survived the last eight years by running. Maybe he's finally found someone and something worth fighting for."

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

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Hrmm...  I wrote a post yesterday that seems to have disappeared.  Sigh.  I suspect that I failed to press "add".  Why isn't the WTM reading my mind?

 

It seems that January should be a hunker-down-and-read sort of month.  Other demands have taken my time. Every January I have time consuming projects for two of the non-profits with which I am involved. Additionally a town advisory board on which I sit has had to deal with a flurry of chaos.  On top of that, a painter has been at work in the house which means I need to move the chaos about.  Serious chaos movement ensues next week when he tackles the kitchen/dining area which also houses my "office" in this very open floor plan house. I have avoided the idea of painting for this very reason but the job is long overdue.

 

I did finish the fascinating armchair traveling book Along the Ganges by Ilija Trojanow, translated from the German by the author with Ranjit Hoskote.  I wanted to experience some of the magnificence of the Ganges before diving into A Passage to India in February.

 

Sending hugs and good wishes to all, especially those in need of a few more hugs and good wishes at the moment.

 

ETA:  OK, I did post yesterday about not reading much.  Clearly not knowing if I am coming or going on this end.

 

On that note, I attempted to listen to a podcast on mindfulness this week.  I fell asleep a few minutes in.

Edited by Jane in NC
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So much for reading something fluffy - I finished The Island of Dr. Moreau, and did not revise upward my opinion of this book. I find it so distasteful. Which is odd, because I like Wells's books very much, and I like post-apocalyptic, dystopian literature very much, but there is something about this one that really doesn't work for me. I guess that the characters all feel so caricatured - Moreau and Montgomery and the beasts.  In Frankenstein, Victor is a reprehensible anti-hero, but you juxtapose him against his monster, who in some sense has much more humanity than he does - or at least had the potential for humanity had he been treated differently, and in that contrast you can start to drill down to what really defines a human.  I don't think you get that with the characters in Moreau. Prendick isn't really enough of a foil to the other characters. Moreau and Montgomery don't have any redeeming qualities, but neither do the beasts.  A highly unromantic book!  There is no nobility in nature, no "noble savage" - it's all just, well, bestial and savage.  I don't find it particularly thought-provoking, just depressing and distasteful.

 

So, we won't be reading this together for school  . . . we've done the rest of the Wells novels, and I think we can just let this one go.

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Last night I finished the fourth book in the mystery series that I am re-reading.  I enjoyed it once again.  This series should be read in order.

 

Divide & Conquer (Cut & Run Series Book 4) by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

 

"Baltimore, Maryland, is a city in alarming distress. Rising violence is fanning the flames of public outrage, and all law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are catching blame. Thus the FBI’s latest ideas to improve public relations: a municipal softball league and workshops for community leaders. But the new commitments just mean more time Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have to spend apart when they’re happily exploring how to be more than by-the-book partners.

Then the latest spate of crime explodes in their faces—literally—throwing the city, the Bureau, and Ty and Zane’s volatile partnership both in and out of the office into chaos. They’re hip-deep in trouble, trying to track down bombers and bank robbers in the dark with very few clues, and the only way to reach the light at the end of the tunnel together requires Ty and Zane to close their eyes and trust each other to the fiery end."

 

Regards,

Kareni

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I finished The Indigo King, the 3rd book in James Owens Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica.  I'm pretty sure this will be my last of the series, despite the fact that dd has read and liked them all.  He's making this grand effort to synthesize different mythologies (Greek & Arthurian), early modern stories & writers like Verne & Wells, and the fantasy of the Inklings, along with those authors as real characters, but instead of a synthesis it just feels like a muddle. And none of the characters seem anything like what I'd expect that "real" authors to be like, based on actual histories or the books that they read. I don't really care for any of the characters, either. The only fun in reading these books is the puzzle piece - trying to catch all the literary & mythological allusions.  But you know what? I want a book that is an enjoyable read, with good characters and an interesting plot.  Not a puzzle. If I want a puzzle, I'll do a puzzle.

 

I actually only finished the book because it has a color in the title, which finished another Bingo row! 4th row across:

Translated: The Procedure

Banned: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Mystery: The Last Policeman

Color in the Title: The Indigo King

Nobel Prize Author: Death in the Andes

Edited by Chrysalis Academy
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So much for reading something fluffy - I finished The Island of Dr. Moreau, and did not revise upward my opinion of this book. I find it so distasteful. Which is odd, because I like Wells's books very much, and I like post-apocalyptic, dystopian literature very much, but there is something about this one that really doesn't work for me. I guess that the characters all feel so caricatured - Moreau and Montgomery and the beasts.  In Frankenstein, Victor is a reprehensible anti-hero, but you juxtapose him against his monster, who in some sense has much more humanity than he does - or at least had the potential for humanity had he been treated differently, and in that contrast you can start to drill down to what really defines a human.  I don't think you get that with the characters in Moreau. Prendick isn't really enough of a foil to the other characters. Moreau and Montgomery don't have any redeeming qualities, but neither do the beasts.  A highly unromantic book!  There is no nobility in nature, no "noble savage" - it's all just, well, bestial and savage.  I don't find it particularly thought-provoking, just depressing and distasteful.

 

So, we won't be reading this together for school  . . . we've done the rest of the Wells novels, and I think we can just let this one go.

 

Do you think that sense of hopelessness was on purpose?  I have a hard time with books like that as well - it's why I don't read Margaret Atwood, I just find the people in the stories too empty somehow and I get depressed.

 

But it does seem like that is the picture some authors are trying to paint.

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Do you think that sense of hopelessness was on purpose?  I have a hard time with books like that as well - it's why I don't read Margaret Atwood, I just find the people in the stories too empty somehow and I get depressed.

 

But it does seem like that is the picture some authors are trying to paint.

 

I imagine it may have been on purpose - Wells was ahead of his time in grappling with the implications of scientific discoveries, and was writing at a time when the implications of Darwin's theories was shocking and horrifying a lot of people. I'm sure he was sincerely trying to push the ideas to an extreme conclusion for the sake of provoking thought. But for whatever reason, this book didn't work for me the way his other books have done, in terms of actually provoking interesting thought and discussion. 

 

ETA: other than The Handmaid's Tale, I don't like Margaret Atwood either. Her other dystopias don't touch any kind of a chord in me at all.  I do like a thought-provoking dystopia, even if it is depressing, but not those. I think you put your finger on something - the people are empty, that's a good description.

Edited by Chrysalis Academy
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Poverty is one reason. 

 

Amazing though that McCullers could create such depth at such a young age (early 20s). 

Oh yes, it very much emphasized the trap of poverty, lack of education, inequality. The inability of people to truly communicate with others, the way they felt validated by communicating with someone who listened with attention, even if that person did not display overt comprehension or agreement, was gloomy.

 

She must have been very aware and insightful for her age.

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This week's read was The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (McCullers). The characters seemed to have no power over their lives.  :crying:

 

Does that mean you didn't like it? I have it on my list to read in 2016, but it's near the bottom after I get to some others I want to read.

 

 

ETA: other than The Handmaid's Tale, I don't like Margaret Atwood either. Her other dystopias don't touch any kind of a chord in me at all.  I do like a thought-provoking dystopia, even if it is depressing, but not those. I think you put your finger on something - the people are empty, that's a good description.

 

I've only ever read The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake. I really liked The Handmaid's Tale (which I read first and thought I'd go for more by her) but disliked Oryx and Crake. I never had any desire to read more of her books after that. 

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To all of those who are having a difficult week, :grouphug: .

 

I finished A Suitable Boy today. I am not really sure how I feel about the book as of now. I think I need more time to let things percolate.

 

As for the discussions of these books...how does it work? Do we wait until everyone is done reading to discuss? I don't know the BaW etiquette.

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Hello from Siesta Key!  Dh and I are on vacation...by ourselves.  It's been so relaxing.  I know these are from a while ago but I still wanted to reply  ;)

 

Angel, yes, my grandmother's Idylls of the King is a small brown book. Says copyright 1912 inside but then on another page says published in 1923. Will try to attach a crummy pic showing it by a regular-sized paperback I just finished.

That is the copy I own!  I love old books.  I like to collect old Bobbsey Twins books when I run across them.

 

I picked up the third in the Feist's Serpentwar series from the library just now. I've been rationing out the second and now I'm going to BINGE READ!

I haven't read that in years!!  I'm remember really enjoying it.

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