Book a Week 2016 - BW5: February Safari

[Jane in NC]

Jane, I'm envisioning now a BAW tag sale.  We actually have *two* ice cream makers somewhere in the basement.  Because the second time my husband saw how cheap they are! how could I resist!  at Costco, he plum forgot about the first time five years prior.   :willy_nilly:

 

 

We have a couple of unused ice cream makers also. :lol: Great intentions but I never do it.

 

Jane, when we moved I had to leave behind stacks of cookbooks, most given away but a small box lives in storage of sentimental ones made by groups I belonged to. When going through them I realised that many of them were being kept for one or two really favourite recipes. I went to work with a photocopier and kept the favourites that way. They are stored in a box under my couch now!

 

We have the Donvier as well as the LL Bean rolling ball ice cream maker which I suspect you own as well, Pam.  Your post reminded me of its existence and how I need to pull it out when we next see one of the grand nephews who is at the perfect age for it.

 

Indeed yes, Mumto2!  Many of those cookbooks continue to live on the shelf because of one or two recipes as well as the intention to try something else.  For a while my sister in law was giving me over the top "art" cookbooks with recipes that I will never make. Sigh.  I should purge these too, I suppose. 

 

Over the years I have purchased more than my share of group fundraiser cookbooks produced by schools, churches and societies.  I am keeping one with my mother in law's contributions but the others are leaving. To be honest, I don't make the sort of recipes in these kinds of books (too many canned soup or add something or other to a cake mix type of recipes).

 

And not one but two fondue cookbooks can go.  I always say we're going to have fondue other than Christmas Eve but it does not appear to be happening.  And, if it does, there is this thing called the Internet should we want to try something new.

[Kareni]

Any fans of Robin McKinley’s The Hero and the Crown?  If so, you might enjoy this article from Tor.com.

 

The Great Classic Fantasy Reread: The Hero and Crown by Robin McKinley by Ilana C. Myer

 

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

We finally joined a private library. I felt a bit guilty, but it is in SF so we will definitely be using our local libraries the most. We wanted access to the events, classes, book groups, and database access more than the actual reading materials, plus DH often has time in the area between meetings and would love a quiet place to read or work without having to jostle for room at an overcrowded cafe. The children are excited too because they have  a robust chess program.

 

If you live in the area, check out the Mechanics' Library and Chess Room.

 

Anyone else belong to a private library?

 

Well, I am as envious as can be.  I want to join a private library!  How cool.

[Jane in NC]

Well, I am as envious as can be.  I want to join a private library!  How cool.

 

The BaW Private Library? Our virtual hangout?

 

[idnib]

For a while my sister in law was giving me over the top "art" cookbooks with recipes that I will never make. Sigh.  I should purge these too, I suppose. 

 

Reading this, I think it might be a good idea to borrow Zuni from the library. It is a bit artsy, but it reads kind of like a good food writer's book. I do make recipes from it, but some people find it too chef-y. Rodgers likes to explain how to do something in minute detail, which I happen to like, but others don't.

[Butter]

Speaking of Movies, we watched Jurassic World last night.  Pretty good and intense, despite the pitiful acting.   :lol:

 

But... Chris Pratt... he doesn't have to act well... it's enough just to be able look at him  :smilielol5:

 

We finally joined a private library.

 

I've never heard of private libraries.  I googled to see if there were any in San Antonio and it looks like no except for the one at the Alamo which is specifically just Alamo related stuff (my parents once went there and got all sorts of genealogical information about Jim Bowie because their last name is Bowie and he was a distant relative).

 

One of the books I'm reading right now is The Yearling.  It's the last book I need to pre-read for Cameron this year (finishing it just in time to start pre-reading for at least two - possibly all three - boys for next school year!).  So far I'm less than 10% of the way through it and I am not loving it.  I keep falling asleep in the middle of reading!  The only way I reliably stay awake is if I walk and read at the same time.  Please tell me it gets better!

[aggieamy]

The BaW Private Library? Our virtual hangout?

 

 

Splendid idea.  Who do I send my membership dues to?  :hurray:

 

 

 

I was up late last night reading A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer.  As much as I love her Regency era books I expected to also love her mysteries.  Favorite author + Favorite Genre = A slight appointment.  The highlights of this book were three witty characters.  Everyone else tended to be boring at best, stupid at worst.  The whole book was just dialogue too which was odd.  The witty characters were really funny though!   3 stars.  

 

 

I know the killer

Alas, two hundred pages to go

Hope that stupid Helen dies 

[Mom-ninja.]

For those with unused ice cream makers it's because you don't have this book. Get that book and your machines will be well loved appliances. 

 

 

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any weight gain or late night binges

[Pam in CT]

...

 

And not one but two fondue cookbooks can go.  I always say we're going to have fondue other than Christmas Eve but it does not appear to be happening.  And, if it does, there is this thing called the Internet should we want to try something new.

Fondue pots!  I have two of those, too.  One that plugs in, that we use at least once every three years, and the other one, that uses Sterno, that I'm saving for the tag sale.

 

 

 

....

I was up late last night reading A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer.  As much as I love her Regency era books I expected to also love her mysteries.  Favorite author + Favorite Genre = A slight appointment.  The highlights of this book were three witty characters.  Everyone else tended to be boring at best, stupid at worst.  The whole book was just dialogue too which was odd.  The witty characters were really funny though!   3 stars.  

 

 

I know the killer

Alas, two hundred pages to go

Hope that stupid Helen dies 

:lol:

[Stacia]

Last night, I made myself sit down & finish We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo. I read it for my book club &, though it's one I thought I wanted to read, I didn't end up liking it. I normally enjoy or appreciate international stories like this, but this one just missed the mark for me. I didn't feel a connection to the characters, I found the writing choppy, & each chapter seemed almost stand-alone, causing it to lose the continuity you would find in a better-told story. I am scratching my head at the fact that this book received so many plaudits & prize nominations when it was released a couple of years ago. Is it because it's an African book shining the light on life in post-colonial Zimbabwe (among other topics/themes)? All the themes & topics woven throughout the book are certainly worthy ones, but I feel like I've been fortunate enough to read better books with an international &/or post-colonial focus. I can't really recommend this one.

 

And, due to time spent waiting in doctor office waiting rooms, I've made good progress in The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail by Óscar Martínez. Last year, I said Guantanamo Diary should be required reading for every American. This year, I'm going to say The Beast needs to be required reading for every American.

[JennW in SoCal]

 

I was up late last night reading A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer.  As much as I love her Regency era books I expected to also love her mysteries.  Favorite author + Favorite Genre = A slight appointment.  The highlights of this book were three witty characters.  Everyone else tended to be boring at best, stupid at worst.  The whole book was just dialogue too which was odd.  The witty characters were really funny though!   3 stars.  

 

 

I know the killer

Alas, two hundred pages to go

Hope that stupid Helen dies 

 

:lol:  :smilielol5:  :rofl:  (for Melissa's benefit -- I've put in emojis rolling on the floor in laughter)

 

Oh Amy!!  I'm loving the Haiku book reviews!  Shage didn't know what she had unleashed with that first Martian Haiku this week!

 

And, thinking back a few posts, I never answered you about the Ian Rutledge mysteries.  Alas, I have abandoned him. He will have to suffer his misery in the English countryside without me.

[mumto2]

For those with unused ice cream makers it's because you don't have this book. Get that book and your machines will be well loved appliances. 

 

 

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any weight gain or late night binges

 

 

The book does look good. Every time dd and I start planning to make ice cream dh goes and stocks the freezer with our favorite flavors and we give up happily. He thinks it looks like a lot of work.....plus we never plan to make his favorite, chocolate(boring). So he buys for all tastes.

 

 

 

Splendid idea.  Who do I send my membership dues to?  :hurray:

 

 

 

I was up late last night reading A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer.  As much as I love her Regency era books I expected to also love her mysteries.  Favorite author + Favorite Genre = A slight appointment.  The highlights of this book were three witty characters.  Everyone else tended to be boring at best, stupid at worst.  The whole book was just dialogue too which was odd.  The witty characters were really funny though!   3 stars.  

 

 

I know the killer

Alas, two hundred pages to go

Hope that stupid Helen dies

 

  

:lol:  :smilielol5:  :rofl:  (for Melissa's benefit -- I've put in emojis rolling on the floor in laughter)

 

Oh Amy!!  I'm loving the Haiku book reviews!  Shage didn't know what she had unleashed with that first Martian Haiku this week!

 

And, thinking back a few posts, I never answered you about the Ian Rutledge mysteries.  Alas, I have abandoned him. He will have to suffer his misery in the English countryside without me.

Well ladies, I no longer feel guilty that a GH mystery and an Ian Rutledge returned themselves unread this morning!

 

I can't remember who was reading Simon Brett's Mrs.Pargeter series a couple of weeks ago but I finally found and read the first one A Nice Class of Corpsehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17208684-a-nice-class-of-corpse. It was really well done. A really fun cozy that just flowed along. Mrs. Pargeter is a fun character and I am looking forward to reading more of her adventures. In this one she moves in to a retirement hotel at the seaside where residents are dying mysteriously. It was actually written in the late 80's but is actually done well enough so for the most part it isn't very dated.

[Jane in NC]

 

I can't remember who was reading Simon Brett's Mrs.Pargeter series a couple of weeks ago but I finally found and read the first one A Nice Class of Corpsehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17208684-a-nice-class-of-corpse. It was really well done. A really fun cozy that just flowed along. Mrs. Pargeter is a fun character and I am looking forward to reading more of her adventures. In this one she moves in to a retirement hotel at the seaside where residents are dying mysteriously. It was actually written in the late 80's but is actually done well enough so for the most part it isn't very dated.

 

About that name...Ellis Peters was the pen name of Edith Pargeter.  Was Brett giving her a nod?

[JennW in SoCal]

 

And, due to time spent waiting in doctor office waiting rooms, I've made good progress in The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail by Óscar Martínez. Last year, I said Guantanamo Diary should be required reading for every American. This year, I'm going to say The Beast needs to be required reading for every American.

 

I'm asking this just out of curiosity, not to start a policy discussion of any kind! Or, heaven forbid, to stop the conversation about fondue pots and ice cream makers!  (For the record I have 1 fondue pot -- maybe 2?  I'd have to look, but definitely no ice cream maker.)

 

Is the material in the Migrant Trail book all new to you Stacia?  I live an hour or less from the border where our news has been filled for years with stories about the cartels, the violence and the corruption, and of the journeys these migrants take.  Where we live and work with people who have made the journey north, some of whom go back and forth every year. 

 

Just curious if you, in a different part of the country, would have come across similar stories or if this book is truly an eye-opening shocker.

[Onceuponatime]

My Out of Africa haikus, words taken from different parts of the text and adapted.

 

I give this advice:

For the sake of your own eyes

Shoot not iguana

 

The barbarian

Disbelieves in other's pride

I will love the pride

 

I have conquered them

I am standing amongst graves

Alone in the crowd

[Ali in OR]

We actually use our Cuisinart ice cream maker quite a bit in summer. And yes, I do use my Ben & Jerry's recipe book (but I add a step of heating up the mixture to 165° since the recipes use raw eggs).

[mumto2]

About that name...Ellis Peters was the pen name of Edith Pargeter. Was Brett giving her a nod?

I suspect he was but have been looking on google and can't confirm. The character doesn't appear to have a great deal in common with Edith Pargeter according to the bio summary I just read. The character is a well to do older woman who is the widow of a rather shady character. She has many friends with unusual pasts thanks to her husband and equipment like lock picks and revolvers. She is very resourceful. I suspect it is simply Pargeter solves clever mysteries.

 

This author worked for the BBC for years apparently and the characters in both of the series I have read are cleverly done. These aren't fat wordy books with endless descriptions but he manages to the make characters and scenes that I can picture pretty vividly with little effort. Most lean to the comedic. These books are quick reads, I read most of this one early this morning while waiting for everyone else to wake up!

 

Returning to Pargeter....I have caught similar little references in his books so doubt the names are coincidence. Clever bits where it flashes through your mind but I can't think of a single one for an example right now. I will try and visit my librarian friend tomorrow and see if she knows more.

[Guest]

The book I read was The Fire This Time by Randall Kenan. It, like Baldwin's The Fire Next Time & Coates' Between the World and Me, is a series of personal essays/letters.

<snip>

-------------------

 

I think I liked Baldwin's book best, Kenan's resonated most with me, & I appreciate Coates' because it pushed me to read both the Baldwin & Kenan works too.

 

I think Baldwin's is the one closest to "literature"... iow I think its power and impact depend the least on topicality and current issues/feelings/tones of discussion, Coates' resonated the most for me - shook me to my core and made me see the world differently - Kenan's was, perhaps, the most accessible.

 

Since you appreciated No Cause for Indictment, I think you'd appreciate the (other) Fire This Time - if you're up for more!

 

 

re Father Greg Boyle (Jesuit priest working with Latino gangs in LA)

 

I read Father Boyle's book, Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, last year.  He's pretty... uh...well,  inspiring doesn't really do the trick.  Every so often I come across people who truly, almost literally, strike me as angels walking the earth.  

 

Krista Tippett (  :001_wub:  :001_wub: ) also interviewed him last year at her marvelous onbeing.org show; and I wrote about his book in my blog here.

 

Oh.  Thank you (I think).  All of these things which nudge at the dreams I've deferred...

 

 

Just thought of something since a few of you have recently mentioned reading Frankenstein....

 

You might want to check out Strange Bodies by Marcel Theroux. I read it a few years ago (after a suggestion from JennW) & enjoyed it.

 

Is this something I might be okay with?  It looks facinating, but as if it could easily veer into territory I avoid.

 

 

No, but it's now on my to be read list :)  Little Lord Fauntleroy is only the second FHB book I've read.  I've loved The Secret Garden since I was 7 or 8 and have read it many times.

 

I devoured everything of hers I could find as a child.  The Lost Prince with its restraint and quiet devotion and the building of transformative change was always a favorite.  I see more of its flaws now, but remain very fond of it.

 

Typing that I started wondering: did my beliefs shape the books I chose and the things I got out of them, or was my worldview shaped by the books?  (Or, more accurately, how much was one versus the other?) 

 

One of my daughters brought a similar question up as we were driving and listening to a Fred Small song - she feels growing up hearing some of these songs shaped her view of the world, the way she sees people and issues and change... but how much of that comes from her heart?  From her parents' soapboxing?  From the books she's read?

 

...and when I look at the books that reached me most, when I trace some of the themes, I see a clear line to who I am now... and no wonder I feel like a failure living my life without still being involved in trying to change the world!

 

 

For reasons unknown even to me, I am avoiding the more intellectually challenging books in my "to read" pile and have reverted to old, comfort standbys and one new read: The Angel's Game by Zafon.

 

I am always weirded out when that happens.  For no reasons I can see, my reading tastes will change, overnight... and I'll be drawn to completely different things... and sometimes, yes, it is all comfort reading all the time...

 

I've learned, mostly, to trust myself... to go with the ebbs and flows and my "usual" self has always reemerged. 

[Kareni]

Splendid idea.  Who do I send my membership dues to?  :hurray:

 

I can take a check or money order ... (or perhaps an unused ice cream maker.)

 

***

 

Today I finished an enjoyable non-fiction book ~ 

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Celebrating the Joys of Letter Writing by Nina Sankovitch

 

I think those who enjoy writing and receiving letters would enjoy this book.

 

 

"The author of the much-admired Tolstoy and the Purple Chair goes on a quest through the history of letters and her own personal correspondence to discover and celebrate what is special about the handwritten letter.

 

Witty, moving, enlightening, and inspiring, Signed, Sealed, Delivered begins with Nina Sankovitch’s discovery of a trove of hundred year- old letters. The letters are in an old steamer trunk she finds in her backyard and include missives written by a Princeton freshman to his mother in the early 1900s. Nina’s own son is heading off to Harvard, and she hopes that he will write to her, as the Princeton student wrote to his mother and as Nina wrote to hers. But times have changed. Before Nina can persuade her child of the value of letters, she must first understand for herself exactly what it is about letters that make them so significant—and just why she wants to receive letters from her son. Sankovitch sets off on a quest through the history of letter writing—from the ancient Egyptians to the medieval lovers Abelard and Heloise, from the letters received by President Lincoln after his son’s death to the correspondence of Edith Wharton and Henry James.

 

Sankovitch uncovers and defines the specific qualities that make letters so special, examining not only historical letters but also the letters in epistolary novels, her husband’s love letters, and dozens more sources, including her son’s brief reports from college on the weather and his allowance.

 

In this beautifully written book, Nina Sankovitch reminds us that letters offer proof and legacy of what is most important in life: love and connection. In the end, she finds, the letters we write are even more important than the ones we wait for."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Is the material in the Migrant Trail book all new to you Stacia?  I live an hour or less from the border where our news has been filled for years with stories about the cartels, the violence and the corruption, and of the journeys these migrants take.  Where we live and work with people who have made the journey north, some of whom go back and forth every year. 

 

Just curious if you, in a different part of the country, would have come across similar stories or if this book is truly an eye-opening shocker.

 

While I'm not within an hour of the border, I am in the South, so we have a very large migrant population here too.

 

Not everything I'm reading is new to me -- I was aware that there were dangers & knew some of what was faced. (And in our major city, there are gangs related to the cartels & the East/West interstate here is a major route for drug-running.) But, it's one thing to know that the dangers exist, but quite another to read very detailed & personal stories attached to those dangers (whether the trains, the authorities, the cartels, the rapes, the kidnappings, the terrain, etc...). I guess the sheer number of hurdles, the extreme pervasiveness of the dangers, just the enormity of it all is what is eye-opening & shocking. It's like an up-front seat vs. viewing something from a distance.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Stacia

[Mom-ninja.]

We actually use our Cuisinart ice cream maker quite a bit in summer. And yes, I do use my Ben & Jerry's recipe book (but I add a step of heating up the mixture to 165° since the recipes use raw eggs).

 

Way too much work. I buy pasteurized eggs. Also, my oldest ds makes the ice cream. I just sit back, wait, then eat. 

[Guest]

Stella's big day is March 5.  She's pretty much set on her part.  I still have, um, a few details left on the party planning front.

 

Beautiful Struggle moved me more than I frankly expected it to.  It's a... smaller book than Between the World and Me, in scope and ambition... I expect that BtWaM will be on high school curricula in 25 years, and probably not Struggle.  But there's a poignancy in Struggle that really touched me... it's so terribly different from the "precocious narrator" of so many coming of age memoirs, the way Coates keeps coming back and describing his bafflement, and his tenderness towards his younger self.  Now that I've had a few days to digest it, I think there's something about hip-hop, a party to which I never really arrived, that slid a bit into place for me.

 

lol re: portable babies and not so much.  My eldest as well.  I was all, what's the big deal, this motherhood business?  Bunch of complain-o-heads, these people.  Just take the kid with you, no problem!  Then the next one arrived.  God laughs.

 

 

 

:lol:

 

 

re: bas mitzvah prep: Are you making the food?  (For my eldest daughter's bas mitzvah my sister and I stayed up all the night the night before trying to get a tricky dessert to work - these little hedgehogs - I was using parve chocolate which, apparently, handles much differently, and required hand painting each one instead of pouring... yes, I shouldn't have been working with unfamiliar ingredients for a large event... )  I've found the lead-in to each of my children's bar/bas mitzvahs to be emotionally as well as physically intense - marking transitions means stopping and really seeing them... and the swirl of emotions around watching our kids grow up is powerful - it is amazing to see the bigger people they are becoming, to see how their unique neshama (soul) is manifesting in the world, but the older they get, the less we can do to protect, to support, to nourish them... and it goes by so quickly!  (Makes me think of this Priscilla Herdman song )

 

which is a long-winded way to say (((Pam))).

 

re: Beautiful Struggle:  Yes, a smaller book.. but you're right, it is very touching... and yes, I felt I'd glimpsed more of the culture he came from than I'd ever seen before.  ...and it was at least as foreign as any of the international reading I've done.

 

re: each child being so different: I've had enough children (seven, k"ah) that I've lost any illusions I once cherished that I'd done something to cause any specific trait or way of interfacing with the world...

 

 

. At some point this year I'd like to read The Swerve: How the World Became Modern. An excerpt from the Wikipedia page for the book:

 

 

I am nibbling at it now and enjoying it.  ...though its prose comes off poorly when read next to Forster...  I imagine that is true of many things...  :)

 

 

 

I need a better word than enjoyed. What is the word I can use for a book that I did enjoy, but wasn't a 'fun' experience? They were both challenging reads in their own ways and I enjoyed the challenge? You would think for someone who reads a lot, I would have better words to describe the experience. I guess that explains why I am a reader and not a writer.

 

 

I struggle with that too.  Some I would describe as exhilarating, others as satisfying, or fascinating, or absorbing, or, yes, challenging, or inspiring, or thought-provoking... often enjoyed isn't even close to the right word, but it takes so very many words to try to convey what I did experience....

 

 

DH finished Ancillary Justice, so I got to, too! :)

 

It reminded me a lot of Starship Troopers (Heinlein), but maybe just because the core message...no, more accurately, the core question resonated with other thoughts I'd already been thinking. I think I'd like to reread it now that the confusing style/setup/pronouns make more sense to me.

 

Thanks, again, for the recommendation!

 

ETA: I tried just googling. How else would I find last year's discussion about this book? Or does anyone wish to repeat themselves and tell me, again? :) TIA!  

 

I am so glad you enjoyed it!

 

I don't think any of us were really reading it all at the same time.  I read it right after it came out (near the end of 2013) - and raved about it then and, I think, in my year end round up... and then some more when I read the second book (the end of 2014)... and the third (the end of last year). 

 

 

 

6.  Tartuffe by Moliere - I actually finished this up Sunday night but didn't get a chance to review it until today.  Although I read this to discuss with DD16, I enjoyed it enough that I will read "The Misanthrope"  soon and possible some others in the future.  Does anyone know of a good stage version that we could watch on tv.  I think I would enjoy it even more as a live production. 

 

 

 

 

We have an okay one.  It pales beside some of the stage productions I've seen, but the kids enjoyed it.  ymmv

 

For all those who've mentioned the Kondo book ~

I Kondo'd The Heck Out Of My Bookshelves

 

 

I feel the need to share that I keep only books that give me joy and I have ten bookshelves in my bedroom alone... shelves lining the hallways, in the entry, the living room, the dining room, the nook, and an actual library room.   ...we don't keep things just to keep them, but keeping only what sparks joy or we really want to read doesn't mean having just a few books.  (We're in the 15K range - someday I need to get caught up on cataloging...)

 

 

 

We finally joined a private library. I felt a bit guilty, but it is in SF so we will definitely be using our local libraries the most. We wanted access to the events, classes, book groups, and database access more than the actual reading materials, plus DH often has time in the area between meetings and would love a quiet place to read or work without having to jostle for room at an overcrowded cafe. The children are excited too because they have  a robust chess program.

 

If you live in the area, check out the Mechanics' Library and Chess Room.

 

Anyone else belong to a private library?

 

We don't, but your question caused me to discover that one opened in Seattle last month.  How interesting!

 

I'm asking this just out of curiosity, not to start a policy discussion of any kind! Or, heaven forbid, to stop the conversation about fondue pots and ice cream makers!  (For the record I have 1 fondue pot -- maybe 2?  I'd have to look, but definitely no ice cream maker.)

 

Is the material in the Migrant Trail book all new to you Stacia?  I live an hour or less from the border where our news has been filled for years with stories about the cartels, the violence and the corruption, and of the journeys these migrants take.  Where we live and work with people who have made the journey north, some of whom go back and forth every year. 

 

Just curious if you, in a different part of the country, would have come across similar stories or if this book is truly an eye-opening shocker.

 

Some of it is, as Stacia says, the difference between vaguely hearing about something and really *seeing* individual stories and realizing what those vague factoids really mean for the people living with them. 

 

..some, for me, is living in Seattle, this isn't something in my day-to-day news... and even when I was heavily involved in Central American activism (many years ago now), I heard much more about (US) politics and small cooperatives making fabric and death squads and a new medical clinic being set-up that need equipment or about the desaparecidos...

 

It took reading MCCarthy's No Country for Old Men to make start looking more closely...

[Melinda in VT]

I devoured everything of hers I could find as a child.  The Lost Prince with its restraint and quiet devotion and the building of transformative change was always a favorite.  I see more of its flaws now, but remain very fond of it.

 

Typing that I started wondering: did my beliefs shape the books I chose and the things I got out of them, or was my worldview shaped by the books?  (Or, more accurately, how much was one versus the other?) 

 

One of my daughters brought a similar question up as we were driving and listening to a Fred Small song - she feels growing up hearing some of these songs shaped her view of the world, the way she sees people and issues and change... but how much of that comes from her heart?  From her parents' soapboxing?  From the books she's read?

 

...and when I look at the books that reached me most, when I trace some of the themes, I see a clear line to who I am now... and no wonder I feel like a failure living my life without still being involved in trying to change the world!

 

 

I wonder about that too. I especially wonder about In the Beginning by Chaim Potok.*

 

I first read this book when I was 15, and I was fascinated. It was the first time I realized that religious texts and topics could be a field of scholarly study. (I was raised in a religion without trained clergy.) I admired David and his willingness to go where study lead him, even while valuing belief and tradition.

 

I reread the book many times over the next 15 years.

 

And then I was faced with new information about my own denomination and its origins, and the resulting crisis of faith.

 

Did my conviction that truth could bear scrutiny, and if it couldn't, it wasn't truth, come from immersing myself in this book during my formative years? Or was I so drawn to the book because it mirrored my inborn beliefs?

 

I'll never really know, but I'll always wonder.

 

* When people mention Potok, this is never the book they talk about, but even after reading his other books, this remains my favorite.

 

 

[redsquirrel]

Last night, I made myself sit down & finish We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo. I read it for my book club &, though it's one I thought I wanted to read, I didn't end up liking it. I normally enjoy or appreciate international stories like this, but this one just missed the mark for me. I didn't feel a connection to the characters, I found the writing choppy, & each chapter seemed almost stand-alone, causing it to lose the continuity you would find in a better-told story. I am scratching my head at the fact that this book received so many plaudits & prize nominations when it was released a couple of years ago. Is it because it's an African book shining the light on life in post-colonial Zimbabwe (among other topics/themes)? All the themes & topics woven throughout the book are certainly worthy ones, but I feel like I've been fortunate enough to read better books with an international &/or post-colonial focus. I can't really recommend this one.

 

And, due to time spent waiting in doctor office waiting rooms, I've made good progress in The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail by Óscar Martínez. Last year, I said Guantanamo Diary should be required reading for every American. This year, I'm going to say The Beast needs to be required reading for every American.

 

Oh noes! I came here to post that today I started We Need New Names.  I am a couple chapters in. 

 

Well, crap, Stacia.  I'm sorry you didn't connect with it. I'll let you know how it goes on this end.

[Guest]

From last week:

 

 

 

 

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.

 

Often we post our reactions as we finish (or during the reading, if we feel so moved), but if something is spoiler-ific we tend to wait until others have finished.  ...but there aren't any rules!  So, if you have thoughts to process now, don't hold back!

 

 

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.

 

re: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter: I've been afraid to read this - more than any content issues (and I am a wimpy reader!), I struggle to handle books which feel claustrophobic to me, where characters are trapped and stifled and doomed.

 

 

 

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 don't find her people empty, just not people I want to have in my head or life.... the emptiness, for me, is my lack of connection with the characters.  The big exception, for me, was The Penelopiad which *zinged* for me, though it isn't even close to how I see the characters or story she is riffing off of. 

 

I read Alias Grace the other year and appreciated it more than more other Atwood's I've read, in part because I am a sucker for well done unreliable narrators and for complicated nuance.

 

Handmaid's Tale I put on a mental shelf with 1984 - grim, not-nuanced, important books that I have trouble imagining ever voluntarily re-experiencing.... but feel are important to read.

 

 

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.

 

No Country for Old Men is intentionally showing a grim, dark, ugly world, one that is getting worse, from which there is no escape... it left me stunned, awed by the sheer power of the prose, devastated by the hopelessness, by the idea that humanity is spiraling downward and our disintegration is spawning sociopathic monsters.  I believe, intensely, in the innate goodness of humanity, and that we are not helpless against the darkness in ourselves or our society.

 

...but it led me to want to look more at where this was set, at what those people are living, and to think about what kind of experiences and world some people live that would make that perception feel very accurate.

 

And now I am thinking about the production of Titus Andronicus my twins and my mother saw last night... and what revenge, and violence, and bloodshed do to people...

 

I can't visit such grim places often, but I am grateful there are authors who will show them to me, so I can learn from them...

 

 

 

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.

 

 

Ooh!  That looks neat!  I'm reading bits here and there of Dalrymple's Age of Kali because I wanted to read some more travel writing this year and we were doing India last month, but this might be more satisfying... 

 

My kids enjoyed this video about the Ganges - breathtaking images (and the content is interesting too!)

 

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.

 

I think books should stand on their own and unfold as they do for a reader... but one reader's experience might well hinge on geography or faith or culture or the politics of the time... and then that would be part of the unfolding...

[Pam in CT]

re Oscar Martinez' La Bestia/The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail:

 

 

.....Is the material in the Migrant Trail book all new to you Stacia?  I live an hour or less from the border where our news has been filled for years with stories about the cartels, the violence and the corruption, and of the journeys these migrants take.  Where we live and work with people who have made the journey north, some of whom go back and forth every year. 

 

Just curious if you, in a different part of the country, would have come across similar stories or if this book is truly an eye-opening shocker.

 

While I'm not within an hour of the border, I am in the South, so we have a very large migrant population here too.

 

Not everything I'm reading is new to me -- I was aware that there were dangers & knew some of what was faced. (And in our major city, there are gangs related to the cartels & the East/West interstate here is a major route for drug-running.) But, it's one thing to know that the dangers exist, but quite another to read very detailed & personal stories attached to those dangers (whether the trains, the authorities, the cartels, the rapes, the kidnappings, the terrain, etc...). I guess the sheer number of hurdles, the extreme pervasiveness of the dangers, just the enormity of it all is what is eye-opening & shocking. It's like an up-front seat vs. viewing something from a distance.

 

(Stacia, I thought Beast was among the most critical books I read in 2015... and I still haven't been brave enough to crack Guantanamo Diary, which has been sitting on my table for close to a year now, but... I'll get on it.)

 

Jenn, for me the shock of Beast wasn't so much that that it was new news, but the manner in which the stories were told -- the writing really is masterful, a weird fusion simultaneously so up-close-and-powerful, and also disorientingly matter-of-fact.  The Spanish subtitle is  Los migrantes que no importan, and it's that sense -- that these people do not matter, here there or anywhere... that makes reading the narrative so disorienting.  Then he does an epilogue, in which the tone abruptly shifts and for the first time a Very Strong Editorial Voice emerges:

 

 

For me, good journalism has the ability to fulfill two basic roles: illuminating the darkest corners of our society so we can begin to see what goes on in them; and making things more difficult for the corrupt, the abusive, and the merciless, so that things might become a little easier for the needy.

 

Illuminating these dark, forgotten and depraved corners of Mexico, so far from any of the major citites, was my mission in publishing this book in Spanish. I now wonder what is the importance of publishing it in English…

 

I don’t think compassion is that useful.  I don’t think it’s a durable engine for change.  I see it as a passing sentiment, a feeling too easy to forget.  In Mexico, every time we presented the Spanish version of this book I’d say to the audience that my goal was to incite rage.  Rage is harder to forget.  Rage is less comfortable than compassion, and so more useful. Rage and indignation, these were my objectives in Mexico.

 

Now (with the English translation) I consider what feelings I hope to incite in an American reader. I’m not hoping readers will feel compassion for the men and women who go through this hellish trial in order to wash your places, to cut your grass, to make your coffee. I hope, rather, that the book generates respect for these men and women… Respect for this drive that migrants have, a drive which is stronger than the criminal cartels, a drive more powerful than the train engine and a drive more vital than any limb — a leg, for example — of our very body.

 

Many of them — the majority — will continue to be undocumented. This we already know. But to understand a group of people we have to know their history, not just their immigration status.

 

 

[Mom-ninja.]

Eliana, you totally confused me with bas mitzvah. I always thought it was bat so I looked it up and saw bas is a variant. Is there a reason for using one over the other? 

 

 

We are attending a bar mitzvah in a week. First one for my family. I'm happy that my boys can share their friend's big day with him. I've also always wanted to dance the hora. 

[Kareni]

A couple of posts that might interest some ~

 

for fans of the Brontes:

The Brontë Cabinet: Three Lives in Nine Objects by Deborah Lutz

 

**

 

and Design a Wig   from the Victoria and Albert Museum about 18th century wig-making.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Guest]

Eliana, you totally confused me with bas mitzvah. I always thought it was bat so I looked it up and saw bas is a variant. Is there a reason for using one over the other?

 

 

We are attending a bar mitzvah in a week. First one for my family. I'm happy that my boys can share their friend's big day with him. I've also always wanted to dance the hora.

It is a dialect thing. The two main Hebrew dialects are Sephardic and Ashkenazic. Sephardic culture has its roots in the Iberian penninsula, Ashkenazic in Eastern Europe.

 

One of the easiest pronunciation differences is of the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet: tav/sav. It is one of the 5 "BeGeDKeFeT" letters, letters whose sounds do (or used to) change based on the presence/absence of a dagesh(a little dot in the letter), so the second letter of the alphabet beis, is "b" with a dagesh and "v" without, regardless of dialect, whereas the third, gimel, is "g" (a hard g) with or without for most dialects, and the last, tav, is "t" with and "s" without for Askenazic pronunciation, but "t" either way for Sephardic....( and modern Israeli Hebrew is based, largely, on Sephardic pronunciation)

 

I hope that makes some kind on sense... I'm trying to type on a little device and feel hampered. (And sabotaged by autocorrect!)

[Stacia]

Oh noes! I came here to post that today I started We Need New Names. I am a couple chapters in.

 

Well, crap, Stacia. I'm sorry you didn't connect with it. I'll let you know how it goes on this end.

You may like it. Many people (including reviewers & critics) have. I may be the odd (wo)man out on that one. (It wouldn't be the first time, lol!)

[aggieamy]

Well ladies, I no longer feel guilty that a GH mystery and an Ian Rutledge returned themselves unread this morning!

 

I can't remember who was reading Simon Brett's Mrs.Pargeter series a couple of weeks ago but I finally found and read the first one A Nice Class of Corpsehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17208684-a-nice-class-of-corpse. It was really well done. A really fun cozy that just flowed along. Mrs. Pargeter is a fun character and I am looking forward to reading more of her adventures. In this one she moves in to a retirement hotel at the seaside where residents are dying mysteriously. It was actually written in the late 80's but is actually done well enough so for the most part it isn't very dated.

 

About that name...Ellis Peters was the pen name of Edith Pargeter.  Was Brett giving her a nod?

 

Wow.  You ladies are clever to come up with that reference.  I've knew Pargeter was Ellis Peters pen name and never made that connection.  That makes me want to read the Mrs. Parageter mysteries even more.  You two should start a detective agency.  :coolgleamA:

 

Sandy - Are you stateside yet?

 

I can take a check or money order ... (or perhaps an unused ice cream maker.)

 

For my dues I'll be sending along a mandolin that I just had to have one Christmas.  I don't know.  Maybe I thought it was the answer to all my potato au gratin prayers. In the three years I have owned it I have not made potato au gratin even once. 

[Lady Florida.]

I keep getting more and more behind on this thread. After Robin's opening post, I just skimmed the rest of the pages. Thank you Jane, for that Forster info. I plan to try and join in with A Passage to India but will probably wait until early next week to start. I'm still reading A Suitable Boy so it will be interesting to compare 1920s India and 1950s India.

 

As I said, I just skimmed. Angelaboord, I hope all goes smoothly as you welcome your newest family member tomorrow. Hopefully you will be able to give us an update in the near future. Melissa, I'm sorry to hear about your eyes and hope the new doc can give you better news. If I missed anyone else please accept virtual good thoughts.

 

February is shaping up to be a bittersweet month for us. Bitter because we are going to have to put our 11-1/2 yo Sheltie down very soon - probably no later than Monday or Tuesday. He's been in poor health for a while, but it's gone downhill quickly the past few days. He's been such a sweet dog. We got him for ds on his 7th birthday because we wanted him to grow up with a puppy just like we each did. They've been inseparable from the beginning. My heart is breaking because I love the dog, but also because my 18 yo not so tough guy is having a hard time letting go even though he knows it's what we need to do. I changed my avatar to honor our sweet boy. It was my avatar for a long time and I don't even remember why I changed it to the sunrise photo I've been using for the past year or so.

 

Sweet because our oldest grandson will turn 4 but will also have his first ever birth date birthday. He was a Leap Day 2012 baby. His parents wanted to have his bday party on his actual birthday but it falls on a Monday. Ddil realized if they want people to come, including the little (2nd) cousins, they need to have it on the weekend. So, there will be a bigger party on Saturday and a small family gathering on Monday. He's still too young to appreciate the uniqueness of his birthday, but I imagine he'll know by his next one, when he turns 8.

 

So, books. The downside to reading several books at once, especially if one or more is long, is that you don't get to check off finished books. Still reading -

 

A Suitable Boy

Swann's Way

Bleak House - audio book

The September Society

 

I'll most likely finish The September Society tonight, and Swann's Way over the weekend. That will give me room to add A Passage to India.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2016 by Lady Florida

[Pam in CT]

(((Kathy and son))).  I'm so sorry.

 

 

re: leap year babies -- they really are the coolest.  Stella has a friend who is about to turn 3 / 12.  Excuse for a BIG celebration.

[aggieamy]

 

I'll most likely finish The September Society tonight, and Swann's Way over the weekend. That will give me room to add A Passage to India.

 

Get to reading Lady!  You know I'm eagerly awaiting your thoughts on the book. 

[Kareni]

For my dues I'll be sending along a mandolin that I just had to have one Christmas.  I don't know.  Maybe I thought it was the answer to all my potato au gratin prayers. In the three years I have owned it I have not made potato au gratin even once. 

 

I'll put your mandolin next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa ceramic parmesan shaker that I requested as a wedding gift.  It hasn't been used in over 25 years and will probably not be used any time soon!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

Lady Florida - Looking back I realize it was insensitive to be so excited about you finishing the book when you have such stresses in your life right now. I'm sorry.

 

((Hugs))

 

Tact is my New Years resolution for 2017.

[Rosie_0801]

I have just finished my book. My life now feels pointless. *sob*

[Catherine]

I read Mrs. Bridge - 5 Stars - I loved this book – my first 5-star read of 2016! I finished the last few pages sitting in the car while waiting for my son to buy lunch and was almost in tears. I came home and started telling my husband about it and then, of course, I was sobbing.

It’s a perfect read, impeccably written, and unique. The chapters are short and a pleasure to get through. They’re more like vignettes than chapters. Parts of it are funny, other parts are heartbreaking. It’s a perfectly observed story of an upper-middle class American woman in the suburban Midwest before World War II. All in all, it’s a simple and subtle read. Nothing incredible or major happens. No huge plot twists and turns. Yet it has profound depth and is incredibly insightful.

I plan on reading “Mr. Bridge†very soon, which is meant to be read after this one, I believe. It was published ten years later. I just remembered that both books were made into a movie with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. I haven’t seen it and am not sure if I will. 

 

 

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

Fantastic, couldn't put it down

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay – nothing to write home about

1 Star

Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

 

I read this many years ago, before I was married and just as I was meeting the man I married.  I ran out to buy it but have not re-read! It's a wonderful  book!  

 

Can anyone comment on the movie?  I did not see it.

 

My update-reading A Thorn in My Pocket, memoir by Eustachia Cutler, Temple Grandin's mother. Love it so far.  She's a great writer and captures the fear, sadness, defiance, and growing strength that she experienced while raising her unique and challenging daughter.  

[Mom-ninja.]

Finished Hogfather. What a fun book! Which of his other books have Susan and/or Death? I believe I like Susan better than Tiffany. 

[Jane in NC]

Here is a rabbit trail for A Passage to India readers as well as anyone else who is curious about Edwardian clothing.

 

First a note from the book.  Passage is divided into three sections:  Mosque, Caves, Temple.  There are two parties in the first section, the dreadful "bridge" party and the more intimate tea party at Mr. Fielding's.  Dr. Aziz is the first to arrive.  He learns that Fielding is in need of a collar stud and kindly gives him one of his own, a gold one that his brother in law had brought back from Europe.  This was not a spare stud in a pocket but rather one that Aziz himself was wearing.  It will later be held against him by Ronny Heaslop who comments "Aziz was exquisitely dressed, from tie-pin to spats, but he had forgotten his back collar-stud, and there you have the Indian all over:  inattention to detail; the fundamental slackness that reveals the race."  If only he had known that Fielding was the slacker in this case!

 

So let's talk collar studs.  In need?  Fear not, Darcy Clothing carries collar studs as well as the starched detachable collars that were worn by Edwardian men.  You can see from their website that the collars require two studs, a visible one in front and a second in the back to keep the collar in place.  Men's shirts of the period had small holes for accommodating the studs.  The idea here is that a man could put on a fresh collar and look respectable without the entire shirt being laundered.  But what about laundering the collar?  The Darcy website says,

 

 

We supply the largest variety of separate collars in the world and have them made in two ways. The starched are the most traditional but must be laundered professionally by a company which still uses the original C19th pressing and finishing machines.

 

This is increasingly difficult which is why we are offering most of our collars in a washable version. They are still 100% cotton but retain their shape after a standard machine wash.

 

Whew--I know that you are relieved.

 

One other detail:  Darcy Clothing takes its name from the founder, "not the more famous Mr."

 

It is a very fun website to peruse.

 

 

[Bluegoat]

Last night, I made myself sit down & finish We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo. I read it for my book club &, though it's one I thought I wanted to read, I didn't end up liking it. I normally enjoy or appreciate international stories like this, but this one just missed the mark for me. I didn't feel a connection to the characters, I found the writing choppy, & each chapter seemed almost stand-alone, causing it to lose the continuity you would find in a better-told story. I am scratching my head at the fact that this book received so many plaudits & prize nominations when it was released a couple of years ago. Is it because it's an African book shining the light on life in post-colonial Zimbabwe (among other topics/themes)? All the themes & topics woven throughout the book are certainly worthy ones, but I feel like I've been fortunate enough to read better books with an international &/or post-colonial focus. I can't really recommend this one.

 

And, due to time spent waiting in doctor office waiting rooms, I've made good progress in The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail by Óscar Martínez. Last year, I said Guantanamo Diary should be required reading for every American. This year, I'm going to say The Beast needs to be required reading for every American.

 

 

There was a critic a few years ago who suggested something to the effect that right at the moment, books from exotic (to westerners) locations were read differently than those from more familiar settings.  THis was in relation to the plagerized book Cranes' Morning, which received great reviews even though the source book, The Rosemary Tree, was often considered rather precious and parochial. 

[marbel]

Kathy, so sorry about your dog (and son).  Such a sad time.  We have not experienced that yet but it will be coming.

 

I'm listening to David Copperfield right now and it is slow going.  I do love Dickens but I need to take breaks from his longer books.  Last year I read Bleak House aloud to my kids.  It took us 6 months but we really loved it.  I so want to see the BBC mini-series but there never seems to be time.  Well, there could be time but on the rare evening we are all home to watch a movie, it's something light and fun like Castle.

 

Yesterday I finished the audio of Girl in Hyacinth Blue.  Hm.  It's the story of a painting, told in separate vignettes about the series of people who owned it.  Some were better than others. I did like that the audio had different readers for each vignette.  Each voice fit the main character. 

 

Yesterday I spent a lot of time trying to figure out why books on my Overdrive account will show up on the kindle or the phone, but not both.  I happened to download two books to the kindle but can't get them on my phone.  Same account!  I hope I don't have to haul my devices into the library to get a tutorial from some young whippersnapper.  :-)   I assume it's a user problem. 

 

One of the books I downloaded is Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress which I've seen recommended here and there over the years.  Not sure I'm really interested but enough people love it that it's worth a try.  My library system doesn't seem to have a lot of audiobooks available for download.  I am not interested in CDs anymore! 

 

2016 Reading

 

1.  Basin and Range, John McPhee

2.  Austenland, Shannon Hale

3. The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, Gabrielle Zevin

4. The Lady in the Van, Alan Bennett

5. In Suspect Terrain, John McPhee

6. Jamaica Inn, Daphne duMaurier

7. A Dangerous Mourning, Anne Perry

8. Girl in Hyacinth Blue, Susan Vreeland

 

 

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

Lady Florida - Looking back I realize it was insensitive to be so excited about you finishing the book when you have such stresses in your life right now. I'm sorry.

 

((Hugs))

 

Tact is my New Years resolution for 2017.

 

Oh, please don't feel bad. Reading is my escape, so even during difficult times I find myself turning to books. 

 

And I did finish it btw. I loved parts, but wish Lenox was a better detective. Of course if he was the books would have to be much shorter. :)  

 

I could have done without such detailed descriptions of Oxford, but enjoyed learning some of the history regarding Parliament and politics. I didn't know about rotten and pocket boroughs.  

 

So, what do you want to talk about? I learned how to do spoilers recently in another thread (Pam was there). Just in case any of our other mystery lovers haven't read it and plan to.

 

 

Initially I thought George had to be alive because of the way they identified the body. As time went on I resigned myself to the fact that he really was dead. So I was surprised, but not surprised when Dabney turned out to be Payson.

 

And of course I was so worried for Charles throughout the book, not knowing if he'd get up the courage or how Jane would respond. I'm glad she said yes and look forward to finding out how or if she'll fit in when it comes to cases.

 

Another historical mystery series I read (Captain Lacey) went that route and at first I was worried. The author has managed to make it work though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm listening to David Copperfield right now and it is slow going.  I do love Dickens but I need to take breaks from his longer books.  Last year I read Bleak House aloud to my kids.  It took us 6 months but we really loved it.  I so want to see the BBC mini-series but there never seems to be time.  Well, there could be time but on the rare evening we are all home to watch a movie, it's something light and fun like Castle.

 

 

I do best with Dickens when I listen to the audio books. It really helps with the language. I listened to David Copperfield and am now listening to Bleak House. My education left out Dickens almost completely. The only thing of his I really knew well was A Christmas Carol. I've been slowly working my way through his novels.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Lady Florida

[Pam in CT]

...

So, what do you want to talk about? I learned how to do spoilers recently in another thread (Pam was there). Just in case any of our other mystery lovers haven't read it and plan to.

 

...

 

:lol:

 

It really was an exciting moment.

 

 

There's a spoiler icon-button!! Third one in from the left, between the red-and-white capsule (?) and the Font box.

 

I'll take ice cream machines OR fondue pots as compensation for relaying this important news. You're welcome.

 

[Jane in NC]

:lol:

 

It really was an exciting moment.

 

 

Boy was I confused when Amy mentioned a mandolin and potato gratin in the same sentence. I see "mandolin" and think stringed instrument--not finger shaving kitchen device!

 

 

[JennW in SoCal]

 

Boy was I confused when Amy mentioned a mandolin and potato gratin in the same sentence. I see "mandolin" and think stringed instrument--not finger shaving kitchen device!

 

 

 

I'm stumbling into the thread over my morning cup of coffee and thought I had revealed the spoiler by hitting quote. Turns out the spoiler shows while I'm typing my reply but remains in it's box of obfuscation in the published form of the post.  Almost too much for my brain to handle on a half cup of coffee.  

 

 

The mandolin reference confused me too, but those strings are such thin wire that the mandolin almost could be a finger and potato slicing device!

 

[Jane in NC]

I'm stumbling into the thread over my morning cup of coffee and thought I had revealed the spoiler by hitting quote. Turns out the spoiler shows while I'm typing my reply but remains in it's box of obfuscation in the published form of the post.  Almost too much for my brain to handle on a half cup of coffee.  

 

 

The mandolin reference confused me too, but those strings are such thin wire that the mandolin almost could be a finger and potato slicing device!

 

 

Maybe Amy is one of those minimalists who finds multiple purposes for items.

 

 

She slices potatoes and cheese, then entertains the family with her mandolin while the gratin bakes!

 

 

[Pam in CT]

I feel a haiku coming on.

 

 

Amy's mandolin
a multipurpose item
dulcet potatoes

 

[shage]

I feel a haiku coming on.

 

 

Amy's mandolin

a multipurpose item

dulcet potatoes

 

My job is done here, people.

[Ali in OR]

You guys are cracking me up!