Book a Week 2016 - BW9: March Gadabout

[Kareni]

A few enjoyable bookish posts from Tor.com ~

 

Five Books with Snarky Magicians by Dan Koboldt

 

and this 2010 post ~

 

Read Like A Child by Helen Stringer

 

and this one from 2009 which offers a close look at an intriguing history book ~

 

How Not To Ride A Giraffe also by Helen Stringer

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Butter]

Book #24: Aesop's Fables by Ann McGovern.  It's the first book I'm pre-reading for my 9 year old for next school year (he'll be in 5th grade).  It's short retellings of many of Aesop's fables.  I enjoyed it very much.  It's really amazing how many things we say come from those fables.

[melindamcarr]

I finished The King's Name by Jo Walton and Into the Wild by Krakour (not sure of spelling and too tired to look it up) while on vacation.

 

Now I find myself in the middle of several books I'm not in the mood for. I don't want to abandon them. I want to have read them without actually reading them. Lol

[JennW in SoCal]

 That was last year & when I first read about the ban, I immediately bought a copy. 

 

Stacia, I meant to share this story with you earlier -- I was thinking of you when it happened :)

 

One of you lovely ladies sent me a pair of banned book socks last year (Robin, I think, but it seems like a Stacia item!)  On one foot there are book titles and on the other foot the book titles are all crossed out. I was wearing them as I went through security at Heathrow on Monday, and those socks stopped the security agent in his tracks!  I explained about them being banned books and he started twisting his head around to read the titles. "Really," he said,  "Lord of the Flies was banned in the States?" I had to explain that each book had been banned in some town or school district somewhere, but none were nation-wide bans. I don't think your average TSA agent would notice or care...

 

 

And, back to the issue of large print books and reading glasses. I just discovered that Beethoven wrote a duet for a couple of friends and titled it "Duet with two eyeglasses obligato" (obligato in music-speak means "indispensable"). Naturally I printed it out and will give it a whirl with a friend sometime soon.

[Stacia]

Stacia, I meant to share this story with you earlier -- I was thinking of you when it happened :)

 

One of you lovely ladies sent me a pair of banned book socks last year (Robin, I think, but it seems like a Stacia item!)  On one foot there are book titles and on the other foot the book titles are all crossed out. I was wearing them as I went through security at Heathrow on Monday, and those socks stopped the security agent in his tracks!  I explained about them being banned books and he started twisting his head around to read the titles. "Really," he said,  "Lord of the Flies was banned in the States?" I had to explain that each book had been banned in some town or school district somewhere, but none were nation-wide bans. I don't think your average TSA agent would notice or care...

 

What an awesome TSA story! Maybe I need to get some socks like that next time before I travel, lol.

 

Btw, went to see Deadpool tonight. So inappropriate & so hilarious. I thought it was great. (Not for those easily offended & it definitely earned its "R" rating, but worth it if you want a snarky, sarcastic action film.)

 

Edited March 5, 2016 by Stacia

[Kareni]

and another post ~

 

7 Standalone Novels for Fantasy Lovers

 

I've read a couple of these, but the others look good.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I just finished Syphon's Song (Mayflower Mages) by Anise Rae.  This was an interesting fantasy read.

 

 

"Legends say a syphon can drain a mage dry. He'll brave the danger. Will she?

Someone's playing pranks. The body of the late Casteel patriarch has been stolen and gifted to the family's enemy, the powerful Rallises. As far as Bronte Casteel is concerned, they can keep it. She hasn't spoken to her family in thirteen years, not since they exiled her from society for her lack of mage power. But she's a syphon mage, able drain another mage's power. Syphons' destinies are always the same: death by fiery stake. She hides her secret by living among the Nons--powerless humans and the lowest class in the Republic. When her family orders her to go plead for the body's return, she comes face to face with the one man who knows her secret.

Colonel Vincent Rallis isn't letting his syphon get away this time. Not when she's under suspicion of body-napping and aiding anti-mage terrorists. He'll prove her innocence whether she wants him to or not, and then convince her they belong together. . .forever.

Vincent's help comes with a steep price: Bronte must reveal her power. The inevitable ensuing witch-hunt and trial would be bad enough, but even a tough girl might buckle if her prosecutors are her own parents."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Onceuponatime]

I finished the Woman in White. I found it more engaging than some others of the same time period and genre.

 

I'm currently reading Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen as my late participation in the romance category. After reading almost all her other books, it's easy to see where this one is going, but I'm enjoying it anyway.

[Jane in NC]

I'm having the opposite problem. I was surprised at some of the books published in 1955. I've "narrowed" it down to:

 

-Lolita - I've never read it and am not sure if I can, but I think I should because it's one of those books you should read.

-Inherit the Wind - If we're counting books for more than one square this one will also count for Play. I've seen bits and pieces of the various movie adaptations on tv, but have never seen any of them from beginning to end.

-On the Road - Something I probably should have read when I was younger. Not sure if I can even enjoy it now that I'm an old fogey.

 

 

A few comments on the above:  Lolita is one I should reread given that I read it in my late teens, I think.  A lot of good literature under the bridge since then so I wonder what I would think now.

 

Inherit the Wind was a play that we read while homeschooling.  Admittedly homeschooling helped me fill some of my own gaps (Moby Dick, for example).

 

On the Road:  Again, a book read in my late teens before I went On the Train across Europe one summer.  It was great then.  Now?  I'm joining you in Old Fogey Land.

 

Stacia, I meant to share this story with you earlier -- I was thinking of you when it happened :)

 

One of you lovely ladies sent me a pair of banned book socks last year (Robin, I think, but it seems like a Stacia item!)  On one foot there are book titles and on the other foot the book titles are all crossed out. I was wearing them as I went through security at Heathrow on Monday, and those socks stopped the security agent in his tracks!  I explained about them being banned books and he started twisting his head around to read the titles. "Really," he said,  "Lord of the Flies was banned in the States?" I had to explain that each book had been banned in some town or school district somewhere, but none were nation-wide bans. I don't think your average TSA agent would notice or care...

 

 

I read the sock story aloud to my husband who was equally amused. Off to google these socks...

[Nan in Mass]

I'm having trouble remembering what I've read (some via my ears rather than my eyes) this last week. Another Heyer or two.  Something about a gas station and flying.  Something incredibly fluffy and right on the edge of what I can tolerate, set in Salem, read for the link with a sister. And two I definitely remember and loved - The Wee Free Men and Hat Full of Sky.  Those are going to turn into rereads for me, I'm sure.  They are young but I really liked them.  I think they capture the feeling of being a child well.  Another person who does that well is Dianna Winn Jones (sp?).

 

Nan

[Ethel Mertz]

 

I'm playing catch up, plus getting distracted from the internet by Nora Roberts. Her newest, The Liar, arrived.  

 

I think I read some Nora Roberts years ago (if not decades ago). If I were to start reading her work, where would be a good place to start?

[Lady Florida.]

 Admittedly homeschooling helped me fill some of my own gaps (Moby Dick, for example).

 

 

 

^^^ Oh, yes.^^^ I had quite a few gaps filled by homeschooling. Some I knew were there and meant to fill them on my own "someday". Others surprised me when I realized what was missing.

 

Shakespeare was a huge gap. We saw many plays at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater with our hs group over the years. Sometimes I think I made ds go as much for me as for his education. The person who's been organizing the group tickets for the past 5 years or so is also in my book club. She told me the other night that she just saw the upcoming schedule for the fall and she knows I'm going to want to come, even though ds will be done homeschooling this year.

[Mom-ninja.]

Kareni, you do nothing to help reduce my tbr list. You may be a bad influence on my life. Or would that be a good influence? 

[Ethel Mertz]

and another post ~

 

7 Standalone Novels for Fantasy Lovers

 

I've read a couple of these, but the others look good.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

I just went to this page, saw the first book entitled Uprooted by Naomi Novik, searched for it on Goodreads and now I have a whole list of books added to my "To Read" list that have "Uprooted" in the title. What a fascinating rabbit trail!

[AmandaVT]

I just read that Pat Conroy died. :-( He's been one of my favorite authors for years and I'm a lot sadder than I feel like I should be right now, considering I've never met him. 

 

I think I'll re-read Beach Music this week, as it's one of my favorites and I recently re-read The Water is Wide. 

 

This week, I've been working on A Passage to India still. Almost done and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I will say, there have been some beautiful sentences that I wish I had written down to remember. 

[Ethel Mertz]

This week's reading: I finished Ronnie Gilbert: A Radical Life in Song. I loved reading this book as I know so well the music of The Weavers (Lee Hays, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Ronnie Gilbert). I knew about their struggles to get through the McCarthy Era, so was glad to read more about that. I had also followed closely Gilbert's later singing career, but did not know about her work as an actress. Altogether, an enjoyable read.

 

I'm currently reading Alan Bennett's two stories The Clothes they Stood Up In and The Lady in the Van (recent movie released).

[Lady Florida.]

For the mystery and police procedural fans, I just grabbed this Kindle freebie.

 

Talking to the Dead

 

I can't recommend it because I haven't read it yet. I usually stay away from free Kindle books because they tend towards "not well written" but this one had some decent reviews on a non-Amazon site so I thought I'd give it a try.

[Kareni]

I'm having trouble remembering what I've read (some via my ears rather than my eyes) this last week. Another Heyer or two.  Something about a gas station and flying.

 

I'm guessing that this one might be The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion: A Novel by Fannie Flagg which I read for my book group. 

 

I think I read some Nora Roberts years ago (if not decades ago). If I were to start reading her work, where would be a good place to start?

 

She has written books that are straight romance, romance with paranormal elements, romantic suspense, and also gritty futuristic romance mysteries (as J. D. Robb).  Which of those categories sounds most appealing to you?

 

Kareni, you do nothing to help reduce my tbr list. You may be a bad influence on my life. Or would that be a good influence? 

 

I vote for good influence!

 

I just went to this page, saw the first book entitled Uprooted by Naomi Novik, searched for it on Goodreads and now I have a whole list of books added to my "To Read" list that have "Uprooted" in the title. What a fascinating rabbit trail!

 

Fascinating, indeed!  I'm happy to have started you off on the rabbit trail, and I look forward to hearing more about what you end up reading.  I did enjoy Uprooted some time ago, and my adult daughter enjoyed it more recently.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Ethel Mertz]

 

 

She has written books that are straight romance, romance with paranormal elements, romantic suspense, and also gritty futuristic romance mysteries (as J. D. Robb).  Which of those categories sounds most appealing to you?

 

 

 

Everything except paranormal!

[Nan in Mass]

That,s it, Kareni. : )

[Stacia]

I read Ajax Penumbra 1969 (which is a prequel to Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore). Thank you so much, OnceUponATime for sending this one to me!

 

It was a short, enjoyable read & a nice break from the sometimes heavier reading I do. It almost felt shorter than a novella, in a way. If you're a fan of Mr. Penumbra, it's fun little book that's worth a look.

 

Books up for grabs for our BaW group:

 

If anyone else would like to read Ajax Penumbra, let me know & I'll send it to you next!

 

Also, I have a copy of a Strugatsky Brothers book, The Dead Mountaineer's Inn. I read it last year & let a friend borrow it & just got it back recently. So, if anyone would like this one, let me know & I'll send it on to you.

 

Also, just a reminder if you want to read the Myanmar book, Smile as they Bow, I can also mail that one out. (Thanks again to Pam for sharing this one with me.)

[Kareni]

Regarding a Nora Roberts recommendation:

 

Everything except paranormal!

 

I'm heading out the door shortly but will get back to this later today or tomorrow.

 

***

 

I just finished the third of Jeff Lemire's Essex Country stories which I enjoyed.  My one word description of all three of his works in this collection would be poignant.  You can find the entire collection in a one volume compilation which also includes some extra material.

 

The Collected Essex County by Jeff Lemire

 

"Where does a young boy turn when his whole world suddenly disappears? What turns two brothers from an unstoppable team into a pair of bitterly estranged loners? How does the simple-hearted care of one middle-aged nurse reveal the scars of an entire community, and can anything heal the wounds caused by a century of deception? Award-winning cartoonist Jeff Lemire pays tribute to his roots with Essex County, an award-winning trilogy of graphic novels set in an imaginary version of his hometown, the eccentric farming community of Essex County, Ontario, Canada. In Essex County, Lemire crafts an intimate study of one community through the years, and a tender meditation on family, memory, grief, secrets, and reconciliation. With the lush, expressive inking of a young artist at the height of his powers, Lemire draws us in and sets us free."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Butter]

Book #25: Summer Flambe by Paisley Ray.  Total fluff.  The second Rachael O'Brien book.  They're silly books, but I enjoy them.  In this one, set in 1987, Rachael's home for the summer following her first year of college.  Her dad's still dating the yoga lady and her mom shows up with her possible-girlfriend aura reader.  And then a very expensive painting disappears which leads Rachael to discover she's been lied to her whole life.  The climax and resolution happened in like half a chapter which was way too fast, but otherwise it was a fun book to read.

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

Books up for grabs for our BaW group:

 

 

 

Also, I have a copy of a Strugatsky Brothers book, The Dead Mountaineer's Inn. I read it last year & let a friend borrow it & just got it back recently. So, if anyone would like this one, let me know & I'll send it on to you.

 

 

That one sounds right up my alley! I enjoyed their Roadside Picnic last year. This sounds completely different, but equally intriguing.

[Stacia]

That one sounds right up my alley! I enjoyed their Roadside Picnic last year. This sounds completely different, but equally intriguing.

 

I will send it your way!

 

Because of you, I have Roadside Picnic on my to-read list (but of course haven't gotten around to it yet). Lol.

[Robin M]

Stacia, I meant to share this story with you earlier -- I was thinking of you when it happened :)

 

One of you lovely ladies sent me a pair of banned book socks last year (Robin, I think, but it seems like a Stacia item!)  On one foot there are book titles and on the other foot the book titles are all crossed out. I was wearing them as I went through security at Heathrow on Monday, and those socks stopped the security agent in his tracks!  I explained about them being banned books and he started twisting his head around to read the titles. "Really," he said,  "Lord of the Flies was banned in the States?" I had to explain that each book had been banned in some town or school district somewhere, but none were nation-wide bans. I don't think your average TSA agent would notice or care...

 

 

And, back to the issue of large print books and reading glasses. I just discovered that Beethoven wrote a duet for a couple of friends and titled it "Duet with two eyeglasses obligato" (obligato in music-speak means "indispensable"). Naturally I printed it out and will give it a whirl with a friend sometime soon.

I'm the culprit who sent you the socks and love that you captured the tsa's attention...in a good way.  

 

I think I read some Nora Roberts years ago (if not decades ago). If I were to start reading her work, where would be a good place to start?

I started with her McGregor series years ago - pure contemporary romance. For standalone - one I read and reread and listened to was Northern Lights.  

 

If you like series, I read and reread In the Garden Trilogy (just a touch of magic in them (a ghost) Start with Red Lily. Also Gallaghers of Adrmore series - start with Jewels of the Sun. 

[Angel]

Ditto ditto ditto!

 

My dd is dancing in her high school production of MP and having a blast. Two more weekends to go. It's a great show.

 

I also read ARwaV instead of APtI and had a similar experience to you. I think it was the right "first Foerster" for me.

This is Aly's first year and she is just in the Ensemble.  She, too, is having a blast!

[shage]

Shhhh. Don't tell the homeschooling curriculum police, but I cancelled all classic children's literature and nonfiction of consequence in favor of a Fudge fest. For the last 10 days we have gorged on Judy Blume: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Fudge, Double Fudge. And it has been a wonderful pick-me-up out of the homeschool blahs.

[Lady Florida.]

 

 

Books up for grabs for our BaW group:

 

If anyone else would like to read Ajax Penumbra, let me know & I'll send it to you next!

 

 

 

If this hasn't been claimed I'd like to read it. 

[Lady Florida.]

This is Aly's first year and she is just in the Ensemble.  She, too, is having a blast!

 

Totally off topic, and it's okay if you don't want to answer. Is Aly short for Alyson? I ask because my niece's daughter (turning 8 this week) is Alyson, and you don't see that spelling often. The only other person I "know" who spells it like that is the actress Alyson Hanningan of Buffy fame (and apparently How I Met Your Mother, but I've never seen that show).

[Momto4inSoCal]

I hear you. I've been unable to articulate my thoughts about The Bluest Eye as well. I think that it, and The Color Purple, and books of that type make me so angry, so furious about the horrific treatment of young girls. I want to direct that fury somewhere. The first place I want to send it is to the men, the "fathers" or father surrogates. Ok, but am I sending it to individuals? to a culture? to black male culture? Is that fair? What created that culture? were the men so beaten down, humiliated in their day to day lives that they had to take their rage, their frustration out in the only place where they had any power? So, is the fault really on the larger culture that treated an entire race of people as sub-human? Recent reads, like Between the World and Me and The New Jim Crow have certainly raised my awareness about what that experience must be like. Or, were family ties so broken down by the culture and legacy of slavery and discrimination that daughters seemed like legitimate sexual targets? That's where I realize that it's totally unfair to put this on "black culture" and where books like Bastard out of Carolina make it clear that it happens everywhere - so then what is it about? Poverty? Ignorance? The cycle of abuse continuing? It makes me feel so frustrated and discouraged about the human nature and lack hope for our children's future world. That's when I have to glance down at the quote in my sig and remind myself that despair is a a cop-out. But it's hard.

I agree, in every instance of a horrific crime you could look back and try and blame failures of society, parenting, crimes on the individual but and I don't think anyone would disagree that people who commit these crime have a twisted mental state. Does that remove the blame from the individual though? I really think we need awareness on issues other cultures are going through and to fix thing like poverty among minorities we have to understand the history, I just don't know if I can go as far as blaming the oppression of a race for rapes. I can say that these issues contribute to breaking down a mans mental state but the choice is still his on what to do with that and how he will react to the world.

[Kathleen.]

I read "A Bone to Pick" by Charlaine Harris and my 9yo read "Molly Bannaky" by Alice McGill.

:)

[LaughingCat]

Well by happenchance, I have been reading an Australian author lately even though I hadn't seen the Australian week (finished 2nd book of trilogy yesterday) --- White Tiger and Red Phoenix by Kylie Chan.  They do visit Australia in the first book as well even though the setting is Hong Kong.  I am reading these mainly because of the idea of the Chinese pantheon instead of the typical western choices appealed to me.  They are not that good-- I am not feeling the connection to the main characters and it's a Mary Sue as well.  But I made it through 2 books anyway and have put the third on hold at the library -- so I guess that says something.

 

Also had a inner dialogue about whether books about a pantheon of gods count as fairy tale adaptations for book bingo-- but decided that it would need to actually adapt a mythic story before I could even consider it rather than just having the various gods going about their business.

 

It also made me think (only a bit and without much depth) about how some books mentioned multiple times on WTM (and in the genre's I like so theoretically pretty good books that i would enjoy), I couldn't make it past the first chapter or two and yet how these books are kind of like eating GF cookies and yet I'm reading them anyway (just like I eat the not really worth it cookies anyway  :lol: ).

 

[NoseInABook]

Aurora TEAGARDEN! I love her, Kathleen!!

 

I finished that really stupid vampire book and refused to read the other TWENTY BOOKS in the series. In the middle of Heartless by Gail Carriger because Lady Alexia Maccon is always fun. Almost finished with The Unhurried Homeschooler by Durenda Wilson too.

 

I didn't get as much read this week because I was busy gathering all of the baby's belongings and getting things in line for court. It was a good plan because this time, after 6 months and 1 day, his grandmother was awarded direct placement of him and he moved first thing Thursday morning. It's honestly one of the only times I've seen the court rule in the actual best interest of the child so I am happy for him even if we're sniffly and missing him on our end. 

Edited March 6, 2016 by NoseInABook

[Robin M]

Link to week 10 - please continue conversation in new thread