Mom-ninja. Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 I finished Turning on the Girls which was talked about by some of you awhile back. It was okay. I don't think I've read many books in which the author directly addresses the reader. That was different. I didn't like Lisa, the main character. She was bland and remained bland. A very flat character. At least Justin seemed to think and grow. Mac had more personality growth than Lisa. So nothing spectacular but at least not a book I wanted to throw (like the Anne Rice books mentioned). 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Well, I've got some good news: I didn't lose custody off dd this week, nor did she get court ordered to school. I've got bad news too: That doesn't mean those things won't happen later. We've been referred from the Federal Circuit court to the Family Court, which means 80 grand down the drain and we have to start over. Fun times... Hugs, Rosie. One step at a time. Take the good news for now and hold on to it. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 Well, I've got some good news: I didn't lose custody off dd this week, nor did she get court ordered to school. I've got bad news too: That doesn't mean those things won't happen later. We've been referred from the Federal Circuit court to the Family Court, which means 80 grand down the drain and we have to start over. Fun times... Celebrating your good news and hugs that you will continue to prevail. Hasn't anyone learned they can't mess with mama bear. :grouphug: 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Rosie, :grouphug: :grouphug: 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Celebrating your good news and hugs that you will continue to prevail. Hasn't anyone learned they can't mess with mama bear. :grouphug: Mama Bear v The "Justice" System? Everyone can mess with Mama Bear and there's little she can do about it. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Well, I've got some good news: I didn't lose custody off dd this week, nor did she get court ordered to school. I've got bad news too: That doesn't mean those things won't happen later. We've been referred from the Federal Circuit court to the Family Court, which means 80 grand down the drain and we have to start over. Fun times... How very frustrating about the need to start over. I hope that much more good news is in the future. Regards, Kareni 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Thinking of you, Rosie. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Hang in there, Rosie. I finished The High Mountains of Portugal. The last section redeemed the first two, bringing everything full circle and tying all the threads together, ending with gasp of amazed discovery, which I'm not sure was real or metaphorical. Definitely an odd book. I'm reading true fluff next, Into the Darkness by Barbara Michaels. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Rosie, I can't even imagine. *hugs* 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigomama Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 (edited) Well, I've got some good news: I didn't lose custody off dd this week, nor did she get court ordered to school. I've got bad news too: That doesn't mean those things won't happen later. We've been referred from the Federal Circuit court to the Family Court, which means 80 grand down the drain and we have to start over. Fun times... Rosie- I don't know you or post often, but I have been reading these boards for years, and your love and care for your daughter is so very evident. I'm sure the family courts will be able to see IRL what we see online. Hoping the stress is over soon. Wishing you and your daughter the very best! Edited March 26, 2016 by indigomama 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto4inSoCal Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 (edited) Nice photographs of the stacks of books, and I'd probably take one. But am I the only OCD one here who worried about rain or dew ruining books that didn't get picked up? And while the stacks look great it makes it hard to browse...I loved the pic but thought the same thing. Also I thought once it gets to about half the size people will start to trip on them and step on them. Really inside on a table might be a little more practical... I finished A Great Idea at the Time: The Rise, Fall, and Curious Afterlife of the Great Books by Alex Beam. I really enjoyed this book and it was actually a nice break from the 1500's era books I've been reading. I don't know, sometimes I spend to much reading those books and I want to start writing thou and shall and using the language from the books lol. My brain gets stuck in the era. I was thinking the books from the 1500's don't really seem to differ in language from the books written in the 1800's very much. It seems to be books written after the 1900's that the language changes. Back to the book though... I read this so that I could understand the difference in between Classical Education and the Great Books movement. It really gives you the whole story of the Great Books movement that was created by Adlier and Hutchins at the University of Chicago. The movement died out and what started out as some get togethers with a reading list turned into a door to door sales pitch about how to impress your neighbor. Really sad that it turned into that because the beginnings of it seemed to be really neat. Ultimately though most people need some guidance with these books and no one ended up reading them after purchasing the Encyclopedia Britanica version. We are so far out of the Classical Era people can't read them in the original language or in our own. Interesting considering some of the books were at one point a huge part of schooling. Classical Education seemed to use a lot of text specifically for learning purposes not necessarily just to read a book, at least at the younger stage. It wasn't a plow through a book a week approach either. After reading this I have to really evaluate if I want to use Veritas Press Omnibus which is definitely a great books approach. I don't think that's bad but it is also not based on a 2000 year old teaching method either. I am wondering if going slowly through a few of the great books vs reading 20 a year is a better approach. Edited March 26, 2016 by Momto4inSoCal 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 :grouphug: :grouphug: , Rosie. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 I finished A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer. 3.5 to 4 stars.A fascinating (& sometimes depressing) look at the cult of personality & power of propaganda & film in North Korea, largely based around the 1970s kidnappings of two of South Korea's most famous movie personalities, actress Choi Eun-hee and director Shin Sang-ok. A unique glimpse into a hermit nation.Truth surely is stranger than fiction. Recommended for fans of non-fiction & for film buffs, especially. "The 1978 abductions of the South Korean actress Choi-Eun-hee and her ex-husband, the director Shin Sang-ok, in Hong Kong is the true crime at the center of Paul Fischer's gripping and surprisingly timely new book.""-The New York Times" Before becoming the world's most notorious dictator, Kim Jong-Il ran North Korea's Ministry for Propaganda and its film studios. Conceiving every movie made, he acted as producer and screenwriter. Despite this control, he was underwhelmed by the available talent and took drastic steps, ordering the kidnapping of Choi Eun-Hee (Madam Choi)-South Korea's most famous actress-and her ex-husband Shin Sang-Ok, the country's most famous filmmaker. Madam Choi vanished first. When Shin went to Hong Kong to investigate, he was attacked and woke up wrapped in plastic sheeting aboard a ship bound for North Korea. Madam Choi lived in isolated luxury, allowed only to attend the Dear Leader's dinner parties. Shin, meanwhile, tried to escape, was sent to prison camp, and "re-educated." After four years he cracked, pledging loyalty. Reunited with Choi at the first party he attends, it is announced that the couple will remarry and act as the Dear Leader's film advisors. Together they made seven films, in the process gaining Kim Jong-Il's trust. While pretending to research a film in Vienna, they flee to the U.S. embassy and are swept to safety. A nonfiction thriller packed with tension, passion, and politics, author Paul Fischer's "A Kim Jong-Il Production" offers a rare glimpse into a secretive world, illuminating a fascinating chapter of North Korea's history that helps explain how it became the hermetically sealed, intensely stage-managed country it remains today. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Hugs and more hugs, Rosie. I can,t even come close to imagining how hard this must be... You,ve already beat your way upwind. Here,s hoping family court will be the downwind leg of your race. Wishing you strength and endurance and many nourishing and cheerful books to sustain you and help you smile for your daughter. Nan 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 :hug: Rosie, Tough times. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesmere Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Well, I've got some good news: I didn't lose custody off dd this week, nor did she get court ordered to school. I've got bad news too: That doesn't mean those things won't happen later. We've been referred from the Federal Circuit court to the Family Court, which means 80 grand down the drain and we have to start over. Fun times... :grouphug: and sending love to you both, Rosie 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesmere Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Earlier in the week I mentioned I read Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer. Just saw it mentioned in the news again in an article in the Times The Upshot. There is a quiz if anyone wants to give it a whirl. I had also noticed that all three of the books I read earlier in the week had to do with memory. This week, I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. Not much to do with memory but like Foer's book, it gave me the poultry trivia I never asked for, quite memorably and humorously. I am glad I read it even though I started it not quite sure how it would go for me. I did end up feeling a little discouraged, due to personal issues with food, not due to larger issues she discussed. I'll probably see if my mom will read it since we've had such a roller coaster ride with food together.I need to find my bingo square sheet (yes, forgot where I put it) so I didn't choose any of the books this week based on the game as I had planned. Moonwalking with Einstein, The Buried Giant, & Snow Flower and the Secret Fan were on display at the library, so it was just impulse borrowing. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle came up as available after a long wait on our library's e-book list. A Spool of Blue Thread was also an e-loan, and was the result of an "ooh, pretty cover" impulse gone slightly wrong. I'm not sure what I'm going to start next but I really need to finish something on my currently reading list, so no buying or borrowing anymore until at least one of those is done. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 (edited) We're on week 12 & I'm just now finally to Robin's first theme of this year: India. I'm reading a Melville House book, The Story of My Assassins by Tarun J. Jejpal. “Spine chilling … written with flair and clear-eyed acidity.†— The New Yorker Based on actual events, The Story of My Assassins tells the story of a journalist who learns that the police have captured five hitmen on their way to kill him. Landing like a bombshell on his comfortable life, just as he’s started a steamy affair with a brilliant woman, the news prompts him to launch an urgent investigation into the lives of his aspiring murderers—a ragtag group of street thugs and village waifs—and their mastermind. Who wanted him dead, and why? But the investigation forces him to reexamine his own life, too—to confront his own notion of himself, his job, and his treatment of the women in his life, as well as his own complex feelings about the country that crafted his would-be killers. Part thriller and part erotic romance, full of dark humor and knife-edged suspense, The Story of My Assassins is a piercing literary novel that takes us from the lavish, hedonistic palaces of India’s elite to its seediest slums. It is a novel of corruption, passion, power, and ambition; of extreme poverty and obscene wealth. It is, in short, an awesome adventure into the heart of today’s India. TARUN J. TEJPAL is a journalist, publisher, novelist, and founder of India’s leading news magazine, Tehelka. He has been named one of India’s most influential people by The Guardian, Businessweek and Asiaweek. A celebrated literary novelist as well as a journalist, his fiction has been awarded France’s Prix Mille Pages and was a finalist for the Man Asian Literary Prize. His debut novel, The Alchemy of Desire, was hailed by V.S. Naipaul as “a new and brilliantly original novel from India.†Tejpal lives in New Delhi. An article from Newsweek about the author (an Indian journalist) & the book. Edited March 26, 2016 by Stacia 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 For those interested in translation & what it involves, here's a fun article & even a project you can participate in (deadline is Tuesday, March 29)... Cervantes: A collective translation While putting together the event, Hernán DÃaz, the managing editor of RHM and associate director of the Hispanic Institute, came up with a playful translation exercise for Cervantes lovers. He found a passage in the Prologue of Exemplary Stories that tongue-in-cheekly references translation and the question of originality, and put out a call for a collective translation of it.<snip>His only requirement is this: “We encourage both literal and irreverent translations into any language. Translations of translations are accepted. Translations based on a free translation of the term ‘translation’ are also welcome.â€<snip>So far DÃaz has received about 50 of these translations (and counting). To his delight, a few appear in unexpected forms, such as poetry, video, slang, and idiolects. “Some try hard to be literal and faithful,†he says, “while others are outrageous and experimental. Some translations are in wonderfully foul-mouthed English, and some are clever in contemporary Spanish. We also got Latin, Welsh, Norwegian, Basque, Hungarian, among other languages. And a bunch of conlangs, which are incredible; they are all very Nordic (Scando)-sounding, very believable. My first language is Swedish, and some passages sound like a forgotten dialect.†6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 UK charity shop asks people to, please, stop donating copies of 50 Shades of Grey :lol: 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Earlier in the week I mentioned I read Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer. Just saw it mentioned in the news again in an article in the Times The Upshot. There is a quiz if anyone wants to give it a whirl. I had also noticed that all three of the books I read earlier in the week had to do with memory. This week, I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. Not much to do with memory but like Foer's book, it gave me the poultry trivia I never asked for, quite memorably and humorously. I am glad I read it even though I started it not quite sure how it would go for me. I did end up feeling a little discouraged, due to personal issues with food, not due to larger issues she discussed. I'll probably see if my mom will read it since we've had such a roller coaster ride with food together. I need to find my bingo square sheet (yes, forgot where I put it) so I didn't choose any of the books this week based on the game as I had planned. Moonwalking with Einstein, The Buried Giant, & Snow Flower and the Secret Fan were on display at the library, so it was just impulse borrowing. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle came up as available after a long wait on our library's e-book list. A Spool of Blue Thread was also an e-loan, and was the result of an "ooh, pretty cover" impulse gone slightly wrong. I'm not sure what I'm going to start next but I really need to finish something on my currently reading list, so no buying or borrowing anymore until at least one of those is done. I don't usually do Internet quizzes but I liked that one. Thanks for the link! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 I finished A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer. 3.5 to 4 stars. A fascinating (& sometimes depressing) look at the cult of personality & power of propaganda & film in North Korea, largely based around the 1970s kidnappings of two of South Korea's most famous movie personalities, actress Choi Eun-hee and director Shin Sang-ok. A unique glimpse into a hermit nation. Truth surely is stranger than fiction. Recommended for fans of non-fiction & for film buffs, especially. Sorry for quoting myself, lol! If any BaWers would like this book, send me a PM & I'll drop it in the mail to you. It's an ARC (advanced reader copy) of the book that I was given by my local indie bookstore. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 re vacations without kids... Us too -- I really like doing things with the kids, and I do feel like we're running out of time; the scheduling of getting everyone at the same time is already difficult -- but we're coming up on our 25th anniversary and we have decided we do want to mark it ALONE, to the shock and dismay of my eldest, who recently chirped, so, what are we doing for the big anniversary?? to which I answered, oh honey, we decided to leave you in charge of the dog... :lol: :lol: Last year when we went to Universal we did take the dd's along. You are right about feeling the "running out of time" thing. I'm thankful that at 21 and 15 we are still able to vacation with them. Dh did ask me if I was SURE I wanted to take them with us for our 25th :laugh: When we went to Florida in January, dd15 was ok that we were going by ourselves but dd21 really had wanted to go! We left her in charge of the cat ;) Rose - I hope the surgery goes ok. My oldest son's wisdom teeth surgery was my worst non-death-related personal experience ever. Nan I had my wisdom teeth out at 26. My mom told me it was the worst experience she had EVER went through with me. I have large sinus cavities and one of the wisdom teeth roots was very close to the sinus cavity. I wasn't supposed to sneeze or cough. Turns out I'm allergic to Vicodin and vomit for hours till it gets out of my system. Dh and mom assumed is was from the anesthesia and gave me another Vicodin the next morning. :eek: It was any ugly experience for all of us! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Skye brought me home a vintage copy of The Bobbsey Twins Toy Shop by Laura Lee Hope. I loved The Bobbsey Twins books when I was a child, and I like to collect older vintage copies. I was just going to put it on my shelf but decided to go ahead and read it. It brought back happy memories and a few chuckles for the things that I never noticed as a child. I'm guessing I was drawn to these book by the "adventures" the twins had and by the perpetually happy ending. I started a cozy mystery last night. I also need to finish Mere Christianity this week for Aly's worldview class at co-op. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 For those interested in translation & what it involves, here's a fun article & even a project you can participate in (deadline is Tuesday, March 29)... Cervantes: A collective translation That was an enjoyable article. Thank you, Stacia. Regards, Kareni 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Last night I finished K.J. Charles' A Seditious Affair. I enjoyed it quite a lot. I'd like to post the book blurb, but I've yet to figure out how to cut and paste on this borrowed computer. It is a historical romance that won't work for all readers since it has significant adult content and the main characters are both men. http://www.amazon.com/Seditious-Affair-Society-Gentlemen-Series-ebook/dp/B00V2AYYF4 There is a frank review here: http://joyfullyjay.com/2015/12/review-a-seditious-affair-by-k-j-charles/ Regards, Kareni 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I had my wisdom teeth out at 26. My mom told me it was the worst experience she had EVER went through with me. I have large sinus cavities and one of the wisdom teeth roots was very close to the sinus cavity. I wasn't supposed to sneeze or cough. Turns out I'm allergic to Vicodin and vomit for hours till it gets out of my system. Dh and mom assumed is was from the anesthesia and gave me another Vicodin the next morning. :eek: It was any ugly experience for all of us! Well, I guess misery loves company actually makes me feel a bit better. It took a few tries to get oldest even to go. I,m still upset with the staff at one of those offices. When we finally got him in, they had to give my120 lb. son the amount of anesthetic they would have given a 350 lb. man to get him asleep. All his wisdoms were impacted and one shattered and they had to dig around for the pieces. They sent him home still so groggy that I had trouble getting him to keep his seatbelt on and he openned the door and tried to get out of the car when we were going 60 down the highway. He threw up his pain medicine repeatedly. He was disoriented and scared. Etc. Ug. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen. Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I read "Little Cat's Luck" by Marion Dane Bauer and my 9yo read "Love That Dog" by Sharon Creech. :) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 A really dumb joke my ds just told me.... What do you get when you cross alcohol & literature? Tequila Mockingbird :tongue_smilie: :lol: 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 :lol: To Stacia's Ds 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I just finished reading 'The Three Musketeers.' I didn't expect to enjoy it, so that was a pleasant surprise. :) 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen. Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I just finished reading 'The Three Musketeers.' I didn't expect to enjoy it, so that was a pleasant surprise. :) I heart Dumas! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 Link to week 13 - please continue conversation in new thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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