Book a Week 2016 - BW44: November Notions

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday dear hearts!  This is the beginning of week 44 in our quest to read 52 books. Welcome back to all our readers, to those just joining in and all who are following our progress. Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 Books blog to link to your reviews. The link is also below in my signature.

 

52 Books Blog - November Notions:  I have an idea and my idea is this, I have an idea. *grin*   Welcome to November Notions - a month full of what?  Ideas, imagination, suggestions, discernment, angles, wrinkles, twists, preconceptions or postulations?  Or better yet...nonsense!   This is your month to make of it what you will.  Whether you are interested in traveling down the path of nonfiction, riddles and rhymes, or climbing up the mountain of hyperbole, exploring fictional caves of mystery and suspense, or diving into the ocean of laughter and romance, the world is yours to travel.

 

 

I think my ship got lost somewhere in the middle of the South Atlantic, but I've finally found the Rio de la Plata and the friendly port of Buenes Aires.  We are going to spend the rest of the year exploring South and North America and follow in the footsteps of our author flavors of the month - Julio Cortazar and Laura Esquivel.

 

 

A few years back I read Cortazar's Hopscotch:

 

Horacio Oliveira is an Argentinian writer who lives in Paris with his mistress, La Maga, surrounded by a loose-knit circle of bohemian friends who call themselves "the Club." A child's death and La Maga's disappearance put an end to his life of empty pleasures and intellectual acrobatics, and prompt Oliveira to return to Buenos Aires, where he works by turns as a salesman, a keeper of a circus cat which can truly count, and an attendant in an insane asylum. Hopscotch is the dazzling, free-wheeling account of Oliveira's astonishing adventures.

 

 

And by free-wheeling, they mean a stream of consciousness book in which you can read in chapter order or follow the random pattern set out by the author.  Same as the title, you will be Hopscotching around. According to the Quarterly Conversation:

 

The most remarked-on aspect of Hopscotch is its format: the book is split into 56 regular chapters and 99 “expendable†ones. Readers may read straight through the regular chapters (ignoring the expendable ones) or follow numbers left at the end of each chapter telling the reader which one to read next (eventually taking her through all but one of the chapters). A reading of the book in that way would lead the reader thus: Chapter 73 – 1 – 2 – 116 – 3 – 84 – 4 – 71 – 5 – 81 – 74 – 6 – 7- 8, and so on. -

 

 

 

If you haven't read it yet, now is your opportunity.  But be prepared to set aside all expectations, take your time, have a glass of wine or two and enjoy.

 

 

Laura Esquivel, a mexican author, is most well known for her story, Like Water for Chocolate:

 

 

A sumptuous feast of a novel, it relates the bizarre history of the all-female De La Garza family. Tita, the youngest daughter of the house, has been forbidden to marry, condemned by Mexican tradition to look after her mother until she dies. But Tita falls in love with Pedro, and he is seduced by the magical food she cooks. In desperation, Pedro marries her sister Rosaura so that he can stay close to her, so that Tita and Pedro are forced to circle each other in unconsummated passion. Only a freakish chain of tragedies, bad luck and fate finally reunite them against all the odds.

 

 

 

Esquivel has a revised edition of The Law of Love coming out May of 2017: 

 

 

New York Times bestselling author Laura Esquivel brings readers a tantalizing sensory experience with her wildly inventive novel of a love spanning many lifetimes. It’s the year 2200, and Azucena Martinez is a lonely astroanalyst living in Mexico City. She has finally repaid the karmic debts she accumulated during her previous fourteen thousand lives, and in recognition of her newfound purity of spirit, she will at last be permitted to meet her twin soul, Rodrigo Sanchez. But their perfect union is limited to just one night of bliss, as Rodrigo is framed for murder soon after and banished. As Azucena sets off in search for her lost love, she will trigger a chain of events that puts her in the midst of an intergalactic political uproar.

 

 

 

 

While you are meandering about the american continents, check out Top 10 Contemporary Mexican Novels,  22 Classic and Contemporary Female Latin Authors to read, as well as  10 Essential Latin American Feminists Writers and  Goodreads list of Latin American Literature. 

 

 

Happy exploring! 

 

*************************************************

 

History of the Renaissance World - Chapters 77 and 78

 

************************************************

 

What are you reading this week?  

 

 

 

Link to week 43 

 

Edited October 30, 2016 by Robin M

[Robin M]

Happy Birthday Lady Florida --- Kathy.  Cheers to a wonderful day!

 

:party:

[Ethel Mertz]

Thanks for the links, Robin!

 

Last week I finished:

 

1.     Lost Lake (Lost Lake #1) – Sarah Addison Allen 10/24 - loved this as I do all Allen's other works

2.     British Manor Murder (Lucy Stone #23) – Leslie Meier 10/25 - Not as riveting as some of her other books

3.     The Whistling Season – Ivan Doig 10/28 - 5 stars, the first of a trilogy. The 2nd book is waiting for me at the library.

4.     Quartet in Autumn – Barbara Pym  10/29 - really slow going.

 

I'm currently reading:

 

Continuing with: The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship: Pauli Murray, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Struggle for Social Justice – Patricia Bell Scott; The Post Mistress by Sarah Blake (WWII), and Ben Winters' Underground Airline.

[Robin M]

I finished Faith Hunter's Thorn St Croix series which includes Bloodring, Seraph and The Host.  I read The Host twice just because the first time I read too fast and missed the nuances that help tell the story.  Enjoyed it more the 2nd time around and wasn't left with a feeling that the story was unfinished. 

 

Started Diana Gabaldon's Lord John series with Lord John and the Private Matter.  

 

Also reading Alexandra Johnson's Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal. Getting back in the writing mood.  

 

 

[SKL]

I finished The Brave.  I didn't really agree with the way it was organized, and the ending was predictable, but it was OK.  Good enough to finish.  :P

 

Back to Natural Theology or whatever it is.  I think I managed to read one whole page.  I hope it gets better.

 

We finally got the Holes audiobook from the library, and my kids seem to like it.  I think it's fine for their age - not really exciting for me.  :P

 

Still reading the Kashmiri Storyteller - figured I may as well finish it before moving on.  There have been many days I didn't have time to read due to work deadlines.

[Lady Florida.]

Happy Birthday Lady Florida --- Kathy.  Cheers to a wonderful day!

 

:party:

 

Thank you! And happy birthday to AggieAmy's littlest one.

[ErinE]

I've put a few of your suggested books on hold. I've been drawn to weird fiction lately, but haven't found much I enjoy. I'm looking forward to reading your suggested authors.

 

Books read last week:

• The Secret History of the Mongol Queens by Jack Weatherford. History-Asia. An enjoyable fast read into a part of the world of which I know little. The daughter and granddaughter queens of Genghis Khan fought to keep the Mongol empire cohesive and part of its longevity can be attributed to them. Highly recommended.
• Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb. Fantasy. A former assassin lives a quiet life until events in the kingdom pull him back into political intrigues. A continuation of the trilogies Assassin’s Apprentice and Golden Fool, it doesn’t work as a standalone novel. Years of domestic life pass before the action picks up in the last few chapters. One reviewer who panned the book called it a long prologue. I enjoyed it, like I enjoy Diana Gabaldon, because it’s a glimpse into the emotional life of a character who, after suffering so much, receives some measure of peace and happiness. Recommended, but only if you’ve read the six books before it.
• Uglies by Scott Westerfield. Young Adult Science Fiction. A young girl has waited her whole life to become pretty, but on her seventeenth birthday she faces a choice: betray her friend or stay ugly forever. A bubblegum confection of a novel, it’s not badly written. I think if a teen enjoys fashion or beauty this might be an interesting read, but my DS14 doesn’t enjoy books like this and DD10 prefers scary books. Recommended for teens who might enjoy Teen Vogue in a dystopian society.
• Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn. Young Adult Science Fiction. Every citizen receives a memory from the future on their seventeenth birthday. What happens when your memory shows you committing a crime? It's Minority Report for young adults. If it weren’t for a terrible romantic plot, I would have given this novel to my son after reading the last line, but the romance is so dominant (and not necessary) that it detracts from a good debut novel. Dunn has a promising writing style, and I’m looking forward to reading more from her. I recommend the author but not this book.
• Carniepunk by Seanan McGuire, Kevin Hearne, Rachel Caine and others. Horror. A collection of stories with carnivals as the setting. For the most part, an enjoyable spooky read but with a few clunkers. I don’t like short stories opening with a s*x scene; it’s rarely needed and almost always detracts from the narrative. Below are a few of my favorites, but I’m interested in reading more from Rachel Caine, Jennifer Estep, and Allison Pang as well.
  • “Painted Love†by Rob Thurman. A great opener to the anthology with perfect hints for the end.
  • “The Three Lives of Lydia†by Delilah Dawson. Beautifully written, but very disturbing with dark content.
  • â€The Demon Barker of Wheat Street†by Kevin Hearne. An enjoyable read from a prominent urban fantasy author, if you've read his Iron Druid series.
  • â€Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea†by Seanan McGuire.  A mermaid’s daughter returns to her mother's hometown. The only story involving someone working at a carnival, I liked this one the best. I enjoy reading McGuire's prose.

  • “We’re hopping like scalded cats all through spring and summer. The midway lights never go out and my throat feels like twenty miles of bad road by the time we get to August from all the cheering and cajoling and calling for the townies to step right up and see the wonders of the world.â€

• The Black Hole War by Leonard Susskind. Science Nonfiction. Decades ago, Stephen Hawking theorized information is lost in black holes and Susskind set out to prove him wrong. Black hole information loss violates quantum mechanical theory, which holds information is preserved. I was able to follow along until the last few chapters when string theory came into play. Nine dimensions, branes, the world is a hologram: yikes. Interesting insight into a physics controversy. Recommended if quantum mechanics and astronomy interest you.
• Raising Demons by Shirley Jackson. Memoir. Jackson returns to writing about domestic life, chasing after her four children, multiple pets, and hapless husband. A much darker, less funny book than Life Among the Savages, I felt in many sections there were digs at her husband (the parenthesis come from her biography). She must ask her husband for money and he complains about her spending (she was the main breadwinner). She asks her husband what she’ll do with her free time once the children are in school (her husband pushed her writing to make money). A child proclaims that daddy likes to look at girls (her husband cheated on her many times). There were moments where Jackson pulls away and makes lovely observations about home and family, but it felt like this was an income project for Jackson and she obviously resented it. Not recommended.

Current Reads: Kraken by Wendy Williams, The Silk Road by Valerie Hansen, The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer, and Staked by Kevin Hearne.

Edited October 30, 2016 by ErinE

[Chrysalis Academy]

I haven't had any reading time the past few days because of the play.  It's a wrap. Thank goodness. We had major cast drama - one cast member has an issue of some sort, I don't know for sure what, perhaps Aspergers. Which the parents chose not to share with us, unfortunately. He got stressed out and started acting out, lashing out at other cast members. During a performance, backstage. It was pretty awful and scary especially for the smaller and younger girls. There has been much drama amongst the adults as to how to handle the situation properly, especially since this young man is also cast in the next production. That is as yet unresolved but it is very stressful, and if not handled well could tear apart our wonderful theater program. So that's been stressful and difficult.

 

I'm looking forward to refocusing on work and school after the distractions of the past two weeks.  And reading!! Here's what I've got started or lined up:

 

Collected Plays and Writings on Theater - Thornton Wilder. Shannon and I fell in love with Our Town. This book is chock full of essays on theater, his own plays and others, as well as the screenplay of Shadow of a Doubt, which we will watch and perhaps read. This looks like the beginning of a fun, unplanned rabbit trail.

 

The Madwoman in the Attic - feminist lit crit. I'm not reading the whole thing, but I'm reading the section on Jane Austen and Jane Eyre. It's interesting so far.

 

Replay - Kind of like Groundhog Day, but instead of reliving a single day, he relives his life from age 18 till his death from a heart attack in middle age. Over and over. this is the book I've read myself to sleep with the past few nights. It's kind of interesting, it's made me think about what I'd do differently if I went back to 18, with my memories and knowledge intact. 

 

The Secret History - this is my audiobook, which I'm enjoying a lot, but man is it long! I'm not even halfway through and I'm curious how the remaining hours will be filled, since I see the climax coming.  I really love the author's voice.

 

The Artful Edit - I liked this enough to buy a copy. She uses Gatsby as an example of artful editing, so that's cool.

 

Anna Karenina - finally making time for a re-read. I'm loving it so far though I haven't had much time for it yet.

Edited October 30, 2016 by Chrysalis Academy

[Lady Florida.]

I binge watched Good Girls Revolt on Amazon this weekend (all but the last episode Saturday, then the final one today). It inspired me to put the book on my TBR list and to put it on hold at the library. 

 

-Made progress in the Alexander Hamilton bio. The chapters are long but there are breaks that make natural stopping points, which helps me read it in small chunks.

 

-I've been reading a bunch of books on writing, including one on writing in your retirement years. :D I think I've found a way to keep my brain active now that the homeschooling years are over (and I won't be going back to work with dh so close to retirement himself). 

[Violet Crown]

Almost done with Matthew Arnold. I had the fun experience of introducing someone (father of friend of Middle Girl) to Arnold; he was looking over the book and I pointed him to Dover Beach, which he liked immensely, as I'd hoped he would.

 

Half Price had the volume I was missing from Johannes Quasten's magisterial Patrology, so I put aside my initial week's reading choice in favor of some first- and second-century authors, with Quasten as a guide. These are tricky to figure as "books," as they range in length from excerpts of a few lines to hundreds of pages. So I'm just calling a Loeb volume's worth one book, and my book this week was

67. The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, trans/ed Kirsopp Lake.

Loeb goes pretty fast with the Greek, as I have barely a dozen words of it (despite the quote in my signature), so my conscience lets me ignore the left-hand pages.

 

Working on volume 2 this week, and of course vol. 1 of Quasten's Patrology. And as ever, Arnold.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Almost done with Matthew Arnold. I had the fun experience of introducing someone (father of friend of Middle Girl) to Arnold; he was looking over the book and I pointed him to Dover Beach, which he liked immensely, as I'd hoped he would.

 

Half Price had the volume I was missing from Johannes Quasten's magisterial Patrology, so I put aside my initial week's reading choice in favor of some first- and second-century authors, with Quasten as a guide. These are tricky to figure as "books," as they range in length from excerpts of a few lines to hundreds of pages. So I'm just calling a Loeb volume's worth one book, and my book this week was

67. The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, trans/ed Kirsopp Lake.

Loeb goes pretty fast with the Greek, as I have barely a dozen words of it (despite the quote in my signature), so my conscience lets me ignore the left-hand pages.

 

Working on volume 2 this week, and of course vol. 1 of Quasten's Patrology. And as ever, Arnold.

 

I *love* Dover Beach. I had very few decent teachers at my parochial high school, but my English teacher was wonderful (had him 3 of 4 years) and he introduced us to Victorian poetry, and to carpe diem/Elizabethan poetry, and those are among my favorites to this day. It's interesting how with poetry, in particular, the poetry we read in our youth really sticks with us. I think that's a common experience, I've read others saying so. Do BAW-ers find that to be true? Is your favorite poetry the poetry you read when you were a teenager? What are some of your favorites?

[ErinE]

 Is your favorite poetry the poetry you read when you were a teenager? What are some of your favorites?

 

I've found good poetry since leaving school, but when DH and I were dating, I mentioned I loved "The Emperor of Ice Cream". He proceeded to recite the entire poem to me right then. Swoon...

[Stacia]

Happy Birthday, Kathy!!!

[Mom-ninja.]

Sadie, I am very sorry. I hope your dd feels better and the doctors find a successful treatment. 

[Jane in NC]

I'm stuck in the 1950's.  Last week I enjoyed a Norwegian classic of the era, The Birds, by Tarjei Vesaas.  Currently I am reading Steinbeck's 1957 entertainment of political satire, The Short Reign of Pippin IV, as well as Elspeth Huxley's 1959 beloved memoir, The Flame Trees of Thika.

 

I *love* Dover Beach. I had very few decent teachers at my parochial high school, but my English teacher was wonderful (had him 3 of 4 years) and he introduced us to Victorian poetry, and to carpe diem/Elizabethan poetry, and those are among my favorites to this day. It's interesting how with poetry, in particular, the poetry we read in our youth really sticks with us. I think that's a common experience, I've read others saying so. Do BAW-ers find that to be true? Is your favorite poetry the poetry you read when you were a teenager? What are some of your favorites?

 

My favorite poet when I was a young teen was e.e. cummings.  At 19, I fell in love with T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets. 

 

Today I still read cummings on occasion--finding a far greater complexity there than my teen self realized.  And I'm still reading/rereading The Four Quartets.  Back in my youth, I figured I would move on to The Wasteland when I was "older".  I haven't done that yet.  Am I not yet old enough or am I not yet "done" with The Four Quartets?

 

As a young mother I "discovered" Christina Rossetti (although I was familiar with her children's poetry that was in a treasured poetry book from my childhood.)  Rossetti is comforting.

 

I think I'd enjoy an audio version of John Donne's sonnets although it would require the right voice.

 

[ErinE]

Replay - Kind of like Groundhog Day, but instead of reliving a single day, he relives his life from age 18 till his death from a heart attack in middle age. Over and over. this is the book I've read myself to sleep with the past few nights. It's kind of interesting, it's made me think about what I'd do differently if I went back to 18, with my memories and knowledge intact. 

 

This reminds me of a July 2016 reprint in Clarkesworld Magazine: "Against the Stream" by A. Que. A man falls ill and wakes up to discover he's forced to live his life backwards until he can find a cure for the disease. 

 

In the end, his wife left with her things. He stood on the stairs, watching the shrinking shape of her back in the slanting light of late afternoon, moving ever further away until it disappeared completely into the crowd. He’d watched her leave then too, thinking that was the end. But now he knew they’d be seeing each other again.

 

 

Edited October 30, 2016 by ErinE

[Stacia]

Robin, thanks for the fabulous links. I have read some of the books/authors mentioned, but there are quite a few others I will be searching for.

 

I am currently reading "The Ark Sakura" by KÅbÅ Abe.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/10/books/round-and-round-the-eupcaccia-goes.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

 

One paragraph from the above NY Times review:

 

"''The Sakura Ark'' may be a grim novel, but it is also a large, ambitious work about the lives of outcasts in modern Japan and such troubling themes as ecological destruction, old age, violence and nuclear war. People often use the word ''dreamlike'' loosely to suggest a floating or unreal quality in fiction (''dreamy'' might be a better choice). But in the strictest sense ''The Ark Sakura'' is dreamlike. It is a wildly improbable fable when recalled, but it proceeds with fiendishly detailed verisimilitude when experienced from within."

Edited October 30, 2016 by Stacia

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

My favorite poet when I was a young teen was e.e. cummings.  At 19, I fell in love with T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets. 

 

Today I still read cummings on occasion--finding a far greater complexity there than my teen self realized.  And I'm still reading/rereading The Four Quartets.  Back in my youth, I figured I would move on to The Wasteland when I was "older".  I haven't done that yet.  Am I not yet old enough or am I not yet "done" with The Four Quartets?

 

As a young mother I "discovered" Christina Rossetti (although I was familiar with her children's poetry that was in a treasured poetry book from my childhood.)  Rossetti is comforting.

 

I think I'd enjoy an audio version of John Donne's sonnets although it would require the right voice.

 

Eliot is one of my favorite poets. In fact, if I had to pick one favorite poem it would be The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock. I did a term paper on The Hollow Men in 12th grade English, and I memorized the poem and recited it for extra credit. I still remember long stretches, though probably not the whole thing word-for-word.

 

This is making me realize I don't have enough poetry planned for the girls!

[mumto2]

Happy Birthday to Kathy!!!!

 

Also wishing Chews on Books great birthday!

 

:grouphug: Rose, I hope your theatre group resolves all issues smoothly.

 

I am currently trying to finish a Donna Andrews cozy before we leave. I did manage to finish the second book by an author I discovered during my British cozy research. The Lost Gardens by Anthony Eglin https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1118522.The_Lost_Gardens was a really well done cozy especially if you enjoy gardening. There appears to be no need to read these books in any particular order, no reoccurring characters beyond the head gardener/sleuth. Definitely looking forward to reading more in this series.

[Kareni]

• Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn. Young Adult Science Fiction. Every citizen receives a memory from the future on their seventeenth birthday. What happens when your memory shows you committing a crime? It's Minority Report for young adults. If it weren’t for a terrible romantic plot, I would have given this novel to my son after reading the last line, but the romance is so dominant (and not necessary) that it detracts from a good debut novel. Dunn has a promising writing style, and I’m looking forward to reading more from her. I recommend the author but not this book.  

 

I have this on hold at the library.  It will be interesting to see if my thoughts match yours.  Of course, I'm all about romance ....

 

Replay - Kind of like Groundhog Day, but instead of reliving a single day, he relives his life from age 18 till his death from a heart attack in middle age. Over and over. this is the book I've read myself to sleep with the past few nights. It's kind of interesting, it's made me think about what I'd do differently if I went back to 18, with my memories and knowledge intact. 

 

Replay is a longtime favorite of mine which I've recommended to many.  Now I'm tempted to read it again.

 

Is your favorite poetry the poetry you read when you were a teenager? What are some of your favorites?

 

I'll confess to not having read much poetry as an adult. I do like some of the poems of Billy Collins who was Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003.  I can remember sitting with a friend and reading aloud a collection of his poems; some of them were so funny that we were laughing maniacally. 

 

As a teen, one of my favorite poems was The Preacher: Ruminates behind the Sermon by Gwendolyn Brooks

 

 

"I think it must be lonely to be God.

Nobody loves a master. No. Despite

The bright hosannas, bright dear-Lords, and bright

Determined reverence of Sunday eyes.

 

Picture Jehovah striding through the hall

Of his importance, creatures running out

From servant-corners to acclaim, to shout

Appreciation of His merit's gaze.

 

But who walks with Him?--dares to take His arm,

To slap Him on the shoulder, tweak His ear,

Buy Him a Coca-Cola or a beer,

Pooh-pooh His politics, call Him a fool?

 

Perhaps--who knows?--He tires of looking down.

Those eyes are never lifted. Never straight.

Perhaps sometimes He tires of being great

In solitude. Without a hand to hold."

 

 

I've found good poetry since leaving school, but when DH and I were dating, I mentioned I loved "The Emperor of Ice Cream". He proceeded to recite the entire poem to me right then. Swoon...

 

What a lovely story!  I was unfamiliar with the poem and found a copy here.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[ErinE]

I have this on hold at the library.  It will be interesting to see if my thoughts match yours.  Of course, I'm all about romance ....

 

I enjoy romance as a genre. Some of my favorite authors are Mary Balogh, Kristen Callihan's Darkest London series, Sarah Maclean, and Sherry Thomas (the Elemental Trilogy is good YA fiction). I didn't think the romance subplot was handled well in Forget Tomorrow, but I think it might be part of being a debut novel and I expect, given the quality of Dunn's prose, her plotting will improve.

[Loesje22000]

I just finished my 52nd? Book:

https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/5224903

 

Thanks for all the tips about 'Remarkable Creatures',

I liked the book (and could manage the English :) )

[Kareni]

I enjoy romance as a genre.

 

As do I, which you've likely noticed!  I don't believe you were participating in the Book a Week thread back in February when I had the honor (dubious distinction?) of writing the opening post for Valentine's Day week.  You can read it here.

 

Some of my favorite authors are Mary Balogh, Kristen Callihan's Darkest London series, Sarah Maclean, and Sherry Thomas (the Elemental Trilogy is good YA fiction). I didn't think the romance subplot was handled well in Forget Tomorrow, but I think it might be part of being a debut novel and I expect, given the quality of Dunn's prose, her plotting will improve.

 

Ah, you've named a number of authors that I also like.

 

Mary Balogh -- favorites here are Slightly Dangerous, Simply Love, and The Secret Pearl

 

Kristen Callihan -- I like her new adult Game On series

 

Sherry Thomas -- my favorite is her Delicious, but I'm looking forward to reading her new book, A Study In Scarlet Women (The Lady Sherlock Series).

 

Regards,

Kareni

[idnib]

Sadie, hugs to you and your DD.

 

DH is traveling abroad and DS has a fever, so the demands on my time have kept me off the computer. Right now DS, having made it out of bed and to the table, is eating chicken soup and looks a bit perkier.

 

I did break my vow to stick with and finish Hawaii without starting any other books. I picked up (just for fun, natch) Dreiser's An American Tragedy. I've not gotten very far, but I like it very much so far, even though the opening is quite sad.

 

 

For me, any withholding of details of what happened in the past is not what makes We Have Always Lived in the Castle spooky. For me, the spookiness comes from the total dysfunction. The forgetful, sometimes bedridden man who can't dress or feed himself living with the young adult who acts like a child (and is called one by her sister) and believes magic exists and the shut in who wraps her face in a shawl and cowers in the bushes *near the burning house* so no one will see her. And that's not mentioning the rest of the town, childish, creepy, threatening bullies. It's the standstill. There was a murder, and afterward, the people didn't grow up or move on - neither the Blackwoods nor the townspeople. Refusing to move forward with time, to grow, change and mature, to do new things (rather than always (not usually - always) the same schedule, the neatening, the weekly tea date, etc.) goes against nature and is therefore uncanny. 

 

I agree the standstill to which the characters have arrived is uncanny. I think it does go against a normal and healthy progression, but I don't think it's abnormal (although it is dysfunctional) for people to freeze in time when something tragic happens. Jackson has managed to take that a bit further than what is usually seen in the world, beyond the bounds the reader will find acceptable. It causes discomfort in my mind because it's the exaggeration of a typical response, not something utterly unthinkable. I'll mention again the book reminds me of Gray Gardens, but thinking about it some more, there's a bit of Great Expectations in there, in a Miss Havisham kind of way.

 

And, I think I saved the best for last by reading The Elementals. What begins as a morbidly funny Southern Gothic slowly morphs into into creepy, spine-tingling horror. And it's not just things that go bump in the night, but completely horrifying things even in the bright light of a clear, sunny day.

 

I know both Rose & idnib expressed some dislike of the ending of The Elementals, but I was satisfied with the ever-horrifying climax (& especially the last couple of sentences). I would love to hear more comments re: the book, especially since I am from the South -- wondering how the scenery/setting (a character into & of itself) as well as the characterization seems to those not from the South. (And, yes, one side of my family tree is the type that takes photos of the dead in their caskets, just as mentioned in this book.) The author, Michael McDowell, was from Alabama & I can say that I think he nailed the characters & setting perfectly. Just spot-on, every single one of them. Loved it so much that I'm thinking of saying it's 4.5-stars, maybe even 5. I keep few books, but I think I'll be hanging onto this one because it's one I'd love to revisit next October. From a die-hard vampire fan, that's high praise for a haunted house story. Totally worth it.

 

My impression as a "not Southerner" is that he captured very well what I perceive as typical Southern characters, but in a way that (barely) didn't cross the line and caricature them. Unfortunately I am having trouble articulating it because I think the Southern components were woven in so finely by McDowell it would be difficult to pull on a thread. I suppose what he did best was just explain the story in such a way that the Alabama-based family members just accept strange things without question, so the reader alternates between thinking they are plum crazy and just accepting weirdness as a given. Once the reader just starts accepting the goings-on as well, who are they to judge these people? As the reader, perhaps this attitude could be summed it up as, "Well, we're all in it together now!" The precociousness and forthrightness of the NY contingent makes the Alabama folks seem more sane than they are by balancing the load in the other direction, and the setting sounds so dreamy I found myself thinking I could stay there and avoid the creepy house as long as I was swimming in the Gulf and had no way to be reached by modern technology.

 

My favorite poet when I was a young teen was e.e. cummings.  At 19, I fell in love with T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets. 

 

Today I still read cummings on occasion--finding a far greater complexity there than my teen self realized.  And I'm still reading/rereading The Four Quartets.  Back in my youth, I figured I would move on to The Wasteland when I was "older".  I haven't done that yet.  Am I not yet old enough or am I not yet "done" with The Four Quartets?

 

When I was in high school e.e. cummings was my favorite too. We learned about him in our English class, and it was the first time I realized how one could break the rules and that was a statement and act in itself. (The second time was when I read On the Road.) The teacher gave us an assignment to write a poem in the same style, and I went home thinking it would be easy to write something and just modify the usually rules of grammar and line breaks. It was eye opening to find how difficult it was to create something which was like that and yet was still useful.

 

I read The Wasteland last year with the Classics and the Western Canon goodreads group, thinking it was time and we had good guides to carry us through. Turns out I was the wrong age, but like you, I'm also still not sure if I am too young or too old. Probably both, and neither.  :tongue_smilie:

[Kareni]

I just finished my 52nd? Book:

 

Congratulations, loesje!

 

**

 

Last night I finished the science fiction romance IceFlight (The Iron Altar Series Book 1)  by Casey Lea.

 

[Note: The first three books in this series are currently free to Kindle readers at this link ~

The Iron Altar Series Box Set One: Books 1 to 3  as is Lovestruck (The Iron Altar Series Book 5); book four does not yet seem to exist.]

 

IceFlight was a colorful read -- literally -- and it kept my attention for some five or six hours; that said, I'm not sure whether I'll read on in the series.  Here's the description for IceFlight:

 

"Darsey Ice never thought her first trip past Jupiter would claim the lives of her crew. But then she hadn’t expected to become the first person to make contact with aliens either.

 

Kidnapped, enslaved and lost on the Outer Rim of a mighty civilization light-years from Earth, the only person she can turn to is her enigmatic new owner. A dishonored outcast, he is just as alone as Darsey. Exiled by his people and struggling to survive, the last thing he wants is a rebellious primitive as a slave. She complicates his efforts to hide a dangerous secret and to complete a quest that is likely to claim both their lives. They will only survive if they can find enough trust to forge an unwanted alliance."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

And Amazon today is having a one day sale on some of its top-rated mysteries & thrillers.  Some titles that have been mentioned on the thread include:

 

$1.99 ~

The Golem and the Jinni: A Novel (P.S.)  by Helene Wecker

 

$1.99 ~

Welcome to Night Vale: A Novel  by Joseph Fink

 

$3.99 ~

NOS4A2: A Novel by Joe Hill

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mom-ninja.]

I remember really liking Sylvia Plath in high school and college.

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

 

And Amazon today is having a one day sale on some of its top-rated mysteries & thrillers.  Some titles that have been mentioned on the thread include:

 

$1.99 ~

The Golem and the Jinni: A Novel (P.S.)  by Helene Wecker

 

$1.99 ~

Welcome to Night Vale: A Novel  by Joseph Fink

 

$3.99 ~

NOS4A2: A Novel by Joe Hill

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

I just noticed that when I was on the site a few minutes ago. There was one (the Kate Burkholder Amish mystery) I considered but my library has it so I"ll probably just borrow it.

[TravelingChris]

My introduction to studying poetry in school was so upsurd that I have to tell you all about it.  I think I was in fifth grade and the teacher decided we should study poetry by studying song lyrics.  Okay, that could really be good, right?  After all, the Nobel Prize committee awarded Bob Dylan a literature nobel and there certainly are a lot of poetic lyrics with good themes to discuss.  But this older teacher was completely clueless. So we got songs like I Don't like Spiders and Snakes and Smoking in the Boys Room.  I was not impressed.    But that was typical of the school I went to and just one of many reasons I self educated myself  because I knew I wasn't getting a good education.  So I would find old textbooks that had been discarded and read those.    (My poetry unit hadn't come from any textbook, just what the teacher thought up).  

 

I like poetry.  I also liked to hear Poetry corner on NPR when I was driving my dd to co-op or activities.  W. B. Yeats is probably my favorite poet.

[TravelingChris]

Oh Sadie, I will be praying for your daughter.  I hope the treatment they give her really helps her depression.  Prayers for you as the mother.  I do know how hard this experience is. 

[mumto2]

I do not like the new overdrive one bit. I think might be easier for the casual consumer (my neighbour takes her kindle to the library and has the librarian put her books on for her) but I think I am probably losing information regarding my holds I liked having. Has anyone else switched to the new overdrive?

 

I enjoy romance as a genre. Some of my favorite authors are Mary Balogh, Kristen Callihan's Darkest London series, Sarah Maclean, and Sherry Thomas (the Elemental Trilogy is good YA fiction). I didn't think the romance subplot was handled well in Forget Tomorrow, but I think it might be part of being a debut novel and I expect, given the quality of Dunn's prose, her plotting will improve.

Thanks for the new ideas. I have placed the first Callihan and Thomas books on hold.

 

  

I just finished my 52nd? Book:

https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/5224903

Thanks for all the tips about 'Remarkable Creatures',

I liked the book (and could manage the English :) )

 

 

Congratulations!!! I am glad you enjoyed a favourite of mine. :)

 

 

 

As do I, which you've likely noticed!  I don't believe you were participating in the Book a Week thread back in February when I had the honor (dubious distinction?) of writing the opening post for Valentine's Day week.  You can read it here.

 

 

 

Ah, you've named a number of authors that I also like.

 

 

Mary Balogh -- favorites here are Slightly Dangerous, Simply Love, and The Secret Pearl

 

Kristen Callihan -- I like her new adult Game On series

 

Sherry Thomas -- my favorite is her Delicious, but I'm looking forward to reading her new book, A Study In Scarlet Women (The Lady Sherlock Series).

 

Regards,

Kareni

I probably will go back later this week and place some holds bases on your post.

[NoseInABook]

Happy birthday, Kathy! 

 

Rose, that is terrible. I hope there's a way to resolve the situation.

 

Sadie, I missed what is going on but I'll lift your daughter up in prayer.

 

I got The Vampire In New York in the mail from our lovely Stacia and it's been sitting on my nightstand as I read some of the Roald Dahl Ghost Stories. Not much reading got done this week as the twins were sick and took most of my energy. 

[Kareni]

Several of us have enjoyed Ashley Gardner's regency mystery series which begins with The Hanover Square Affair (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries Book 1).  This book is currently free to Kindle readers.

 

However, there is a 99 cent special currently for the first three books in the series along with two shorter works.  You can find that here:

Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries Volume One by Ashley Gardner

 

"A collection of the first three novels in the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries series plus two Captain Lacey short stories first published in mystery magazines.


This book bundle includes:

The Hanover Square Affair (full-length novel)

A Regimental Murder (full-length novel)

The Glass House (full-length novel)

The Gentleman’s Walking Stick (two short stories)


Meet Captain Gabriel Lacey, a half-pay cavalry officer who returns to Regency London with little money and no purpose, but with a sense of honor and fairness. He’s pulled into a search for a missing young woman, and thus begins investigating crime, using his status as a gentleman but a poor one to cross the boundaries between the top of society and the working class of the back streets.

In The Hanover Square Affair, a missing girl and horrific corpse plunge Captain Lacey into the dark underworld of Regency London.

In A Regimental Murder Captain Lacey is on hand to save the life of a beautiful widow; he then investigates the death of her husband, a colonel who had been accused of murdering a cavalry officer during the Peninsular War.

In The Glass House, Lacey investigates the death of a barrister’s young wife, and links her to a notorious brothel where the haut ton play.

Two short stories finish off the collection. In “The Disappearance of Miss Sarah Oswald,†Lacey is asked to locate a man’s missing daughter, though he senses that the family would be just as happy for her to remain missing. In “The Gentleman’s Walking Stick,†Lacey untangles a web of deceit involving a respectable society man, his only clue being a missing walking stick."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[JennW in SoCal]

All this talk about poetry and romance books -- I've got it all covered in my much treasured Master and Commander series! There's music, too, not to mention Napoleon, scurvy and more nautical terminology than I'll ever understand.  One of the subplots in the 8th book, The Ionian Mission, are the dueling poets on board the ship, complete with a contest between the two for a prize. We, the reader, get to sit at dinner with the Captain and officers and enjoy (and judge) the two very different, very long and epic poems. It must have been great fun for the author to write, coming up with a different style and voice for the two characters. 

 

I just finished the 18th book, The Yellow Admiral. No poetry this time, but there was a perfect segment about the Mozart Oboe quartet, lots of Latin phrases bandied about with bad then corrected translations, and very little plot. Satisfying but not one that has me itching to reread it. It ended with a cliff hanger with Napoleon having just escaped Elba, and naturally the next book is titled The Hundred Days.  

 

I'm about 2/3 of the way through the first Nell Sweeney mystery, Still Life with Murder. (Mumto2, you'd like it, I think). 

 

I was at a quilting retreat for part of the weekend and introduced a couple of friends there to the joys of iPhone apps for Goodreads, Audible and Overdrive. Apparently a past president of our guild was a published writer of romance books -- I have to investigate this further as the conversation was going on across the room from me and I didn't hear it all over the noise of all the sewing machines. I got the piecing completed for a lap quilt for dh -- you know he will need it for all those frigid Southern California winter days ahead!

[Shawneinfl]

I just got my library reserve copy of Before the Fall. I wanted to get in a spooky October read so I was able to nab the audio version of We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Thanks to those of you who recommended this one. My Bible reading this morning was Psalm 31:11 which reminded me so much of Mary Kat:

 

Because of all my enemies,
    I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
¹² I am forgotten as though I were dead;
    I have become like broken pottery.
¹³ For I hear many whispering,
    â€œTerror on every side!â€
They conspire against me
    and plot to take my life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2016 by Shawneinfl

[Shawneinfl]

I homeschooled to keep my daughters away from Plath! I don't think she is a great influence on a certain sort of girl prone to brooding. 

 

Ahem, not that it comes from personal experience or anything!

 

I agree! My oldest became a fan of Plath when she was in high school and it was of great concern to me. She was moody enough without Sylvia.

[Ali in OR]

I finished the first Miss Julia book which was a nice, light read. I thought a few plot items stretched belief a bit--I'm pretty sure it's hard to have someone committed, especially if you are not related to them--but if you don't try to take things too seriously it's a fun read. I have no idea what I'll read this week--I feel like one of my library holds should come available any time now, but at the moment I have nothing.

 

Favorite poet? I know I studied poetry through my formative years, but not a lot and/or not deeply. Very little stuck with me. But I do know that I've always liked Rossetti's Goblin Market, Frost's Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening (from my 3rd grade teacher!), and a Spencer sonnet that I thought was Shakespeare for a long time ("Men call you fair and you do credit it.."). My mom (who specialized in poetry for her English degree) knew a lot of Ogden Nash and would recite them for us, so fond memories there:

 

The Panther

The panther is like a leopard,

Except it hasn't been peppered.

Should you behold a panther crouch,

Prepare to say Ouch.

Better yet, if called by a panther,

Don't anther. 

 

She also introduced me to a math one when I was teaching math:

 

On the Calculus

From almost naught to almost all I flee,

And almost has almost confounded me;

Zero my limit, and infinity.

 

J V Cunningham

 

Through homeschooling I've also come to enjoy Emily Dickinson, The Charge of the Light Brigade, and Flanders Fields. That's it--that's the extent of poetry knowledge! Maybe I should make a poetry-reading goal for 2017.

Edited October 30, 2016 by Ali in OR

[Kareni]

Given the fact that the discussion has veered towards poetry, this currently free Kindle offering seems appropriate.  It's a science fiction spin on Coleridge’s  The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

 

RIME  by Tim Lebbon

 

"An enthralling tale" - Sci Fi Bulletin

"Adrift in space, a gigantic freighter, Cradle, carrying seventeen million souls makes its slow journey across the universe.

They are in search of a new home, a ‘Goldilocks’ planet to sustain human life after the decimation and downfall of planet Earth.

One man, a control room tech, is part of a generation destined to live their lives protecting those of the sleeping millions onboard Cradle.

But soon, everything is about to change…

When Cradle encounters five unknown entities flying just beyond its radars, the ship’s AI calls for caution. Comms go down across the gargantuan ship, cutting the tech from the millions of other souls under his watch.

Those in cryosleep don’t realise the danger they are in. Their lives are in the balance.

And the alien ships are fast approaching…

Now this lonely technician must make his decision: will he stand his ground, and risk the lives of millions?

Or is it time to admit that humanity has strayed too far into the unknown?

Mankind’s fate is in his hands. Soon, the consequences of his actions and the message he bears will be felt for generations to come…

RIME is a gripping sci fi novella, retelling the harrowing tale of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner against the indomitable backdrop of deep space."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Angelaboord]

Ali - just had to show my 17 yo dd the Calculus poem, even though she said, "it's the weekend." She doesn't seem to be a fan of calculus, don't know why. [emoji6]

 

As a result of last week's thread, I am seriously considering signing up for NaNoWriMo this year. I would, of course, be cheating because I already have a book started that has been sitting for a long time, and this month is really busy, but... It would be fun. I guess I will have to decide by tomorrow, though.

 

I did finish 2 books this week:

 

This Is Your Brain on Parasites by Kathleen McAuliffe. -- I gave it 2 stars on goodreads. The first half was interesting and sciencey, but then she devolved into talking about disgust and sociopolitics and -ugh. It basically turned into, "Why people who think like us are better than everybody else."

 

No Plot? No Problem! -- This is the NaNo participant's manual. I can't say that the writing advice was extraordinary, but his enthusiasm made me smile.

 

--Angela

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Lady Florida.]

I do not like the new overdrive one bit. I think might be easier for the casual consumer (my neighbour takes her kindle to the library and has the librarian put her books on for her) but I think I am probably losing information regarding my holds I liked having. Has anyone else switched to the new overdrive?

 

 

 

 

Hmmm. I've only been able to preview it. I keep seeing a banner telling me it's coming soon and I can preview, but it's not like beta. Once I leave the site when I return it goes back to the old/current version. I haven't seen a date for the switch, only "coming soon".  I guess the UK got it already.

 

I can't tell what you don't like about it. I'm not a casual user and in fact use it for two different library systems. I like that it's easier to see things like my holds, whether or not something is available, etc. It also looks like renewing books will be easier.

 

However, previewing it which is all I've done and actually using it, which you've done are two different things. I'm kind of bummed now after reading your post. :(

[Stacia]

I know I said Happy Birthday earlier today, Kathy, but now I'm on my regular computer so I can add a smiley!

 

 

Hope you've had a great day.

 

And, Happy Birthday too to AggieAmy's John!

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

 

Replay is a longtime favorite of mine which I've recommended to many.  Now I'm tempted to read it again.

 

 

I'll confess to not having read much poetry as an adult. I do like some of the poems of Billy Collins who was Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003.  I can remember sitting with a friend and reading aloud a collection of his poems; some of them were so funny that we were laughing maniacally. 

 

As a teen, one of my favorite poems was The Preacher: Ruminates behind the Sermon by Gwendolyn Brooks

 

 

"I think it must be lonely to be God.

Nobody loves a master. No. Despite

The bright hosannas, bright dear-Lords, and bright

Determined reverence of Sunday eyes.

 

Picture Jehovah striding through the hall

Of his importance, creatures running out

From servant-corners to acclaim, to shout

Appreciation of His merit's gaze.

 

But who walks with Him?--dares to take His arm,

To slap Him on the shoulder, tweak His ear,

Buy Him a Coca-Cola or a beer,

Pooh-pooh His politics, call Him a fool?

 

Perhaps--who knows?--He tires of looking down.

Those eyes are never lifted. Never straight.

Perhaps sometimes He tires of being great

In solitude. Without a hand to hold."

 

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Yes, I am pretty sure that you are responsible for Replay ending up on my TR list!

 

I like that poem very much, thanks for sharing it.

[mumto2]

Hmmm. I've only been able to preview it. I keep seeing a banner telling me it's coming soon and I can preview, but it's not like beta. Once I leave the site when I return it goes back to the old/current version. I haven't seen a date for the switch, only "coming soon". I guess the UK got it already.

 

I can't tell what you don't like about it. I'm not a casual user and in fact use it for two different library systems. I like that it's easier to see things like my holds, whether or not something is available, etc. It also looks like renewing books will be easier.

 

However, previewing it which is all I've done and actually using it, which you've done are two different things. I'm kind of bummed now after reading your post. :(

The UK has always had something like the new overdrive and I find it a bit clumbersome to browse things like new books. Available new books are easier to find. Unavailable books are sorted in a manner that can be harder to access. Slower also imo. It is easier to go directly to an author because it offers lots of choice so unusual spelling should no longer be a problem.

 

It's a US account that I subscribe to that just switched. I will be honest and say I used the US one more because I liked the old system better. Ironically I was waiting for the UK to switch. The preview was up for a couple of weeks but I don't think there was an exact warning. I didn't use it for a few days and the new systen was up when I went in today. I just had to re imput all my basic account info which has been a pain since I am not at home with easy access to my numbers. I finally figured stuff out and managed to get my books out. I am feeling a bit better about it now. There are some sort functions that might be helpful that I don't think are part of the UK version. I will admit that most of my complaining is because I was good at the old system. I dislike change.

[fastweedpuller]

We are homeschooling because DD was slow to read, and one of the first things I had her do was (try to) read the Poetry Foundation's Children's Poem of the Day.  She would try to read it, we'd both read it aloud (buddy reading) and then she would copy it if it wasn't overlong.  This was the beginning of 3rd grade.  We enjoyed the exercise and she has quite a few faves in her poetry book! 

 

Sadie, hugs!  HBD, Kathy and Chews on Books!  Glad to hear the play mostly wrapped up well, Rose.  idnib, An American Tragedy is def a top 5 fave of mine.  And JennW, a quilting retreat?  <faint>

 

I knocked off my 52 book challenge too this weekend, finishing $2 A Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America, The Mothers and Frankenstein.  The Mothers was...I liked it.  (I think I am hitting another one of my fiction roadblocks so all books that go through this phase end up "meh" through no fault of their own.  It means I need more nonfiction or biographies, as I guess I am not down with strains in credulity.)  Penguin Books has a Teacher's Guide for The Mothers, which I suppose is not surprising but it's a brand-new book...and usually you expect TGs for the classics at the very least.  I mention it because it might be a good resource for those of us teaching teenagers.  Frankenstein was awesome! and somewhat scary...we paired it with Thug Notes and John Green's Crash Course.  Why not.

[Lady Florida.]

I think a big reason why I never took to poetry is because I went to school in a time (or place?) when memorizing and analyzing poems was more important than simply enjoying them. We had to memorize such classics as Paul Revere's Ride, The Daffodils, and The Song of Hiawatha and even Joyce Kilmer's Trees. I did manage to find some poems and poets I liked but I never found a way to just enjoy poetry. I tried as a homeschool mom/teacher to get ds interested but I think my dislike of what I was teaching came through even when I did my best to hide it.

 

I somewhat like Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, and even a few by Walt Whitman though an English teacher I knew once called his poetry simplistic. I tried to like Emily Dickinson when I was in college because liking her poetry was popular then, but I couldn't. I haven't sought out any contemporary poets/poetry

[Violet Crown]

If I'd had to analyze Longfellow and Kilmer I'd never read another poem again. What is there even to analyze?

[Chrysalis Academy]

Poetry is my lifeblood and I rarely analyse it. 

 

And I don't teach it to my kids and I never make them analyse it either.

 

Poetry is for hearing, and for letting sink into you, and for slow - sometimes sudden - transformations.

 

 

Yeah, I think this is my problem - I don't want to "teach" it or "analyze" it but I want to make sure I expose them to more of it, so that it is in their bones & blood now, and sticks with them when they get older. All the poetry curricula I see make me just go - ew, no, that would ruin it. But because of this I feel like I haven't included enough of it in life in general.

 

Other than Shakespeare. We are all about Shakespeare at our house!!

[Little Nyssa]

Now that we're talking about poetry, I'm going to be brave enough to post a link to a poem I like very much... I found it online when I was looking for something else.

 

http://citylore.org//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Georgia_Poetry_21st-century.pdf

 

On page 4 the poem I love is "Lucky Love" by Giorgi Lobjanidze- the alternate pages are in Georgian and in English, so scroll down to see the whole thing. I love his description of Nefertiti making the house 'into a gallery' and specially the idea that love changes geography: 'the Nile river flows into the Mtqvari' (the main river flowing through Georgia's capital city). Hope you enjoy it.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Little Nyssa

[CindyH in NC]

It's been a while since I've posted.  I did read Shirley Jackson's Castle book when everyone was discussing it on the board.  Loved it.  Just the right amount of normal to creepy ratio.  I had attempted the Haunting of Hill House last year but never could get into it.  I read Life with Savages though and found that entertaining.  I have gotten so many ideas for my to-be-read pile from the book threads. 

​

 

Currently reading: Black Indian Slave Narratives by Patrick Minges, A Tyranny of Petticoats:  15 Stories of Belles, Bank Robbers & other Badass Girls (one story left), and listening to Bird Box by Josh Malerman.  Also listening to The Turn of the Screw with my dd.

 

I am behind again.  Trying to remember if there are other books that I haven’t listed.

 

42.  We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

41.  The Odyssey by Homer (with my 10^th grade dd)

 

40.  News of the World by Paulette Jiles (Terrific short novel about an older man trying to return a 10 yr old girl to her family after she is released from the Native American tribe who captured her 4 years before.)

 

39.  Ms. Julia’s Marvelous Makeover by Ann B. Ross (audio re-read)

 

38.  Precious and Grace by Alexander McCall Smith (the newest No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency book – audio)

 

37.  The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware (Okay – not as good as I hoped but still hard to put down)

 

36.  Slave Escapes and the Underground Railroad in North Carolina by Steve Miller and J. Timothy Allen

 

35.  As You Wish by Cary Elwes (Fun!)

 

34.  Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart (

 

33.  Jackaby by William Ritter

 

32.  The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis(audio)

 

31. We Will Never Be Apart by Emiko Jean ( YA psychological thriller – disappointing and predictable)

 

30.  Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (audio – reread – Nearly as good as Code Name Verity)

 

29.  Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (audio – reread – Amazing YA WWII spy novel) 

 

28.  The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

 

27.  Uprooted  by Naomi Novik ( Really enjoyed this one. )

 

26.  Modern Medea by Steven Weisenburger

 

25. The Young World by Chris Weitz ( YA dystopian fiction  A quick read.)

 

24. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (YA historical fiction. Engrossing.  Couldn’t put it down.)

 

23. Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham ( Decent YA mystery novel, I really liked that the main character was a Muslim teenage girl. )

 

22. The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous & Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America’s First Supermodel by James Bone

[Stacia]

Hi, CindyH! :seeya:

 

Hope everyone has had a nice Halloween. This photo is not great but dd created a 'black cat' pumpkin.

 

 

Re: the poetry discussion. I don't remember having to learn or memorize much poetry during my school years. I've read very little of it & generally have a hard time reading it -- getting the cadence, the depth, etc.... I can handle surreal works, yet my brain doesn't seem to wrap around poetry.

 

The one poem I read & truly loved (probably because it's a surreal type poem) is Altazor by Vicente Huidobro.

 

“The four cardinal points are three: South and North.â€
― Vicente Huidobro, Altazor, Or, a Voyage in a Parachute: Poem in VII Cantos

 

Often compared with Apollinaire as the first and liveliest avant-garde poet in his language, Vicente Huidobro was a one-man movement ("Creationism") in the modernist swirl of Paris and Barcelona between the two World Wars. His masterpiece was the 1931 book-length epic Altazor, a Machine Age paean to flight that sends its hero (Altazor, the "antipoet") hurtling through Einsteinian space at light speed. Perhaps the fastest-reading long poem of the century, and certainly the wildest, Altazor rushes through the universe in a lyrical babble of bird-languages, rose-languages, puns, neologisms, and pages of identical rhymes, finally ending in the pure sound of the language of the future. Universally considered untranslatable until the appearance of Eliot Weinberger's celebrated version in 1988, Altazor appears again in an extensively revised translation with an expanded introduction.

 

The only other poem I can remember connecting with is Robert Louis Stevenson's The Swing (just because I have always loved to swing). The only part he doesn't address is leaping off when the swing reaches its furthest arc forward, lol!

 

How do you like to go up in a swing,

   Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

   Ever a child can do!

 

Up in the air and over the wall,

   Till I can see so wide,

Rivers and trees and cattle and all

   Over the countryside—

 

Till I look down on the garden green,

   Down on the roof so brown—

Up in the air I go flying again,

   Up in the air and down!