Just Robyn Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 (edited) How was the Bernie book? I keep thinking my ds might like that one... Oh, I just bought that one on Audible! Haven't started it yet. Ditto the "how was it?" Edited December 22, 2016 by crstarlette 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 I think we should have a group read along of The Razor's Edge in '17. Stacia, you may not be up to leading it but I would volunteer--unless you really want to do it. Anyone else interested? I am. Just got home from the bell tower. I am sooooooooo very cold. Drinking tea and just had chocolate! :lol: 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 A couple of posts from Tor.com that may be of interest ~ Every Year, Santa Brings Us One Important Thing: Real Magic by Emily Asher-Perrin Five Books with Fantastical and Fearsome Landscapes by Erin Summerill Regards, Kareni 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 And another bookish article ~ Man Creates Incredible Hand-Carved, Puzzle-Filled Proposal Book "One creative fellow is being celebrated for the insanely sweet and thoughtful way he proposed to his now-fiance. The lucky lady, named Shirin, not only received a handmade engagement ring, but an incredible wooden, fairy tale-themed book filled with puzzles....'' Regards, Kareni 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 I actually stopped listening to a book so I can hold off and make it count as one of my bingo squares. It's the steampunk square. So I downloaded the 4th Tiffany Aching book in the mean time. And I've got all my books for bingo chosen. Planning!!! More planning!! Delicious! Why didn't I think of this? I have now got all mine chosen too, and I even set up a goodreads shelf for them! :biggrinjester: 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 (edited) Russia counts as Eastern Europe, right? Does it? I've always considered it Asia. In my mind Eastern Europe cuts off at the border of Russia. But it also makes sense that Russia be considered Eastern Europe. It's so big it's both. Congrats on finishing 240 books! I think you need to time yourself and tell us your word per minute speed. Edited December 22, 2016 by Mom-ninja. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Does it? I've always considered it Asia. In my mind Eastern Europe cuts off at the border of Russia. But it also makes sense that Russia be considered Eastern Europe. It's so big it's both. Well, that's why I asked. Russia has always seemed more Eastern-European than Asian to me. Most of the land area is in Asia, but most of the population is west of the Ural mountains, which is definitely Eastern Europe. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Planning!!! More planning!! Delicious! Why didn't I think of this? I have now got all mine chosen too, and I even set up a goodreads shelf for them! :biggrinjester: Cool. I put my list in One Note. I have An Ember in Ashes on my list too. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 April will work which will pair him with diamond and India region Sounds like a plan if everyone is OK with me leading the discussion. Russia counts as Eastern Europe, right? Yes it does in my book although I tend to think of Russian lit as a larger than life entity onto itself. And while many readers are familiar with Russian classics, they are less familiar with writers from "the other Europe". But if this is a Bingo question, I defer to the Bingo Overlord. :grouphug: to Ethel. And hope you are doing well, Jane. I am, thank you. Today I had a follow up appointment and was told that my eye looked like I had had surgery three weeks ago, not a week. Ah, the advantage of younger eyes. It is becoming more common for people in their 40's or 50's to have cataract surgery, but I appeared to be a spring chicken when I was in the pre-op area for people having the same procedure. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Rose & Mom-ninja, I need to hire you to plan my Bingo reading for me for next year. :lol: I was seriously thinking I probably wouldn't even attempt it again. Of course, if you do provide me a list, please do not take offense if I don't end up reading something. I'm very much an on-the-whim reader &, in general, an anti-list person... so if something is on a list, I'm more likely to ignore it than do it. Does that mean I'm a list curmudgeon? Does it? I've always considered it Asia. In my mind Eastern Europe cuts off at the border of Russia. But it also makes sense that Russia be considered Eastern Europe. It's so big it's both. Congrats on finishing 240 books! I think you need to time yourself and tell us your word per minute speed. I've always lumped Russia into three categories: Eastern European (the area which is most populated), Asian (everything else), & itself. Lol. Depends on the author & the setting as to which category I'd lump it into. And for her reading rate, I know the answer already. It's a gazillion. A gazillion words per minute. :laugh: 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Jane, glad your eye is healing so well! 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Rose & Mom-ninja, I need to hire you to plan my Bingo reading for me for next year. :lol: I was seriously thinking I probably wouldn't even attempt it again. Of course, if you do provide me a list, please do not take offense if I don't end up reading something. I'm very much an on-the-whim reader &, in general, an anti-list person... so if something is on a list, I'm more likely to ignore it than do it. Does that mean I'm a list curmudgeon? I've always lumped Russia into three categories: Eastern European (the area which is most populated), Asian (everything else), & itself. Lol. Depends on the author & the setting as to which category I'd lump it into. And for her reading rate, I know the answer already. It's a gazillion. A gazillion words per minute. :laugh: Well, you can check out my goodreads shelf. And I'll tell you if I read anything for Bingo that I think you'd like. But no pressure! In case you guys haven't noticed, I love lists. and goals. and plans, and challenges. I'm a dork that way. Hence my frequent use of the :biggrinjester: emoticon on this thread! And I don't think it's so much the reading rate as the sheer number of hours spent doing it - the big beneficiary of my hormone-induced insomnia is that I read 50 more books this year than last. :001_rolleyes: What's really funny is that when I first joined this thread 2 years ago, I saw Eliana's reading list. That woman read 365 books a year, I kid you not. So, my oddly-wired brain took the highest possible number and decided that was average (Lake Wobegone, anyone?) and promptly felt inadequate. I certainly hope my OCD doesn't make anybody else feel uncomfortable - believe me, my friends, I realize that I am far, far from normal. :ph34r: 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Well, you can check out my goodreads shelf. And I'll tell you if I read anything for Bingo that I think you'd like. But no pressure! In case you guys haven't noticed, I love lists. and goals. and plans, and challenges. I'm a dork that way. Hence my frequent use of the :biggrinjester: emoticon on this thread! And I don't think it's so much the reading rate as the sheer number of hours spent doing it - the big beneficiary of my hormone-induced insomnia is that I read 50 more books this year than last. :001_rolleyes: What's really funny is that when I first joined this thread 2 years ago, I saw Eliana's reading list. That woman read 365 books a year, I kid you not. So, my oddly-wired brain took the highest possible number and decided that was average (Lake Wobegone, anyone?) and promptly felt inadequate. I certainly hope my OCD doesn't make anybody else feel uncomfortable - believe me, my friends, I realize that I am far, far from normal. :ph34r: I think what you have achieved is awesome. And, I think what every single one of us on this thread achieves is awesome -- big numbers or small numbers, weighty reading or fluff, fiction or non-fiction. We've got an amazingly varied & supportive group that is stronger, better, & just plain amazing exactly because of the variety! I'm good w/ your OCD (though now I'm questioning your math skills if you consider 365 books a year average)! I just hope you don't mind me joking w/ you about it! ;) :lol: 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I just finished Sarah MacLean's historical romance A Scot in the Dark which I enjoyed. It's part of a series, but it can stand alone. (Some adult content) "Lonesome Lily turned Scandalous Siren Miss Lillian Hargrove has lived much of her life alone in a gilded cage, longing for love and companionship. When an artist offers her pretty promises and begs her to pose for a scandalous portrait, Lily doesn’t hesitate . . . until the lying libertine leaves her in disgrace. With the painting now public, Lily has no choice but to turn to the one man who might save her from ruin. Highland Devil turned Halfhearted Duke The Duke of Warnick loathes all things English, none more so than the aristocracy. It does not matter that the imposing Scotsman has inherited one of the most venerable dukedoms in Britain—he wants nothing to do with it, especially when he discovers that the unwanted title comes with a troublesome ward, one who is far too old and far too beautiful to be his problem. Tartan Comes to Town Warnick arrives in London with a single goal: get the chit married and see her become someone else’s problem, then return to a normal, quiet life in Scotland. It’s the perfect plan, until Lily declares she’ll only marry for love . . . and the Scot finds that there is one thing in England he likes far too much . . ." Regards,Kareni 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Anyone else up for reading The Razor's Edge in 2017? If yes, perhaps you might want to suggest a month for doing so. I know that it will take less than a month to read but this gives us the opportunity to discuss the book in sections if we are so inclined. Yes, me! That was one of my husband's favorite books that he read while in college and sadly, I have never bothered to read it. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Since dd had to do one extra semester of college, we are cash-strapped this Christmas. Today I spent a lovely hour at my library shopping in their Friends of the Library bookstore. All books are $1-$2 and the lady who stocks it is super picky. All the books are in brand new condition. I spent $20 and was able to find something for everyone. I'm thinking of doing big gift baskets for everyone with books and hot chocolate, etc. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Since dd had to do one extra semester of college, we are cash-strapped this Christmas. Today I spent a lovely hour at my library shopping in their Friends of the Library bookstore. All books are $1-$2 and the lady who stocks it is super picky. All the books are in brand new condition. I spent $20 and was able to find something for everyone. I'm thinking of doing big gift baskets for everyone with books and hot chocolate, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 ... Today I spent a lovely hour at my library shopping in their Friends of the Library bookstore. All books are $1-$2 and the lady who stocks it is super picky. All the books are in brand new condition. I spent $20 and was able to find something for everyone. I'm thinking of doing big gift baskets for everyone with books and hot chocolate, etc. Those sound like wonderful gift baskets! I hope your family will be delighted with your finds. I'll admit that my Secret Santa recipient will be (is?) the beneficiary of a great sale at my Friends of the Library book store as well as a 50% sale at a local thrift store. I'm fortunate to live in an area with some great resources for used books. Regards, Kareni 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Sandy - I'm in for the Marikuami read along. He's not my favorite but it's like the old saying, "If all your friends are going to read Murakami, would you jump off the bridge too?" Maybe I took some liberties with the old saying but I'm pretty sure it went something like that! Anyone else up for reading The Razor's Edge in 2017? If yes, perhaps you might want to suggest a month for doing so. I know that it will take less than a month to read but this gives us the opportunity to discuss the book in sections if we are so inclined. I'm in! Since dd had to do one extra semester of college, we are cash-strapped this Christmas. Today I spent a lovely hour at my library shopping in their Friends of the Library bookstore. All books are $1-$2 and the lady who stocks it is super picky. All the books are in brand new condition. I spent $20 and was able to find something for everyone. I'm thinking of doing big gift baskets for everyone with books and hot chocolate, etc. That sounds lovely. I like that books get a second chance at being loved. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 23, 2016 Author Share Posted December 23, 2016 Swallows and Amazons? It's been on my to-read list forever and I have a vague memory of someone saying that it was all about sailing. Sailing on a lake could be considered seaworthy. You'll notice I left it deliberately vague. Waterworthy doesn't sound as good as seaworthy. :) Russia counts as Eastern Europe, right? Sounds like a plan if everyone is OK with me leading the discussion. Yes it does in my book although I tend to think of Russian lit as a larger than life entity onto itself. And while many readers are familiar with Russian classics, they are less familiar with writers from "the other Europe". But if this is a Bingo question, I defer to the Bingo Overlord. Yes Jane, that would be more than okay. Russia is considered Eastern European. I'll think I'll break it up a bit with eastern European authors in May and Russia again in October since it's the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. Apropos to mix Russia with banned books. We can put Scandinavian authors in March and make it mystery March. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 (edited) Second-hand books are awesome. In fact, my family had a huge laugh tonight reading through a book my sister got for a friend of ours. He loves cars. The book Crap Cars is absolutely hilarious. The commentary is written by a guy who writes for Top Gear. If you have a car-lover on your gift list, this would be a definite hit. My favorite page was the description of the Suzuki Samurai. A visual feast of fifty of the most craptastic cars ever to hit the American highway. Crap Cars is a window into the vanity and silliness of almost any decade as expressed through that ultimate of status symbols: your car. Traveling from the '60s to the '90s, it showcases the cheapest, the tackiest, and the mechanically inept, including cars made by companies like Porsche and BMW that put them to shame. There's also the blobby Merkur Scorpio, the ungainly Rolls-Royce Camargue, the squarish Maserati Biturbo, and the (ironically) flammable Renault Fuego. Each photo spread is accompanied by a short, hilarious critique by Richard Porter, a crap car expert, who sees straight through all the pimped-out bodywork to the true lemon that lies underneath. Crap Cars is the perfect gift for anyone who loves cars or the casualties of bad taste, or for that special someone who misses their own beloved, long-gone piece of crap. So, by the time our friend gets the book, it'll be something like 14th-hand because we've all been reading it & laughing hysterically. Edited December 23, 2016 by Stacia 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Ethel :grouphug: Russia counts as Eastern Europe, right? Russia is considered Eastern European. I was going to ask that same question. Russia has always seemed like it fits in several continent categories. Also - the best seller in spouse or children's birth year - how is best seller defined? Does it count as long as it was on any best seller list somewhere? I FINALLY finished When Christ and His Saints Slept. While I did like it, I didn't love it like The Sunne in Splendor. Anyway, once I finished I was able to turn the wifi on my Kindle on. :lol: Currently reading - -Cotillion, Georgette Heyer -Voices - the 3rd Inspector Erlendur book. It has a Christmas theme. It won't be a happy Christmas story since Nordic crime fiction is always dark but it's still Christmas. I didn't choose it for that reason - I just happen to be on that one in the series and the timing was a coincidence. -Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, Trevor Noah - Very interesting. I thought I knew a good deal about apartheid but hearing it from someone who lived it is eye opening. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I just finished Jennifer Ashley's paranormal romance Guardian's Mate (A Shifter's Unbound Novel) which I enjoyed. (Some adult content). "She wasn’t ready to lead... Chosen as the Guardian of her Montana Shiftertown, wolf Shifter Rae Lyall is facing opposition—for no woman has ever been selected for this powerful position. Still adjusting to the new authority thrust upon her, Rae travels to train with Zander Moncrieff, a Shifter healer, tasked with teaching her about her new role and its responsibilities. He wasn’t ready to love... A polar bear Shifter, Zander wears no Collar and follows no rules but his own. Rae finds him arrogant and demanding, yet compelling and intriguing. Zander has no wish to mate but the sassy Guardian is drawing him out of his shell, stirring feelings long suppressed. And when a new threat looms over Rae’s home, she and Zander must race to the rescue, forced closer to danger...and to each other." Regards, Kareni 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Nyssa Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Just finished Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. (I read it because it was referred to in Madwoman in the Attic, which I heard about here!) Super, super wonderful book. About a mysterious woman- suspenseful as the author waits and waits to reveal the mystery to you... The story of a loving idealistic girl who falls in love and marries. Not to give it away too much, but this is the best fictional portrayal of a troubled marriage that I have ever read... and I wonder how on earth Anne knew so much about it. Wonderfully done. I really don't like her sisters' work at all- can't stand Wuthering Heights, and don't like Jane Eyre (i dislike reading about a crazy hidden wife, due to sad family history) :(But Anne is in an entirely different category: there is so much light, and apt, specific description, that I was really surprised! On the other hand, the connection with Madwoman in the Attic was that the main character is a painter, who has to disguise her work-- I wish that The Tenant had had more about her art. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 (edited) There is nuance in The Whispering Muse that I think I missed due to my own ignorance in the Classics. Nonetheless the quirkiness of the tale is fun. That said, I am asking my son to give Sjon's book to his friend who is a PhD student in Classics. I have a feeling that he may be amused--or even find this useful to have in his collection. Thanks Stacia! Speaking of quirky...Is anyone familiar with Chilean writer Alejandro Zambra? His book My Documents was met by critical acclaim last year. I saw Multiple Choice on the library shelf and had to borrow it. The book is styled after the Chilean standardized university exam except each question here forms a poem or short story. Very clever and very thought provoking. Crstarlette--I have a feeling you might like this. Now to sing the praises of Barnes and Noble. I order the Flow paper book for myself for Christmas. Last week I was warned that the delivery date was changed. Yesterday they sent me an apology and a ten dollar gift card since there is a second delay which will probably move shipping until after Christmas. Fortunately I am not heartbroken by the delay so the $10 gift is a nice surprise! Edited December 23, 2016 by Jane in NC 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 (edited) Speaking of quirky...Is anyone familiar with Chilean writer Alejandro Zambra? His book My Documents was met by critical acclaim last year. I saw Multiple Choice on the library shelf and had to borrow it. The book is styled after the Chilean standardized university exam except each question here forms a poem or short story. Very clever and very thought provoking. Crstarlette--I have a feeling you might like this. Now to sing the praises of Barnes and Noble. I order the Flow paper book for myself for Christmas. Last week I was warned that the delivery date was changed. Yesterday they sent me an apology and a ten dollar gift card since there is a second delay which will probably move shipping until after Christmas. Fortunately I am not heartbroken by the delay so the $10 gift is a nice surprise! I read one page of Multiple Choice and didn't like it - can't remember why - so I put it back on the library shelf, but maybe I'll check it out and give it more of a chance. I didn't realize there were stories, too, and getting it from the library won't cost me anything. I wanted to buy the Flow Book for Paper Lovers from the local B&N if I could, since I needed to ship my SIL's gift to her and I didn't know if I could get it to her in time if I had to wait for B&N to ship the book to me. I called and asked if they would get it in on the 13th, when it was supposed to become available online, and they said they never knew what they would be getting in the magazine section. So I waited and went to the store, and they did not have it. Then I discovered they had sold out online before the release date. Well, I got us each the Flow Book of Posters & Cards instead. I'll be keeping my eye on the B&N site to see if the bigger book ever becomes available there, but if not, I'm pretty satisfied anyway. Thanks for mentioning these on the thread! Stacia - Thank you for your list of female adventure books. Many good options there. Edited December 23, 2016 by crstarlette 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I read one page of Multiple Choice and didn't like it - can't remember why - so I put it back on the library shelf, but maybe I'll check it out and give it more of a chance. I didn't realize there were stories, too, and getting it from the library won't cost me anything. I wanted to buy the Flow Book for Paper Lovers from the local B&N if I could, since I needed to ship my SIL's gift to her and I didn't know if I could get it to her in time if I had to wait for B&N to ship the book to me. I called and asked if they would get it in on the 13th, when it was supposed to become available online, and they said they never knew what they would be getting in the magazine section. So I waited and went to the store, and they did not have it. Then I discovered they had sold out online before the release date. Well, I got us each the Flow Book of Posters & Cards instead. I'll be keeping my eye on the B&N site to see if the bigger book ever becomes available there, but if not, I'm pretty satisfied anyway. Thanks for mentioning these on the thread! Stacia - Thank you for your list of female adventure books. Many good options there. Warning: Multiple Choice does not contain stories per se. The sentence elimination and reading comprehension test questions essentially form stories within themselves. One definitely has to be in the mood for this book. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Question for Rose, Mom-ninja, and others who plan your BaW bingo - How do you find books in the categories you don't normally read? A search on Goodreads? A general web search? 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 (edited) I went through my stacks of thrift store finds to see what I want to read that matches any Bingo squares. So far: Sci-Fi: The Visitors by Cliffird Simak Dystopian: Utopias, a collection of stories by writers that appeared in Asimov's magazine. Translated: Our Ancestors by Italo Calvino Prime number: The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson One word: Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin Short Stories: The Country of Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett Female Adventure: The Fun Of It by Amelia Earhart Steampunk: Mechanique by Genevieve Valentine I've got lots of mysteries and classics to choose from, so those will be subject to whim. The western is the one for which I haven't got a clue. Any suggestions? Edited December 23, 2016 by Onceuponatime 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I went through my stacks of thrift store finds to see what I want to read that matches any Bingo squares. So far: Sci-Fi: The Visitors by Cliffird Simak Dystopian: Utopias, a collection of stories by writers that appeared in Asimov's magazine. Translated: Our Ancestors by Italo Calvino Prime number: The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson One word: Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin Short Stories: The Country of Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett Female Adventure: The Fun Of It by Amelia Earhart Steampunk: Mechanique by Genevieve Valentine I've got lots of mysteries and classics to choose from, so those will be subject to whim. The western is the one for which I haven't got a clue. Any suggestions? For Westerns, Lonesome Dove? I like the book, but it's really thick. Cormac McCarthy is a neo-Western writer, brutal but beautiful writing. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I went through my stacks of thrift store finds to see what I want to read that matches any Bingo squares. So far: Sci-Fi: The Visitors by Cliffird Simak Dystopian: Utopias, a collection of stories by writers that appeared in Asimov's magazine. Translated: Our Ancestors by Italo Calvino Prime number: The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson One word: Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin Short Stories: The Country of Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett Female Adventure: The Fun Of It by Amelia Earhart Steampunk: Mechanique by Genevieve Valentine I've got lots of mysteries and classics to choose from, so those will be subject to whim. The western is the one for which I haven't got a clue. Any suggestions? For Westerns, Lonesome Dove? I like the book, but it's really thick. Cormac McCarthy is a neo-Western writer, brutal but beautiful writing. Those were the two that came to mind for me, too. I'm going to try Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I highly recommend No Country for Old Men if you haven't read it. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Question for Rose, Mom-ninja, and others who plan your BaW bingo - How do you find books in the categories you don't normally read? A search on Goodreads? A general web search? Yep, either a search of goodreads (genre) or just a google search, which leads to goodreads pages, among others. On the general search, I'll look for postings like "10 must-read Steampunk novels" or something like that, so I don't just get a massive list. I want somebody who knows more to have filtered through and picked the "best of" for me! This is how I found my picks for a specific year, for Steampunk, for Number in the Title, for Name in the Title, for Western (Cormac McCarthy, duh! who was already on my TR list, but I didn't make the connection to the Bingo category) and a few others. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Stacia recommended a great Western a few years ago:The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt. It is a goodie. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Stacia recommended a great Western a few years ago:The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt. It is a goodie. I remember the cover! :) :lol: Sounds like my choice has been made. I found this review https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jul/15/sisters-brothers-patrick-dewitt-review. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 (edited) I've got lots of mysteries and classics to choose from, so those will be subject to whim. The western is the one for which I haven't got a clue. Any suggestions? I won't have any trouble finding a mystery, translated book, over 500 pages, and a classic. Lonesome Dove and almost anything by Cormac McCarthy usually comes up when talking about westerns (as they did here on this thread), but I've been meaning to read True Grit for some time now. That will probably be my western. ETA: I'm saving my 2016 bingo prize for 2017 - It will be my middle ages book. Edited December 23, 2016 by Lady Florida. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastweedpuller Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I remember a while back (way pre-BaW) I decided to read a western. I settled on Hondo. Yee-haw! it was a bodice-ripper For Sure! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I just learned this morning that a local-ish used book store specializing in romance that I typically visit once or twice a year has closed. Boo Boo. Along with the store went my $200 in store credit. Double boo boo. A nearer used book store is also closing in a few months; fortunately, I was able to spend my store credit there before it expired at the end of this year. The closure of book stores saddens me. ** Any of you read The Bobbsey Twins when you were growing up? You can see some free Kindle versions here; there are a few more free copies on the next page, too. Regards, Kareni 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Yep, just was popping in to recommend No Country for Old Men, as well as The Sisters Brothers, but I see they have already been mentioned. Both are excellent. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I just learned this morning that a local-ish used book store specializing in romance that I typically visit once or twice a year has closed. Boo Boo. Along with the store went my $200 in store credit. Double boo boo. Regards, Kareni Oh no! That must sting. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Any of you read The Bobbsey Twins when you were growing up? You can see some free Kindle versions here; there are a few more free copies on the next page, too. Oh, my gosh, I love you! I read all of my mom's old Bobbsey Twins books when I was a kid. Yesterday I moved a bookshelf from the dining room to the living room and the remaining BT books were on that shelf (I read some of them so often they eventually fell apart). This morning as I was moving those books to the living room, I thought it would be nice to get some BT books on Kindle. Thank you! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Finished up The Novel Habits of Happiness in the early hours this morning as the rain came down in buckets. Like the nine preceding books in the series not a lot happened and yet it still managed to hold my interest. But that's about my pace these days :lol: Thinking I'll read The Alphabet of Thorne next but these days my reading depends on my mood which is as mutable as the tides so that choice is not set in stone. I've already got a list of definite tbrs for 2017 and I'm hoping to get to all of them. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 My husband gave me a Kindle Oasis for Christmas! I went back and forth trying to decide between the Oasis and the Voyage, but, ultimately, I was swayed by the reviews that said if you are a heavy reader (100+ books/year) go for the Oasis. It arrived today. The difference between the Oasis and the Keyboard is amazing. I've loved my Kindle Keyboard. I've probably read at least 500 books on it. I hope the Oasis serves me just as well. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Finished another Trollope, The American Senator. An entertaining anti-heroine, Arabella Trefoil, who gets Trollope's usual humane treatment and satisfying fate. Hoping to finish the last of the early Christian apocryphal writings from Quasten's Patrology by the end of the year, so I can round them all up and count them as a book. They make for a fun change of pace as Christmas reading. I've just started The Arabic History of Joseph, the Carpenter, from around 4th- or 5th-century Egypt. It's interesting to learn that there was a very strong devotion to St. Joseph in Christian northern Africa - I knew that Augustine had a Christmas sermon on the true paternity of Joseph, but didn't know it was a feature of his region - because medieval Western Europe was often uncomfortable with Joseph, seeing him as a faintly comic, quasi-cuckold, and so his popularity came about much later in the west. Kathy, I was thinking of True Grit also; the thing is, it's also a bestseller published in dh's birth year, so I'd been planning to use it for that. But I think I have an alternate choice for Western around here somewhere. Robin - is there an official definition for Flufferton and Steampunk? 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 (edited) My husband gave me a Kindle Oasis for Christmas! :party: I wish you many happy hours of reading with your new Kindle. I've got a few books in mind for BINGO. Prime number: Eleven Hours by Pamela Erens Eastern Europe: I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal (which is about Czechoslovakia, not England, at least according to the description) Best Seller in Child's Birth Year - The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold Name in Title (middle name - Marie) The Lais of Marie de France Western - The Hawkline Monster by Richard Brautigan (or maybe The Sisters Brothers since I think I already have that one on my Kindle and so many here might be reading it) Dystopian - The Road by Cormac McCarthy Outer Space - The Martian by Andy Weir Finance - Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel by Tom Wainwright One Word Title - Sphinx by Anne Garreta Debut Author - The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden Any or all of which may change, of course. Edited December 24, 2016 by crstarlette 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 I went through my stacks of thrift store finds to see what I want to read that matches any Bingo squares. So far: Sci-Fi: The Visitors by Cliffird Simak Dystopian: Utopias, a collection of stories by writers that appeared in Asimov's magazine. Translated: Our Ancestors by Italo Calvino Prime number: The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson One word: Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin Short Stories: The Country of Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett Female Adventure: The Fun Of It by Amelia Earhart Steampunk: Mechanique by Genevieve Valentine I've got lots of mysteries and classics to choose from, so those will be subject to whim. The western is the one for which I haven't got a clue. Any suggestions? For a western, I second Louis L'Amour. I received your package today which made me day. Did you do the embroidery? Thank you so much, Angela! Finished another Trollope, The American Senator. An entertaining anti-heroine, Arabella Trefoil, who gets Trollope's usual humane treatment and satisfying fate. Hoping to finish the last of the early Christian apocryphal writings from Quasten's Patrology by the end of the year, so I can round them all up and count them as a book. They make for a fun change of pace as Christmas reading. I've just started The Arabic History of Joseph, the Carpenter, from around 4th- or 5th-century Egypt. It's interesting to learn that there was a very strong devotion to St. Joseph in Christian northern Africa - I knew that Augustine had a Christmas sermon on the true paternity of Joseph, but didn't know it was a feature of his region - because medieval Western Europe was often uncomfortable with Joseph, seeing him as a faintly comic, quasi-cuckold, and so his popularity came about much later in the west. Kathy, I was thinking of True Grit also; the thing is, it's also a bestseller published in dh's birth year, so I'd been planning to use it for that. But I think I have an alternate choice for Western around here somewhere. Robin - is there an official definition for Flufferton and Steampunk? No official definitions for any of the squares since I figured leaving it vague will leave open for more choices. You all are making this Bingo too easy. :toetap05: Maybe I should make you spell out your name. A title for each letter. Hmmm! I do appreciate your enthusiasm! Now let's see what you do with the birthstone bookology. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Yes, I did. â˜ºï¸ 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 Yes, I did. â˜ºï¸ Beautiful! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 (edited) Dh tells me I should read Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy for Steampunk, and a Wodehouse Psmith novel for Flufferton. If I make Wee Girl's next read-aloud Lang's Violet Fairy Book, I'll count that for name in title. The reading level of Lang is challenging enough for WG that I'm content to count it as YA fiction. Andy Adams' The Log of a Cowboy for my western ... and I have no idea at all what to do for dystopian, sf, mystery, or finance. ETA: After poking around my TBR pile(s), dh suggests Butler's Erewhon for dystopia, and Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism for finance. Edited December 24, 2016 by Violet Crown 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 ... - is there an official definition for Flufferton ...? Flufferton, to my mind, is in the eye of the beholder. I suspect that your idea of Flufferton and mine might be worlds apart. VC's usual read (something from the 3rd-6th century AD) VC's Flufferton (something from the 19th century) Regards, Kareni 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 Here's what I've come up for 2017 so far and will work on it some more next week. All the stones lead back to ancients and middle ages so lots of opportunity for books during that time period. Plus if look at where they are found on map, more opportunity for translated books. Let me know if you have any additions or suggestions or alternates. Jubilant January: Garnet / Ancients / Haruki Murakami Festive February: Amethyst / Literary Women's Festival Mystery March: Aquamarine / Scandinavian authors Artistic April: Diamond / National Poetry Month / Somerset Maughan Razer’s Edge Eastward May - Emerald / Eastern European authors Fanciful June: Pearl / 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter Scifi July: Ruby / Science Fiction / Author Flavor ??? Adventurous August: Sardonyx / Dorothy Dunnett Stifled September: sapphire / Banned Books / Spooky and Spectacular October: Opal / 100th Anniversary Russian Revolution? Russian reads or prefer something different Nonfiction November: Topaz / Non Fiction Decidedly December: - Turquoise / Winter / Author flavor? 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.