Robin M Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 (edited) Merry Christmas and Happy Sunday dear hearts! We've reached the end of our reading adventures for this year. However our mind journey isn't over as we've just come full circle and will be shooting around the moon and sling shooting back to earth, ready to dive in once again in 2017. 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 - 2016 It's a Wrap: Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! Our reading year is once again drawing to a close. I'm happy to say this year is ending with much gratitude and grace and I am looking forward with optimism to many new adventures in 2017. We sailed the waterways of the world, dropping into different ports of call east and west of the Prime Meridian, then jumped off ship to explore North and South America. Many of you chose to chart your own course and followed a variety of rabbit trails. Where did your reading take you this year? How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? Or did you get caught up in reading and forget to keep track like me? *grin* What countries and time periods did you visit? What were your most favorite stories? Any stories that stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needed to digest for a while before starting another? Which books became comfort reads. What is the one book or the one author you thought you'd never read and found yourself pleasantly surprised that you liked it? Did you read any books that touched you and made you laugh, cry, sing or dance. Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? Please share a favorite cover or quote. Congratulations on completing another reading year and thank you to all who followed our reading journeys. Reading to me is as necessary as breathing and it is also comforting. It is an escape from the real world. I get rather crotchety without my books. How about you? I really appreciate you sharing your reading journeys with me. Thank you to all who have joined in and all who have followed our progress,participating vicariously. No matter what we read, whether it's fiction or nonfiction, literary or contemporary, historical or futuristic, a chunky book or a cozy, the most important thing is the reading. I hope you had fun too as you followed your own reading paths and enjoyed your bookish journeys. I look forward to 2017 and sharing another reading year with all of you. Best wishes for a happy, adventurous, reading New Year! ********************************************************************** Just in case you haven't finished yet? :laugh: History of the Renaissance World - Chapters 93 and 94 ******************************************************************** :wub: and :grouphug: :party: Link to week 51 Edited December 25, 2016 by Robin M 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 25, 2016 Author Share Posted December 25, 2016 Merry Christmas, my dears. I'm currently reading The Light Beyond Oceans by M.L.Stedman. My Christmas haul included Dorothy Dunnett's Niccolo Rising, Murakimi's Norwegian Wood, Genevieve Cogman's Invisible LIbrary, Cixin Liu's The Three Body Problem, as well as James Rollin's newest Seventh Plague and Steve Berry's Venetian Betrayal. Hubby's pile turned into a theme about presidents with Bauer's Art of the Public Grovel, Trump's Art of the Deal, Evan Thomas's Being Nixon: A Man Divided and another about Ike from my sister. James is ecstatic with Luceno's Star War's Catalyst: A rogue one novel as well as ds and wii u games. We'll be busy reading for a while 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all. I have a busy day today, but I wanted to say thank you, Robin, for all the work you do to keep this thread interesting and lively. Many thanks to the boardies who share their reads each week. I'm grateful to have a space to share the love of reading. I'll try to attach my book photo. I received an Amazon gift card and I spent the bulk of it on short story anthologies. Thank you to my secret Santa Stacia for my book. I waited until Christmas to open it! 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Kareni sent a mother lode of books including mysteries, travel essays, and various things Icelandic. Wow! I suspect that this will be the gift that keeps on giving as some of these volumes will be passed on to fellow BaWers for their enjoyment. Thanks Kareni! The photo also includes books from my husband and a two player game that The Boy gave me: Patchwork. Simple rules, interesting problem solving. And a jar of peach/bourbon jam appropriately named Floozie. Think my niece was telling me something? 23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 (edited) This is the end of my 2nd full year with BaW, and I'm so grateful to have found you all - you brighten my days and weeks. I wish each and every one of you a very Happy New Year! Where did your reading take you this year? How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? Or did you get caught up in reading and forget to keep track like me? *grin* I finished 242 books, from shorties like A Child's Christmas in Wales to chunksters like The Sunne in Splendor. This beat my goal for the year of 200 and last year's count of 190. What countries and time periods did you visit? In time, I went from the Ancients - Epic of Gilgamesh & The Odyssey - to the future (Last Policeman Trilogy) both in our world and in alien worlds. I read books by authors from or set in the 6 inhabited continents, and Oceania (Simon Winchester's Pacific,The Sex Lives of Cannibals, and The Plover) What were your most favorite stories? Any stories that stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needed to digest for a while before starting another? Which books became comfort reads. Homegoing has really stuck with me, and has inspired me to read more books from African writers or about the African and African American experience. Other favorite reads of the year include The Plover, Stoner, and No Country for Old Men. I re-read a few much-loved favorites - Frankenstein, The Age of Innocence, Our Town, The Great Gatsby I revisted a few Georgette Heyer books and plan to continue doing so - those are definite comfort reads for me! What is the one book or the one author you thought you'd never read and found yourself pleasantly surprised that you liked it? I read The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner and liked them better than I expected to. The only Faulkner I'd read in the past was Light in August, which I didn't care for. Did you read any books that touched you and made you laugh, cry, sing or dance. The Age of Innocence always makes me cry. Sunne in Splendor had me crying for the last 100 pages! Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? I really hated Of Love and Other Demons and was exasperated by Moby-Dick. I do not feel the love! I abandoned quite a few books, but out of failure to have my interest grabbed or held rather than hatred. Please share a favorite cover or quote. By far the favorite quote of the year is the Gabriel Garcia Marquez quote I have in my siggy. My female:male ratio is 82:160, or 34% female, which is about the same as last year. This isn't something I consciously direct, but I am always interested. 25% of my books were nonfiction, so definitely more fiction read this year. Many more plays than ever before. It has been a great reading year, and I'm looking forward to 2017! Edited December 25, 2016 by Chrysalis Academy 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Merry Christmas! I think I had the best Christmas ever this year (aside from being a little sick). I got an Instant Pot, a Kindle Oasis, the most amazing purse that fits my Oasis and phone absolutely perfectly, and purple slippers (which won't arrive until Friday). And my oldest son gave me Christmas in a nutshell which is a baby Jesus in a half walnut shell. I'm still giggling over that one. Just a perfect Christmas. Where did your reading take you this year? I did a lot of Britain this year. I found a couple amazing authors (self-published). I entered Narnia (for the first time) and Oz (for the first time beyond The Wonderful Wizard). I went to ancient Greece. And I discovered Cozy Mysteries to be a lovely and fun mind vacation to go on on occasion. How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? I am at 128 books. I should finish another two or three this week. I don't set specific goals anymore, really. Mostly just to read at least two books a week on average and I easily beat that. I beat my previous record of 126 books, but not page count. What countries and time periods did you visit? Ancient Greece and Britain from Roman times through Middle Ages mostly. This was not planned. It just happened. What were your most favorite stories? Any stories that stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needed to digest for a while before starting another? Which books became comfort reads? My favorite stories were the young adult dystopian ones. I didn't realize just how much I enjoy that genre. The Breadwinner series stayed with me. They changed me, really. I am much more inclined to help people in any way I can. I've become determined that even though fixing everything is literally impossible, I can find the Starfish in need and help them. Spending time digesting that series really made me look for opportunities to help. Also, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I really have never even considered what it is like and the issues surrounding Native Americans living on reservations. I'm still mulling that one over, actually. I think both that book and the Breadwinner series have helped me to become a kinder, more compassionate person. The Deltora Quest series became comfort reads. I read them to my older children several years ago. I read them to myself 5 or 6 years ago. I read them to my little boys this year. They are like visiting a friend I've missed, but didn't quite realize I did, every time. What is the one book or the one author you thought you'd never read and found yourself pleasantly surprised that you liked it? The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I've heard lots of negative stuff about it so I have avoided it. It was a Kindle Deal of the Day so I decided for two bucks I could see what the fuss is about myself. The negativity really misses the point. Completely. I'm glad I read it. Did you read any books that touched you and made you laugh, cry, sing or dance? The Fifth Floor made me sad, but hopeful at the same time. It made me dance because the author was amazing and when a self-published author is that good, it's like the angels are singing in the background while you read. All the Tony James Slater books I read made me laugh. A lot. Out loud. The Breadwinner series made me cry at various points. Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? Coffee, Tea or Me made me want to toss it across the room for lack of the Oxford comma in the title. Please Don't Tell My Parents I Blew Up the Moon and Please Don't Tell My Parents I've Got Henchmen made me want to toss them across the room because they were so, so bad after the first book in the series, Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain, was so incredibly good. Please share a favorite cover or quote. "A gal can cope with anything when her shoes match her bra." ~A Trifle Dead "She's homeschooled because she can't pass for human." ~Please Don't Tell My Parents I've Got Henchmen "__________, __________, and __________ __________ __________! __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________. And before we knew it, we were on the plane home." ~Can I Kiss Her Yet? (This is from the chapter about their honeymoon. Tony said he actually wrote words in those blanks and made it as incredibly boring as he possibly could.) "She would have despised the modern idea of women being equal to men. Equal, indeed! she knew they were superior." ~Cranford 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 I've got another to add: Lab Girl, by Hope Jahren. I listened to the audio book, read by the author. I loved it, and it moved me, and it made me cry. It's a memoir about being a scientist, being a woman, being a friend, being a mother, being someone with a mental illness. Someone I'd love to sit down with and have a long conversation. What a lovely and inspiring book, highly recommended. The audio book is especially recommended in this case - she's a fantastic reader and the emotion she brings to the story, at some points, adds so much to the appreciation while reading it. Definitely a top book of 2016. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Merry Christmas all who celebrate! Lots of grateful hugs for the good company and support this year, Nan PS Jenn, middle one was very excited about Hush. First he said oh cool (you have to imagine the excited tone of voice) and started explaining it to us, and then when he found the inscription, there were lots of no ways. He says thank you so much. I thank you too. It was a big hit! 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 I am going to wait a few more days to do my summary because I have at least one book in progress that will probably go in my summary. :) Basically I am marking the thread so am about to make an incredibly boring post. Today was good. Very quiet but good. Between a friend's flu and our ringer's lack of enthusiasm (serious issues) for providing Christmas carols from the bell tower to the village we have spent way more just family time together this Christmas. I took it easy on meals and just cooked exactly what everyone really wanted so it's been a simple day compared to years past. Different, we had chocolate fudge for dessert.....yes fudge, not fudge cake, plain fudge! The friends we saw tonight want the fudge recipe.....had never heard of marshmallows in fudge and are rather desperate to try my easy recipe. Christmas books, I didn't do pictures and they are now put away so... The most popular books under the tree seem to be some used Dungeons and Dragons manuals the dh spotted somewhere for ds. It's been years since he was obsessed with d and d but was really excited with those books..... Dd is busy with her Star Wars pattern book. I think she is crocheting Yoda first. All the main characters are in the book. She plans to make them all! She has a new kindle and has fortified it with lots Sherlock Holmes. I now own my favourite quilt book. ;) dh received a big hint regarding that one. I've had it checked out of the library for much of the past year and am tired of taking it in when the online renewal periods end. I hope everyone has a lovely day! Merry Christmas! 23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 (edited) I read 70 books this year, but actually 72 if you count the picture books I read for Banned Books week. :lol: Overall, that is a similar number to my previous few years. Not sure if I will read any more this year or if my next ones will be clocking in for 2017 instead. Much of my reading was centered in Europe & North America, a bit less so in Africa, & even less in other areas of the world. I read many wonderful books this year. Some stand-outs &/or favorites in fiction were: What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi Sergio Y. by Alexandre Vidal Porto Tail of the Blue Bird by Nii Ayikwei Parkes The Plover by Brian Doyle We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson The Elementals by Michael McDowell Uprooted by Naomi Novik Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan And in non-fiction: The Beast by Oscar Martinez Narconomics by Tom Wainwright West with the Night by Beryl Markham I'm really glad I read Richard Brautigan (Trout Fishing in America/The Pill versus the Springhill Mine Disaster/In Watermelon Sugar). I read him for the birth year challenge & found I quite enjoyed his very quirky, surreal, Americana-style writing. Some favorite quotes: “Those who want peace must open their mouths wider than others. Peace is a basic human right, and as long as wars are still being waged around the world, we cannot in good conscience count ourselves to be worthy members of the highly civilized species Homo sapiens. We should set ourselves the goal of establishing specific peace zones, and expanding and extending them over the whole world.†― Jón Gnarr, Gnarr: How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World “I had no idea what a mayor actually did. We'd had mayors who were mentally unstable and others who were alcoholics. I was neither.†― Jón Gnarr, Gnarr: How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World “Kayo leaned forward now, closing the distance between himself and the hunter. His mind was racing. 'So, the story you just told us. Is it true? Is that the story of Kofi Atta?' The hunter sighed. 'That may be your story. I am not the one to tell you what is true. I am telling you a story. On this earth, we have to choose the story we tell, because it affects us - it affects how we live.†― Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Tail of the Blue Bird “Many manage to improve on the first drafts of the lives they are given. But for that they need the courage to jump off a diving board fifty meters high, blindfolded, not knowing if it is water or asphalt that awaits them below.†― Alexandre Vidal Porto, Sergio Y. “What the slave wants but can never have is not only freedom from the chains but also from their memory.†― Ben H. Winters, Underground Airlines “You have a fine scholar's way with words, I must say. You're good at empty reasoning.†― Natsume Soseki, Kokoro Edited December 25, 2016 by Stacia 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 I love reading along with all your reading adventures. These years are mostly fluffy stuff for me, I think by the times I'm done with all the little kid needs there's not much left for books. The last little while I've been reading and enjoying Alexander McCall Smith - these definitely make me laugh and cry a little at times. They also have a lot of wisdom and quotable quotes. The book I didn't expect to enjoy but did ... Well I have started Moby Dick before and never finished it. I had it on audio book this time and it was really well narrated so I was actually enjoying It. But apparently my kids weren't so they begged me to turn it off... So I still didn't finish it but I did enjoy what we heard. Currently reading well educated mind so will be starting a project to read my way through these. I have read a fair number of the novels. I've only read one of the autobiographies, so they should keep me busy for a while. I'm also working my way through Home Comforts and alternately enjoying it and thinking - but will this work with our big house and animals and three kids or is it all just too fussy. Also on my "to be read" pile is "the pleasures of reading in the age of distraction" though maybe I will be too distracted to read it! I'd really like to join this thread a little more next year we I love the quiet friendliness you all have. Hopefully it works that way. 23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Where did your reading take you this year? All over in space and time How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? My goal was 60 and I've read 76 so far. I hope to get at least one more finished. What countries and time periods did you visit? Past, present, and future What were your most favorite stories? Any stories that stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needed to digest for a while before starting another? Which books became comfort reads. I loved Gaiman's collection of short stories. I loved Pratchett's collection of short stories. The Golem and the Jinni is a book that I still think about as is Dodger. Pratchett books are comfort reads. What is the one book or the one author you thought you'd never read and found yourself pleasantly surprised that you liked it? The HItchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the sequels Did you read any books that touched you and made you laugh, cry, sing or dance. Heretic Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? Love in the Time of Cholera Please share a favorite cover or quote I put it in my sig 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 2016 Books Read: Africa: We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo, pub. by Reagan Arthur Books/Little, Brown and Company. 2 stars. Zimbabwe. (Child’s-eye view of life in post-colonial Zimbabwe & as a teen immigrant to the US. Choppy & hard to connect with the characters. Disappointed.) [baW Bingo: Female Author] Good Morning Comrades by Ondjaki, trans. from the Portuguese by Stephen Henighan, pub. by Biblioasis. 4 stars. Angola. (Simple & charming child’s-eye view of life in Angola during revolutionary changes & civil war in the 1990s. Semi-autobiographical.) [baW Bingo: Set in Another Country] The Expedition to the Baobab Tree by Wilma Stockenström, trans. from the Afrikaans by J.M. Coetzee, pub. by Archipelago Books. 4 stars. South Africa. (A haunting, stream-of-consciousness story of slavery, survival, solitude, strangeness, & strength. The language is lovely.) [baW Bingo: Translated] West with the Night by Beryl Markham, pub. by North Point Press. 5 stars. Kenya. (Markham’s amazing & wonderful tales of her life growing up in Africa & her adventures as a pilot.) The Stranger by Albert Camus, trans. from the French by Matthew Ward, pub. by Vintage International. 4 stars. Algeria. (Camus’ famous tale, clipped & clinical, about malaise & murder on the beach in Algeria.) [baW Bingo: Nobel Prize Winner] The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud, trans. from the French by John Cullen, pub. by Other Press. 4 stars. Algeria. (Daoud’s rebuttal tale to The Stranger. Breathless [reminiscent of Camus’ narrator in The Fall] story poured out by the murdered man’s brother. Yin & yang to The Stranger – separate, opposite, yet twins too.) Tail of the Blue Bird by Nii Ayikwei Parkes, pub. by Flipped Eye Publishing. 4.5 stars. Ghana (CSI-type criminal investigation mixed with traditional Ghanaian village life & folklore form a unique police tale. Lovely & riveting. Highly recommended.) [baW Bingo: Color in the Title] Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih, trans. from the Arabic by Denys Johnson-Davies, pub. by NYRB. 4 stars. Sudan. (Explores colonialism, mixing & non-mixing of cultures, idea of the “outsiderâ€, & more. Lyrical, bold, & somewhat unexpected.) [Chaos Reading: Book from a country whose literature you’ve never read; also translated from another language] Asia: North to the Orient by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, pub. by Harvest/Harcourt Brace & Co. 3 stars. Various countries. (A.M. Lindbergh served as her husband’s radio operator during their trek to try mapping new air routes to Asia by travelling north. Diary-like observations of some stops.) [baW Bingo: Historical] Smile as they Bow by Nu Nu Yi, trans. from the Burmese by Alfred Birnbaum & Thi Thi Aye, pub. by Hyperion East. 3 stars. Myanmar. (Fiery & feisty natkadaw [spirit wife] Daisy Bond performs during a nat festival while dealing with the wandering heart of his assistant & love Min Min.) [baW Bingo: Banned (in Myanmar)] A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer, pub. by Flatiron Books. 4 stars. North Korea (Fascinating & sometimes depressing look at the cult of personality & power of propaganda & film in North Korea, based around the 1970s kidnappings of two of South Korea's most famous movie personalities.) Harp of Burma by Michio Takeyama, trans. by Howard Hibbett, pub. by Tuttle. 3 stars. Burma [Myanmar]. (Slightly didactic view of a troop of Japanese soldiers & POWs in Burma at the end of WWII. The group is united by music. Probably revolutionary when written in 1946.) The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, pub. by Doubleday. 4 stars. India. (A feminist retelling of parts of the Mahabharata, focusing on the viewpoint of Panchaali throughout her life. Makes me want to know more about the original.) [baW Bingo: Epic] Kokoro by Natsume SÅseki, trans. from the Japanese by Meredith McKinney, pub. by Penguin Books. 4 stars. Japan. (Read because SÅseki [1867-1916] is "being recreated as an android†this year; novel explores mind/emotion shifts between Meiji era into modern era. Low-key, compelling, simple, & straightforward with melancholy overtones. A lovely work.) [baW Bingo: Classic] Rock Paper Tiger by Lisa Brackmann, pub. by Soho Crime. 3 stars. China (Intriguing mix of international/political thriller that paints modern-day China, as well as the after-effects scarring soldiers who served in Iraq.) Rashomon and Other Stories by RyÅ«nosuke Akutagawa, trans. from the Japanese by Takashi Kojima, pub. by Liveright Publishing Corp. 3 stars. Japan (Reminiscent of Aesop but with longer tales, these leave you with food for thought, a trick, or a moral to ponder.) [Chaos Reading: Translated from another language] Snake Agent by Liz Williams, pub. by Night Shade Books. 3 stars. Near-future “Singapore Threeâ€. (A nice mix of crime/fantasy which moves between Earth & Hell; good characters.) Europe: Gnarr! How I Became Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World by Jón Gnarr, trans. by Andrew Brown, pub. by Melville House. 3 stars. Iceland. (A quick, easy, fun, & inspiring read with an emphasis on being nice & promoting peace. Just what I needed this week.) [baW Bingo: Non-fiction] What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi, pub. by Riverhead Books. 5 stars. Various countries. (Exotic, surreal, & magical collection of slightly interlinked short stories. Slightly sinister, fun, compelling, & completely delightful.) [baW Bingo: Fairy Tale Adaptation] A Dark Redemption by Stav Sherez, pub. by Europa editions. 4 stars. England. (Well done gritty crime/thriller, good detective duo, & nice twists involving international politics & African rebel groups. A series I might read more of….) Eleven Days by Stav Sherez, pub. by Europa editions. 4 stars. England. (Same comments as with his first novel – well done gritty crime/thriller, good detective duo, & nice twists involving international politics. Looking forward to future books in the series.) Time and Time Again by Ben Elton, Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press. 3 stars. Various countries. (Time-travel book going back to 1914 to prevent the start of WWI. A bit uneven but quick to read. Thought-provoking ending.) Warlock Holmes: A Study in Brimstone by G.S. Denning, pub. by Titan Books. 4 stars. England. (Delightful & funny -- a smart & amusing twist on Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson. For Sherlock lovers who don't mind a playful retake with supernatural tendencies.) Uprooted by Naomi Novik, pub. by Del Rey/Random House. 5 stars. Unknown; probably eastern European. (Excellent mix of traditional high fantasy, Tolkien-esque touches, & eastern European folklore & fairytales mesh to create something riveting & new. Layered, deep, & well-written. Loved it. Nebula Award winner for Best Novel 2016.) À Rebours (Against Nature) by J.-K. Huysmans, trans. from the French by Robert Baldick, pub. by Penguin Books. 3 stars. France (Decadent look at the inner life of a rich recluse who prefers to exist in an ideal world of his own excessive creation. I’m on the fence…) The Tale of the Unknown Island by José Saramago, trans. from the Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa, pub. by Harcourt Brace & Company. 3 stars. Portugal. (A lyrical little tale, nicely told.) Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, trans. from the original French text by the author, pub. by Grove Press. 2 stars. France (Whether it is just a tale of the absurdity of life or if there is a deeper meaning, at least I can now say I’ve read it.) [baW Bingo: Play] The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, pub. by Tor Books. 3 stars. England. (Gothic ghost story. Not a huge amount of action, but rather a slow & sinister build-up of the story.) Limonov: The Outrageous Adventures of the Radical Soviet Poet Who Became a Bum in New York, a Sensation in France, and a Political Antihero in Russia by Emmanuel Carrère, trans. from the French by John Lambert, pub. by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 4 stars. France & Russia. (Not quite a traditional biography but a fascinating & fast-moving look at a man who may be admirable, reprehensible, both, or neither.) The Death of King Arthur, Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, a retelling by Peter Ackroyd, pub. by Penguin Books. 2 stars. England. (Dull rendering & repetitive plot line make this a slog to read.) [baW Bingo: Arthurian] The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, pub. by Oxford University Press. 3 stars. Italy. (First/early gothic story. Clunky & a bit silly, but gave rise to a wonderful genre of literature.) [baW Bingo: 18th Century] Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman, pub. by Atria Books. 3 stars. Sweden. (Started out skeptical, then charmed by this book that made me bawl in the last third. Could have had depth without plunging so deep, imo. Still, better than I expected.) The Whispering Muse by Sjón, trans. by Victoria Cribb, pub. by Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. 3 stars. Iceland. (A reasonably entertaining tale built around a modern retelling of the Jason & the Argonauts myth.) The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North, pub. by Redhook Books. 3 stars. Mostly England. (A solid time travel tale where Harry relives his lives during the same time period with perfect recall of his previous lives.) Complication by Isaac Adamson, pub. by Soft Skull Press. 3 stars. Czech Republic. (Thriller/mystery that is a mix of crime, folktale, legend, alchemy, & the bizarre. Premise better than the execution, but still a decent mind-bending read.) Latin America: The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez, trans. from the Spanish by Anne McLean, pub. by Riverhead Books. 4 stars. Columbia. (Brilliant & bittersweet story showing the impact of the rise of the Colombian drug cartels on an entire generation of people growing up during the violent & uncertain times of the drug wars.) [baW Bingo: Picked by a friend – idnib] The Three Trials of Manirema by José J. Veiga, trans. from the Portuguese by Pamela G. Bird, pub. by Alfred A. Knopf. 3 stars. Brazil. (A mix of rural-life naturalism & the Kafkaesque in an allegory of life under [brazilian] military rule; captures the underlying fear & dread of a town. A serendipitous find.) [baW Bingo: Dusty] Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel by Tom Wainwright, pub. by PublicAffairs. 4 stars. Various: mainly Latin & North America. (Interesting look at illegal drugs & cartels through an economist’s eyes, analyzing them like any other large global corporation.) [baW Bingo: Published 2016] Sergio Y. by Alexandre Vidal Porto, trans. from the Portuguese by Alex Ladd, pub. by Europa editions. 5 stars. Latin America & North America: Brazil & USA. (This is a beautiful & inspiring book. A gem of understated beauty about the quest for happiness. Left me with a tear in my eye & a smile on my face. One of the very best I have read this year.) Two Brothers by Fábio Moon & Gabriel Bá, pub. by Dark Horse Books. 3 stars. Brazil (Graphic novel about the split between twin bothers that is never reconciled. Explores many forms of loss.) Middle East: Necropolis by Santiago Gamboa, trans. from the Spanish by Howard Curtis, pub. by Europa editions. 3 stars. Israel. (Chorus of stories, mainly based around an author attending a conference in Jerusalem. One attendee commits suicide. Or did he?) North America: The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail by Óscar MartÃnez, trans. from the Spanish by Daniela Maria Ugaz & John Washington, pub. by Verso. 5 stars. Mexico. (Front-line reporting of the dangers migrants face – from physical challenges, terrain, kidnappings, robberies, murders, rapes, & more – when crossing Mexico while trying to reach the US. Required reading.) [baW Bingo: Library Free Space] A Quaker Book of Wisdom by Robert Lawrence Smith, pub. by Eagle Brook/William Morrow and Company. 3 stars. USA. (A quiet & inspiring look at basic tenets of living a life of love & service. Nice little book with valuable & thoughtful ideas for today's world.) An Exaggerated Murder by Josh Cook, pub. by Melville House. 4 stars. USA. (Super-fun mash-up as if Pynchon met Sherlock Holmes & they had a few too many beers while sparring with Poe & Joyce. Entertaining, untraditional, modern noir detective romp.) [baW Bingo: Mystery] Ajax Penumbra 1969 by Robin Sloan, pub. by Atlantic Books. 3 stars. USA. (Mini-novella prequel to Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. Pleasant, nice, light reading about tracking down the single-surviving copy of a very old book.) [baW Bingo: Number in the Title] Bossypants by Tina Fey, pub. by Little, Brown and Company. 3 stars. USA. (Light & laugh-out-loud funny in places as Fey shares her life & fame. It’s easy to tell that she started as a writer -- her writing skill shines.) The Mirror Thief by Martin Seay, ARC copy, pub. by Melville House. 3 stars. USA; also Europe: Italy. (Interwoven stories linking “Venice†from the 1500s, 1950s, & present day. Mix of thriller, historical fiction, magic/alchemy, & philosophy.) [baW Bingo: Over 500 Pages] An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel, pub. by Inkshares. 4 stars. USA. (Really 3 stars, but extra points for the humor, cool cover art, & bringing old-school vampires back to life. Plus, vampires don’t need to wear seatbelts. Fiendishly fun.) [baW Bingo: Pick based on the cover] Trout Fishing in America/The Pill versus the Springhill Mine Disaster/In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan, pub. by Houghton Mifflin/Seymour Lawrence. 4 stars. USA (Surreal Americana with trout & mayonnaise.) [baW Bingo: Written in Birth Year] Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King, pub. by Little, Brown and Company. 3 stars. USA (YA predicting a future dystopia of women being non-entities & desire to make sure that doesn’t happen, along w/ common teen themes.) The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters, pub. by Quirk Books. 4 stars. USA (Police procedural set in pre-apocalyptic America. Why investigate a murder if Earth will be destroyed in six months anyway? Raises interesting & thoughtful questions.) The Alligator Report by W. P. Kinsella, pub. by Coffee House Press. 3 stars. USA (A pleasantly odd collection of short stories in a similar, but more lightweight, style to Richard Brautigan’s works.) Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters, pub. by Mulholland Books. 4 stars. USA (Alt history/sci-fi exploring the issues of slavery, race, & science. Lots of provocative questions.) [Chaos Reading: Page count between 5x and 7x your age] The Hike by Drew Magary, pub. by Viking. 2 stars. USA (Eh. Horror-ish/fable/fairy tale mix that seemed to be more of a crazed jumble than an actual story. Not really my style.) Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin, pub. by Candlewick. 3 stars. USA (Read for being on ALA’s list of most-challenged books of 2015. Brave teens, nice photos, good resource list, but also teen-angsty at times.) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, pub. by Random House. 4 stars. USA (Fascinating & sometimes horrifying/sad look at Henrietta Lacks & the rise of HeLa cells. Raises questions about medical ethics, race, & human tissue/parts property-rights, among others. Author closed the disconnect between cells ["it" or "they"] under a microscope to creating a heartfelt & personal link to an individual person, her family & friends, & the impact on all of them.) Florence & Giles by John Harding, pub. by Blue Door/Harper Collins. 3 stars. USA. (A creepy re-imagining of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw.) The Night Wanderer: A Native Gothic Novel by Drew Hayden Taylor, pub. by Annick Press. Canada. (YA vampire book with an interesting Anishinabe/Ojibwa angle to the story. More creepy than outright scary & a very good ending, imo.) The Vampire of New York by Lee Hunt, pub. by Signet. 3 stars. USA. (Enjoyable version of a vampire tale with a mix of the modern day, history, & vampire lore & legend.) We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, pub. by Penguin Books. 4 stars. USA. (Deliciously polite & yet evil at the same time with touches of both humor & true humanity.) Before the Fall by Noah Hawley, pub. by Grand Central Publishing. 3 stars. USA. (Uneven thriller about the mystery surrounding the crash of a private plane.) The Elementals by Michael McDowell, pub. by Valancourt Books. 5 stars. USA. (A morbidly funny Southern Gothic that slowly morphs into into creepy, spine-tingling horror.) Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou, pub. by Random House. 3 stars. USA. (Interesting & inspiring look at her relationship with her mother, but also a bit bare-bones & jumpy. Good, but had hoped for more.) The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli, trans. from the Spanish by Christina MacSweeney, pub. by Coffee House Press. Mexico. (Garrulous auctioneer Highway tells his story in a charming, offbeat tale. Book is more than just a story; it’s an intersection of art/literature/value/society. Excellent.) [baW Bingo: Revisit an Old Friend] My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix, pub. by Quirk Books. 3 stars. USA (Oddly touching horror book ranging from teens, drugs, mean-girls, & demonic possession to the power of true friendship through a lifetime. A+ for font & 1980s details.) Palm Sunday by Kurt Vonnegut, pub. by Laurel. 4 stars. USA. (A collection-ish mix of essays, letters, speeches, short stories, etc.... Much of it is very typically Vonnegut -- wise, witty, & wry words about the human condition as we go through this thing called life.) Other: Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols & Other Typographical Marks by Keith Houston, pub. by W. W. Norton & Company. 3 stars. (Book for font/typography/punctuation nerds tracing the history of various marks. Some chapters are better than others.) The Island of Last Truth by Flavia Company, trans. from the Catalan by Laura McGloughlin, pub. by Europa editions. 4 stars. Other (unnamed island off the coast of Africa). (Small, smart, mesmerizing nautical tale to rival the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson.) [baW Bingo: Nautical] The Plover by Brian Doyle, pub. by Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press. 5 stars. Other: Pacific Ocean (A magical & beautiful maritime tale of with true characters full of flaws, & wonder, & hope. Gorgeous. Now a favorite of mine.) Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan, pub. by Orbit Books. 4 stars. (Great fantasy mix of war & magic. Loved the characters & their interactions. First of a trilogy that I plan to finish. Very impressive as it’s McClellan’s first book.) 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? Love in the Time of Cholera Yes! So true. I felt the same way. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 I'd really like to join this thread a little more next year we I love the quiet friendliness you all have. Hopefully it works that way. What a nice way to put it! I love that about this thread too. I started listening to The American Slave Coast: A History of the Slave-Breeding Industry which is a great complement to Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which I'm reading. I think it will be an important addition to my understanding of this part of US history. It could also be my Economics bingo square, although I do still want to read Evicted. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 (edited) One other thing I like to track for the year is how many books I get from the library, how many I have & then give away, & the very few I keep for my shelves. Looking through my list, out of 70 books this year... 44 = Library books or books borrowed from others & then returned 22 = Books I owned, read, & then gave to others or donated 3 = Books I have & will continue to keep for now (The Story of My Teeth; The Elementals; West with the Night) 1 = Other (The Plover -- I originally borrowed it from the library but I loved it so much that I bought a copy for myself) Edited December 25, 2016 by Stacia 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Kareni sent a mother lode of books including mysteries, travel essays, and various things Icelandic. Wow! I suspect that this will be the gift that keeps on giving as some of these volumes will be passed on to fellow BaWers for their enjoyment. Thanks Kareni! You are very welcome, Jane! I had a lot of fun shopping for your books. I liked the picture of your Christmas booty. Please share how your thoughts on the game Patchwork; I've heard good things about it. No Secret Santa gift here as yet; perhaps it will come in Tuesday's mail. On Wednesday, I leave for a good two weeks with my mother and sister. We will be helping my mother move into an assisted living place. Please send good thoughts for a smooth transition. Regards, Kareni 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 (edited) My stats will follow later--haven't correlated them yet! But I am ending the year with lots of reading and I hope to hit 75 books total. This week I finished a King Arthur book (a kids' book, but at least I read one). I also read and very much enjoyed We Have Always Lived in the Castle--very well done. And I started David Eddings' The Belgariad. My library book actually has the first 3 books in one volume--I finished the first, Pawn of Prophecy. I am enjoying the sojurn back into the world of fantasy lit. Hope to finish the other two this week and Grapes of Wrath. My Christmas haul: Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh--thanks Robin! I thought this was from my dad when it first came because he was reading it and telling me about it so I didn't look closely at the tag until today. It will be an early 2017 book. Stacia, I like the idea of adding # of library books to my annual stats. I'll see if I can remember where my books came from as I peruse my books-read list when I do my stats. And I'll look at Robin's summary questions, but for favorite quote I can say that I am enjoying saying "What in not yours is not yours!" to my lab puppy as she steals pens, mail, kleenex, etc off the kitchen table. That quote was worth reading the book for! And now, off to start my book analysis. ETA: Silly me! I'm already at 76 books and I hope to read 3 more this week. I'll end at around 78 or 79 I think. Edited December 25, 2016 by Ali in OR 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelaboord Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 (edited) Merry Christmas to everyone! We have had the early morning present unwrapping, the visit to Grandma's and further present unwrapping, Christmas dinner, cookie and candy eating, and now we are all stuffed and back home and winding down amid the remains of the chaos. We had a pretty good Christmas, bookwise, and I also got a very nice (large) wok. My husband gave me I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong, The Food Lover's Cleanse Cookbook by Sarah Dickerman, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (which I have wanted to read for a while), and a stack of books collecting the writings of various saints. The present everyone is waiting in line for line for, however, was given to our twins -- The Complete Calvin and Hobbes. [emoji16] Also, many thanks to my Secret Santa!!!! I received Night Curcus and the Illuminae Files (a SF novel written in the form of emails, etc, something I particularly enjoy for some reason) and I am happily bouncing around between them... trying to decide whether or not to save The Illuminae Files for Bingo! --Angela Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Edited December 25, 2016 by Angelaboord 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 You are very welcome, Jane! I had a lot of fun shopping for your books. I liked the picture of your Christmas booty. Please share how your thoughts on the game Patchwork; I've heard good things about it. Six thumbs up? Patchwork is a two player game. I played my husband, he then played our son, then my son and I played. Everyone enjoyed it. There is an element of luck but strategy and a spatial mind will help with succeeding. Overall it is a clever game. I do not like games with convoluted rules. This one strikes me as fairly straight forward. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 No Secret Santa gift here as yet; perhaps it will come in Tuesday's mail. On Wednesday, I leave for a good two weeks with my mother and sister. We will be helping my mother move into an assisted living place. Please send good thoughts for a smooth transition. Regards, Kareni Many good thoughts coming your way. I've been there. I haven't done my year end analysis yet, mostly because I'm trying to read a few more. Update on our family's competition: bird species spotted this year: 241. My books read: 221. I'm obviously not going to win the competition, but it's been fun trying and even more fun to whet DS's passion for all things ornithological. I am so very glad I clicked on this thread last January. I'd gotten out of the habit of reading and this year I was like a kid in a candy store. I imagine my numbers will be lower next year, as I want to be more deliberate in what I'm reading. Here is a picture of my Christmas books. The only one I've read already is the Jane Addams biography, and it was so good that I needed to own a copy. ETA: Good grief. I have no idea why the picture is upside down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) Dh was recovered sufficiently to cook a fantastic christmas dinner - standing is easier than sitting - and it was indeed fabulous. Turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potato, brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce. I am very full and very thankful! Also enjoying dipping into A Civil Contract off and on. Such a lovely GH story" Less sparkling/lively/witty than some, but Adam and Jenny are such incredibly decent people, you root for them from the beginning. And I love the reference to Sense and Sensibility - made explicitly by a character, but also exemplified in the Jenny vs. Julia comparison. Sense is infinitely more comfortable, and Jenny is wise to know that this is what lasts. As somebody who spent quite a few years kissing "Sensibility" frogs before settling down with Sense, I can really appreciate all this. Edited December 26, 2016 by Chrysalis Academy 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 This is the end of my 2nd full year with BaW, and I'm so grateful to have found you all - you brighten my days and weeks. I wish each and every one of you a very Happy New Year! You've only been here two years Rose? It seems like longer, and I mean that in a good way :). I've got another to add: Lab Girl, by Hope Jahren. I listened to the audio book, read by the author. I loved it, and it moved me, and it made me cry. It's a memoir about being a scientist, being a woman, being a friend, being a mother, being someone with a mental illness. Someone I'd love to sit down with and have a long conversation. What a lovely and inspiring book, highly recommended. The audio book is especially recommended in this case - she's a fantastic reader and the emotion she brings to the story, at some points, adds so much to the appreciation while reading it. Definitely a top book of 2016. I've got some audible credits so I may take you up on this suggestion. I still need to finish a crochet project - I'm making leg warmers for my two ballet dancers and I need a good book to listen to while I work. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Six thumbs up? Patchwork is a two player game. I played my husband, he then played our son, then my son and I played. Everyone enjoyed it. There is an element of luck but strategy and a spatial mind will help with succeeding. Overall it is a clever game. That does sound good! It may go on my wishlist for next year. Many good thoughts coming your way. I've been there. Thank you, Ethel. I appreciate the good thoughts. And here's a book that's currently free that might appeal to some here: Can You Forgive Her? (The Palliser Novels) by Anthony Trollope Regards, Kareni 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Stacia (if I recall correctly) asked in a previous thread about books given ~ to a grand nephew, aged nine: Math Curse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith to my brother-in-law: Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words by Randall Munroe and What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe to my husband: Two Years Before The Mast by Richard Henry Dana Sails on the Horizon: A Novel of the Napoleonic Wars by Jay Worrall An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything by Chris Hadfield to my daughter: Ishmael (Star Trek, No 23) by Barbara Hambly The Captain's Daughter (Star Trek) by Peter David I received three Thea Harrison novellas that I'd been wishing to read ~ Dragos Goes to Washington (Elder Races) Pia Does Hollywood (Elder Races) Liam Takes Manhattan (Elder Races) And my sister sent a VERY healthy Amazon gift card with which to feed my Kindle. Good times ahead! Regards, Kareni 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Where did your reading take you this year? How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? I think I first popped into this thread just a month or so ago, and appreciate the welcoming vibe. I was feeling down about the fact that I had not been reading much for pleasure (i.e., completely unrelated to homeschooling reads), and this thread helped lift me out of the slump. I didn't set a goal or track books last year, but I spend a lot of time reading in a foreign language I am continuously trying to improve (Danish) and that is slow going. So I don't think my volume will ever be impressive. -- DS22 is here for the holidays, and he favors classic sci-fi. So I read one of his favorites this week, The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells. 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 I didn't make my book goal this year but seeing that we introduced newborn twins this year, I'm going to be happy with the 75 that I did finish. I meant to get to 100 but such is life! Currently almost through with book 76, Lori Wick's Pretense. Not my typical style but a girlfriend of mine said she loooooved it and wanted me to read it so I borrowed her copy. I'm also reading Wendy Pope's Wait And See. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) Where did your reading take you this year? I joined the BAW group in May. At first, I just posted my own reads, but as I grew more intrigued with everyone else's summaries, I tried to branch out and explore more. I managed to complete the bingo blackout even though I didn't start trying to hit squares until October. Next year, my goal is more ambitious. How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? Or did you get caught up in reading and forget to keep track like me? Goodreads says 136 books since I started tracking in May; I had a stated goal of 100. I read several 500+ page books (I like thick books and I cannot lie). When I was a tween/teen, I would pick books based on the small print and spine thickness. What countries and time periods did you visit? Most of my fiction reads were 1800s to the future, a span I don't find surprising as that's been my main history interest. Non-fiction spanned from pre-history to modern times. I read and listened to mythologies from all over the world, but I'm hoping to add in more contemporary authors from regions I haven't explored much. What were your most favorite stories? Any stories that stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needed to digest for a while before starting another? Which books became comfort reads. I loved Naomi Novik's Temeraire books, as she set her books in cultures across the world. The books had a lovely historical romance feel, but the focus was the friendship between an officer and his dragon. If you haven't tried or enjoyed fantasy in the past, I recommend her dragonpunk books as they are alternate histories reimagined with dragons. This year, the Dresden Files were my paperback series purchase, but next year, I'm buying the Temeraire books. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison was my 2016 (if not all time) favorite, but more on that below. Lab Girl is a gorgeous memoir from a working scientist. Definitely an interesting approachable read, even if you don't normally read science books. The American Slave Coast is an important, disturbing summary of the interstate slave trade, showing the brutality and inhumanity of the American slave trade in primary sources. Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life is my 2016 favorite biography. I highly recommend it. I discovered authors like Naomi Novik, Seanan McGuire, Cixin Liu, Toni Morrison, Catherynne Valente, and N. K. Jemisin. I enjoyed the Great Courses Great Mythologies of the Ancient World, From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History, How Great Science Fiction Works, Dante's Divine Comedy, Writing Great Fiction. Any one of these courses could be paired with reading and writing exercises for your own (or your high school student's) education. What is the one book or the one author you thought you'd never read and found yourself pleasantly surprised that you liked it? Song of Solomon was a surprising read for me. I gushed about the book in my BAW review, but I'll write my praise again. I found it a wonderful, transporting read, and I don't remember enjoying Beloved very much. I purchased the hardback edition of the book as I want to return to it again and again. Did you read any books that touched you and made you laugh, cry, sing or dance. The Sunne in Splendour. Several boardies had praised it so I had to try it. So good, so sad. Just lovely. Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? Free Will by Sam Harris Please share a favorite cover or quote. I don't have one! None of my books had short quotes that stood out to me. But many books stood out to me, for their prose and stories. Edited December 26, 2016 by ErinE 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 I love the quiet friendliness you all have. What a beautiful expression. That's it exactly. Quiet friendliness. This is the nicest cluster of armchairs and sofas in the virtual livingroom, and I am thankful to Robin and all of the BaWers for being here. 24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) Where did your reading take you this year? Over the last few years, I’ve realized that, for me, reading is more like a discussion than a journey. From Will Schwalbe’s essay “The Need to Read†(WSJ, November 26): [books] are the expression of an individual or a group of individuals, not of a hive mind or collective consciousness. They speak to us, thoughtfully, one at a time. They demand our attention. And they demand that we briefly put aside our own beliefs and prejudices and listen to someone else’s. You can rant against a book, scribble in the margin or even chuck it out the window. Still, you won’t change the words on the page. How many books did you read, and did you meet or beat your personal goal? At this writing, I have completed 119 118 books, a number that exceeds my minimum weekly dose of two books. While only cover-to-cover titles are included in my count, this promiscuous reader could easily add another 250+ titles of books I’ve left in various states of “undress†this year. What were your favorite stories? Did any stay with you for a long time, leave you wanting more, or require time to digest before starting another? Some of my favorite reading moments this year involved rereads, of which there were at least fourteen. Here are the standouts: â– The Call of the Wild (Jack London; 1903. Fiction.) â– Long Day’s Journey into Night (Eugene O’Neill; 1956. Drama.)â– Richard III (William Shakespeare; 1592. Drama.) â– The Sparrow (Mary Doria Russell; 1996. Fiction.)â– Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad; 1899. Fiction.) â– Dubliners (James Joyce; 1914. Fiction.) â– Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut; 1970. Fiction.) â– Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare; 1599. Drama.) â– The Turn of the Screw (Henry James; 1898. Fiction.) â– The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddon; 2003. Fiction.) And the following books have definitely lingered in my thoughts: â– The Book of Jonas (Stephen Dau; 2012. Fiction.) â– Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town (Jon Krakauer; 2015. Non-fiction.)â– Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore (Robin Sloan; 2013. Fiction.) â– The Life of Galileo (Bertolt Brecht; 1940. (Trans. John Willett; 1994.) Drama.) â– The Nest (Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney; 2016. Fiction.) â– The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047 (Lionel Shriver; 2016. Fiction.)â– The Only Ones (Carola Dibbell; 2015. Fiction.) â– The Elementals (Michael McDowell; 1981. Fiction.) â– The Last Policeman (Ben Winters; 2013. Fiction.) What is the one book or the one author you thought you'd never read then found yourself pleasantly surprised? When I was younger, I devoured horror fiction: With my first paycheck I purchased two paperback novels, Stephen King’s The Stand and The Shining. Eventually, I believed I had outgrown the genre, but looking back, I think I had simply been selecting from too shallow a pool. The familiar writers became repetitive, and I moved on. The Elementals, with its engaging dialogue, place as character, and a pervasive sense of danger, reminded me how good a horror novel can be. â– The Elementals (Michael McDowell; 1981. Fiction.) Did you read any books that touched you? Made you laugh, cry, sing, or dance? Klebold’s earnest exploration of the signs she missed, what may have gone wrong, what she wishes she could have changed absorbed me and, yes, moved me. â– A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy (Sue Klebold; 2016. Non-fiction.) Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? Liney's Into the Fire is the second book in a trilogy, the first of which I read on vacation two years ago. I remember The Detainee as a gripping story that suffered from uneven writing. In the end, though, story won. I did, however, contemplate flinging the follow-up across the room, it's that badly written. Was it vacation nostalgia that kept me reading? â– Into the Fire (Pete Liney; 2015. Fiction.) Please share a favorite cover or quote. From The Elementals: There’s no point in advertising a circus when everybody hates the clown. From the conclusion of “Araby†(The Dubliners): Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger. From Slaughterhouse-Five: p. 4 And even if wars didn’t keep coming like glaciers, there would still be plain old death. p. 101 So they were trying to re-invent themselves and their universe. Science fiction was a big help. From The Code of the Woosters: p. 221 “You can’t be a successful Dictator and design women’s under-clothing.â€â€œNo, sir.â€â€œOne or the other. Not both.â€â€œPrecisely, sir.†Edited December 27, 2016 by M-- 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 All right, here's the analysis for my 2016 reading year including the three I plan to get to this week. I had to dig out last year's to compare, so those numbers are in parentheses. Books read: 79 (68) Fiction: 70 (53)--That's 89% fiction books this year compared to 78% last year. I did more pleasure reading I think. Lots of mysteries. Non fiction: 9 (15)--11% non fiction Female/Male authors: 55/21 (36/32)--Way more lopsided. I think it was all the mysteries I read this year--all female authors. 3 were multiple authors. Classics: 8 (10) A few more stats for this year: Mysteries: 21 (27% of my reading) Published in 2016: 4 21st century: 50 20th century: 23 19th century: 4 18th century: 1 17th century: 1 Library books: 51/79 (2 of them audio books) Kindle: 10 books (1 was free, the rest I bought but were cheap) Books from our own shelves: 18 (keeping 15, passed 3 on; bought 5 and the rest were already here) Robin's questions: Where did your reading take you this year? Mostly Europe, some America How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? 79, no real goal here. What countries and time periods did you visit? Lots of Regency England. What were your most favorite stories? Any stories that stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needed to digest for a while before starting another? Which books became comfort reads. Enjoyed Andrea Host's Medair books, Sebastian St. Cyr. Discovered Anne Bishop's Written in Red books. What is the one book or the one author you thought you'd never read and found yourself pleasantly surprised that you liked it? Never thought I would enjoy paranormal werewolf books, but I do like Anne Bishop's series. Did you read any books that touched you and made you laugh, cry, sing or dance. I think the most important book that I read and the one that keeps coming up in my thoughts is Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson was a late fiction favorite--not sure yet if it will have staying power for me. Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? Philip Roth's American Pastoral. Waste of my time. Please share a favorite cover or quote. "What is not yours is not yours." I quote this to my dog all the time. Whew! That's a lot. I'll post my 79 books next in case anyone is interested. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 My list: 2016 Books Read 1. The Book of Speculation-Erika Swyler 2. Why Kings Confess-C.S. Harris 3. Who Buries the Dead-C.S. Harris 4. A Moveable Feast-Ernest Hemingway 5. Everything I Never Told You-Celeste Ng 6. Mindless Eating-Brian Wansink 7. The Other Daughter-Lauren Willig 8. Hamlet-William Shakespeare 9. Homeward Bound-Emily Matchar 10. Flight of the Sparrow-Amy Belding Brown 11. Dying in the Wool-Frances Brody 12. Berween the World and Me-Ta-Nehisi Coates 13. A Room with a View-E.M. Forster 14. Mansfield Park-Jane Austen 15. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day-Winifred Watson 16. The New Jim Crow-Michelle Alexander 17. A Medal for Murder-Frances Brody 18. Hogfather-Terry Pratchett 19. When Falcons Fall-C.S. Harris 20. Johnny Tremain-Esther Forbes 21. Written in Red-Anne Bishop 22. Marked in Flesh-Anne Bishop 23. The Skull Beneath the Skin-P.D. James 24. The Anatomist’s Wife-Anna Lee Huber 25. The Eight-Katherine Neville 26. And Only to Deceive-Tasha Alexander 27. Vision in Silver-Anne Bishop 28. Zinky Boys-Svetlana Alexievitch 29. Murder in the Afternoon-Frances Brody 30. The Book of Unknown Americans-Christina Henriquez 31. A Woman Unknown-Frances Brody 32. Shelter-Jung Yun 33. In the Land of White Death-Valerian Albanov 34. Longitude-Dava Sobel 35. Mortal Arts-Anna lee Huber 36. Murder on a Summer’s Day-Frances Brody 37. The Nightingale-Kristin Hannah 38. My Brilliant Friend-Elena Ferrante 39. The Hanover Square Affair-Ashley Gardner 40. A Regimental Murder-Ashley Gardner 41. Kristin Lavransdatter III: The Cross-Sigrid Unset 42. Jackaby-William Ritter 43. Goodbye Stranger-Rebecca Stead 44. The Story of a New Name-Elena Ferrante 45. Homegoing-Yaa Gyasi 46. Dinner Most Deadly-Sheri Cobb South 47. The Glass House-Ashley Gardner 48. A Midwife’s Tale-Laura Ulrich 49. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child-J.K. Rowling & Jack Thorne 50. Missoula-Jon Krakauer 51. The Sudbury School Murders-Ashley Gardner 52. A Body in Berkeley Square-Ashley Gardner 53. A Covent Garden Mystery-Ashley Gardner 54. The Necklace Affair 55. The Silence of Medair-Andrea Host 56. Voice of the Lost-Andrea Host 57. Pride and Prejudice-Jane Austen 58. Third Girl-Agatha Christie 59. 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays-The Harvard Crimson 60. Looking For Alaska-John Greene 61. Daisy Miller-Henry James 62. Ghost Stories-Roald Dahl 63. The Remains of the Day-Kazuo Ishiguro 64. Something Wicked This Way Comes-Ray Bradbury 65. The Turn of the Screw-Henry James 66. Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind-Ann Ross 67. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d-Alan Bradley 68. The Girl on the Train-Paula Hawkins 69. What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours-Helen Oyeyemi 70. American Pastoral-Philip Roth 71. The City of Ember 72. The Ocean at the End of the Lane-Neil Gaiman 73. The Mysteries of Udolpho-Anne Radcliffe 74. We Have Always Lived in the Castle-Shirley Jackson 75. King Arthur-Rosalind Kerven 76. Pawn of Prophecy-David Eddings 77. Queen of Sorcery-David Eddings 78. Magician’s Gambit-David Eddings 79. Grapes of Wrath-John Steinbeck 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 I haven't done my year end analysis yet, mostly because I'm trying to read a few more. Ditto. I, too, am hoping to finish a few more by month's end, including One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway (Åsne Seierstad), which was part of my jólabókaflóð bounty last year. Un.put.down.able. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) I am enjoying the wrap-ups! At the end of last week's thread, I posted a picture of the books I got for Christmas, but I'll post a list here: I Wanted to Write a Poem by William Carlos Williams Oishinbo a la carte, Volume 1 by Tetsu Kariya I'm Buffy and You're History: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Contemporary Feminism by Patricia Pender Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud And Barnes and Noble Collectible Editions of Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales and Aesop's Fables Last week I finished listening to Mindfulness in Plain English, which turned out to be just a tiny bit New Agey, a little bit self-helpish (much of which was in the first easily skipped chapter) and which contained mostly practical information. I also read the very short We Should All Be Feminists, which I found easy to agree with, but which I thought didn't really say anything new or interesting. I've just started listening to Our Revolution by Bernie Sanders and I'm still reading Angel of Oblivion by Maja Haderlap. I'll come back and do my wrap-up later. Edited December 26, 2016 by crstarlette 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Where did your reading take you this year? To other worlds!!!! (Ta, Sir Terry :D ) How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? Or did you get caught up in reading and forget to keep track like me? *grin* I'll finish on 53. What countries and time periods did you visit? All around the place. This one deserves an honourable mention: Women of the Gobi: Journeys of the Silk Road, Kate James What were your most favorite stories? Any stories that stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needed to digest for a while before starting another? Which books became comfort reads. ​I read a whole lotta Terry Pratchett for comfort this year. This was one that grabbed me too: The Secrets of Jin-Sheiby Alma Alexander. What is the one book or the one author you thought you'd never read and found yourself pleasantly surprised that you liked it? Small Business for Dummies, kind of? It was interesting without being at all enjoyable. The Man Who Turned into a Rastafarian by Masimba Musodza deserves a mention too. Did you read any books that touched you and made you laugh, cry, sing or dance. Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe was terribly exciting! (It's all about food with me.) Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? There was one, but I seem to have forgotten to make a note of it. Just in case you haven't finished yet? :laugh: History of the Renaissance World - Chapters 93 and 94 :willy_nilly: :chillpill: :sleep: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 I'll do my year-end summary later. This week, I read: The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss - 5 Stars - This is a fabulous book, probably the best diet/health book that I’ve ever read. I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, but there was a bit of a dread factor. Honestly, I’ve read so many diet and health books through the years, that I needed yet another one like I need a drill through my head. I thought that this would be boring and that I would simply skip to the part where he tells us what to do. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t find it boring at all. It was written clearly and organized in a very user-friendly way. Finally, a book with advice that makes sense! Eating less and moving more may work temporarily, but so many, myself included, struggle endlessly with keeping that weight off. I’m convinced that I have a propensity for diabetes. I may even have pre-diabetes, but I don’t want the doctor to tell me. I’m one of those who avoids seeing the doctor unless if I’m fairly healthy. I don’t like being told off and lectured as to what to do, when I know what I should be doing. Anyway, for those who are concerned about weight gain, pre-diabetes, and/or diabetes, this is an exceptional and eye-opening book. I hope to slowly put the advice into practice, even though this isn’t the best time of year to do so! Slowly, but surely. Losing weight is not that hard. Keeping it off is the bane of my existence. My favorite quotes (and there are far too many to list here): “A recent study suggests that 75 per cent of the weight-loss response in obesity is predicted by insulin levels. Not willpower. Not caloric intake. Not peer support or peer pressure. Not exercise. Just insulin.†“Diets work well at the start, but as we lose weight, our metabolism slows.†“The reason diets are so hard and often unsuccessful is that we are constantly fighting our own body. As we lose weight, our body tries to bring it back up.†How it Works: The Dog - 3 Stars - Another funny book for adults in the Ladybird series. How it Works: The Mum - 4 Stars - Yet another hilarious Ladybird book – a few pages had me crying from laughter. Anne Frank Remembered - 5 Stars - This is an amazing book by Miep Gies. It was Miep and her husband who helped to hide the Frank family during WWII, and who provided food and comfort to them. It was heartbreaking and powerful. I admire the author and her husband – what brave heroes they were! MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad. 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 My favorite books of the year: 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 I just want to give people planning to read Norwegian Wood in January a bit of a heads up if using Overdrive and their Kindle. My Overdrive accounts are no longer offering it in Kindle format and were less than two weeks ago. I would think that I wasn't paying attention when I was doing my Murakami research but I actually downloaded a kindle copy just in case I wanted to start early. It works fine on my kindle(so I got it right) even though the library now says I have an epub version. It expires in three days, ;( I just checked out an audio version. I can keep a Kindle turned off a few days but not through January! 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) Where did your reading take you this year? My reading goal the last two or three years has nothing to do with total quantity, rather I have made a deliberate attempt to increase the number of books I read in translation. Last year, one quarter of the books I read were translated; this year over a third. Of the 83 books I completed, 32 were in translation from the following languages: Icelandic - 7 Russian - 5 Spanish- 4 Italian - 3 French - 3 Japanese - 2 Norwegian - 2 Arabic - 2 German - 2 Greek - 1 Catalan- 1 What were your most favorite stories? Any stories that stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needed to digest for a while before starting another? Which books became comfort reads. The Child Poet by Homero Aridjis was my favorite read of the year. Other favorite books of the year include The Plover (which I believe might win a BaW 2016 favorite award), Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, A Passage to India (reread) and Roadside Picnic. Our group read of A Passage to India was pure delight for this reader as this was and remains one of my favorite books of all time. What is the one book or the one author you thought you'd never read and found yourself pleasantly surprised that you liked it? Roadside Picnic! I am not a science fiction or speculative fiction reader but this classic by the Strugatsky brothers remains in my head. I read another of their works (The Dead Mountaineers Inn) as a result and yet another of their novels found its way into the dusty stacks--although I believe that The Boy has run off with it at the moment. Did you read any books that touched you and made you laugh, cry, sing or dance. The Child Poet. I am convinced that some books just arrive in our lives at the right time. I needed this book when I read it. Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I listened to the audio version in the car when my son was doing a thru hike on the Appalachian Trail. Either she was a very stupid and irresponsible hiker or she included loads of hyperbole in this poorly written memoir. I will add a question to Robin's list: What was your most challenging read of the year? Books can be challenging for so many reasons. For me, books that deal with the reality of war on "normal" people are books that I must read to remember, to keep vigil for the forgotten. My most challenging books this year were Zinky Boys (referring to the boys who returned to the USSR in their zinc coffins from the Soviet/Afghan war) by Svetlana Alexievich and Yalo by Elias Khoury, a story set in the aftermath of the Lebanese Civil War. Edited December 26, 2016 by Jane in NC 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 These are the books I got for Christmas: Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores by Bob Eckstein (from DH) Wicked Baltimore: Charm City Sin and Scandal (from DS22) My mom lets me pick my own books, and I chose: A first edition of my favorite childhood book, The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban. It is the cover shown on this page. A beautiful edition of East of the Sun and West of the Moon, with illustrations by the amazing Kay Nielsen. Books I gave as gifts: To my mom: Appetites by Anthony Bourdain. Part of the gift is that I will cook for her whatever she chooses from the book. For the sci-fi loving son: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky This was his request. For the all-things-Russian loving son: What Every Russian Knows and You Don't by Olga Fedina This was a recommendation from his tutor. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 For the sci-fi loving son: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky This was his request. Oh, I'll be interested to hear what he thinks of this book. I really enjoyed it. I especially appreciated how it challenged institutional sexism in the most unexpected way. Great example of how sci fi can provoke and challenge assumptions without being preachy or standing on a soapbox, simply by creating cultures, societies, and characters that inherently challenge our assumptions about how the world works. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 I did some more fun stats on my reading, just to see how it had shaken out in terms of diversity. These classifications are pretty gross, and could be argued with. For example, I counted it as a classic if the author won a Nobel Prize, which is definitely arguable - but I was just going for a quick and dirty analysis for my own interest. History/Historical fiction - 16% Sci Fi/Fantasy - 12% Plays - 9% Science - 7% Classics - 17% Recent Fiction - 18% Mystery - 6% Teaching Aids/Read aloud to child - 13% so, it doesn't quite add up to 100%, rounding errors and a couple of uncategorizable things. But interestingly, and unsurprisingly, it shows me that much of my reading, 40-50%, is directly related to teaching/homeschooling - either pre-reading things we might cover, or reading for general knowledge of he topic, or reading things explicitly about teaching, or reading aloud to a child. More than half is reading for pleasure, though, so that's good! Biggest anomoly is that I read so many plays - 21 - but as we're dong a Theater class as an elective, as well as Ancients + Shakespeare for history, that's not actually so surprising. As I commented before, I never used to read so much contemporary fiction, but as a result of wanting to pre-read YA stuff my dd is interested in, and of links and suggestions from this thread, I'm reading more contemporary fiction than I have in the past. Anyway, it's kind of fun to slice and dice and see where your reading has taken you. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) Where did your reading take you this year? Geographically, it took me to the 6 inhabited continents. I went to Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Egypt, New Zealand, China, India, various parts of the UK and the US, Iceland, Sweden, Columbia, Paris, and more. I also spent time on the ocean, and stopped at a few unnamed islands. In time I went as far back as Ancient Greece (The Iliad), the early and late middle ages, Victorian London, the American Revolution, general 18th, 19th, and 20th century life, the Iranian Revolution, and the future (The Last Policeman trilogy, Ready Player One). I probably missed a few time periods. How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? Or did you get caught up in reading and forget to keep track like me? *grin* I'll end up with 80 definitely, maybe 81. My goal was 75. At least I think the total is correct. I just finished adding a few to Goodreads that I forgot to list. When that happens I have to make up dates using my faulty memory. I try and get as close as I can remember to the dates I actually read. :) What countries and time periods did you visit? Oops, I thought that the first question was asking this. See my answers there. Now I'll have to go back and reread other answers so I know what question 1 meant. :) What were your most favorite stories? Any stories that stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needed to digest for a while before starting another? Which books became comfort reads. There were several I really loved. Her Royal Spyness books became my comfort audio books. They're silly mysteries and are my definition of Flufferton. The Sunne in Splendour is my favorite of the year, and goes on my list of all time favorites. Between the World and Me stayed with me. It made me uncomfortable (not a bad thing) because it made me see my privilege - not just know it's there, but really see it. Other favorites include Homegoing, A Man Called Ove, Persepolis, Founding Mothers, and Born a Crime. What is the one book or the one author you thought you'd never read and found yourself pleasantly surprised that you liked it? Georgette Heyer. :) Did you read any books that touched you and made you laugh, cry, sing or dance. I cry easily, so quite a few of the books I read or listened to made me cry. Several made me chuckle. Dave Barry's Tricky Business had me laughing out loud. Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? The Art of Racing in the Rain. It was a book club book, so that's the only reason I finished it. I didn't like the characters - really, really, disliked them. Please share a favorite cover or quote. As an ebook reader I don't pay much attention to covers. Some favorite quotes came from Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I so admire that woman. "Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." "We're still striving for that more perfect union. And one of the perfections is for 'we the people' to include an ever enlarged group." Here's a link to my 2016 books. I'll finish Voices (Inspector Erlendur) today, which will be #80. Edited December 26, 2016 by Lady Florida. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Where did your reading take you this year? My reading goal the last two or three years has nothing to do with total quantity, rather I have made a deliberate attempt to increase the number of books I read in translation. Last year, one quarter of the books I read were translated; this year over a third. Of the 83 books I completed, 32 were in translation from the following languages: Icelandic - 7 Russian - 5 Spanish- 4 Italian - 3 French - 3 Japanese - 2 Norwegian - 2 Arabic - 2 German - 2 Greek - 1 Catalan- 1 In the upcoming year, I am going to try to continue to focus on books published from around the world, as well as things published by small/indie presses. I looked at which languages I read in translation & my biggest number was... FRENCH! :lol: Spanish: 4 Icelandic: 2 Portuguese: 4 Burmese: 1 Arabic: 1 Afrikaans: 1 Japanese: 3 French: 5 ( :tongue_smilie:) Catalan: 1 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Boxing Day here with mellow music on the computer, fab chocolate, and the perfect cup of my fave Chinese Breakfast tea with its barest hint of woodsmoke, at hand. I had planned to read something else entirely but dh has been urging me to read Holding the Lotus to the Rock for a while now so that'll likely be my first book for 2017. It's been on my tbr list for some time so now's as good a time as any to start it. In the audio realm I'm listening to Circling the Sun. The narrator is very good and that often bodes well for book enjoyment. Hoping to get more reading in in 2017. Y'all are very inspiring :thumbup: 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 I read a book in the middle of the night, one I found on NPR's list of the best books of 2016: The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan. This book is like a museum production. Heavy, glossy pages. Gorgeous, minimalist sculptures inspired by Inuit & pre-Columbian artwork. And Grimm fairy tales edited to their barest words -- really just a few lines. Each story has a single, facing-page layout: the story stripped down to its most basic form facing one artwork that depicts the essence of the story. Seventy-five stories total. A stunning piece. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) I read a book in the middle of the night, one I found on NPR's list of the best books of 2016: The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan. This book is like a museum production. Heavy, glossy pages. Gorgeous, minimalist sculptures inspired by Inuit & pre-Columbian artwork. And Grimm fairy tales edited to their barest words -- really just a few lines. Each story has a single, facing-page layout: the story stripped down to its most basic form facing one artwork that depicts the essence of the story. Seventy-five stories total. A stunning piece. Oh my! This is gorgeous. It resonates so deeply. I was brought up on Inuit art during my Canadian childhood and I never fail to be moved by the stark, smooth, evocative soapstone creations. Thanks for sharing this, Stacia, going to try and find this. Edited December 26, 2016 by shukriyya 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 My year end analysis: Where did your reading take you this year? Mostly North America, Great Britain, and Western Europe, with a short sojourn in India and Iceland. How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? So far, I’ve read 222 books this year. My personal goal kept shifting because of the competition in my family (birds-spotted-this-year versus books-I’ve-read). Current score is Birds 241 and Books 222. My spouse and son are out birding as I type this. What countries and time periods did you visit? Countries: France, Germany, Great Britain, Iceland (thanks to inspiration from Jane!), India, US. Time periods: past, present, and future. What were your most favorite stories? Almost anything written by Louise Erdrich; Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley; The Revolt by SWB; Uprooted by Naomi Novik; several books by Tova Mirvis; The Moon Sisters – Therese Walsh; Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry Any stories that stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more? Mudbound by Hillary Jordan; All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr; Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy by Eric Metaxas; The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals by Wendy Jones; Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson; The Mandibles by Lionel Shriver; The World Made by Hand series by James Howard Kunstler; Pomegranate Soup (and its sequel - thanks to Robin's suggestion) by Marsha Mehran, Latitudes of Melt by Joan Clark Which books became comfort reads? Anything written by Sarah Addison Allen, Ann B. Ross’s Miss Julia series, cozy mysteries Did you read any books that touched you and made you laugh, cry, sing, or dance? Miss Julia series, Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women’s Literary Society (and the sequel) by Amy Hill Hearth Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust? Saltbound: A Block Island Winter – not well written and IIRC a bit on the pompous side. Murder on Cape Cod by B.H. Gates – sloppily written. Favorite Quotes: I have several, but I can’t seem to find my reading journal. Other statistics: Books by male authors: 60. Books by female authors: 162. Nonfiction: 16. Fiction: 206. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) I'm currently reading Prague Winter by Madeleine Albright. She starts off by summarizing the history of Czechoslovakia and the surrounding area, then continues on to the events that led to and included WWII. I have reached the time around her first years as a child. It is a perspective of place and time I had not studied before. My reading goal for this year was 75 books. I've read 81, so far. I don't think I will read more than one before the end of the year. I travelled to England quite a bit, as usual. I also visited Africa, Sweden, Japan, Australia and the South Pacific, Portugal, Italy, Germany, and fictional worlds. As usual, my ratio of female to male authors is about even. This year, I read quite a few modern classics that I'd avoided when younger. Of those, I enjoyed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern the most. I also read my first zombie book, which I never thought I would do. I actually enjoyed World War Z because of the interview format. I also revisited a lot of old favorite mystery authors. Inferno by Dan Brown was better than I expected. Alan Bradley of the Flavia mysteries really knows how to turn a phrase. I keep thinking about this one: "Fate loves coincidences but it never chews its cabbage twice." I'm not sure if that means what I think it means. Books 2016: Starred books are ones I particularly enjoyed. January The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (Alternative History after WWII, USA) Tisha by Robert Specht (Young school teacher in Alaska, semi-biographical)* If on A Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino (Story within a story, within a story, within a story…) Undeniable by Bill Nye (non fiction, Evolution) Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (Modern Classic, gothic spoof, England)* February Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (Non-Fiction, Colonial Africa)* Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (Governess accidentally befriends socialite, England)* Nght by Elie Weisel (Non-fiction, WWII, concentration camp) Ajax Penumbra 1969 by Robin Sloan (Mr. Penumbra's beginning, USA) The Rook by Daniel O'Malley (Sci-Fi/Fantasy, mutants, secret societies, England) Dead Men Don't Ski by Patricia Moyes (Mystery, Inspector Tibbet, Italy) March The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (Classic, gothic mystery, England) Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (magical realism, Florida) The Better Angels of Our Nature by Stephen Pinker ( Non-fiction, a look at why violence has declined )* Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett (Death runs away from his job, England)* Superstition in All Ages by Jean Meslier (Atheist treatise on religion) The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel (Portugal, cryptic fiction, magical realism) Into the Darkness by Barbara Michaels (mystery, USA) April: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (Classic, NY, USA) Deserter:Murder at Gettysburg by Jane Langton (Homer Kelly Mystery, USA) The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (Magical realism, mermaids, USA) Daisy Miller by Henry James (Classic, an American in Europe) Rozencrantz and Guildenstern by Tom Stoppard (Modern classic, play, based on Hamlet)* Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke (Sci-Fi, the future evolution of mankind, Earth) The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell (England, Bronte Heiress in Oxford, mystery) Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (Modern classic, existential play) Murder on Safari by Elspeth Huxley (Africa, murder mystery) Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief by Dorothy Gilman (mystery, intrigue, Sicily) The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (modern classic, New York, teen angst) And So To Murder by Carter Dickson (mystery, early film industry, England) May: Don't Look Now by Daphne DuMaurier (Short stories, psychological fiction, England) No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer (mystery, England) First Impressions by Charlie Lovett (England, Mystery, Jane Austen) The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene (Europe, spies) Death in an Ivory Tower by Maria Hudgins (Mystery, England) Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (Fantasy, witches, humor)* Down Among the Dead Men by Patricia Moyes (Mystery, England, boats) June: So Big by Edna Ferber ( US, early Chicago) Redwall by Brian Jaques (Juvenile, fantasy, animal war/adventure) St. Peter's Finger by Gladys Mitchell (Mystery, England) Dreaming Spies by Laurie King (Japan, Ninjas, mystery)* July: Steeplechase by Jane Langdon (Homer Kelly mystery, US 1800's)* The Darling Buds of May by H. E. Bates (England, humor) The African Poison Murders by Elspeth Huxley (Africa, mystery) Billy Budd, Sailor by Hermann Melville (Ships, sailing, 18th century) Blood of Victory by Alan Furst (Europe, spies) The Relic Master by Christopher Buckley (Europe, Historical Fiction, alternate history) Mrs. Pargeter's Package by Simon Brett (mystery, August: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (Novelized non-fiction, murder case) The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie King (Mrs. Hudson and son, mystery) Following the Equator by Mark Twain (Travels in the Pacific and Australia, non-fiction)* Uncoffin'd Clay by Gladys Mitchell (mystery, England) Everyday Super Food by Jamie Oliver (cookbook, whole foods) The Invisible library by Genevieve Cogman (Fantasy/mystery, libraries, books) Dragonwyck by Anya Seton (Gothic novel, NewYork, 19th century) The Idiot's Guide to American Literature September: Our Man in Havana by Graham Green (Cuba, spies, humor)* Something to Remember You By by Gene Wilder (WWII, Europe, spies, romance, novella) Aunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure by Nancy Atherton (mystery, England, village life) The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath ( United States, mental illness) Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne (New England, slightly creepy morality tales) The Fingerprint by Patricia Wentworth (Miss Silver Mystery, England) Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis (Pulitzer Prize, Doctors, early 20th century) October: Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman (Short stories) World War Z by Max Brooks (Zombie wars aftermath, interviews around the world)* Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mewed by Alan Bradley (Flavia mystery, England)* The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (Ghost story, haunted house) Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Fantasy, Time Travel, mystery, WWII) November: The Tower, The Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart (England, Tower of London, dark humor) The Blackheath Poisonings by Julian Symons (Mystery, England, blah) Aunts Aren't Gentlemen by P.G. Wodehouse (England, humor) Inferno by Dan Brown (Cryptic mystery, Florence, history, art, action/adventure)* Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer (Flufferton romance, humor, England) Search the Shadows by Barbara Michaels (Mystery, Chicago, quest for biological father) A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (Sweden, fiction, loveable curmudgeon)* Miss Marple, The Complete Short Stories b y Agatha Christie (mystery, England) December: The Food of Love by Anthony Capella (Rome, Romance, humor, love triangle, Italian Cuisine) Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie (Mystery, England) The Cat Who Came For Christmas by Cleveland Amory (Non- fiction, memoir, cats, US, NYC) Stories of Your Life by Ted Chiang (Sci-fi, short stories)* The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley(Steampunk, magical realism, London)* Complete duds: The Relic Master, Waiting for Godot, The Blackheath Poisonings,Billy Budd, Edited December 26, 2016 by Onceuponatime 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelaboord Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 In the audio realm I'm listening to Circling the Sun. The narrator is very good and that often bodes well for book enjoyment. : I read Circling the Sun a few months ago. I'll be curious to see what you think of it. I'm somewhat ambivalent about it; when I finished it, I wasn't sure that I had really liked it, but on the other hand, it has really stuck with me. It might actually be improved by the right narrator, but I would have to fast forward through some parts. [emoji15] It did, however, make me think that I should read Out of Africa! That'll make it onto my TBR list for 2017. [emoji846] -- Angela Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 11 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.