Book a Week 2017 - BW1: Welcome to an adventurous prime reading new year!

[mumto2]

I had a couple false starts but finally found a book for this week. It's a Fred Vargas -- Sous Les Ventes De Neptune. It's a policier (I think that word is used in English too for the genre? It's like a police based mystery)

Two questions if anyone is able to answer one or the other:

1.)Re: Haruki Murakami -- I am an incredible wimp about sad and scary images in books. I really don't like to cry, be sad or depressed. I more or less burned Kite Runner after the first few pages despite everyone's urging to "just keep reading, it gets better" and I truly and legitimately wish someone would have redacted the bit about killing babies from The Brothers Karamazov because it gave me nightmares for two years (as an adult and mother). Beth dying in Little Women is about my maximum. Maybe The Notebook if I know it is going to make me cry in advanced. So the question is, is he an author I should try?

2.) DH and I decided we would each choose a book off the Great Books list to read and discuss this year. His choice is likely going to be Kant or something very philosophy heavy. I was thinking about one of the science or math selections but I am not completely set on that. I don't want to choose anything so long it overwhelms the rest of our reading this year (not the Summa or War and Peace :)). Anyone have any favorites?

Thanks for the Fred Vargas recommendation. I was able to find a couple translated into English at one of my libraries and will request one as so as I have room on my holds list. I would call this type of book a police procedural so the name is essentially the same. :)

 

Please don't feel you need to read Murakami or any other author that someone here is enjoying. Robin offers lots of authors and ideas to encourage everyone to read things they enjoy and perhaps spread their wings a bit. There are many books discussed here that I know I will never read but I love reading people's favorite quotes and opinions about those books. During my time hanging out with these great people my knowledge about the world of books has increased greatly and I have also read a few books that I never would have without the encouragement of our group. It's all good. :)

 

That being said I doubt that Murakami's Kafka on the Shore is a good choice for you.....see Stacia's spoiler post upthread. Murakami is something I enjoy in small doses. His version of Magical Realism I like. In the past I have read many fairly grim police procedural type books. I also dislike the Kite Runner. I am not a fan of sad books. I really can't say you will or won't like Murakami. I will admit that when I'm reading his books I am generally so caught up in the oddness that the sad parts are somewhat dulled for me, others seem to react more. I am no help! Sorry!

 

If no one answers your Great Books question please post it on the new thread. Sundays on the previous weeks thread are always a bit quiet.

 

  

A rabbit trail before we move on to the next week.  I was looking at the gemstone challenge, wandered over to Google Books, and typed in garnet.  You might find a book you want to read OR you might waste lots of valuable reading time learning about:

 

• The Garnet Resource Area (Montana) Management Plan of 1985. It wasn't engaging enough for me to want to read the sequel (and see which of the five plans they picked), but if I'm ever in Montana I want to visit the Garnet Ghost Town.
• The Tryal and Execution of Father Henry Garnet who was involved (maybe) in the Gunpowder Plots.  This from a description of the events written in 1679, where I learned that it is really hard to read print with the old looks-like-an-f letter s, and that nocent used to be used for guilty as the opposite of innocent. I'm not convinced that he knew about the plot ahead of time, but I only read the one source.
• Henry Highland Garnet who was an African-American militant abolitionist in the 1800s.  I didn't research deeply (rabbit trail!), but my initial impression is that he was like a Malcolm X to Frederick Douglas's MLK Jr.  I'm interested in learning more.
• A publishing company in the UK called Garnet Publishing where I was mostly engaged by a Lebanese cookbook, but they have some fiction, too!

And last, maybe I've learned why I don't finish books at the rate I used to.  Curse you wonderful internet!!

Thanks for sharing your research. It's too easy to get caught up in rabbit trails. ;)

[Tress]

1.)Re: Haruki Murakami -- I am an incredible wimp about sad and scary images in books. I really don't like to cry, be sad or depressed. I more or less burned Kite Runner after the first few pages despite everyone's urging to "just keep reading, it gets better" and I truly and legitimately wish someone would have redacted the bit about killing babies from The Brothers Karamazov because it gave me nightmares for two years (as an adult and mother). Beth dying in Little Women is about my maximum. Maybe The Notebook if I know it is going to make me cry in advanced. So the question is, is he an author I should try?

 

Difficult to say. I've only read two books by Murakami, Kafka on the Shore and now Norwegian Wood, and I'm not a particularly sensitive reader. However, Kafka on the Shore had a very disturbing, nausea inducing scene, that I really wish I could unread. So I'm guessing, that's not a book for you. I was tense the whole time I was reading Norwegian Wood, for nothing it turns out, so now I'm feeling silly  :glare: . Suicide is mentioned several time, but I didn't find it a depressing book.

 

It's probably better if some of the Murakami fans answer your question.

[Lady Florida.]

So, what happens if you didn't finish the book from wk 1 and tomorrow is already wk 2?

 

Nothing at all. You can either not mention it until you finish it, post that you're still reading <insert title>, or not bring it up again. These threads are really conversations about books by readers and people who want to become readers. We encourage each other. The goals are to help you challenge yourself.

 

Please don't feel you need to read Murakami or any other author that someone here is enjoying. Robin offers lots of authors and ideas to encourage everyone to read things they enjoy and perhaps spread their wings a bit. There are many books discussed here that I know I will never read but I love reading people's favorite quotes and opinions about those books. During my time hanging out with these great people my knowledge about the world of books has increased greatly and I have also read a few books that I never would have without the encouragement of our group. It's all good. :)

 

This. Sometimes I join in and am pleasantly surprised, especially if it's a book or author I wouldn't have considered on my own. Sometimes I think I want to read the current group read, get started, and either realize I'm not liking it or I just don't have time. Other times it's a book or author I"m not interested in and I don't even consider joining. It's still interesting to see what those who are reading it have to say about it.

 

If no one answers your Great Books question please post it on the new thread. Sundays on the previous weeks thread are always a bit quiet.

 

We often start to get quiet on Sundays because we're holding off for the new thread. Sometimes a post will get lost if it's posted just before Robin starts the new one. Sometimes someone will make the same post on both the old and the new thread. Oh, and you can quote something from the previous thread but place it in the new one if it's something you really wanted to discuss (of course you can discuss without quoting but sometimes you want context).

Edited January 8, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Violet Crown]

So, what happens if you didn't finish the book from wk 1 and tomorrow is already wk 2?

My current book is >3000 pages and often pretty dry between the juicy parts. I hope to finish it by February. No worries! :D

[Loesje22000]

So, what happens if you didn't finish the book from wk 1 and tomorrow is already wk 2?

I'm still working on 'War & Peace' that I started in 2016,

I found this week the courage to pick it up and continue my reading

I own a 2 book edition and hope to finish book 1 this year, and book 2 in 2018/19 or so. :)

[melbotoast]

I've read several pages of this thread but it keeps getting longer! I'm just going to post now and hopefully finish later!

 

I've been reading along occasionally to get recommendations but I'd like to join in this year. I've been reading 80ish books a year, so I think I'll shoot for 83 or 89. No other challenges this year.

 

I've been enjoying a lot of time for reading lately so I'm off to a good start!

 

So far I've read:

 

The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson - This is a reread. I'm trying to decide on which Brandon Sanderson book to recommend for my IRL book club. This one is short (a novella) and we could have some interesting discussions on creating. I'm not sure if it is the best place to start though.

 

Gabriella by Brenda Hiatt - Kindle freebie. It was a nice Regency romance.

 

A Monstrous Regiment of Women and A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King - I'm not sure how I feel about Holmes being in a relationship but I'm willing to overlook it. Really enjoying this series overall.

 

I'm looking forward to a great year of reading!

[Butter]

I finished my first book of the year and with 4 days to go until Book Group (it's my RL book group's pick for this month).  Endurance by Alfred Lansing.  It was surprisingly riveting.  I am quite surprised how much I enjoyed it.  The name of the original ship was certainly prophetical given what they ended up going through.  It is nothing short of a miracle that they all survived.  Really good book.

[Ethel Mertz]

100 Recommeded Books by Arab Women

 

Apologies if its been linked before.

 

Thanks for the link! I foresee my TBR list expanding.

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Wheres Toto]

Hidden Figures is on Kindle for $1.99 right now!

 

[shukriyya]

100 Recommeded Books by Arab Women

 

Apologies if its been linked before.

 

This puts me in mind of a book I linked here a couple of years ago here, Untold : A History of the Lives of Prophet Mohammad. It is a gorgeous weaving of poetry and history both, muscular and feminine in the same breath, spacious and close, with a desert heat at its heart. It's by a dear friend of mine. She's got a new one out called, Fatima's Touch.

[Ethel Mertz]

This puts me in mind of a book I linked here a couple of years ago here, Untold : A History of the Lives of Prophet Mohammad. It is a gorgeous weaving of poetry and history both, muscular and feminine in the same breath, spacious and close, with a desert heat at its heart. It's by a dear friend of mine. She's got a new one out called, Fatima's Touch.

 

Thanks for this link. I just downloaded it.

[Robin M]

Link to week 2 - please continue conversation in new thread 

[SereneHome]

I'm still working on 'War & Peace' that I started in 2016,

I found this week the courage to pick it up and continue my reading

I own a 2 book edition and hope to finish book 1 this year, and book 2 in 2018/19 or so. :)

 

I am thinking of re-reading this one.  I had to read it for school back in the day and skipped all the "war" parts, bc at 15 I was only interested in the love story part.

 

I gotta see if I can find it on Amazon in Russian bc that's my native language, so it would be silly to read it in English.

[mrskturner]

I signed up on the link page (hope I did it correctly) and ready to join you ladies for the reading challenge! 

 

I suppose I am somewhat of an ADD reader. I am always reading several books at one time. Please tell me I am not the only one who does this?  

 

Currently Reading: 

 

• Reign by Chanda Hahn 
• A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and A Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18 by Joseph Loconte
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

 

 

[Butter]

I suppose I am somewhat of an ADD reader. I am always reading several books at one time. Please tell me I am not the only one who does this? 

Welcome!  I'm reading 14 books currently, so, no, you're not the only one.  I go in waves.  Sometimes I'm reading just two or three, sometimes more than a dozen, and sometimes one at a time.  Depends on my mood.

[mrskturner]

Welcome!  I'm reading 14 books currently, so, no, you're not the only one.  I go in waves.  Sometimes I'm reading just two or three, sometimes more than a dozen, and sometimes one at a time.  Depends on my mood.

Glad I am not the only one! I like to read from different genres so I can pick up a book based on what I am in the mood for at the moment :) 

[Robin M]

Mrs k. Come join us in the week two thread. We will be hanging out there until Sunday before moving on to week 3.

[theelfqueen]

Serene ... if I had known you a year ago... I had a copy of War and Peace in Russian but I donated it!

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Robin M]

Please continue the conversation in the week 2 thread.

[scrapbookbuzz]

So, I've come to the realization that I am most likely not going to accomplish reading a Book a Week

unless it's along the lines of Dr. Seuss or the Magic Treehouse books. Too many other things vying for my

attention. Now if you were aiming for a book a MONTH, then maybe!

 

I did finish the book I mentioned previously (The Battle at Hackham Heath by John Flanagan).

It took me longer to get through this one than usual. Not really sure why.

 

I am now reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I've had my eye on this one for awhile!

 

Oh, and this week, I also read through one of my daughter's chemistry lessons and a psych lesson. Those

books will definitely NOT be read in one week!  :p

[scrapbookbuzz]

 

 "There were so many inconsistencies in her personality and behavior that I thought she was young (early 20's) and inexperienced with life. I was startled when, almost at the end, she divulges she is turning 31."

 

 

This made me chuckle a bit. Being in my almost-late-40s, I immediately thought, "There really isn't a whole lot of difference (usually) in life experience from 22-31. I'm pretty sure my own maturity and wisdom levels were about the same throughout those years. The only difference in my life at 31 from early 20s is that I was married and had a young child. Doesn't mean I was any more wise or mature, though.