Book a Week 2017 - BW2: Happy birthday Haruki Murakami!!!

[Robin M]

How do you guys fix salmon?  It's one of those super foods that I know we should be eating more often.  We love the smoked salmon that Whole Foods sells but we aren't multimillionaires so at $20 a pound I have to limit that to once a month!

 

I get fresh salmon steaks, about 1 inch thick, from the meat department, not smoked, and poach in broth, then use the broth for sauce.   

 

Combine one can of chicken broth (also can use bullion)with tarragon and thyme and bring to boil. 

Add the salmon and cover, reduce the heat to simmering and cook for about 20 minutes.  

When salmon done, remove and cover on separate plate.

 

Can make sauce in same pan using cornstarch to thicken which I've tried but doesn't taste as good in my opinion.

 

In a smaller frypan, melt butter and add flour and mix together.  Less flour makes for thinner sauce and visa versa for thicker.  Add the cooked broth. Stir in dill weed, garlic and ginger (fresh is better) and let simmer until thickened.  Throw in a dash of salt and pepper.

 

Spritz salmon with lemon, then pour the sauce over the salmon.  My son who is a very picky eater loves the salmon without the sauce, so put in gravy boat if any of your kids are similar. 

 

Great with rice since can use the sauce to flavor rice as well.

 

Add in some baked asparagus and dig in.  Delicious!

Edited January 11, 2017 by Robin M

[Robin M]

Does that mean we can't use a play for another category? I was planning to read The Two Gentlemen of Verona for the Prime Number square. I checked and it meets (exceeds even) the page count requirement.

 

I was curious about that too - Shakespeare does seem to meet the other criteria, in terms of difficulty/challenge and length. Can we use Shakespeare plays for relevant Bingo categories?

 

We had plays as a category for bingo last year.  We don't for this year.  Plays aren't really considered novels as they are more script than anything else and composed mainly of set direction and dialogue.   I don't want to be draconian about it and say absolutely not.  If you decide you can't find anything else, then as a compromise, a Shakespeare play may be used for one category only and the book has to be 200 pages in length.   

[Robin M]

Wow, I've never met someone IRL who admitted to read Harlequin or Bouquetpockets :)

It was a discussion under libraries if they has to provide them considering their content when I was student.

My mom allowed us to read them, expecting we would overgrow them. I did.

 

Is romance one word for everything about a love story?

We dived them up in castle romance, dokter romance, country romance etc.

And when 'literature' also covers a love story it is not covered as romance - the genre.

Is that the same in English?

(Just wanting to use the right word in the right context)

 

For the moment I'm not that into romance fiction (in Dutch meaning)

Just too rosey for this moment in life.

But I don't mind a happy end :)

 

Yes, it's basically the same in English.  'Romance' encompasses a myriad of stories.  And we too divy them up by category - contemporary, erotic, historical, christian, romantic suspense and young adult. 

[JennW in SoCal]

I'm interrupting the book discussion this morning with an important public service announcement.

 

Go see La La Land!!

 

Dh and I saw it last night, and loved it. I found myself simply smiling with happiness during the musical numbers. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants (and needs) a happy, non-cynical, escapist movie. Los Angeles looks dewey and bright, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are dewey and bright, the music is terrific, the choreography is perfect and the cinematography is jaw dropping.

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

Ugh! I just finished Like Water for Chocolate and absolutely hated the ending. Up until then I was really enjoying it. The final chapter ruined the whole book for me.

[TravelingChris]

I got Norwegian Wood now on my laptop so I have been reading that along with my mystery and a bit of my dusty book.  So far, I am most interested when he describes parts of Japanese culture.  It isn't grossly engaging but all right at this point.

[Robin M]

Happy Birthday to MELMICHIGAN!

 

 

 

Have an absolutely awesome day my dear Melissa!

 

 

 

 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

We had plays as a category for bingo last year.  We don't for this year.  Plays aren't really considered novels as they are more script than anything else and composed mainly of set direction and dialogue.   I don't want to be draconian about it and say absolutely not.  If you decide you can't find anything else, then as a compromise, a Shakespeare play may be used for one category only and the book has to be 200 pages in length.   

 

:thumbup1:

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm interrupting the book discussion this morning with an important public service announcement.

 

Go see La La Land!!

 

Dh and I saw it last night, and loved it. I found myself simply smiling with happiness during the musical numbers. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants (and needs) a happy, non-cynical, escapist movie. Los Angeles looks dewey and bright, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are dewey and bright, the music is terrific, the choreography is perfect and the cinematography is jaw dropping.

 

 

I completely agree! Wonderful movie.  The girls and I sobbed - in a good way - through the last 10 minutes.  It helps that I spent I lot of time at Griffith Park in my youth. 

 

I wrote last week that Morgan (dd10) said, "I don't even know why I'm crying" with a big smile on her face at the end of the movie.

[Lady Florida.]

We had plays as a category for bingo last year.  We don't for this year.  Plays aren't really considered novels as they are more script than anything else and composed mainly of set direction and dialogue.   I don't want to be draconian about it and say absolutely not.  If you decide you can't find anything else, then as a compromise, a Shakespeare play may be used for one category only and the book has to be 200 pages in length.   

 

Thanks for clarifying, Robin. I do plan to read that play this year, but I'm not tied to using it for bingo. I just thought I could tick it off my TR list AND get a bingo square for it, but there are plenty of other choices for that square.

 

It's okay to be draconian sometimes. :) I asked just to be sure.

[JennW in SoCal]

I completely agree! Wonderful movie.  The girls and I sobbed - in a good way - through the last 10 minutes.  It helps that I spent I lot of time at Griffith Park in my youth. 

 

I wrote last week that Morgan (dd10) said, "I don't even know why I'm crying" with a big smile on her face at the end of the movie.

 

 

I now remember you posting about it. I didn't sob, but it was a beautiful ending. My dh and I were talking about how refreshing it is to see a totally, unabashedly happy movie without a drop of cynicism. And Griffith Park was so lovingly filmed as a beautiful backdrop. It almost erases the memories of the crowds last time I was there...

 

It cracks me up that they were able to close an entire ramp of the freeway in order to shoot that opening number. They must have created one major traffic jam just to film a beautiful, day-dreamer's version of a traffic jam. I'm sure it would have been shot on a Sunday morning -- still what a headache to drivers!  

[Lady Florida.]

I'm interrupting the book discussion this morning with an important public service announcement.

 

Go see La La Land!!

 

Dh and I saw it last night, and loved it. I found myself simply smiling with happiness during the musical numbers. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants (and needs) a happy, non-cynical, escapist movie. Los Angeles looks dewey and bright, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are dewey and bright, the music is terrific, the choreography is perfect and the cinematography is jaw dropping.

 

 

I completely agree! Wonderful movie.  The girls and I sobbed - in a good way - through the last 10 minutes.  It helps that I spent I lot of time at Griffith Park in my youth.

Romantic comedies and musicals are two of my favorite movie genres. It looks like something dh would sit through with me the way I sit through Star Wars or Marvel heroes movies with him, so I'll just wait for it to come to home video and watch it one night when he's working.

[Ethel Mertz]

Ug.  Found out the results of the mri yesterday and I've torn up all sorts of things in my shoulder and need surgery.  Sigh.  I'm glad I didn't find out before we had our family ski vacation. This came on top of some other family upsets, and the day before, I embarked on a paint-a-landscape-a-day project as part of ramping up to try to make a go of it as an artist.  Looks like that is going to be cut short.  We need to schedule the surgery as soon as possible so I am semi-functional by August, when we go sailing.  Maybe I should paint two a day to make up for it.  It would be my dominant arm...  But the thing that really bothers me is that my real job is helping my mother and I am going to be less than useless for awhile.  I've already seen the negative effects of this.  Ug.  Meanwhile, I am still reading mostly internet stuff about starting a business, all very useful but not exactly exciting, and listening (for the umpteenth time) to Tied up in Tinsel before bed.  We listened to 101 Dalmatians on the long car trip to up to our friend's ski lodge, and I tried several other books that were no-gos and Rattle His Bones, my total fluff read, expired on me.

 

Nan

 

Nan - will be thinking of you and your shoulder. So sorry that you have to go through this!

 

Erin - Hope your surgery goes well tomorrow. Hope you heal quickly.

I can only tolerate audio books when I am in the car. And, fortunately, I am not in the car very much.

 

ETA: But I wish that I could focus on them. That would be lovely. Alas, I just can't.

I must admit that I fall asleep when I listen to audio books. I've tried so many times and I just nod off and miss important parts of the story.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I now remember you posting about it. I didn't sob, but it was a beautiful ending. My dh and I were talking about how refreshing it is to see a totally, unabashedly happy movie without a drop of cynicism. And Griffith Park was so lovingly filmed as a beautiful backdrop. It almost erases the memories of the crowds last time I was there...

 

It cracks me up that they were able to close an entire ramp of the freeway in order to shoot that opening number. They must have created one major traffic jam just to film a beautiful, day-dreamer's version of a traffic jam. I'm sure it would have been shot on a Sunday morning -- still what a headache to drivers!  

 

I was thinking the same thing about the freeway ramp! How funny.

 

 

 

 

Romantic comedies and musicals are two of my favorite movie genres. It looks like something dh would sit through with me the way I sit through Star Wars or Marvel heroes movies with him, so I'll just wait for it to come to home video and watch it one night when he's working.

 

Surprisingly, dh is the one who suggested this movie - I hadn't heard anything about it. It was dumping rain and we were all set to sit around in our pajamas all day and he said, "Get dressed, we're going to the movies!" We all gave him the stinkeye and got ready, reluctantly.  We sure ate crow, we loved the movie so much! It helps that dh was a musical theater guy in high school, but he has fully embraced living with two musical theater kids. Which is nice.

 

Come to think of it, he just has good taste in movies, I think. He's also the one who took me to see Manchester by the Sea.  He comes along to the Star Wars and Marvel movies with us, but he's not that into them.  OTOH, he is ok with films that are too violent for me - he had to go see The Revenant on his own.  :lol:

[Matryoshka]

Ha! Well guess I'm lumped in with American public's reading taste as I thoroughly enjoyed DaVinci, the Firm and Outlander series.   I remember the outcry about how Brown treated Catholic church and other entities in DaVinci code after I read it once.  Scratched my head over it, then read again, researched all the various things people had issues with.  End result - it's fiction people, lighten up.

 

Any who   -  we tend to avoid far reaching statements on this thread about people's reading tastes, american or otherwise as we have a diverse crowd here.  

 

Amen, Sister!  Comparing Outlander to 50 Shades of Grey is just...   :zombiechase:

 

I feel like I need to defend Diana Gabaldon! The Outlander series, while it has romantic elements, is not a bodice ripper. It's more time travel historical fiction. The Song of Fire and Ice series has plenty of s*x (with less romance) and I've never heard anyone say they're embarrassed to read those books. I've read all the Outlander books, and Gabaldon does a great job of mingling history, biology, and medicine, and the conflict between modern (WWII and 1960s) vs. historical cultural norms.

 

I understand people may not like her books and I have no issue with it, but to group her writing with Twilight or 50 Shades of Grey... Ack! I had to say something. If you've never read her (and you don't mind a love story), give the first book a try.

 

Oh, heavens!  I certainly did not mean to offend.  I just don't like to read play-by-play details, whether with sex or violence - it doesn't matter if it's in time travel historical fiction or pulp.  I am also never going to read (or watch) Game of Thrones, or I already mentioned the Dragon Tattoo books/movies. But I'm certainly not trying to disparage the tastes of people who love them.  As I said, just not my cuppa - we all have different tastes.  I'm fine with books that have romantic or violent themes, I just don't want to read pages of details.  I'd rather use my imagination.

 

It's like, say I didn't like nuts in my brownies.  I'm not going to say people who like them have bad taste or that nuts are evil.  I may even eat brownies that have a few nuts that I can pick out and enjoy the rest.  But if even the most gourmet brownie is so full of nuts that I can't avoid them, I'm not going to enjoy the brownie. :tongue_smilie:  And if you came to my house for tea, I'd be happy to make half the pan of brownies with nuts in it for you.   :)

 

My level of romance is about Austen / Brontë (and I'll 'fess up that I didn't hate Wuthering Heights, so you can laugh at me now ;) )  I read some Mary Stewart romances (detail-free) in high school and thought they were fun.  But that's back when I was reading a book every day or two.  

 

 But I just don't read as fast as most of you, so I feel the need to be choosy.  I didn't hate the DaVinci Code - I gave it three stars.  It was just empty calories, like eating Smarties.  If I'm going to consume empty calories, I'd rather go for something more satisfying, like 70% dark chocolate (I know, I should stop with the dessert metaphors... ;) ).   Mostly,  if I want relaxing fluff, I rather watch it on TV...   I'm a big fan of Flufferton TV.  And  I'm definitely going to try a Flufferton book for the bingo square, other than Austen and Agatha Christie (are those Flufferton?) I don't think I've read much of it.  

 

Can I just say how much I am loving this group? I haven't had women to converse with in this way in a really long time. I really enjoy the thread and I hope to keep getting to know all of you :)

 

This, this, this. :)  I am really enjoying this discussion, and all the different perspectives .  

I am hoping to be reading a lot more this year, and branching out is one of the things I definitely want to do, but I still want to read books I'm going to enjoy.  Hearing all the detailed reviews helps me feel more secure in picking books I might not have thought of before.

 

My trick with audiobooks is to listening to a books I've already read and while doing something else - mainly driving or drawing.   That's how I trained my brain to listen without tuning it out.  Keep busy with muscle memory tasks so it doesn't distract me from the story. And it helps to have an excellent narrator.  I'm very picky when it comes to voices

. 

So I started listening to Dr Zhivago today on a long drive.  I think I like the book but don't like the narrator.  His diction is very proper - rolled r's, and hwere and hwy, and he speaks in these short, clipped, declarative bursts, both of which call attention to themselves and distract me from the narrative.  And I'm a very auditory learner and usually have no trouble following audio, (and I also find that doing something physical like driving or drawing  helps me focus better).  But I also am having a hard time keeping all the names apart, and wish I could flip back, so I think I'll put this aside for now and read the book instead.

 

Now to figure out which audio to listen to in its place...

 

 

:grouphug: Erin and Nan, I hope the surgery goes well and you recover quickly.  :grouphug:

 

I keep meaning to say this too, so I'll echo this.   :grouphug:  

 

[Lady Florida.]

 

. 

So I started listening to Dr Zhivago today on a long drive.  I think I like the book but don't like the narrator.  His diction is very proper - rolled r's, and hwere and hwy, and he speaks in these short, clipped, declarative bursts, both of which call attention to themselves and distract me from the narrative.  And I'm a very auditory learner and usually have no trouble following audio, (and I also find that doing something physical like driving or drawing  helps me focus better).  But I also am having a hard time keeping all the names apart, and wish I could flip back, so I think I'll put this aside for now and read the book instead.

 

Now to figure out which audio to listen to in its place...

 

 

 

 

 

Once I really started listening to and enjoying audio books I realized how much a narrator can make or break a book. Also some books are just better in print (conversely, there are some I listened to that I don't think I'd enjoy as much in print).  Hope you find a good replacement.

[Ms Brooks]

I am reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.  

I am also read DD's history and literature assignments so we can discuss.

[mumto2]

I am reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

I am also read DD's history and literature assignments so we can discuss.

I loved Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Wonderful book! :)

 

It's one I read because someone here recommended it.

[Nan in Mass]

Oh Nan! How dreadful! Sending you lots of good vibes. Let me know if there is a distraction you need that I can send your way.

How sweet of you! Thank you, Jane! I will think about it.

 

Hugs,

Nan

[Schadenfreude]

I finished The Other Einstein by Heather Terrell today. It was a really good book about Albert Einstein's first wife. The book has a great mixture of fact and fiction in it. It made me think more about the role women were expected to play in the past and how women who did not meet that role were treated.

[Guest]

So here is an interesting discussion of the romance, from Alfred MacAdam's introduction to Northanger Abbey:

 

"Gothic 'novels' are actually romances, a kind of prose fiction that differs in important ways from the true novel. They deal with passions and the characters who embody them and use settings appropriate for actions unsuited to ordinary civil society. They arouse emotions but do not seek to entrance the reader with the depiction of a mind in the process of development. That is the task of the true novel, which seeks to give us the inner lives of ordinary people who evolve over time, like the societies in which they live."

 

What do you guys think? Snobby lit crit definition, or true? It does work to distinguish a work like Pride & Prejudice,where the protagonist grows, changes, and realizes something true about the world from a work like The Grand Sophy, which while it is completely entertaining, doesn't really have the main character change in any essential way.  So I kind of buy it from that POV.

 

This made me think of the realization I had when I figured out that the Romantic poets were actually so completely unromantic in real life. When I started reading some gothic literature I went and did more reading on the authors and so not what I expected!  I mean reading about Byron and Percy Shelley, talk about your worse nightmare as a partner......wow.   :ack2:  They were dogs, to put it mildly, and that's probably giving dogs a bad name! Learning about them kind of sucked all of the romance out of the Romantic Era for me. 

[thessa516]

Karen should be back in a couple weeks. But in the meantime:

 

I still have 4 harlequin romances I saved from the 70's sitting in my shelves.  I run the gamut from clean christian romances such as Julie Lessman to the super x rated vampire series from Laurel Hamilton.  There is something for everyone out there.  Ultimately I prefer paranormal! 

 

For all who like paranormal romances - check out Deadline Dames.  I've read the majority of their books

 

Literary Escapism reviews mainly paranormal and urban fantasy.  She has a long list of authors, plus release dates for 2017

 

Heroes and Heartbreakers list of Paranormal Romance news.

 

There are cozy romances same as cozy mysteries out there.   I recently finished Debbie Macomber's Rose Harbor series which was very clean and sweet. 

 

 

I didn't even realize that there was an entire genre of paranormal romance. Thanks for the links! I still won't read 50 Shades, but I'll gladly devour Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series.

 

And since we're all fessing up. I liked Twilight. But I'm a sucker for most things paranormal or sci-fi. 

[Rosie_0801]

This made me think of the realization I had when I figured out that the Romantic poets were actually so completely unromantic in real life. When I started reading some gothic literature I went and did more reading on the authors and so not what I expected!  I mean reading about Byron and Percy Shelley, talk about your worse nightmare as a partner......wow.   :ack2:  They were dogs, to put it mildly, and that's probably giving dogs a bad name! Learning about them kind of sucked all of the romance out of the Romantic Era for me. 

 

More like 'Carrying on Like a Pork Chop' era.

[prairiegirl]

I am reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

I am also read DD's history and literature assignments so we can discuss.

I have this on my pile and am looking forward to reading it.

[shukriyya]

Nan, sending lots of  :grouphug: your way, my dear.

 

Moving along nicely with Fudoki, a strange and enchanting tale. Stacia, perhaps one for you? 

 

 

 

So I started listening to Dr Zhivago today on a long drive.  I think I like the book but don't like the narrator.  His diction is very proper - rolled r's, and hwere and hwy, and he speaks in these short, clipped, declarative bursts, both of which call attention to themselves and distract me from the narrative.  And I'm a very auditory learner and usually have no trouble following audio, (and I also find that doing something physical like driving or drawing  helps me focus better).  But I also am having a hard time keeping all the names apart, and wish I could flip back, so I think I'll put this aside for now and read the book instead.

 

Now to figure out which audio to listen to in its place...

 

 

I wonder if we tried the same version. I listened to a sample and was somewhat put off by the narrator. And like you, couldn't keep track of all the names. This is likely one to read rather than listen to. I've got A Gentleman In Moscow on my list of audio possibilities. Narrator is manageable. I was going to listen to it next but while searching for books for my GR 'Into the Forest' challenge for a book based on the folklore or mythology of a non-European country or culture of your choice, I came across The Palace of Illusions  which I think is probably better read than listened to based on the strength of the narrator.

 

A reimagining of the world-famous Indian epic, the Mahabharat—told from the point of view of an amazing woman. Relevant to today’s war-torn world, The Palace of Illusions takes us back to a time that is half history, half myth, and wholly magical. Narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the legendary Pandavas brothers in the Mahabharat, the novel gives us a new interpretation of this ancient tale. 

 

Rosie, you might enjoy this. Draupadi aka Panchaali is one of the great female figures in this epic. 

 

 

I loved Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Wonderful book! :)

It's one I read because someone here recommended it.

 

Ds is reading this and is very much enjoying it. There's a series adaptation that is quite good, too.

 

I finished The Other Einstein by Heather Terrell today. It was a really good book about Albert Einstein's first wife. The book has a great mixture of fact and fiction in it. It made me think more about the role women were expected to play in the past and how women who did not meet that role were treated.

 

This is on my list, too. Reviews are mixed though, mainly that it's more fiction than fact without necessarily saying so. Still, I like what I've read of the sample and it's always interesting to hear about the women's inner lives behind their various famous men.

Edited January 11, 2017 by shukriyya

[prairiegirl]

I finished The Other Einstein by Heather Terrell today. It was a really good book about Albert Einstein's first wife. The book has a great mixture of fact and fiction in it. It made me think more about the role women were expected to play in the past and how women who did not meet that role were treated.

I read this last month and enjoyed it as historical fiction but wondered what parts, if any, were true. The book put Einstein in a bad light and that made me very sad.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Nan, sending lots of  :grouphug: your way, my dear.

 

Moving along nicely with Fudoki, a strange and enchanting tale. Stacia, perhaps one for you? 

 

 

I wonder if we tried the same version. I listened to a sample and was somewhat put off by the narrator. And like you, couldn't keep track of all the names. This is likely one to read rather than listen to. I've got A Gentleman In Moscow on my list of audio possibilities. Narrator is manageable. I was going to listen to it next but while searching for books for my GR 'Into the Forest' challenge for a book based on the folklore or mythology of a non-European country or culture of your choice, I came across The Palace of Illusions  which I think is probably better read than listened to based on the strength of the narrator.

 

A reimagining of the world-famous Indian epic, the Mahabharat—told from the point of view of an amazing woman. Relevant to today’s war-torn world, The Palace of Illusions takes us back to a time that is half history, half myth, and wholly magical. Narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the legendary Pandavas brothers in the Mahabharat, the novel gives us a new interpretation of this ancient tale. 

 

Rosie, you might enjoy this. Draupadi aka Panchaali is one of the great female figures in this epic. 

 

 

 

 

 

Dd and I read Palace of Illusions at the beginning of the school year, when we were studying Ancient India. I think Stacia read it too? It was enjoyed by all of us, if I recall correctly.  

[Penguin]

I have a question about Goodreads. Do you use it to make a cumulative list of all the books that you have ever read, or only log the books you have read since you started Goodreads? 

 

Over the years, I have attempted paper lists but never got very far. Obviously, it is quick to do it on Goodreads. I wonder if there is a way to add a bunch of books without it showing up on feeds of friends. Seems like that could get annoying when somebody on your feed rapid-fire adds 50 books or more.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Penguin

[Jane in NC]

I read this last month and enjoyed it as historical fiction but wondered what parts, if any, were true. The book put Einstein in a bad light and that made me very sad.

 

After reading Schadenfreude's comments, I looked up the book and saw it was historical fiction. I could not find any articles discussing its accuracy.

 

About translation of Russian books on audio:  last year I listened to The Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin and had a similar problem with names--rather nicknames.  If Russian characters were called a single name, it might be easier to keep track. But the diminutives, the nicknames!!  Bad enough in print versions, but challenging in audio!

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Butter]

I have a question about Goodreads. Do you use it to make a cumulative list of all the books that you have ever read, or only log the books you have read since you started Goodreads? 

 

Over the years, I have attempted paper lists but never got very far. Obviously, it is quick to do it on Goodreads. I wonder if there is a way to add a bunch of books without it showing up on feeds of friends. Seems like that could get annoying when somebody on your feed rapid-fire adds 50 books or more.

 

I'm adding all the books I've read since I started keeping track in 2010.  One more year to go (2014).  I just uncheck the add to feed option so the old ones don't get added.

[Lady Florida.]

I have a question about Goodreads. Do you use it to make a cumulative list of all the books that you have ever read, or only log the books you have read since you started Goodreads? 

 

 

 

I never kept a list of books so when I joined Goodreads I added some books I knew I read. I didn't try to make a complete list. Every once in a while I'll add one from years ago if I remember it, but mostly I use Goodreads to keep track of what I'm reading and what I want to read.

Edited January 12, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Matryoshka]

I have a question about Goodreads. Do you use it to make a cumulative list of all the books that you have ever read, or only log the books you have read since you started Goodreads?

 

Over the years, I have attempted paper lists but never got very far. Obviously, it is quick to do it on Goodreads. I wonder if there is a way to add a bunch of books without it showing up on feeds of friends. Seems like that could get annoying when somebody on your feed rapid-fire adds 50 books or more.

When I joined I added a long list of books that I'd read in the past but I didn't really have any friends yet then. Since I started friending people I have added a bunch more old books, but I didn't realize at first that they'd show up in people's feeds ... hopefully it hasn't been too obnoxious.

 

I'd never kept an exhaustive list, so I've mostly added books as I thought of them or seen books that I know I've read.

[Ellesmere]

I started my Goodreads account after starting to post on the BaW threads last year and I can't remember if I added a bunch of my "read" books after making friends over there. If s,o I probably was annoying people with updates because I sometimes forget to uncheck the box that shares to my feed and I did try (and fail) to add books I'd read in the past at first. 

BaW Bingo: I just realized a couple rules I'd forgotten: no plays and books have to be at least 200 pages, so my first three don't count. (The Vegetarian was SO close to 200, at least the copy I had! But yeah, it is a quick book.)

If it's ok for me to restart Anna Karenina (I didn't get far last year and will re-start with a different translation) I'll start over and read that as my translated instead of The Vegetarian.

I think I'll read The Handmaid's Tale to replace Fahrenheit 451 for dystopian.

Not sure if Antony & Cleopatra will count based on the clarification but if it doesn't (going to check my edition's page count) then I can just find something else for Ancient up to 100 BC.

Other book news 'round here ... 
We went to the library and here are a few things we checked out:

For me: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
For the kids:
Henry & Leo by Pamela Zagarenski (picture book, but lovely art)
The Nocturnals: The Mysterious Abductions by Tracey Hecht, Australian book for middle grades

Finished Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind on audio.
Currently reading: Nineteen Eighty-Four (borrowed, print book). 

[Lady Florida.]

When I joined I added a long list of books that I'd read in the past but I didn't really have any friends yet then. Since I started friending people I have added a bunch more old books, but I didn't realize at first that they'd show up in people's feeds ... hopefully it hasn't been too obnoxious.

 

I'd never kept an exhaustive list, so I've mostly added books as I thought of them or seen books that I know I've read.

 

It took me a while to notice, but there's a checkbox that says add to my update feed or something  like that. It's checked by default but you can uncheck it. You can also change your preferences but then none of your friends would see what you're reading or when you add books.

[Guest]

Is there a way to get your Audible books to automatically import to your Goodreads like other Amazon purchased books? I haven't been able to figure that one out.

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[EmilyGF]

I finished my first book of the year - How to Bake Pi by Eugenia Cheng. I had heard her speak at a math event and got the book from the library hoping to cook through the recipes with my daughters as a hook to talk more math with them. The recipes weren't that great, but the math metaphors were enlightening. It isn't a deep math book, though, more like dangling feet into the side of the pool. But one daughter at least plans to read the books... I'd love to reader a deeper and heavier math book next. 

 

I'm reading Down the Garden Path before bed and find it pretty funny, although not so quotable, which disappoints my husband who wants to know why I'm laughing aloud. I made it through the introduction to City of God so now into the meat of the thing. The book club on the first book (it is split into 22) meets this weekend, so I'd better get cracking! It is an in-person book club with a friend (or friends? not sure yet) from my church.

 

I just got History of the Ancient World and Better than Before from the library to start chipping away at.

 

I do a very strict Charlotte Mason homeschool with my kids and notice that it has affected my reading; I now read short amounts in any one sitting of any book that I care to remember, but I always have a large stack of books going.

 

Emily

[xixstar]

Oh fiddle, I'm behind on this thread and on my reading.

 

My book feel off the couch and thus my reading stopped -- that a lame excuse, but all I've got to give. That and the story doesn't have me hooked enough to really keep me wanting more yet... and I need some quotation marks! Come on, just give me back the quotation marks. And I think there's been periodic removal of question marks too. I spent way too long going back through previous chapters to see if all punctuation had been reduced to periods, but it hasn't, but I still have a feeling that there is a bias against question marks and an absolute hatred of quotation marks. There are the occasional question mark, but all punctuation is suspect at this point. This book being a million pages long isn't helping me either -- well that's not really a problem, the punctuation is.

 

And then I dip into this thread and see great reviews that I want to read more books, but then I'll just add more books to my list and I already have too many books at home. Well, you can never have too many, but I've committed to actually reading the ones I check out versus checking them out and then holding on to them for 5 months before returning them unread to the library. And I'm now also scheduling holds for more of these great books yall keep talking about so if I don't get reading again asap, I'm going to be underwater.

 

So... I guess I need another quick book to read because quotation-mark-hater-book and I are not going to be done by the end of the week and I must do a book a week.... I wonder what I should chose. 

 

And so sorry that I'm not keeping up with the general conversation either... I'm trying. 

 

[Schadenfreude]

I read this last month and enjoyed it as historical fiction but wondered what parts, if any, were true. The book put Einstein in a bad light and that made me very sad.

There is an author's note in the back of the book where she talks about what is real and what is fiction. The story was based off letters between the couple.

[Robin M]

I finished Steve Berry's Alexandria Link.

 

First sentence: "George Haddad's patience ended as he glared at the man bound to the chair."

 

From the first sentence, Alexandria Link is nonstop action. Cotton Malone's son has been kidnapped and if Malone doesn't find the lost Library of Alexandria within 72 hours, Cody will be killed. Mercenaries are out to destabilize three major religions - Jewish, Christian and Muslim. The Library of Alexandria contains the documents that show the old testament was mistranslated from the Hebrew and prove the covenant land did not lie in Palastine. Interesting theory. Berry's writing is better than Patterson, but not as great as James Rollins.

Edited January 12, 2017 by Robin M

[shukriyya]

Shukriyya, Rose is correct that I read Palace of Illusions last year too. I enjoyed it! Fudoki could be interesting & one of my library systems has it, so perhaps I will get around to it....

 

The audio version so far is proving to be fantastic. The narrator is wonderful, managing tone and accent with skill. Ds and I listened began it during a long commute this evening and found ourselves laughing out loud in parts, one of the pluses of audio books

[CadenceSophia]

6 Gorgeous New Covers For Russian Literary Classics

 

<swoon>

!!! They are even (at least some) the Pevear/Volokhonsky translations. I am so skeptical of fancy covers after the nonsense b&n put out but these look like they really might be wonderful.

[Tress]

I am reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. 

 

 

I loved Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Wonderful book! :)

 

It's one I read because someone here recommended it.

 

I'm reading it, too, and enjoying it very much! It started slow, but now it's wonderful! :thumbup:

[mumto2]

I'm reading it, too, and enjoying it very much! It started slow, but now it's wonderful! :thumbup:

As Shukriyya mentioned earlier the BBC made a six part adaptation of Jonathan Strange that was filmed in several sort of local spots a couple of years ago. It aired within a couple of months of my finishing the book. We watched the first episode and loved the location shots but I decided to leave it on the recorder and watch it after more time had gone by. It was well done but not quite how my mind painted the book. I almost started watching it a couple of days ago but watched a Miss Marple instead. Now that so many are reading it I need to watch it.

 

Melissa, Happy Birthday! I hope you had a lovely day!

[Alice]

I finished my first book of the year - How to Bake Pi by Eugenia Cheng. I had heard her speak at a math event and got the book from the library hoping to cook through the recipes with my daughters as a hook to talk more math with them. The recipes weren't that great, but the math metaphors were enlightening. It isn't a deep math book, though, more like dangling feet into the side of the pool. But one daughter at least plans to read the books... I'd love to reader a deeper and heavier math book next. 

 

 

 

 

I'm not really a math person so not sure if these qualify as deeper and heavier but I really enjoyed How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking by Jordan Ellenberg. I also recently read and mostly liked Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil. The second one got a little tedious as there was more of a political agenda and less math. I didn't disagree with her but it was one of those books that is interesting but could probably have been about half as long. 

[Onceuponatime]

I'm about halfway through The Nordic Theory of Everything. It is fascinating, but I'm slowing down a bit, so I took periodic breaks to read two juvenile books with prime numbers. They are thrift store finds I hadn't read that had been hanging around the house for a while. The first was The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story by Sid Fleichmann. It actually was more of a time travel story than a ghost story and was just okay, but I imagine young readers might like it. The second book was The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson. It was over 200 pages, lol. This story was much more engaging and a bit reminiscent of Harry Potter.

 

Yesterday I started Houses of Stone by Barbara Michaels, aka Elizabeth Peters. She is my current author pick for a bit of relatively fluffy reading that is intelligent and adult. Lo and behold, this particular story delves into a discussion of women authors over the last couple hundred years! The story swings around a mysterious early American manuscript authored by an unknown woman.

 

The main character discusses with her favorite bookseller how modern readers are not affected by subtle psychological horror of the past. "They have become too jaded--too many chainsaws, too many decomposing corpses. And few comprehend that mental torture is the worst off all--the constriction of hope and ambition." "But that's what women's writing is all about," Karen said."That's the theme of Ismene's poem. 'They have shut me in houses of stone.' She wasn't talking about a physical prison."

 

Check out this quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne that was the headpiece of chapter two: "All women, as authors, are feeble and tiresome. I wish they were forbidden to write, on pain of having their faces deeply scarified with an oyster shell." 😳

Edited January 12, 2017 by Onceuponatime