Book a Week 2017 - BW3: Author Oulipo Mashup

[Mom-ninja.]

 Plus, well, I seem to be really sensitive lately to undiagnosed mental illness-slash-learning difficulties-slash abuse in children, especially if these are used as narrative arc. NO THANKS GAME OVER put on burn pile

 

 

That was one thing I found hard in Everyone Brave is Forgiven; the abuse that happens to children. One child is dyslexic and he is believed to just be lazy and stupid. As a parent of dyslexic children that makes me red in the face. 

 

The second book I finished was "I am the Messenger." I didn't really care for the writing style of this book, and I found I wasn't as emotionally tied to the characters as I was for "The Book Thief." The book is about a young cab driver who is "chosen" to be a messenger. The messages he caries vary with each person he is sent to. I also gave this book three stars.

 

Happy Reading!

I've been pondering whether I should read that book. I loved Book Thief. 

 

 

Negin, the fasting book you posted has a long wait list at the library. Is this a book that would be worth buying? 

[Jane in NC]

Wait Jane - they are blooming OUTSIDE now?!?!  I know they bloom now in my mother's greenhouse but I thought that was just because it was a greenhouse...

 

I finished listening to Jane Harlow's Golden Summer.  I enjoyed it but as I said before, I think you have to have grown up on this sort of book in order to enjoy one now-a-days.  I can't usually listen to a book while I am painting.  Well, I can but I don't hear it.  This time I was first colouring in tiny houses and then painting a lot of blades of grass, so it was nice to have something to listen to.  I can move my shoulder enough to paint now, which is a relief, but that will come to an end for a bit with the surgery.  My thoughtful oldest gave me a colouring book, thinking I could do that lefthanded.  Good idea.  I've finally reached some sort of peace with my new phone, mostly because middle one got me signed up for instagram.  Now when I pick up my phone, there is some gorgeous photo of mountains in Alaska or sunrise through a sandstorm or a strange animal or a spacewalk or a beautiful painting of a dragon or something.  An endless supply of 5 second travel escapes or creative inspiration.  Still working on my Dodie Smith book, in between rereading all my painting books, which is definitely not improving my painting.  I'm hoping it is a get worse before you get better thing.

 

Erin, glad things went ok.

 

Nan

 

Camellias bloom here from late fall to early spring, depending on the variety.  The ones we were strolling around over the weekend are more trees than shrubs--old varieties in an old formal garden.  But they did not like the cold snap the weekend before!  A number of flowers were browned by temperatures in the teens as you can see from the flower in the foreground:

 

 

A distressed new resident is at the bird shelter where I volunteer, a Northern Gannett, one of my favorite birds.  This one is for you, Nan.

 

 

 

 

[Ethel Mertz]

Ds3 and Ds4 say at least once in each book. Sorry.

 

 

It continues.  Through all of them.  It does get less as they go on.

 

Go ahead and get the chocolate now.

 

It is as I feared!  :svengo: Two books down, six to go. We need an emoticon for chocolate.

[Onceuponatime]

  

It is as I feared!  :svengo: Two books down, six to go. We need an emoticon for chocolate.

I will share my chocolate with you, compliments of shukriyya.

[Heatherwith4]

I have three books going this week. I hope to finish one of them.

 

1) Still working on The Bible Tells Me So. It's good, but it's one of those books you read a little at a time and then digest for a while.

2) I'm halfway through Being Mortal. (Recommended last week) It's been an eye-opener. I'm only 34, but I have several family members who are either in the midst of or heading into that season of life, and I think the information will be helpful to me.

3) I checked out Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, which was recommended by someone last week. I haven't started yet, but I really need to get my butt in gear and exercise. I'm hoping it will offer some motivation.

4) I also checked out Mere Christianity. Haven't started it yet. Because I think I like to overestimate my reading time!

[mumto2]

My first ever Harlequin romance showed up in the mail today. It's in the Romance Western category. I cant' even remember when I ordered it since I bought it used. I will report back when I've started/finished it! :)

The important thing about Harlequins is the author, definitely not all created equal. My mom definitely had her favourites and so did I when I was reading them with her. Our top ratings were generally not the same but we totally agreed on the bottom. If you hate it I suspect a few of us can recommend some favourite author's. ;)

 

I now understand the complaint about conversation without quotes. I started reading The Elephant's Journeyhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7721933-the-elephant-s-journey by Jose Saramago because of the E. The paragraphs are huge and dense but I am enjoying the tale. It's a retelling of a historical event, back in the 1500's the King of Portugal gave an elephant as a wedding present. The problem is the elephant needs to be moved to Vienna. This is apparently the story of the elephants walk. After my problem's finding a Nobel Prize author's book last year I was surprised to pick one by accident, I like the cover.

[Lady Florida.]

On Goodreads I may not be overly picky about matching which edition I read but I really want the cover to match even when it was a kindle read. I do make sure the audiobooks match properly.

 

 

 

Same here. I hate it when I find a Kindle or audio version but the cover doesn't match my (digital) copy. 

[CadenceSophia]

I was just sitting here and thinking is like to re-read a book I own.. But then I remembered I lent it out and it was never returned (even with my name in it!)

 

So I thought I'd pop in and make a random recommendation for Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt. It is a fairy tale set in the middle ages. Completely captivating right to the end. It is one of those rare books where the author weaves an unforgettable spell over you. There is a strong and witty heroine, a quest for true love and all sorts of twists and turns.

 

It would have been the perfect read for the mood I am in today but oh well :(

[Penguin]

There's nothing inappropriate about the ending (well, there's a bit of sex but it's not graphic). I just didn't like how the story ended.

Thanks. I wasn't really worried about the end being inappropriate. Just feeling pathetic that I can hardly remember the book I assigned. He is on October, so I will hurry up and skim through from October to the end.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

<snip>

3) I checked out Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, which was recommended by someone last week. I haven't started yet, but I really need to get my butt in gear and exercise. I'm hoping it will offer some motivation.

<snip>

I started reading this book; is there someone else, too? It's been on my TBR pile for months. I"m three chapters in and I like it. It's informative. If you want to discuss it, let me know. Although, I am setting it aside for the moment so I can read The Plover.

[JennW in SoCal]

ACK!!! DS is on the second book of Artemis Fowl. Someone please tell me how many times the books in the series mention "Dwarf Gas." I swear, if I asked DS what the book was about, he would say "Dwarf Gas." If these unfortunate incidents of flatulence continue, I am going to need some serious chocolate to get me through them.  :blink:

 

 

I LOVED the Artemis Fowl books! I read them aloud to my youngest ds, even though he was old enough to read them on his own. Sure there is a gaseous dwarf but what do you expect from someone who has to unhinge his jaw so he can chew a tunnel through earth?  My ds and I were bigger fans of the young criminal mastermind himself, Artemis, and of his nemesis Holly the captain of the fairy police.

 

Artemis at least changes and grows as a character throughout the series, so there is that redeeming quality. It is never on the level of Harry Potter, nor does it aims to be, It is just good tween fun.

[Ethel Mertz]

I LOVED the Artemis Fowl books! I read them aloud to my youngest ds, even though he was old enough to read them on his own. Sure there is a gaseous dwarf but what do you expect from someone who has to unhinge his jaw so he can chew a tunnel through earth?  My ds and I were bigger fans of the young criminal mastermind himself, Artemis, and of his nemesis Holly the captain of the fairy police.

 

Artemis at least changes and grows as a character throughout the series, so there is that redeeming quality. It is never on the level of Harry Potter, nor does it aims to be, It is just good tween fun.

 

DS is 14 and still thinks gas is hilarious. (Do they ever outgrow that?) He loves Artemis Fowl and wishes he'd found them earlier. Ah well. At least his gales of laughter are a happy sound. It's impossible to have too much of a happy sound these days.

[Heatherwith4]

I started reading this book; is there someone else, too? It's been on my TBR pile for months. I"m three chapters in and I like it. It's informative. If you want to discuss it, let me know. Although, I am setting it aside for the moment so I can read The Plover.

I thought there was someone else who was reading it....maybe a couple of others. But the thread last week was pretty long, so I don't have time to look right now. :) I'll let you know what I think when I get around to reading it.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I finished my 4th book today Moon Dance by J. R. Rain, which is the first book in his Vampire for Hire series.  I downloaded it for free through my Amazon prime account and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  Here's a link to my review.

 

Not sure what I'll pick up next, but it definitely needs to come from my stack of library books instead of my kindle (unless of course one of my audiobooks from Overdrive becomes available).

[Jane in NC]

This just came on my radar.  The Cornell Bird Lab now has a publishing arm.  Their activity book, Bird Brainiacs, looks like the perfect gift for a young birder.

 

 

Sample activities from the book can be downloaded here.

 

More books and free coloring pages can be found on their website. 

[Angelaboord]

I started reading this book; is there someone else, too? It's been on my TBR pile for months. I"m three chapters in and I like it. It's informative. If you want to discuss it, let me know. Although, I am setting it aside for the moment so I can read The Plover.

 

I think Amy read it recently?

 

I read it a couple of years ago. My dh and older kids are Crossfitters. I stay home and cook dinner while they work out. I enjoyed reading the book and intellectually I know that it is all good information and that I really need to exercise... but I must confess that motivating myself to try to fit any kind of exercise into a day that already seems stuffed too full is hard. Before my last pregnancy I would at least try to fit in some exercise along the lines of the 7 Minute Workout app, but then I got pregnant and had sciatica and - blah blah blah. I'm very good at making excuses. [emoji6] Probably I should read the book again lol. I think the parts I found most convicting were about the benefits of exercise to learning/thinking.

 

 

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Edited January 18, 2017 by Angelaboord

[Angelaboord]

I appreciated RandG and Hamlet more after I watched them enacted. I got even more out of RandG after I read Waiting for Godot, which I thought was pretty awful. What I took away from RandG that made me appreciate it:

 

1. All the world's a stage, all the men and women merely players, they have their exits and their entrances.

2. The Play's the thing.

 

We are each in our own cosmic play (life). As they come and go, we interact with other players, but we don't know what is happening to them when they are off stage. They are living out their own dramas.

 

I had kind of tentatively put Waiting for Godot on my TBR list of classics, but you're not the first person I've heard say it was pretty awful. Didn't someone else on the thread read it last year, too? Maybe Stacia?

 

I think I actually appreciated the meta commentary on drama/acting the most in RandG, and I'm sure that some of the more slapstick elements are far better performed. I could see Stoppard taking some digs at Shakespeare, the way he just kind of carelessly tosses off these "minor" characters (who, of course, in their own lives would regard themselves as main characters.) But it was the throughstory that bugged me the most, that kind of pointlessness that Guildenstern seems to get but that goes over Rosencrantz's head. I guess the idea would be, "the play's the thing", but it's not as if the idea that death is a full stop makes them live their lives as if everything mattered that much more.

 

Hmmm. Well, at least it's made me want to read Hamlet again.

 

 

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[Angelaboord]

While I'm serial posting and procrastinating because I have book-choosing paralysis... I have a cookbook to add to the healthy eating discussion. I got the Bon Appetit Food Lover's Cleanse Cookbook for Christmas and have finally gotten around to cooking from it a bit. Some of the recipes are a bit fancy and use harder to find ingredients, and some just look fancy but are really fairly easy and quick. I would recommend checking it out of the library first if you can. What I like about the book is that it gives you 2 weeks of breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack menus for every season, plus shopping lists. The recipes are low meat but not entirely vegetarian, with lots of vegetables. Your 3 year old may not want to eat some of them, but surprisingly most of my kids enjoyed the Quinoa with Figs and almonds that were supposed to be walnuts that I made from the book last night. And I ate the leftovers with blueberries for breakfast this morning.

 

The book comes from the Food Lover's Cleanse that Bon Appetit used to run on its website every January.

 

 

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[Kareni]

Some recent columns from the Tor.com site ~

 

Five Books About Surviving Surveillance by Stephen W. Potts

 

Five Authors with Magical Worldbuilding Skills by David Weber

 

Five Books Starring Asexual Protagonists by Stubby the Rocket

 

 

The comments are often well worth reading for additional suggestions.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Loesje22000]

I thought there was someone else who was reading it....maybe a couple of others. But the thread last week was pretty long, so I don't have time to look right now. :) I'll let you know what I think when I get around to reading it.

  

I think Amy read it recently?

I read it a couple of years ago. My dh and older kids are Crossfitters. I stay home and cook dinner while they work out. I enjoyed reading the book and intellectually I know that it is all good information and that I really need to exercise... but I must confess that motivating myself to try to fit any kind of exercise into a day that already seems stuffed too full is hard. Before my last pregnancy I would at least try to fit in some exercise along the lines of the 7 Minute Workout app, but then I got pregnant and had sciatica and - blah blah blah. I'm very good at making excuses. [emoji6] Probably I should read the book again lol. I think the parts I found most convicting were about the benefits of exercise to learning/thinking.

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I started reading this book; is there someone else, too? It's been on my TBR pile for months. I"m three chapters in and I like it. It's informative. If you want to discuss it, let me know. Although, I am setting it aside for the moment so I can read The Plover.

I've read it last year, and still keep the book nearby.

I have to admit I have not interpreted the book as a call to exercise but as a call to move.

In my world ;) there is a huge difference between that :)

 

I was hit by the chapter about depression, something I deal with.

So dd and I try to include a daily 'after lunch walk'.

We have a home trainer (bike model) and several Lesly Sansone dvd's.

All things we can easily pick up again if we become sloppy about moving.

 

As dd likes hiking camps, we often try to walk a long walk on sunday afternoon. I can tackle 9km now. (Knowing I could hardly walk 3 km in the past I have much improved :) )

[Ausmumof3]

I finished Everyone Brave is Forgiven and it left me feeling conflicted. I feel the satisfaction of a good book and sad at the same time for all the characters. I recommend the book, but it talks about the horror of war and discrimination which I did not expect. The book is called "a love story" and it is on many levels. It is not a romance, but deals with love on a different plane. The most surprising to me was how even in the depths of war and destruction the racial bridge was not dismantled. Even with daily bombing and the death and destruction that came with it a young white woman was still shunned and attacked for feeding and teaching young black orphan children. This book will stick with me.

I sometimes think that when people are going through tough stuff they get more "tribal" more into being solid with their tribe and less open to anyone different. I guess it's some kind of survival thing.

[Joules]

I'm trying to keep up with the thread (somehow I feel like my fitbit should be registering this!)  Right now I am listening to Born a Crime.  It, like Felicia Day's book, is an awesome choice for audiobook.  Trevor Noah narrates it himself and puts so much of himself into it.  It's like sitting at a table listening to him tell the story of his life.

[ErinE]

I just finished Mort by Terry Pratchett, my first complete book from the author. An apprentice to Death finds the job harder than expected. An excellent, funny, light fantasy read. I wonder if J.K. Rowling is a fan of Pratchett as I can see some similarities dealing with the absurd and unexpected.

[Onceuponatime]

I just finished Mort by Terry Pratchett, my first complete book from the author. An apprentice to Death finds the job harder than expected. An excellent, funny, light fantasy read. I wonder if J.K. Rowling is a fan of Pratchett as I can see some similarities dealing with the absurd and unexpected.

You should read Reaper by the same author. Death has an existential crisis. 😄

[ErinE]

You should read Reaper by the same author. Death has an existential crisis. 😄

I could see one developing. Death and kittens, I'd never guess, but the way it's written is so good. I tried reading The Hogfather a few years ago and I couldn't get into it, but Mort was the perfect introduction to Pratchett.

[Mom-ninja.]

This just came on my radar.  The Cornell Bird Lab now has a publishing arm.  Their activity book, Bird Brainiacs, looks like the perfect gift for a young birder.

 

 

Sample activities from the book can be downloaded here.

 

More books and free coloring pages can be found on their website. 

Thank you! I have a little one who would like this book.

 

 

I sometimes think that when people are going through tough stuff they get more "tribal" more into being solid with their tribe and less open to anyone different. I guess it's some kind of survival thing.

Something to think about for sure. 

 

 

 

 

 

I read Spark a couple months ago. I loved it. I already am an exerciser so nothing has changed in my routine. However, it has made me work at getting my kids to move more. I have two teens that love to lounge all day so I'm getting them to unlounge. 

 

I'm so happy some of you are reading the book and getting motivated. It is my goal to get everyone moving and exercising.  :coolgleamA:  :thumbup1:  (Yes, I am annoying to dh but that's ok he still loves me)

Edited January 18, 2017 by Mom-ninja.

[Mom-ninja.]

I just finished Mort by Terry Pratchett, my first complete book from the author. An apprentice to Death finds the job harder than expected. An excellent, funny, light fantasy read. I wonder if J.K. Rowling is a fan of Pratchett as I can see some similarities dealing with the absurd and unexpected.

 

Mort is on my TR list. I've read Hogfather and loved Death. I also enjoyed his appearances in the Tiffany Aching book. I look forward to more Death books. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm also reading Spark and making a massive effort to exercise daily. I'm doing the Couch to 5K - although our unusually copious rain this winter is cramping my style a bit - and I'm doing yoga from baby-beginner videos at home, and I'm trying to drag my teen out for more walks. She has also become a lounger after being such an active kid. Spark is motivating me to make her exercise more, as well as do it myself.  It's funny, my exercise right now is like training wheels to get me capable to exercise for real/out in public: I need to work up to joining the local running club, and I need to work up to taking an actual yoga class. But, gotta start somewhere. I'm hoping my good example will motivate my children - bad examples always do!  :tongue_smilie:

 

I finished my cheat-read, Beauvallet, last night. I call it a cheat-read because I was determined not to start anything else till I finish my current reads.  But, I did, and it was delightful. This is GH's only Elizabethan-era romance, and it's different, but very fun - our hero is a Raleigh-like swashbuckling English "pirate" and there are cameos by both Queen Elizabeth and King Philip. It was fun to revisit this old friend.

 

I took Morgan to the library yesterday. None of my maxed-out holds were in - things are moving even more slowly than usual in our library system - so I wandered over to the 700 shelves, because "Random pick from the 700 shelves" is one of my Bingo squares.  There is a lot going on in the 700s! But I went for the candy instead of the spinach - I grabbed Tina Fey's Bossypants off the shelf. It's making me chuckle, she's a funny lady.  

Edited January 18, 2017 by Chrysalis Academy

[Runningmom80]

Whew hoo!  I'm still on track, and kind of ahead! 

 

I've read so far,

 

I'm Judging You

No-Drama Discipline

Song of Solomon (best I've read in a while)

 

 

Currently reading: Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

[Mom-ninja.]

I'm also reading Spark and making a massive effort to exercise daily. I'm doing the Couch to 5K - although our unusually copious rain this winter is cramping my style a bit - and I'm doing yoga from baby-beginner videos at home, and I'm trying to drag my teen out for more walks. She has also become a lounger after being such an active kid. Spark is motivating me to make her exercise more, as well as do it myself.  It's funny, my exercise right now is like training wheels to get me capable to exercise for real/out in public: I need to work up to joining the local running club, and I need to work up to taking an actual yoga class. But, gotta start somewhere. I'm hoping my good example will motivate my children - bad examples always do!  :tongue_smilie:

 

 

 

People seem ashamed about having to start slow, but we all start slow. No one wakes up an instant athlete. I like your goals. I am not a big runner (although I will run) and I am averse to in person classes. I like to workout at home. I'm taking a yoga class this term at our homeschool co-op because my friend is teaching it and she talked me into it. Have you looked at Yoga with Adrienne on Youtube? She has great videos for all levels. 

 

I'm going to have my oldest read Spark. I've explained to him how the teen years are extremely important for health later in life. It's during your teen years that you build the foundation for your bones. I have sons but this message is perhaps more important for teen girls because women are at higher risk of losing more bone mass when aging. I know it's hard to get a teen to think about their health 50 years from now, but it really is the best time to build those bones. At no other time in life will your bones grow as fast and strong as they do than in your teens, and that foundation will stay with you. Boy, do I wish I had known that as a teen. My ds has started working out with me and lifting weights, but he doesn't do it as often as I would like him to. Like you said....baby steps. He won't exercise with me if my workout is longer than 30 min. That's his max. What is it with lounge happy teens?  :lol:

 

One thing that bugs me a lot is that even though I lift weights more often, do more body weight exercises like push ups and pull ups he is now stronger than I am. Although he can now match my pull ups, I can still outdo him in push ups and yet the bugger is stronger. He can pick me up easily and toss me around. Which he loves to do by the way. He *loves* to show of his masculine strength to his mommy. I know intellectually that a 16 year male will normally be stronger than a 40 year old female but it irks me none the less.  :glare:

 

So since we are talking exercise books I will recommend these again as it's been a few years since I mentioned them. The First Twenty Minutes and Hot Sweaty Mama

 

Looks like the author of the first book also has a Personal Trainer book. I have no experience with that one.

 

And just so you all know that I keep things in balance after my workout this morning I had left over birthday cake for lunch. :D  

[JennW in SoCal]

I vote Mom-ninja for BaW personal trainer.

 

I figured I had better finish my 20 minutes of yoga before checking in on the board! If I had started reading without having done something exercise related I would have had so much guilt -- especially after eating the entire plate last night of cheese ravioli in a garlic cream sauce with prosciutto! 

 

What do you suppose the physiological benefits are to playing viola in a quartet for 90 minutes? I always work up a sweat -- that thing is heavy!

[Butter]

I finished my fourth book of the year this morning.  Summer at Sea by Beth Labonte.  Just what I needed after Norwegian Wood.  I laughed even more through this one that I did through the first one, Summer at Sea.  So funny and sarcastic.  I was around 20% when I put it down for the night last night.  I decided school could wait until I finished it this morning (it's noon and all three boys are done with their on their own work, so starting late didn't hurt them).  I loved it.  It was a perfect brain candy book.

[Kareni]

Here's a currently free Kindle book (for today only, I believe) ~  I read this many MANY moons ago in college:

 

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

 

"Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse’s most lauded book: The enchanting story of one man’s journey in search of enlightenment

Born into the privileged life of a Brahmin, young Siddhartha came of age surrounded by the teachings of the Buddha. But despite his earnest pursuit of enlightenment, Siddhartha is left unfulfilled. Determined to find his own path to the nirvana, Siddhartha leaves home to embark on a spiritual voyage, spurning the comforts of his caste and leaving behind all loved ones save for his best friend, Govinda. Homeless, without food, and dedicated to their austere lifestyle, the friends diverge along two separate paths. Govinda grows ever more dedicated to Buddhist teachings while Siddhartha travels a more meandering road—through asceticism, into an embrace of the joys of the flesh, and finally to an understanding of the nature of time, truth, and the ultimate path to self-realization.

First published in Germany in 1922, Siddhartha grew in popularity through the 1960s, when it became a touchstone of the American counterculture movement. The book endures today as a stirring and lyrical exploration of self-discovery."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[AppleGreen]

I finished Life Reimagined: The Science, Art and Opportunity of Midlife. It was very good. I think my dh is going to listen to it. Every chapter had some valuable take aways.

 

I also read The Boys in the Bunkhouse: Servitude and Salvation in the Heartland. Wow. It borders on incomprehensible to me that something like that was happening almost a decade into the 21st century AND that it had been going on for almost forty years despite repeated attention brought to the issue.

 

I started Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. I am only a page or two in, so I probably should not even say I started it. I know I will enjoy that one. I am also a few pages in on Miss Garnet's Angel. I think after this nonfiction blitz I am going to need something a little light and fluffy. :001_smile:  Maybe Miss Garnet will satisfy that light and fluffy desire. 

 

I have The Tycoons: How Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould and J P. Morgan Invented the American Supereconomy from the library and I would like to get to that one soon. After reading Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of an American Fortune a few years ago, I discovered that I have a strong interest in that period of history. I am finally circling back around and reading about the more well known millionaires of that time. Empty Mansions was fascinating! 

[HeatherinKC]

I'm about to finish Land of Careful Shadows by Suzanne Chazin.  I'm enjoying it, but If I'm right about the mystery twists, then the mystery is not particularly mysterious.

 

I'm also working on Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World by Linda Hirschman.  Not too far in yet, but I think I'll like this.

 

 

Last week:

 

The Watchmaker of Filagree Street -- this was an odd one for me in that there were several points where I got caught up in the story and then also several points where I wasn't interested enough to pick it up again -- to the point where if something better would have come along, I would have dropped this one and not looked back.  The last third did keep me riveted though -- and really stuck with me as well as I have pondered the ending.   This might actually end up being a reread some time in the future (although I must admit that with rereads I just skip the parts I don't care for  :D )

 

Redshirts -- Ok, I read this because it won the Hugo -- because otherwise I generally don't love books like this (and I've read a lot of them in my day -- Star Trek ones in particular even) -- they are the equivalent of Harlequins in some ways IMO (which I have also read a lot of).   And sadly, I have to say this book did not raise my opinion of the genre.  IMO the only thing that carried the story was the parody -- it needed more story to carry the parody. I am really surprised it won the Hugo and Locus awards -- because it wasn't really funny enough IMO.  (although I wonder if I would have liked it better if I had listened to it instead).

 

Myth of the Spoiled Child -- sad to say I'm pretty sure I read this book before and just didn't remember it -- or else Mr. Kahn uses a lot of the same 'stories' from book to book (which is certainly possible too).  Anyway, I can already tell it won't stick with me this time either.   It's too bad because I like many of his ideas, but Alfie Kohn does not impress me as a writer.  Plus for some reason, I have really been noticing lately when someone dings the 'other side' for logical fallacies or poor evidence AND then does exactly the SAME THING themselves.  :eek:   You cannot say someone else is wrong because they do not have enough evidence to prove their case and then not provide sufficient evidence yourself for your own case!  (or at least if you do that -- then you are proving yourself wrong as well)

 

 

I totally agree with your assessment of Redshirts - it was wannabe good parody, but it didn't quite make it. I'm surprised it won awards, too. I read it because I read some other John Scalzi books that I enjoyed - I thought Locked In was excellent and have been waiting for its sequel for years - but I was disappointed by Redshirts.

 

RE: Redshirts.  I rather enjoyed this one myself, but I'm a huge Trekie.  My son's name is Riker...  I do have to admit that that Scalzi has much better quality books out there.

 

Hello everyone! My book this week was A Man Called Ove. It was everything people say. It was charming and he was a wonderful character to get to "know." A sweet book full of goodness. 

 

I am not reading at the pace or level as most of you, but I am really enjoying this Book a Week a Challenge! I love hearing about what everyone is reading and am noting some ideas for the future, 

I loved A Man Called Ove!  It's just a book that makes you feel warm and cozy inside. 

 

 

If you come across any additional information about depression/anxiety/exercise then please pass it on.  Ever since finishing the book I've been diligently getting on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes.

Great job Amy!  I hope it's been helping!

 

I had kind of tentatively put Waiting for Godot on my TBR list of classics, but you're not the first person I've heard say it was pretty awful. Didn't someone else on the thread read it last year, too? Maybe Stacia?

I think I actually appreciated the meta commentary on drama/acting the most in RandG, and I'm sure that some of the more slapstick elements are far better performed. I could see Stoppard taking some digs at Shakespeare, the way he just kind of carelessly tosses off these "minor" characters (who, of course, in their own lives would regard themselves as main characters.) But it was the throughstory that bugged me the most, that kind of pointlessness that Guildenstern seems to get but that goes over Rosencrantz's head. I guess the idea would be, "the play's the thing", but it's not as if the idea that death is a full stop makes them live their lives as if everything mattered that much more.

Hmmm. Well, at least it's made me want to read Hamlet again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have to say that Waiting for Godot was work to get through.  I really got the feeling that one needed to see it on stage to understand it (or maybe I'd still be confused...)

[Raifta]

Shoot, I finally caught up, had my multiquote all set to go and got distracted by small child and hit wrong button and poof!  All gone.  

 

But I'm caught up on the thread.  (Children begged to go sledding at 2 story snowpile in nearby parking lot and since it is not minus 40 right now I said sure, let's do that, thinking that I would make good use of that time by catching up on this thread - which I did.)

 

Glad to hear that Born a Crime by Trevor Noah is good as that's on my TBR list.

 

If anyone is interested in recommending romance authors and read romances back in in the 80s, I'm interested in finding some romances that are like those written by Karen Van der Zee who wrote mostly (I think) for Harlequin Presents.  I seem to recall that what I enjoyed about her books was that the characters actually liked each other.  The drama came from other elements rather than the seemingly endless parade of I hate you/I hate you/I hate you/I love you storylines that populated most romances.

 

I haven't finished any books because I'm still plodding through the following:

 

Pillars of the Earth

Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne

A Sense of Direction by Gideon Lewis-Krause

Swallows and Amazons (read aloud for kids)

 

and since I didn't seem to be making much progress on any of these, I did the sensible thing and started reading another book:

 

Imperfect Harmony: Finding happiness singing with Others by Stacy Horn.

 

I'm really enjoying it so far - lots of interesting snippets about choral musics and choirs interspersed with her own story and relationship to choir - in a way, kind of like Lab Girl, which I also really enjoyed.  I've been making the kids sit and watch videos of different choirs performing songs she discusses and I'm really missing singing with a choir (I joined one a few years back but found that it was too difficult to have rehearsals on the weekends - maybe I need to seek one with a different rehearsal schedule).

 

 

[Rosie_0801]

Since you people like reading other people's lists: http://www.sbs.com.au/topics/life/family/explainer/many-worlds-australian-indigenous-childrens-literature

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[aggieamy]

I have three books going this week. I hope to finish one of them.

 

1) Still working on The Bible Tells Me So. It's good, but it's one of those books you read a little at a time and then digest for a while.

2) I'm halfway through Being Mortal. (Recommended last week) It's been an eye-opener. I'm only 34, but I have several family members who are either in the midst of or heading into that season of life, and I think the information will be helpful to me.

3) I checked out Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, which was recommended by someone last week. I haven't started yet, but I really need to get my butt in gear and exercise. I'm hoping it will offer some motivation.

4) I also checked out Mere Christianity. Haven't started it yet. Because I think I like to overestimate my reading time!

 

 

I think Amy read it recently?

 

 

It was me!  I'm sure i heard about it here when it first came out though.  I'm so happy that one of this week's rabbit trails is health and fitness. 

 

I'm also reading Spark and making a massive effort to exercise daily. I'm doing the Couch to 5K - although our unusually copious rain this winter is cramping my style a bit - and I'm doing yoga from baby-beginner videos at home, and I'm trying to drag my teen out for more walks. She has also become a lounger after being such an active kid. Spark is motivating me to make her exercise more, as well as do it myself.  It's funny, my exercise right now is like training wheels to get me capable to exercise for real/out in public: I need to work up to joining the local running club, and I need to work up to taking an actual yoga class. But, gotta start somewhere. I'm hoping my good example will motivate my children - bad examples always do!  :tongue_smilie:

 

I finished my cheat-read, Beauvallet, last night. I call it a cheat-read because I was determined not to start anything else till I finish my current reads.  But, I did, and it was delightful. This is GH's only Elizabethan-era romance, and it's different, but very fun - our hero is a Raleigh-like swashbuckling English "pirate" and there are cameos by both Queen Elizabeth and King Philip. It was fun to revisit this old friend.

 

You don't live anywhere near Kansas City do you?  I'm picturing running and talking about GH ... :laugh:

[aggieamy]

Funny story for you ladies.

 

DD (12 yo) is a voracious reader.  Like many of the moms here I have a hard time keeping her in books that are challenging and appropriate.  She picked Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey off my shelf and asked if she could read that.  Sure.  It's been a few years since I've read it but I didn't remember anything inappropriate. 

 

Fast forward to yesterday after school.  She goes to a Catholic school and I had a meeting with one of her teachers so I made her sit in the hall and read while I met with the teacher.  When I finished the meeting she asked me what a nymphomaniac was.  WHAT?!?!  She read it in her book and almost went to ask her language arts teacher (a conservative 65-year old Catholic man) while she was waiting for me but something told her maybe she should just wait and ask me instead. 

 

It would have been tragic.  They both would have died from embarrassment. 

 

Not that I did a particularly good job of explaining it myself ... :ohmy: :scared: :001_unsure: :blushing:

Edited January 18, 2017 by aggieamy

[Chrysalis Academy]

It was me!  I'm sure i heard about it here when it first came out though.  I'm so happy that one of this week's rabbit trails is health and fitness. 

 

 

You don't live anywhere near Kansas City do you?  I'm picturing running and talking about GH ... :laugh:

 

No, but I wish!! That sounds lovely. I need a running buddy I can talk about the best books with!  :)

[ErinE]

I just saw La La Land, on Rose's recommendation. I knew nothing about it other than Rose's review.

 

I loved this movie.

 

Exquisitely acted, Emma Stone shows amazing range and versatility. It's two passionate dreamers dealing with reality. I liked the chemistry between Stone and Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love and it's on fire here. I haven't been as impressed with Gosling without Stone, but in this movie, he is so effortlessly cool. The two do a soft shoe shuffle that is lovely and fun. There were so many moments were I laughed out loud then a few scenes later ended up crying.

 

I was so impressed with the dialogue. In one scene, the conversation descends into an argument and it's so perfectly acted and phrased that it feels true to life. I loved the contrast between the dream and reality. It has the look and feel of an old style musical, but still manages to be fresh and engaging.

 

There was only one scene where I thought it went over the top, but the last act was so beautiful, I can forgive the misstep.

 

Please go see this movie. I would love for Hollywood to make more movies as adult, brave, and different as this one that's still fairly tame (there's only a few curse words, no nudity or violence). La La Land deserves every award it earns. Highly, highly recommend.

[Raifta]

I just saw La La Land, on Rose's recommendation. I knew nothing about it other than Rose's review.

 

I loved this movie.

 

Exquisitely acted, Emma Stone shows amazing range and versatility. It's two passionate dreamers dealing with reality. I liked the chemistry between Stone and Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love and it's on fire here. I haven't been as impressed with Gosling without Stone, but in this movie, he is so effortlessly cool. The two do a soft shoe shuffle that is lovely and fun. There were so many moments were I laughed out loud then a few scenes later ended up crying.

 

I was so impressed with the dialogue. In one scene, the conversation descends into an argument and it's so perfectly acted and phrased that it feels true to life. I loved the contrast between the dream and reality. It has the look and feel of an old style musical, but still manages to be fresh and engaging.

 

There was only one scene where I thought it went over the top, but the last act was so beautiful, I can forgive the misstep.

 

Please go see this movie. I would love for Hollywood to make more movies as adult, brave, and different as this one that's still fairly tame (there's only a few curse words, no nudity or violence). La La Land deserves every award it earns. Highly, highly recommend.

 

Wanted to chime in with another rave review here.  I read Rose's recommendation as I was sitting in the theatre waiting for the previews and I knew that I would have a good time based only on that.  And I did!  One of the loveliest movie experiences I've had in ages.

[Chrysalis Academy]

So glad so many of you loved La La Land as much as I did! I agree, I'd love to see more movies like this.  There's an actual story there, you know?  I can have fun with my kids at a Star Wars or a Marvel movie, but I always walk out feeling no different from how I walked in - maybe 2 hours older with nothing to show for it.  I've been so pleased to have seen a couple of movies recently that have really stuck with me, that I've found myself thinking and re-thinking about afterwards (Manchester by the Sea was the other one, and I really liked Arrival too).

[Kareni]

If anyone is interested in recommending romance authors and read romances back in in the 80s, I'm interested in finding some romances that are like those written by Karen Van der Zee who wrote mostly (I think) for Harlequin Presents.  I seem to recall that what I enjoyed about her books was that the characters actually liked each other.  The drama came from other elements rather than the seemingly endless parade of I hate you/I hate you/I hate you/I love you storylines that populated most romances.

 

I was reading romances in the 80s though I'm not familiar with Karen Van der Zee.  I'll recommend a book that might fit the bill.  This is a relatively recent new adult romance which is a favorite of mine; I like the fact that the characters talk:  The Year We Fell Down: A Hockey Romance (The Ivy Years Book 1) by Sarina Bowen.  (Just as an aside, the author has a different title that is currently free:  Coming In From the Cold (Gravity Book 1)).

 

 

Still making my way through older threads ~

 

 

Ug.  Found out the results of the mri yesterday and I've torn up all sorts of things in my shoulder and need surgery. ...

 

I'm so sorry to hear this, Nan.  I hope that your surgery and recovery will go well.

**

 

 

I finished another book yesterday. It was total brain candy, but it was fairly funny. It was called Shit My Dad Says, and I think it's based on the author's twitter account by that name. Lots of lots of lots of bad language, but pretty funny.

 

 

My husband and I listened to that book on a summer car trip.  I don't recall the last time that my husband laughed so much.  And, yes, it has abundant obscenities, so it's definitely not for the easily offended.

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mom-ninja.]

 

 

 

Not that I did a particularly good job of explaining it myself ... :ohmy: :scared: :001_unsure: :blushing:

 

So did you explain it or is she still confused?  :D

[Joules]

So glad so many of you loved La La Land as much as I did! I agree, I'd love to see more movies like this.  There's an actual story there, you know?  I can have fun with my kids at a Star Wars or a Marvel movie, but I always walk out feeling no different from how I walked in - maybe 2 hours older with nothing to show for it.  I've been so pleased to have seen a couple of movies recently that have really stuck with me, that I've found myself thinking and re-thinking about afterwards (Manchester by the Sea was the other one, and I really liked Arrival too).

 

I really liked Arrival, too, and La La Land is next on my list.  Have you seen Hidden Figures yet?  It's the best one I've seen in years.

 

(I'm off to look up Manchester by the Sea....)

[mumto2]

Since you people like reading other people's lists: http://www.sbs.com.au/topics/life/family/explainer/many-worlds-australian-indigenous-childrens-literature

 

 

I love the cover art. I want to make something like it......the colours.

 

 

Jane & Jenn will be glad to know that I have passed their love of Arnaldur Indridason onto someone else. (And I haven't even read his stuff yet!)

 

A coworker loves Icelandic &/or Scandinavian mystery/crime writing. I mentioned Indridason to her (since I had him highly recommended by you gals) & she got Jar City today. During break, she was reading it & said she's already hooked.

 

As thanks & in return, she suggests you read Snow Angels by James Thompson. It's the first of the "Inspector Vaara" books.

 

 

Thank you! On the list and I can actually get it on overdrive.

 

 

Funny story for you ladies.

 

DD (12 yo) is a voracious reader.  Like many of the moms here I have a hard time keeping her in books that are challenging and appropriate.  She picked Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey off my shelf and asked if she could read that.  Sure.  It's been a few years since I've read it but I didn't remember anything inappropriate. 

 

Fast forward to yesterday after school.  She goes to a Catholic school and I had a meeting with one of her teachers so I made her sit in the hall and read while I met with the teacher.  When I finished the meeting she asked me what a nymphomaniac was.  WHAT?!?!  She read it in her book and almost went to ask her language arts teacher (a conservative 65-year old Catholic man) while she was waiting for me but something told her maybe she should just wait and ask me instead. 

 

It would have been tragic.  They both would have died from embarrassment. 

 

Not that I did a particularly good job of explaining it myself ... :ohmy: :scared: :001_unsure: :blushing:

Just poor you. :grouphug: I don't remember that word at all in the book. It's such a pain to find books for girls that age who read like ours. A balancing act with the mysteries especially because they understand and enjoy the complexity of a well written one but the authors had a bad habit of adding in extraneous stuff that I didn't remember. All I can say is my dd survived.

[AppleGreen]

Ack! I need more time in my life! The Underground is waiting for me to pick up at the library.  :willy_nilly: I know that is going to be a heavy read, but it is another of my favorites time periods to read about. How people, how am I going to find time to read all these gems?

 

Alas, so many books, so little time.