Book a Week 2017 - BW3: Author Oulipo Mashup

[HeatherinKC]

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:

 

LOL! When I was her age I read The Clan of the Cave Bears (and the sequels) and I had many questions.  I'm glad she has someone to bring her questions to (and someone to filter so not so appropriate reading choices!)

[AppleGreen]

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....)

 

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.

One of my sixteen year old's friends said Arrival was really good and Hidden Figures pretty amazing, but interestingly thought La La Land was meh.

 

Yay for good movies to look forward to! 

[mumto2]

 

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 remember Karen Van der Zee vaguely, I think her settings were a bit more exotic as in not in the UK or US. My favourites back then were Penny Jordan and Charlotte Lamb. My mom always said she never should have let me read those as many of the main characters lived by a church in Yorkshire.....I've achieved that, although not intentionally! Some of the better harlequins I've read lately from my mom's stacks were by Janice Kay Johnson, Marie Ferrarella, and Susan Mallery. I think their books are all in US settings.

 

A couple of non Harlequin series I have liked are the Blue Heron series https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15803757-the-best-man?ac=1&from_search=true, Marie Force's Fatel https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8162828-fatal-affair, and the Kilts and Quilts series https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18812348-to-scotland-with-love?ac=1&from_search=true.

[thessa516]

 

 

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.  I hate it but knowing it's so good for me makes me do it. 

 

 

 

 

 

I just picked up The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at at Time. I haven't read it yet, but after flipping through it it looks like good material on brain chemistry and the power of exercise (as well as some other topics to help combat depression).

[samba]

I finished Chinese Cinderella and it interested me enough to request the sequel, Falling Leaves. Both are autobiographical. Part of my personal reading challenge is to read what I already own or what I can get from the library. I don't plan to buy anything this year. My two library requests, The Left Hand of Darkness and A Man Called Ove will have to be requested again. They became available during a snow/ice storm and I couldn't pick them up in time. Also, our library's parking lot has been inaccessible since August! It was supposed to be a two-month job...still not finished. So, we have to park down the street at the seedy gas station and walk. I have no problem with walking (I love walking and running!) but not to pick up books. It's terribly inconvenient.

 

I started Leguin's The Wind's Twelve Quarters instead. It's a collection of short stories and I already know there will be ones I love and ones I have to force myself to plod through. 

 

I'm not accustomed to sharing my feelings on books. It's kind of my one solitary activity and, as a bonafide introvert/loner, I like keeping it to myself, mostly. I'm working on sharing if I feel something is share-worthy. I've gotten some great recommendations here and would like to return the favor, if possible.

[shukriyya]

Moving along with The Caliph's House. I can't decide whether I like it or not. The premise centers around a man and his family arriving in Morocco from England to fulfill his dream of living in a country far more unpredictable and exotic than England. Inspired by his childhood summers spent in the mountains of Morocco he moves forward with his vision taking his family with him. The house they buy is in complete disrepair and his wife is only three weeks postpartum when they arrive to no mod-cons, no beds, or working anything in a rather shady part of Casablanca. This is where I get tripped up. There is no mention of his wife's travails with a three-week old and a five year-old and I can only imagine how vulnerable her body still is in that state. As I've continued to read I realize that this is a story about him and his experiences, and that his wife and children are minor details for the purposes of the book. I'm not as caught up in the story as I anticipated but I'll continue with it till I finish. 

 

In other areas, has anyone read Watch the North Wind Rise by Robert Graves? It looks like it might be a good story and that combined with his erudition gives it the potential to go on my tbr list.

Edited January 19, 2017 by shukriyya

[Kareni]

I've recently finished a couple of books both of which have adult content.  The first is a male/male romance which I enjoyed (but not as much as some of the author's other books) ~  

 

Brute by Kim Fielding

 

"Brute leads a lonely life in a world where magic is commonplace. He is seven and a half feet of ugly, and of disreputable descent. No one, including Brute, expects him to be more than a laborer. But heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and when he is maimed while rescuing a prince, Brute’s life changes abruptly. He is summoned to serve at the palace in Tellomer as a guard for a single prisoner. It sounds easy but turns out to be the challenge of his life.

Rumors say the prisoner, Gray Leynham, is a witch and a traitor. What is certain is that he has spent years in misery: blind, chained, and rendered nearly mute by an extreme stutter. And he dreams of people’s deaths—dreams that come true.

As Brute becomes accustomed to palace life and gets to know Gray, he discovers his own worth, first as a friend and a man and then as a lover. But Brute also learns heroes sometimes face difficult choices and that doing what is right can bring danger of its own."

 

I also finished Bedmates: An American Royalty Novel by Nichole Chase which was a pleasant read, but it's probably not a book I'll reread.

 

"Everyone makes mistakes, especially in college. But when you’re the daughter of the President of the United States, any little slip up is a huge embarrassment. Maddie McGuire’s latest error in judgment lands her in police custody, giving the press a field day. Agreeing to do community service as penance and to restore her tattered reputation, Maddie never dreams incredibly good looking but extremely annoying vice president’s son, Jake Simmon, will be along for the ride.

 

Recently returning from Afghanistan with a life-altering injury, Jake is wrestling with his own demons. He doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with the likes of Maddie. They’re like oil and water and every time they’re together, it’s combustible. But there’s a thin line between love and hate, and it’s not long before their fiery arguments give way to infinitely sexier encounters.

 

When Jake receives devastating news about the last remaining member of his unit, the darkness he’s resisted for so long begins to overwhelm him. Scared to let anyone close, he pushes Maddie away. But she isn’t about to give up on Jake that easily. Maddie’s fallen for him, and she’ll do anything to keep him from the edge as they both discover that love is a battlefield and there are some fights you just can’t lose."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

Two dds and I just went to Harry Potter at Universal for a few days, so I haven't been posting, but I have been reading!  Lots of time on the plane, the airport bus, and waiting for them while they went on rides that make me queasy. ;)

 

I finished the third Ancillary book, Ancillary Mercy.  I really liked this series.  Glad it doesn't  have a zillion more books, though.  Need variety. :)

 

I also finished The Heart of the Sea, about the Essex.  It was good, but not fantastic.  Did manage to be engaging enough to read through quickly, though. Three stars.  I'd still like to listen to the Moby Dick audiobook at some point for one more try at it, but it hasn't left me burning to do it right away. ;)

 

Now I need a new nonfiction book - I'd like to keep one on my phone to read in parallel with other stuff; that's worked well so far.  But all the other books I've been looking at on Overdrive (Lab Girl, Hillbilly Elegy, The Warmth of Other Suns, and Boys in the Boat) have a bunch of people in front of me before I can check them out. :(  Any suggestions for awesome nonfiction that's not so currently released that I may be able to find on Overdrive as an ebook?  I tried to look through the available books (there were so many pages - sure I didn't get through them all), and the ones that at least somewhat piqued my interest were A Beautiful Mind by Silvia Nasar, The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore, The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg, and Zealot by Reza Aslan.  None of them are making me super-excited to read them right away, though.  Has anyone read one of those and have a review, or have another awesome suggestion?

 

And I'm almost halfway through Ein Mann namens Ove/A Man Called Ove.  I'm enjoying it so far.  I'm not used to reading such short sentences in German - don't know if it's because it's translated from Swedish, or it's just the author's style.  The Germans tend to write sentences that go on for half a page and paragraphs that go on for pages... 

 

[Raifta]

I remember Karen Van der Zee vaguely, I think her settings were a bit more exotic as in not in the UK or US. My favourites back then were Penny Jordan and Charlotte Lamb. My mom always said she never should have let me read those as many of the main characters lived by a church in Yorkshire.....I've achieved that, although not intentionally! Some of the better harlequins I've read lately from my mom's stacks were by Janice Kay Johnson, Marie Ferrarella, and Susan Mallery. I think their books are all in US settings.

 

A couple of non Harlequin series I have liked are the Blue Heron series https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15803757-the-best-man?ac=1&from_search=true, Marie Force's Fatel https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8162828-fatal-affair, and the Kilts and Quilts series https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18812348-to-scotland-with-love?ac=1&from_search=true.

 

 

Yes, her settings did tend to be more exotic.  Thanks for the recommendations.  I will check them out!

 

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 ~

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

More things to check out.  Hockey and romance!  It's like revisiting my youth all over when all I did was read romance novels and memorize hockey stats.

 

 

 

Now I need a new nonfiction book - I'd like to keep one on my phone to read in parallel with other stuff; that's worked well so far.  But all the other books I've been looking at on Overdrive (Lab Girl, Hillbilly Elegy, The Warmth of Other Suns, and Boys in the Boat) have a bunch of people in front of me before I can check them out. :(  Any suggestions for awesome nonfiction that's not so currently released that I may be able to find on Overdrive as an ebook?  I tried to look through the available books (there were so many pages - sure I didn't get through them all), and the ones that at least somewhat piqued my interest were A Beautiful Mind by Silvia Nasar, The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore, The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg, and Zealot by Reza Aslan.  None of them are making me super-excited to read them right away, though.  Has anyone read one of those and have a review, or have another awesome suggestion?

 

.. 

 

 

Hmm, looking through my lists from the last few years I see .  Below Stairs:  The Bestselling Memoirs of a 1920s Kitchen Maid by Margaret Powell, Red Azalea by Anchee Min and Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller as some of my favourite non-fiction books from 2013 and 2014.  Oh, and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman.

 

ETA:  added links and one recommendation.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Raifta

[Robin M]

Happy Winnie the Pooh day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Whoops...sorry swb!)

 

💋

Edited January 20, 2017 by Robin M
Removed photo--not clearly in public domain.

[Onceuponatime]

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.

I liked the subtle nods to Singing in the Rain, American in Paris, Casa Balanca, and others, in the sets, dance numbers, and plot. What blew me away was Ryan Gosling was actually doing all that piano playing and it was obvious. I went home and googled. He was already a musician, but not a piano player. He took three months to concentrate on learning piano before the movie. Incredible.

[aggieamy]

 

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.

 

Yes!  Exactly!  Normally the older books are a good choice because they don't add in anything graphic but sometimes there's still something inappropriate.  Ah well.  It makes a funny story. 

 

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

 

I attempted an explanation. I don't think she wanted me to go into much detail once I got started. 

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Matryoshka]

Hmm, looking through my lists from the last few years I see .  Below Stairs:  The Bestselling Memoirs of a 1920s Kitchen Maid by Margaret Powell, Red Azalea by Anchee Min and Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller as some of my favourite non-fiction books from 2013 and 2014.  Oh, and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman.

 

ETA:  added links and one recommendation.

 

Thank you!!  Annoyingly, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs and Red Azalea aren't on Overdrive, and The Spirit Catches You was not available (but I did add it to my holds), but - yay! - Below Stairs was there and available, so I guess that one's next. :)

Edited January 19, 2017 by Matryoshka

[Matryoshka]

Not sure if you would be interested in any of these, but a list of the non-fiction I've read over the past years (that I see on the Overdrive website)....

 

I read way more fiction than non-fiction, so this was kind-of fun for me to compile a list of my non-fiction reading. (Doesn't include any books I abandoned.)

 

(Star ratings are mine.)

 

5 stars:

West with the Night 

A Moveable Feast

Into Thin Air

The Monuments Men

The Beast 

Guantánamo Diary

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

The Travels of Marco Polo

Born to Run

 

4 stars:

Narconomics

Underground

A Kim Jong-Il Production

Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone

The Secret History of the Mongol Queens

The Professor and the Madman

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

1776

Waiting for Snow in Havana

Limonov

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark

Packing for Mars

Visit Sunny Chernobyl

Pink Boots and a Machete

In the Footsteps of Marco Polo

Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu

In Cold Blood

Galileo's Daughter

The Glass Castle

The Year of Living Biblically

The Guinea Pig Diaries

Eat, Pray, Love

 

3 stars:

Gnarr!

A Quaker Book of Wisdom

Mom & Me & Mom

Bossypants

Let's Pretend This Never Happened  (in retrospect, I might bump this to 4 stars because it was so funny)

Women of the Klondike

The Monsters

Lieutenant Nun

The Man Who Swam the Amazon

Swimming to Antarctica

Orphans Preferred

The Geography of Bliss

Whatever You Do, Don't Run

I Have America Surrounded

Beyond Magenta

The Shaman's Coat

The Lost City of Z

The Adventurer's Handbook

The Island of Lost Maps

A Voyage Long and Strange

The Devil in the White City

In the Garden of Beasts

Osa and Martin

Lost on Planet China

Shady Characters

To Hellholes and Back

The Happiness Project

The Bride of Science

 

2 stars:

A Short History of Myth

The Motorcycle Diaries

Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief

Assassination Vacation

Three Ways to Capsize a Boat

They Call Me Naughty Lola

 

1 star:

Kabul Beauty School

Magical Thinking

 

No rating (too personal to rate):

The Fire Next Time

The Fire This Time

Between the World and Me

 

 

Thank you too!  You posted as I was browsing Overdrive. :)  I'll peruse these and add more to my list.  Seems like I'll just have to have a bunch of stuff on hold and read in order of availability rather than just my mood... 

 

West with the Night and Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World are favorites of mine, so there's got to be some overlap in what we like. :)  I also really liked Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Henrietta Lacks.

 

Is Secret History of the Mongol Queens by the same author as Genghis Khan?  If I liked the latter, do you recommend the former?

 

Have you read Wild Swans?  That's another one of my favorite nonfictions... 

Edited January 19, 2017 by Matryoshka

[Chrysalis Academy]

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....)

 

Not yet, but I'm hoping we'll go see it this weekend.

 

Two dds and I just went to Harry Potter at Universal for a few days, so I haven't been posting, but I have been reading!  Lots of time on the plane, the airport bus, and waiting for them while they went on rides that make me queasy. ;)

 

I finished the third Ancillary book, Ancillary Mercy.  I really liked this series.  Glad it doesn't  have a zillion more books, though.  Need variety. :)

 

I also finished The Heart of the Sea, about the Essex.  It was good, but not fantastic.  Did manage to be engaging enough to read through quickly, though. Three stars.  I'd still like to listen to the Moby Dick audiobook at some point for one more try at it, but it hasn't left me burning to do it right away. ;)

 

Now I need a new nonfiction book - I'd like to keep one on my phone to read in parallel with other stuff; that's worked well so far.  But all the other books I've been looking at on Overdrive (Lab Girl, Hillbilly Elegy, The Warmth of Other Suns, and Boys in the Boat) have a bunch of people in front of me before I can check them out. :(  Any suggestions for awesome nonfiction that's not so currently released that I may be able to find on Overdrive as an ebook?  I tried to look through the available books (there were so many pages - sure I didn't get through them all), and the ones that at least somewhat piqued my interest were A Beautiful Mind by Silvia Nasar, The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore, The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg, and Zealot by Reza Aslan.  None of them are making me super-excited to read them right away, though.  Has anyone read one of those and have a review, or have another awesome suggestion?

 

And I'm almost halfway through Ein Mann namens Ove/A Man Called Ove.  I'm enjoying it so far.  I'm not used to reading such short sentences in German - don't know if it's because it's translated from Swedish, or it's just the author's style.  The Germans tend to write sentences that go on for half a page and paragraphs that go on for pages... 

 

I watched the movie based on The Heart of the Sea, and then listened to Why Read Moby Dick, all to psych myself up to actually listening to Moby Dick . . . and I hated it. I probably feel about Moby Dick the way Stacia does about Wuthering Heights (although I also disliked Wuthering Heights excessively). I thought it was a too long, too boring, too brutal, too . . . everything.  It could have been told as a great 150 p. yarn.  Instead it's just a monstrosity.  IMHO!  ;)  :D

 

As far as NF listens - I really like listening to Simon Winchester read his books - if any of the title appeal to you, I'd go for it - he's an entertaining writer and reader.  I really like David Quammen's nonfiction. Jack Weatherford's books about Ghengis Khan are really good. The Beak of the Finch and The Invention of Nature were great things I read last year. 

[Violet Crown]

Still working through The Octopus (for me); The Yearling (chapter by chapter with the little middle school class); The Prince and the Pauper (with Wee Girl); and just finished some Chekhov short stories (for Middle Girl's Junior Great Books discussion group). Lots of reading: just not lots of finishing.

 

Today Great Girl turned 21. She got her first grad school acceptance, from one of her better options. Unlike Big State U., it's not a short bike ride away. She's really an adult and really leaving. It's wonderful and awful.

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[shukriyya]

Not sure if you would be interested in any of these, but a list of the non-fiction I've read over the past years (that I see on the Overdrive website)....

 

I read way more fiction than non-fiction, so this was kind-of fun for me to compile a list of my non-fiction reading. (Doesn't include any books I abandoned.)

 

(Star ratings are mine.)

 

5 stars:

West with the Night 

A Moveable Feast

Into Thin Air

The Monuments Men

The Beast 

Guantánamo Diary

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

The Travels of Marco Polo

Born to Run

 

4 stars:

Narconomics

Underground

A Kim Jong-Il Production

Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone

The Secret History of the Mongol Queens

The Professor and the Madman

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

1776

Waiting for Snow in Havana

Limonov

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark

Packing for Mars

Visit Sunny Chernobyl

Pink Boots and a Machete

In the Footsteps of Marco Polo

Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu

In Cold Blood

Galileo's Daughter

The Glass Castle

The Year of Living Biblically

The Guinea Pig Diaries

Eat, Pray, Love

 

3 stars:

Gnarr!

A Quaker Book of Wisdom

Mom & Me & Mom

Bossypants

Let's Pretend This Never Happened  (in retrospect, I might bump this to 4 stars because it was so funny)

Women of the Klondike

The Monsters

Lieutenant Nun

The Man Who Swam the Amazon

Swimming to Antarctica

Orphans Preferred

The Geography of Bliss

Whatever You Do, Don't Run

I Have America Surrounded

Beyond Magenta

The Shaman's Coat

The Lost City of Z

The Adventurer's Handbook

The Island of Lost Maps

A Voyage Long and Strange

The Devil in the White City

In the Garden of Beasts

Osa and Martin

Lost on Planet China

Shady Characters

To Hellholes and Back

The Happiness Project

The Bride of Science

 

2 stars:

A Short History of Myth

The Motorcycle Diaries

Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief

Assassination Vacation

Three Ways to Capsize a Boat

They Call Me Naughty Lola

 

1 star:

Kabul Beauty School

Magical Thinking

 

No rating (too personal to rate):

The Fire This Time

Between the World and Me

 

Wow, Stacia, that must have taken such a long time to type. Thank you for sharing it and for the effort and time that went into it  :hurray:

 

And VC, tears and cheers both for you, perhaps  :rolleyes:

Edited January 19, 2017 by shukriyya

[Kareni]

I just finished Ann Aguirre's paranormal romance The Leopard King (Ars Numina Book 1) which I enjoyed with some reservations.  I'll definitely continue on with subsequent books in the series, but there were aspects of the book that I found jarring.  The reader is informed that humans exist in this world, but that they're distant (due to a treaty?).  IEDs are jarring but reasonable (trading?).  The use of cell phones however would seem to indicate a need for cell towers ....  (Significant adult content)

 

"Proud. Imperious. Impassioned.

Until three years ago, those words applied to Dominic Asher, the leader of Ash Valley. His family has ruled the feline branch of the Animari for hundreds of years, guiding the pride through perilous times. Unspeakable loss drove him into seclusion, a feral beast nobody can tame. Now he's wrecked, a leopard king in exile, and he wants nothing more than to die.

Fierce. Loyal. Determined.

Fortunately for Dom, those words still apply to Pru Bristow, his dead mate's best friend. She's had her heart broken too, but she never quits. With the conclave approaching, alliances with the Pine Ridge pack and Burnt Amber clans on the verge of collapse, she's prepared to do whatever it takes to drag their leader back, before his second can start a war.

At best theirs seems like a desperate alliance, but when their mate bond turns hot and fierce, there's no end to the questions and the doubts. Neither of them expects to fall in love. But sometimes people don't know what they're looking for until they find it."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[JennW in SoCal]

A statistic I'll have to report at the end of the year is the number of books read thanks to Stacia. The stack of your recommendations is teetering!

 

Snow Angels was available on Overdrive, so now it's on my kindle and it's due in 3 weeks. Aaack! I'm just past the half way point of Tale for a Time Being and haven't made any progress on By Gaslight since Sunday, I think. Life -- all good and wonderful stuff -- keeps getting in the way of reading.

 

 

[mumto2]

Still working through The Octopus (for me); The Yearling (chapter by chapter with the little middle school class); The Prince and the Pauper (with Wee Girl); and just finished some Chekhov short stories (for Middle Girl's Junior Great Books discussion group). Lots of reading: just not lots of finishing.

 

Today Great Girl turned 21. She got her first grad school acceptance, from one of her better options. Unlike Big State U., it's not a short bike ride away. She's really an adult and really leaving. It's wonderful and awful.

Congratulations and :grouphug: to both of you. It's such an exciting time in their lives but it's hard on us!

[CadenceSophia]

I am so jealous of all you with Overdrive. We don't have library cards anymore due to anger and dispute with the library over various charges, but we might need to re-open at least one of our accounts to get Overdrive access again. When I first moved here, the first friend I made said she didn't have a library card anymore because of an incident at the library and I couldn't believe it.. but we only lasted 2 years ourselves :-p 

 

 

My own reading has gotten a little off track this week because I started watching the new Lemony Snicket series on Netflix. Now I want an amazing library and a reptile room. Many of my long-coveted styles of architecture are appearing in the show and I am spending lots of time day dreaming about how I'd like to re-do my house when funds are unlimited and children don't break things. If you haven't turned on the show, it is worth watching for the libraries only :)

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Thanks! This was one of my favorites out of the assigned reading in high school lit.  sophomore year. I'd love to go back and see what I think about it as an adult!

[mumto2]

A statistic I'll have to report at the end of the year is the number of books read thanks to Stacia. The stack of your recommendations is teetering!

 

Snow Angels was available on Overdrive, so now it's on my kindle and it's due in 3 weeks. Aaack! I'm just past the half way point of Tale for a Time Being and haven't made any progress on By Gaslight since Sunday, I think. Life -- all good and wonderful stuff -- keeps getting in the way of reading.

Should we all make a Stacia shelf on Goodreads? Wonder what that would do to their records???? :lol: I'm now next in line for By Gaslight so I didn't push the borrow button for Snow Angels. My stack can't handle much more!

[ErinE]

I am so jealous of all you with Overdrive. We don't have library cards anymore due to anger and dispute with the library over various charges, but we might need to re-open at least one of our accounts to get Overdrive access again. When I first moved here, the first friend I made said she didn't have a library card anymore because of an incident at the library and I couldn't believe it.. but we only lasted 2 years ourselves :-p

 

 

I don't understand libraries with draconian policies. I've lived in and dealt with eight or nine different library systems, from extreme rural to ultra urban and the ones with lenient polices and welcoming spaces always get more use. My favorite was a small town library with no late fees, access to books for the entire state, and separate areas for both adults and children. The purpose of a public library is to bring in patrons, not scare them away.

 

My current library, while not very open to children in the physical space itself, is a short walk away and has access to books from a larger metropolitan area, automatic renewals, AND online ILL requests. Now if they would just bring back the Dewey decimal system...

Edited January 19, 2017 by ErinE

[Mom-ninja.]

Yes!  Exactly!  Normally the older books are a good choice because they don't add in anything graphic but sometimes there's still something inappropriate.  Ah well.  It makes a funny story. 

 

 

I attempted an explanation. I don't think she wanted me to go into much detail once I got started. 

Reminds me of the year before last when I was reading Brave New World aloud to my then 14 yr old. I had not read the book before so knew nothing about the orgy scene. Imagine my quick stammering and stumbling as I ended up reading it out before I could stop myself. That lead to an explanation of what that was. I used very simple technical terms, and he quickly said, "Yep, got it," and we both moved on. 

 

Sticky parenting moments! I didn't know I was a prude until I had kids. ;)

 

I am fighting a cold with my second day of a sore throat. I just want to melt on the couch all day and read. It's already almost 9 and I haven't done anything other than sip hot water. I'll feel better after I put on my workout clothes and get my blood moving, but some mornings it's hard to get started. 

 

 

ETA: forgot to mention the book I finished last night. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children which I know I am late to the game reading this one. It was a fast fun book. I'll read the sequels. I think my kids would enjoy it. Anyone see the movie? 

Edited January 19, 2017 by Mom-ninja.

[xixstar]

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.

This is my exact reality. I am holding off picking it up as long as I can.

 

So last week I didn't read anything because I was stuck. I was going to drop out of this challenge completely. Then I realized I could just drop the book I was stuck on.

 

So "By Gaslight" is being dropped because after several chapters, and issues with punctuation, I am clearly not feeling it. I haven't had one positive thought about the book since I started and it never hooked me in either. Sad because it's usually by kind of book.

 

I've began listening to "Hidden Figures" and am enjoying that. Hope to finish it before we go see the movie next weekend.

 

I also got "The Cirlce" in from the library and it grabbed my interest pretty fast last night - so yay. I expect to finish it today or tomorrow. Then maybe I will pick up my hold.

 

I've started a new book with the kids, "Ginger Pye", and I hope it will be a good one. We finished "Mr. Popper's Penguins" but I am pretty sure we started that in December.

 

I have some non-fiction books awaiting my attention too. I want to read them but with serious attention and with a toddler at my heels, I feel lacking in minutes where I am thinking fully. But I refuse to return them to the library unread - that was last year's pattern that I am committed to break.

[Lady Florida.]

I am so jealous of all you with Overdrive. We don't have library cards anymore due to anger and dispute with the library over various charges, but we might need to re-open at least one of our accounts to get Overdrive access again. When I first moved here, the first friend I made said she didn't have a library card anymore because of an incident at the library and I couldn't believe it.. but we only lasted 2 years ourselves :-p 

 

 

 

 

If you do decide to get another card, the good thing about Overdrive is you never have to actually go to the library (after you get your card of course). Borrow from the comfort of your device, and when the loan period is up it just goes away. Some of us have learned to keep wifi turned off on our Kindles if we haven't finished a book when the loan period ends. :)  

 

I don't understand libraries with draconian policies. I've lived in and dealt with eight or nine different library systems, from extreme rural to ultra urban and the ones with lenient polices and welcoming spaces always get more use. My favorite was a small town library with no late fees, access to books for the entire state, and separate areas for both adults and children. The purpose of a public library is to bring in patrons, not scare them away.

 

My current library, while not very open to children in the physical space itself, is a short walk away and has access to books from a larger metropolitan area, automatic renewals, AND online ILL requests. Now if they would just bring back the Dewey decimal system...

 

I do love my library system, and my local branch in particular. They know me because during the elementary years of homeschooling we spent hours there and checked out so many books. I rarely go in anymore because I borrow so many ebooks and audio books, but when I do they act like I'm their old friend.

 

 

 

I am fighting a cold with my second day of a sore throat. I just want to melt on the couch all day and read. It's already almost 9 and I haven't done anything other than sip hot water. I'll feel better after I put on my workout clothes and get my blood moving, but some mornings it's hard to get started. 

 

 

 

 

Hope you feel better soon.

[Lady Florida.]

This is my exact reality. I am holding off picking it up as long as I can.

 

So last week I didn't read anything because I was stuck. I was going to drop out of this challenge completely. Then I realized I could just drop the book I was stuck on.

 

 

 

No, please don't drop out or feel you're getting behind. It's not a race or competition. Challenge yourself with what works for you. Then come here and talk about what you read.

 

Also, it's not uncommon to get behind on a particular week's thread. That's okay too. Just pop back in when the new thread starts.

[Jane in NC]

So "By Gaslight" is being dropped because after several chapters, and issues with punctuation, I am clearly not feeling it. I haven't had one positive thought about the book since I started and it never hooked me in either. Sad because it's usually by kind of book.

 

 

By Gaslight has pulled me in. Atmospheric was the first adjective that came to mind after reading a couple of chapters.

 

For xixstar and other readers:  did the lack of quotation marks in Wolf Hall (I think I'm remembering this correctly) drive you batty too? 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

This is my exact reality. I am holding off picking it up as long as I can.

 

So last week I didn't read anything because I was stuck. I was going to drop out of this challenge completely. Then I realized I could just drop the book I was stuck on.

 

So "By Gaslight" is being dropped because after several chapters, and issues with punctuation, I am clearly not feeling it. I haven't had one positive thought about the book since I started and it never hooked me in either. Sad because it's usually by kind of book.

 

I've began listening to "Hidden Figures" and am enjoying that. Hope to finish it before we go see the movie next weekend.

 

I also got "The Cirlce" in from the library and it grabbed my interest pretty fast last night - so yay. I expect to finish it today or tomorrow. Then maybe I will pick up my hold.

 

I've started a new book with the kids, "Ginger Pye", and I hope it will be a good one. We finished "Mr. Popper's Penguins" but I am pretty sure we started that in December.

 

I have some non-fiction books awaiting my attention too. I want to read them but with serious attention and with a toddler at my heels, I feel lacking in minutes where I am thinking fully. But I refuse to return them to the library unread - that was last year's pattern that I am committed to break.

 

Yes, yes, always drop the book, not the BaW!!!  I had the same feeling as you about By Gaslight, fwiw. ETA: it had nothing to do with the lack of punctuation, I'm a Marquez and Saramago veteran. It was more the sentence structure and the descriptive language and imagery that didn't work for me. And the fact that he took so many words to get virtually nowhere (in ch. 1), and looking ahead to 700+ pages like that, I knew it would drive me nuts.

 

I'm kind of stalling out on The Night Circus, I must confess. It's great writing, and the descriptions are lovely, but it's getting a bit tedious because there isn't really anything happening - just lovely descriptions and odd interactions of odd characters.  Does it go anywhere in the second half? I've invested a quite a bit of time in it, but I'm finding myself reluctant to pick it back up at this point, which isn't a good sign.

 

I finished listening to Simon Winchester's Atlantic last night, which was enjoyable as his books always are - did I mention that already? and dived/dove right into The American Slave Coast: A History of the Slave-Breeding Industry which promises to fill in yet another hole in my historical education and will be a good complement to Stamped from the Beginning. It covers the entire period of slavery from earliest colonial times, but focuses especially on the years between 1808, when the African slave trade was prohibited, to the end of slavery, when the demand for slaves continued to rise and the only source was domestic. It tells a very human story, but also focuses on the economics and politics that drove the trade as well. I don't expect to enjoy it, precisely, but I will no doubt learn many important things.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Chrysalis Academy

[Butter]

ETA: forgot to mention the book I finished last night. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children which I know I am late to the game reading this one. It was a fast fun book. I'll read the sequels. I think my kids would enjoy it. Anyone see the movie? 

 

Yup, we really liked it.  My 10-year-old wanted to see it, but it looked pretty creepy from the trailer.  It wasn't.  It would've been fine for him.  They changed some things, but it still worked.  The end was very Tim Burton-ish.

[Lady Florida.]

 

For xixstar and other readers:  did the lack of quotation marks in Wolf Hall (I think I'm remembering this correctly) drive you batty too? 

 

 

Oh, I didn't know about that because I listened to the audio book of both Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies. I kept hearing about the pronouns (mostly he/him) driving people crazy but that didn't bother me. The lack of quotation marks probably would have bugged me if I had read it. That doesn't stop me from reading a book if I'm enjoying it, but it's distracting until I get into the story and get used to it.

[shukriyya]

I am so jealous of all you with Overdrive. We don't have library cards anymore due to anger and dispute with the library over various charges, but we might need to re-open at least one of our accounts to get Overdrive access again. When I first moved here, the first friend I made said she didn't have a library card anymore because of an incident at the library and I couldn't believe it.. but we only lasted 2 years ourselves :-p 

 

 

 

I don't understand libraries with draconian policies. I've lived in and dealt with eight or nine different library systems, from extreme rural to ultra urban and the ones with lenient polices and welcoming spaces always get more use. My favorite was a small town library with no late fees, access to books for the entire state, and separate areas for both adults and children. The purpose of a public library is to bring in patrons, not scare them away.

 

My current library, while not very open to children in the physical space itself, is a short walk away and has access to books from a larger metropolitan area, automatic renewals, AND online ILL requests. Now if they would just bring back the Dewey decimal system...

 

Our library is pretty fab. Right now they're having their yearly 'forgiveness period' where you can bring back all your overdue backs without being fined. Pretty spectacular :thumbup: Of course I had just paid off a bunch of fines the week previous not knowing they were going to offer this. But the money goes to a fab 'cause', right, literacy and books for all  :D

 

 

I'm kind of stalling out on The Night Circus, I must confess. It's great writing, and the descriptions are lovely, but it's getting a bit tedious because there isn't really anything happening - just lovely descriptions and odd interactions of odd characters.  Does it go anywhere in the second half? I've invested a quite a bit of time in it, but I'm finding myself reluctant to pick it back up at this point, which isn't a good sign.

 

 

Night Circus is def worth it. IIRC it does speed up in the latter half of the book and the ending is satisfying. It was in my top ten the year I read it. Ds, too, and his reads are often plot-driven though he has just informed me he also enjoys a leisurely pace if the book is well-written, and with this one he said 'the descriptions of the circus were so beautiful' that he didn't mind that it moved more slowly. 

 

In that vein, ds, who is participating with us via mama, wants his tally listed for the BaW group. Five books read so far, Speaker for the Dead, Harpist in the Wind, Heir to Sea and Fire, The Reader and Xenocide. 

[Mom-ninja.]

Yes, yes, always drop the book, not the BaW!!!  I had the same feeling as you about By Gaslight, fwiw. ETA: it had nothing to do with the lack of punctuation, I'm a Marquez and Saramago veteran. It was more the sentence structure and the descriptive language and imagery that didn't work for me. And the fact that he took so many words to get virtually nowhere (in ch. 1), and looking ahead to 700+ pages like that, I knew it would drive me nuts.

 

I'm kind of stalling out on The Night Circus, I must confess. It's great writing, and the descriptions are lovely, but it's getting a bit tedious because there isn't really anything happening - just lovely descriptions and odd interactions of odd characters.  Does it go anywhere in the second half? I've invested a quite a bit of time in it, but I'm finding myself reluctant to pick it back up at this point, which isn't a good sign.

 

I finished listening to Simon Winchester's Atlantic last night, which was enjoyable as his books always are - did I mention that already? and dived/dove right into The American Slave Coast: A History of the Slave-Breeding Industry which promises to fill in yet another hole in my historical education and will be a good complement to Stamped from the Beginning. It covers the entire period of slavery from earliest colonial times, but focuses especially on the years between 1808, when the African slave trade was prohibited, to the end of slavery, when the demand for slaves continued to rise and the only source was domestic. It tells a very human story, but also focuses on the economics and politics that drove the trade as well. I don't expect to enjoy it, precisely, but I will no doubt learn many important things.

Rose, you keep adding to my TR list.

 

AS for Night Circus totally worth it. You could switch to audio version which is read by Jim Dale.  :001_wub:

[samba]

Rose, you keep adding to my TR list.

 

AS for Night Circus totally worth it. You could switch to audio version which is read by Jim Dale.  :001_wub:

 

I've already read Night Circus but I might need to listen to it. I adore Jim Dale. My son and I both love listening to him read James Herriot's Treasury for Children. 

[Penguin]

Still working through The Octopus (for me); The Yearling (chapter by chapter with the little middle school class); The Prince and the Pauper (with Wee Girl); and just finished some Chekhov short stories (for Middle Girl's Junior Great Books discussion group). Lots of reading: just not lots of finishing.

 

Today Great Girl turned 21. She got her first grad school acceptance, from one of her better options. Unlike Big State U., it's not a short bike ride away. She's really an adult and really leaving. It's wonderful and awful.

:grouphug: on Great Girl leaving. My DS22 year old is applying to grad school, but we are in a reverse situation. He has been in a different country from us since he started college in 2013. Now that we are back in the states he is on a different continent. But if he gets into his first choice grad school, he will be living with us for at least a year. Which would be weirdly wonderful.

[NoseInABook]

I just finished Ben Winters' Bedbugs which I thought was great. The story kept me riveted and I stayed up way too late reading it. I also finished the first book in Wings Of Fire which is a children's series about 5 dragonets (baby dragons!) who are trying to end a dragon war. It's my eldest daughter's favorite series right now so I promised her I'd read it. I also pored over Shaun Tan's The Singing Bones yesterday which was awesome and made me want to read more fairy tales in depth.

 

I've read 9 books in 2017 so far and have reached the end of my library pile at home so I'm hoping the husband has another one with him when he comes home. 

[ErinE]

I finished listening to Simon Winchester's Atlantic last night, which was enjoyable as his books always are - did I mention that already? and dived/dove right into The American Slave Coast: A History of the Slave-Breeding Industry which promises to fill in yet another hole in my historical education and will be a good complement to Stamped from the Beginning. It covers the entire period of slavery from earliest colonial times, but focuses especially on the years between 1808, when the African slave trade was prohibited, to the end of slavery, when the demand for slaves continued to rise and the only source was domestic. It tells a very human story, but also focuses on the economics and politics that drove the trade as well. I don't expect to enjoy it, precisely, but I will no doubt learn many important things.

The American Slave Coast quantifies the impact of the human breeding like livestock, while showing the personal costs to slave and slaveowner alike. I didn't agree with some of the conclusions (the authors argue essentially at one point "thus always how capitalism ends" as opposed to "thus always how forced labor ends"), but it was an enlightening, informative read.

[CadenceSophia]

I don't understand libraries with draconian policies. I've lived in and dealt with eight or nine different library systems, from extreme rural to ultra urban and the ones with lenient polices and welcoming spaces always get more use. My favorite was a small town library with no late fees, access to books for the entire state, and separate areas for both adults and children. The purpose of a public library is to bring in patrons, not scare them away.

 

My current library, while not very open to children in the physical space itself, is a short walk away and has access to books from a larger metropolitan area, automatic renewals, AND online ILL requests. Now if they would just bring back the Dewey decimal system...

I can't imagine what my childhood would have looked like without the library. It was a huge part of our lives. My mom was on the board for a number of years and I volunteered there for a long time. I only owned a tiny shelf of books -- everything else was from the library.  DH and I don't even mind library fines when they are legit. I do consider it a donation to a good cause -- and honestly with little kids we just ARE going to return things a few days late pretty frequently.  This library though if your card hits a certain fee amount, they call all the other books due so we had a situations where we had 50 books overdue unexpectedly. But the main thing that got us was repeatedly having to pay for "damage" to children's books that my kids definitely did not do. We'd check out books without realizing there was a torn page or a bite mark in a board book, just to return it and be charged $35+cost of book. Definitely less expensive NOT to use a library like that! 

Our library is pretty fab. Right now they're having their yearly 'forgiveness period' where you can bring back all your overdue backs without being fined. Pretty spectacular :thumbup: Of course I had just paid off a bunch of fines the week previous not knowing they were going to offer this. But the money goes to a fab 'cause', right, literacy and books for all  :D

 

 

I used to love yearly Amnesty Day!  Our library now had one a few years ago, first in 25 years!  Can't expect there will be another one any time soon which is a real shame, imo.

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Chrysalis Academy]

Oh, finishing The Night Circus with audio is a good idea. I'd have more patience for listening than for reading it, I think! Good idea, guys.

[Kareni]

Gertrude Stein poetry anyone?  This book is free today:

 

 

Tender Buttons by Gertrude Stein

 

"A classic work of experimental poetry by a titan of modernist literature

Tender Buttons, Stein’s first published work of poetry, debuted in 1914 as a volume of powerful avant-garde expression. This meditation on ordinary living is presented in three compelling sections—“Objects,†“Food,†and “Roomsâ€â€”through which Stein delights in experiments with language. Emphasizing rhythm and sonority over traditional grammar, Stein’s wordplay has garnered praise from readers and critics alike. In “A Piece of Coffee,†for example, Stein plays with conventional language and cubist imagery to produce a stunningly original literary effect:

A single image is not splendor. Dirty is yellow. A sign of more is not mentioned. A piece of coffee is not a detainer. The resemblance to yellow is dirtier and distincter. The clean mixture is whiter and not coal color, never more coal color than altogether."

**

 

Also currently free is  From The Earth To The Moon  by Jules Verne

 

and (not a classic!) The Vixen and the Vet (a modern fairytale)  by Katy Regnery

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mom-ninja.]

I've started Walden today, and I've already underlined several sentences just in the first 10 pgs. This is will be a much marked in book. Obviously, I own it.

 

 

 

VC, what a bittersweet milestone. Today, though, I'm wishing we could trade places as I deal with an 8 yr old who has the attention span of about 2.3 seconds and a 12 yr old who swears that he can't figure out 7³ because I never taught him that ever before in his whole life. My kitchen also looks like there was an explosion of confectioner's sugar because my 16 yr old decided to try making marshmallows. I think I need to put some "mom medicine" in my tea. 

Edited January 19, 2017 by Mom-ninja.

[Jane in NC]

VC, I am thrilled for your daughter.  Please give her my congratulations.

 

ETA:  Feeling a bit under the weather this morning, I followed the advice of Dr. Ninja and went for a bike ride. Afterward I had a bowl of homemade kale/white bean soup and now seem to be back on track.  Thanks for the inspiration to get moving in the great outdoors!

Edited January 19, 2017 by Jane in NC

[mumto2]

Mom-ninja, hope you feel better quickly!

 

 

Re: Mongol Queens. Yes (same author). Yes (if you liked Genghis Khan, I think you will like the Mongol Queens). Just note that there is less historical record available about the queens (some has been destroyed), so there are gaps in the information or evidence. Therefore, the book is not quite as pulled together because some info just doesn't exist anymore (at least as far as we know). Fascinating, though.

 

 

 

:thumbup1: and :blushing: and :lol: .

 

Of course, for some, creating a "Stacia" shelf will be the equivalent of a "Do NOT want to read this" shelf. ;) (For example, By Gaslight seems to be attracting love or hate.) And that's ok. I know a couple of people (irl) that when they recommend a book, I internally think, "Well, I think I'll be skipping that one!" You know, just because our reading tastes don't align 99.9% of the time.

I meant it in the best possible way! When I was posting I have to admit a part of me was thinking about how much fun you would have telling your son X number of people took my book advice. You always pick the most interesting books. I like the unusual but not always the harsher ones...like the quantanamo one last year. It might be good for me but noooooo! My big problem with my bookshelf idea is I don't know that I would manage an accurate count because of the lag between your review and me reading.....probably close to a month. I'm forgetful and I don't want to undercount. I will definitely let you pick my by friend book!

 

 

I am still reading my Saramago. It 205 very slow going pages for an E. My big problem is the huge paragraphs. I read a minute or two throughout the day and can never find my place. Plus even the funny parts feel a bit flat, all mixed in. The good news is I am beyond the halfway mark.

[Mom-ninja.]

Jane, the mail just arrived, and I had a nice surprise. Thank you! Perfect timing. 

[Schadenfreude]

VC, congratulations to your daughter and :grouphug: to you. Having a child leave home is like biting into a piece of dark chocolate, a little bitter but still good.

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[SEGway]

I didn't do a great job last year of keeping up. But, I'd like to try again.

The times when I stopped back in here to see what was going on almost always added something interesting to my TR list. I love being able to start distinguishing your voices based on recommendations/commentary.  

Thanks, again, for being such a fun place on the interwebs. :)

 

So far this year, I've read a new-to-me Agatha Christie _Murder on the Links_. 

And, it's a re-read, but I listened to it on audio for the first time Diane Wynne Jones' _Howl's Moving Castle_.

 

I'm working on _Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria_

And, I have out from the library (with a time limit) _North! Or Be Eaten_ by Andrew Peterson (sortof a pre-read for the kids, but I'm interested to read this second in the series, too) and _Planets_ by Dava Sobel (also a pre-read for eldest dd11's upcoming unit on astronomy).

 

We went to see _Hidden Figures_ last weekend, and I thought it was excellent. I got the kindle version of the book when it was just a couple of dollars (thanks to someone here for the head's up!). That's something I want to get to in the near future, too.

 

I don't know about all the birthstone challenges, but I'd like to try for at least 52 this year. And, the bingo looked really fun. 

 

Back to lurking (and hopefully, more reading) for the time being. 

 

Cheers!

Edited January 19, 2017 by SEGway