Book a Week 2017 - BW4: The shape of culture: past, present, and future

[fastweedpuller]

I finished Hillbilly Elegy tonight. I purposefully did not read reviews beforehand, just a general synopsis, and was therefore unprepared for how personal this book would be. How much of it would mirror my own childhood and adult struggles, although mine was less violent and set in a different geographic region.

 

I told DH recently, after yet another "situation" with my parent, that I felt Iike I was "paying a high, lifelong tax on my own existence." The cost of upward mobility. It's a sad relief to find out that someone else truly gets it.

 

Hugs, BarbecueMom.  I read Hillbilly Elegy last year knowing what I was getting myself into (hah!), but my reading it was part of a bigger picture of trying to understand people in my husband's family.  (I readily admit to being terribly sheltered.)  In my course of trying to understand, my reading jag led me to it, White Trash, Evicted, $2 a Day, Dreamland, and, now, Strangers in Their Own Land.  I will say the scales have fallen off my eyes and...well, my reaction has been more empathic, less judgy-judgypants.  There is something to be said for every child having the minimum of one adult or at least elder who is ever in their corner.  JD Vance was lucky to have one.  My own motivation, though, was to come closer to understanding how people can act against their own, or their family's, best interest(s).  It is...complicated.

 

[shukriyya]

Argh, I've misplaced The World's Wife, a library book. Have looked high and low in the house, the car and called the last store I was in while I had the pile of library books with me. I have a bad feeling it got left somewhere else. I was very much enjoying it, too. Tempted to buy it, read it and then give it to the library in place of the one I lost since I'm going to have to pay up anyway.

[Lady Florida.]

Hugs, BarbecueMom.  I read Hillbilly Elegy last year knowing what I was getting myself into (hah!), but my reading it was part of a bigger picture of trying to understand people in my husband's family.  (I readily admit to being terribly sheltered.)  In my course of trying to understand, my reading jag led me to it, White Trash, Evicted, $2 a Day, Dreamland, and, now, Strangers in Their Own Land.  I will say the scales have fallen off my eyes and...well, my reaction has been more empathic, less judgy-judgypants.  There is something to be said for every child having the minimum of one adult or at least elder who is ever in their corner.  JD Vance was lucky to have one.  My own motivation, though, was to come closer to understanding how people can act against their own, or their family's, best interest(s).  It is...complicated.

 

I've been avoiding the idea that I should read both Hillbilly Elegy and Strangers in Their Own Land , but I think I need to put aside my discomfort.

[Jane in NC]

One consequence of regular bouts of insomnia over the past week:  I finished By Gaslight, the 700+ page doorstop that Stacia loved but was problematic for others in the group.  I enjoyed the book.  Admittedly some of the time and place shifts in the narrative drove me bats, but overall I found By Gaslight to be a page turning atmospheric tale that succeeds in complex storytelling while giving us some substance on which to chew.  The overarching theme is that of revenge vs. justice.  It's a fine line, my friends, one that we should all think about more often. 

 

 

[6packofun]

It reminds me of Into the Wild, a book I abhorred, mainly because it celebrated Walden and separation from society while ignoring the people concerned, giving, and loving towards Chris McCandess. He wanted to live apart, but time and again benefited from access to people, transportation, food, and shelter. It catches up with him when he is finally truly cut off from society due to ignorance and lack of preparation.

 

 

'Oh my gosh, this is exactly what I hated about this book.  LOL

 

OK, moving on from hate...  :P

 

I finished a book that I'd hoped would be a little lighter than it sounded:  The Regional Office is Under Attack!  It was less funny because it was just, well, sort of sad!  I thought the writing was good, albeit long-winded at times (too many paragraph long sentences!).  This one was suggested for people who liked The Rook by Daniel O'Malley, which I did.  I don't know how I feel about it.  I wanted a better ending and to chuckle as I threw it back into my library basket before starting another book but there was no chuckling!!  lol

[aggieamy]

I started Death Comes to Pemberly last night by PD James.  It has gotten such mixed reviews but based on some conversations here I picked it up.  I've read P&P and PD James mysteries before and like both so I'm likely the intended audience for this book. 

 

A few initial thoughts - the first chapter explains how we got to where we are now which is everyone has been married for six years ... kids ... what Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are doing.  That was so much fun to read.  It reminded me of being a kid and eaves dropping on my grandmother telling a story that I had heard a million times to her friends.  I already knew the story but hearing the background and listening to the story from another point of view was so much fun.  I recommend all P&P fans check the book out of the library for no other reason than to read the first chapter. 

 

The mystery so far is weak.  I'm only a few chapters in but I don't feel like any of the characters feel like the same people from the novel.  Well, the Bingley's do but they are easy!  I'm only a bit into it though so my opinion might change once the story starts moving. 

 

[aggieamy]

With all of our recent talk about the Hygge book I can't resist posting this crochet a long that starts soon because of the hygge title. https://itsallinanutshell.com/2017/01/25/hygge-cal-kits-now-available/

 

My friend did the Mandela one with the same person and it worked incredibly well. She was not experienced with crochet beyond the very basics. I won't be participating but it's beautiful isn't it?

 

Oh my goodness.  That's so beautiful.  My crochet skills are limited to misshapen potholders and unfinished blankets so I'll just have to admire that from afar.

[mumto2]

Warning.....I just finished a book which won't be released in the US for a few months!

 

The Essex Serpent was a good solid interesting book with an absolutely magnificent cover. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26225360-the-essex-serpent I was going to try and write a description but have decided that the one written by Goodreads is pretty good. ;) Every character highlighted in this book is interesting and diverse. I think that might be the most important thing about this book. It's well done with just enough description so I could easily visualize the book. Yes, I'm one of the I see a movie in my brain people! :)

[Loesje22000]

Oh my goodness. That's so beautiful. My crochet skills are limited to misshapen potholders and unfinished blankets so I'll just have to admire that from afar.

I (we) checked this further this evening.

There are youtube video's available with step by step showing what to do :)

My crochet skills are not bigger then egg warmers, so it is a challenge :)

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Rosie_0801]

Dd is finally old enough for me to read Tamora Pierce to her.   :001_wub:

 

We finished the first Alanna book last night. Dd says she likes the weapons and girl power.  :001_wub:

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Joules]

I just finished Redshirts by John Scalzi.  (And it works for the One Word Title for Bingo!)  I really did like it.  Through all of the Codas, I was waiting for that last scene that just had to be there.  I needed a happy ending today.  Oddly, I think it is the first of his books that I'd read.  Since all of the Scalzi fans here said it wasn't his best: What do y'all recommend instead?

 

I also finished a finance book from the library Pensionless by Emily Brandon. Not much to say about it.  If you've researched and studied retirement, you probably have read it all.  If you are new to the concept of retiring without a pension, it is a quick, informative read.

 

And last, a book recommendation.  I was looking for books with numbers in the titles for the Prime Number Bingo and remembered a (not prime) number-in-the-title book that I read a long time back: Eight Million Gods by Wen Spencer.  It has wild twists and turns.  I found it on the library shelf and knew nothing about it or the author going in.  It was a good thing in this case, because I was constantly surprised by the plot.  I figure it must've popped in my head for a reason, so I decided to share here.

[Joules]

Dd is finally old enough for me to read Tamora Pierce to her.   :001_wub:

 

We finished the first Alanna book last night. Dd says she likes the weapons and girl power.  :001_wub:

 

I just mentioned Eight Million Gods in my last post.  I think it might have some adult content, so it may have to go on your "later" list, but I like the female heroine.  

[Butter]

Update on those weird comments on GoodReads: They looked into them and they've been removed.  I'm thinking definitely bored kid (they targeted specifically kids' books I've read).

 

My daughter has been sick a really long time and today she saw the endocrinologist.  Next month she'll be tested for Addison's Disease.  If it's not that, she's sending us back to the rheumatologist to look into chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia.  And if not them either, to an immunologist to see if it's an immune system issue or allergy causing inflammation.  And if none of those shows anything, then we'll probably go to the Mayo Clinic people and see what they can figure out.  They are really expensive and definitely a "last resort" sort of thing, but at that point it would be the last resort.  We really need to figure out what's going on in her body so she can be a normal functioning 16 year old!  At least we have a path to trying to figure it out.

 

I finished The Yiddish Policemen's Union this morning with 10 hours left on my overdrive loan period.  That was my 7th book of the year.  It was meh.  When it was good it was very, very good and when it wasn't good it was boring.  And it was boring about half the time.  The shocking reveal at the end was foreshadowed way too well because instead of being "whoa" it was a flop.  That was the first book my husband and I read/listened to for the Mind Voyages challenge (Moon).  He's got about half of it left, but he's on travel and will be on a plane and in airports for a bunch of hours tomorrow so he should get it done or about done then.

[mumto2]

Update on those weird comments on GoodReads: They looked into them and they've been removed. I'm thinking definitely bored kid (they targeted specifically kids' books I've read).

 

My daughter has been sick a really long time and today she saw the endocrinologist. Next month she'll be tested for Addison's Disease. If it's not that, she's sending us back to the rheumatologist to look into chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. And if not them either, to an immunologist to see if it's an immune system issue or allergy causing inflammation. And if none of those shows anything, then we'll probably go to the Mayo Clinic people and see what they can figure out. They are really expensive and definitely a "last resort" sort of thing, but at that point it would be the last resort. We really need to figure out what's going on in her body so she can be a normal functioning 16 year old! At least we have a path to trying to figure it out.

 

I finished The Yiddish Policemen's Union this morning with 10 hours left on my overdrive loan period. That was my 7th book of the year. It was meh. When it was good it was very, very good and when it wasn't good it was boring. And it was boring about half the time. The shocking reveal at the end was foreshadowed way too well because instead of being "whoa" it was a flop. That was the first book my husband and I read/listened to for the Mind Voyages challenge (Moon). He's got about half of it left, but he's on travel and will be on a plane and in airports for a bunch of hours tomorrow so he should get it done or about done then.

Glad they removed the weird comments for you.

 

:grouphug: to you and your dd. I hope the drs. figure out what's going on soon!

[6packofun]

 

 

I finished The Yiddish Policemen's Union this morning with 10 hours left on my overdrive loan period.  That was my 7th book of the year.  It was meh.  When it was good it was very, very good and when it wasn't good it was boring.  And it was boring about half the time.  The shocking reveal at the end was foreshadowed way too well because instead of being "whoa" it was a flop.  

 

I've started and not finished two books by Chabon including this one.  Hmmm.  When I set them aside I was hesitant because I kept thinking, "I might actually be missing out on something great, but the boring parts are killing me!"  lol

[Kareni]

Dd is finally old enough for me to read Tamora Pierce to her.   :001_wub:

 

We finished the first Alanna book last night. Dd says she likes the weapons and girl power.  :001_wub:

 

My (now adult) daughter is also a huge Tamora Pierce fan; I hope you and your daughter have fun reading her books together.

 

 

My daughter has been sick a really long time and today she saw the endocrinologist.  Next month she'll be tested for Addison's Disease.  ...

 

Sending good thoughts for your daughter.  I hope that some answers are forthcoming.

 

**

 

I finished yet another Sarina Bowen re-read ~ The Shameless Hour (The Ivy Years Book 4).  It was a good read even though it had painful parts.  (Some adult content)

 

"She's not looking for a hero. He's not looking for a hookup.

 

For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men’s hockey team, sex is a second language. She’s used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don’t (often) bother her. So she can’t understand why her smoking hot downstairs neighbor has so much trouble staying friends after their spontaneous night together. She knows better than to worry about it, but there’s something in those espresso eyes that makes her second guess herself.

 

Rafe is appalled with himself for losing his virginity in a drunken hookup. His strict Catholic upbringing always emphasized loving thy neighbor—but not with a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. The result is an Ivy League bout of awkwardness. But when Bella is leveled by a little bad luck and a downright nasty fraternity stunt, it’s Rafe who is there to pick up the pieces.

 

Bella doesn’t want Rafe's help, and she’s through with men. Too bad the undeniable spark that crackles between the two of them just can't be extinguished."

 

**

Currently free (today only) ~   The Analects by Confucius

 

"A classic compendium of spiritual wisdom from ancient China’s greatest philosopher.

 

The Analects present the detailed code of morality, behavior, and belief espoused by Confucius. Stressing virtue, integrity, and respect within families and communities, Confucius explains how certain principles of living can apply to all aspects of society from education to political systems.

 

One of the most influential books in world history and a foundational text in the study of ethics, sociology, and philosophy, The Analects elucidates a path for an honorable and rewarding life.

 

More than two millennia after it was written, this collection of wisdom from ancient China’s best-known thinker is still admired and studied today."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

I loved The Yiddish Policeman's Union. Boring? That is the last thing I would call this book.

 

Chabon is one of my husband's favorite writers. He also loves LeGuin, Fritz Leiber, Roger Zelazny, William Gibson...

[Chrysalis Academy]

I just finished Redshirts by John Scalzi.  (And it works for the One Word Title for Bingo!)  I really did like it.  Through all of the Codas, I was waiting for that last scene that just had to be there.  I needed a happy ending today.  Oddly, I think it is the first of his books that I'd read.  Since all of the Scalzi fans here said it wasn't his best: What do y'all recommend instead?

 

 

 

My first Scalzi book was Locked In, which I thought was fantastic, and I've been waiting for the sequel for years.

 

I liked the first books of the Old Man's War series very much. I read the first three, and by the time I'd read the third they were starting to feel a bit too repetitive so I stopped after Book 3. But I did enjoy all 3 of them, I just got to the point where I was done with that story & universe, it didn't feel like we were covering new ground.

 

So I'd suggest either Locked In or Old Man's War.  I like them both much more than Redshirts. Which wasn't bad, but just wasn't great, IMO.

[ErinE]

I just finished Redshirts by John Scalzi. (And it works for the One Word Title for Bingo!) I really did like it. Through all of the Codas, I was waiting for that last scene that just had to be there. I needed a happy ending today. Oddly, I think it is the first of his books that I'd read. Since all of the Scalzi fans here said it wasn't his best: What do y'all recommend instead?

 

 

 

Old Man's War - one of my favorite science fiction novels, ever. I adore the opening lines:

 

"I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army."

 

On the surface, it is a light space opera, but digging deeper, it explores larger themes. I actually enjoyed the next book Ghost Brigades more, as it involves the nature of consciousness and self-awareness, but it helps to read the first book to understand the world.

Edited January 27, 2017 by ErinE

[shukriyya]

Continuing along with Sheri Tepper's, Beauty, and not loving it. It's sci-fi which is not a genre I spend much time with. This is for a GR challenge, read a sci-fi retelling of a fairy tale. I like the fairy tale part but not the sci-fi part which is proving to be a dystopian horror show. Not what I want in my awareness at this particular time nor any time actually. But it's moved back to fairy tale time so I'll continue with it and see how I go. 

 

The World's Wife seems well and lost. Calls to the library and another call to the grocery store have yielded nothing nor has a thorough search of the house and car. The library said I could buy the book myself and give it to them which would save me some money as well as allowing me to read it. So that's what I'll do. 

 

So many books to read...

[Storygirl]

I finished Michael Connelly's The Wrong Side of Goodbye, the 18th book in his Harry Bosch series. I've read all of his books, with the exception of the ebooks, and this may be one of my favorites. Connelly wouldn't be at the top of my list of favorite authors, but he's on it. Harry is a take-action guy, but every so often he has philosophical moments that reveal the guiding principles of his life, particularly the sense of justice that drives him. Honestly, Harry is probably not a guy I'd choose to hang out with in real life, but I enjoy the way his character has evolved over the years; he has not remained static.

 

In this book, he juggles work on two mysteries -- one job that he takes on as a private detective, and another that stems from his current job as a part-time detective. I think I enjoyed this book in particular, because his new position with a different police department (he worked for LAPD in the other books) brings novelty to the long-running series. And the private case has him unraveling several generations of secrets in one family's history; as that story line delves into the past, the historical aspects add richness to a contemporary story.

Edited January 27, 2017 by Storygirl

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Storygirl]

I may have to abandon this next book -- Surrender, New York by Caleb Carr. I loved The Alienist years ago, so I had hopes. But alas! I'm having a hard time getting into this one. It is just unbelievably, unnecessarily wordy. The protagonist arrives at the crime scene, which is a mobile home. And then it takes 10 pages for him to get through the door. And then another 5 pages before he finally arrives at the room where the body is and takes a look at the situation. It's a mobile home, people! How long does it take to walk through? Oh. My. Goodness. So. Many. Many. Words. As an editor, I could have sliced what I've read so far by half, at least. I'm not sure I can do it. And it is very rare that I don't finish a book I've started.

 

I'm not buying the dialogue, either. Contrived. I'm not sure I can make it through 600 pages, but I'll read a little more tonight to see if it picks up. I think I have to visit the library tomorrow.

Edited January 27, 2017 by Storygirl

[Kareni]

I've given up on two books today.

 

Amanda Bouchet's Breath of Fire (The Kingmaker Chronicles Book 2)

 

I enjoyed the first book in the series and might have enjoyed this had I read it immediately thereafter instead of losing my momentum while waiting for its publication.

 

 Timekeeper  by Tara Sim

 

This might have been more successful had I been in a different frame of mind; I might give it a try on another occasion.

**

 

I did read with pleasure the contemporary romance Wild at Whiskey Creek: A Hellcat Canyon Novel  by Julie Anne Long which had some downright funny scenes and banter.

 

"Everyone knows the Greenleaf family puts the “Hell†in Hellcat Canyon—legend has it the only way they ever leave is in a cop car or a casket. But Glory Greenleaf has a different getaway vehicle in mind: her guitar. She has a Texas-sized talent and the ambition (and attitude) to match, but only two people have ever believed in her: her brother, who’s in jail, and his best friend . . . who put him there.

 

Sheriff Eli Barlow has secretly been in love with Glory since he was twelve years old. Which is how he knows her head is as hard as her heart is soft—and why she can’t forgive him for fracturing her family . . . or forget that night they surrendered to an explosive, long-simmering passion. But when a betrayal threatens Glory’s big break, Eli will risk everything to make it right . . . because the best way to love the girl from Whiskey Creek might mean setting her free forever."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Little Nyssa]

I'm reading Dorothy Sayers' letters.

 

my question about synesthesia, if anyone would like to answer:

Is it just an interesting thing about someone? Or does it interfere with life in some way? Is the experience of taste/color very overwhelming?

Thanks!

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Rosie_0801]

I'm reading Dorothy Sayers' letters.

 

my question about synesthesia, if anyone would like to answer:

Is it just an interesting thing about someone? Or does it interfere with life in some way? Is the experience of taste/color very overwhelming?

Thanks!

 

Synesthesia just a weird quirk. It makes no difference to my life, except with the one person who triggers empath stuff to a much greater degree than anyone else because they mix together so not only am I feeing someone else's emotions, which is a hassle if they're unhappy, but I can see it in colour, which is weird. Perhaps it's something one gets better at with practice, but I prefer not to.

 

Empaths I know who are triggered that much by everyone have my sympathy. That sort of stuff interferes with life. The high level empaths I know all have health problems from the constant stress of bombardment.

[Loesje22000]

In a Dutch newspaper is an interview with Timothy Snyder today.

Did anybody read his books 'bloodlands' or 'black earth'?

The article sounds interesting, but his books in Dutch are not cheap.

So I want to know a little bit more before I buy.:)

[Kareni]

Some book-ish posts from Tor.com ~

 

Literary Constellations Transforms First Sentences Into Star Charts  by Natalie Zutter

 

"After tracking the “wandering paths†of pi and the golden ratio in his Number Walks series, data artist Nick Rougeux took on a new experiment: applying data not to numbers, but to words. When he began diagramming sentences, based on a self-determined system that assigned different values to nouns versus adjectives and word importance, he discovered that the results resembled constellations. And so Literary Constellations was born, in which Rougeux has mapped out the first sentences from Lewis Carroll to Jane Austen...."

**

 

Five Books That Make Living and Working in Space Seem Ordinary  by Carrie Vaughn

**

 

Leave Your Heart in San Francisco with 10 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Stories! by Leah Schnelbach

**

 

Five Books About Espionage  by Charles Stross

**

 

Plus two currently free books ~ 

 

The Smuggler's Gambit…  by Sara Whitford

 

"Whitford delivers an enjoyable tale" -- Publishers Weekly

**

Once Beyond a Time…  by Ann Tatlock

 

"Tatlock's lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories." ~ Publishers Weekly

**

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[Penguin]

Can someone help me with a Bingo clarification? Can any category be nonfiction, or is nonfiction limited to Finance and Western?

 

Thanks for your patience. While I have tried to be diligent with the threads, I may very well have missed previous discussion on this point.

[mumto2]

Can someone help me with a Bingo clarification? Can any category be nonfiction, or is nonfiction limited to Finance and Western?

 

Thanks for your patience. While I have tried to be diligent with the threads, I may very well have missed previous discussion on this point.

The only other one that I remember Robin clarifying as non fiction is that the best seller in family member's birth year could be non fiction. They publish a non fiction list also.

[Little Nyssa]

Thanks Rosie!

[Butter]

I'm reading Dorothy Sayers' letters.

 

my question about synesthesia, if anyone would like to answer:

Is it just an interesting thing about someone? Or does it interfere with life in some way? Is the experience of taste/color very overwhelming?

Thanks!

Synesthesia just a weird quirk. It makes no difference to my life, except with the one person who triggers empath stuff to a much greater degree than anyone else because they mix together so not only am I feeing someone else's emotions, which is a hassle if they're unhappy, but I can see it in colour, which is weird. Perhaps it's something one gets better at with practice, but I prefer not to.

 

Empaths I know who are triggered that much by everyone have my sympathy. That sort of stuff interferes with life. The high level empaths I know all have health problems from the constant stress of bombardment.

 

What Rosie said.  My daughter is an extreme empath, but I don't think that has anything to do with her also being a synesthete.  The synesthesia is just an interesting thing that sounds cool.  The empathy is rough.  She feels everything from everyone.  She can take one look at a person and know how they are feeling and even what they need.  It does interfere with life sometimes.  I have a friend with a son who is also an extreme empath and he has built up walls to prevent himself from feeling others' emotions.  My daughter doesn't want to do that (he can be pretty hard sometimes because of it), but she is learning to try to control how much she feels.  On the flipside, it makes her love people so incredibly much and want to help everyone.

Edited January 27, 2017 by Butter

[Matryoshka]

Can someone help me with a Bingo clarification? Can any category be nonfiction, or is nonfiction limited to Finance and Western?

 

Thanks for your patience. While I have tried to be diligent with the threads, I may very well have missed previous discussion on this point.

 

I didn't realize there was a limitation to fiction on any of the categories except the ones that made them by definition fiction (Flufferton, SciFi, Dystopian, Short Stories, Steampunk?).  I'd also assume Mystery and Classic to be fiction, unless True Crime type books counted, and there could be some old nonfiction that could qualify as Classic???  Origin of Species? No idea.

 

I hope it's no limited to Finance and Western... currently other than Finance I have nonfiction down for Local Author (which I also contemplated using for the Seaworthy square) and Prime Number (if I can use The Imaginary Tale of the Square Root of Negative One for that....?)

 

Anyway, if there are limits to other squares, someone let me know now so I can adjust. :)

Edited January 27, 2017 by Matryoshka

[Storygirl]

Well, I surrendered Surrender, New York back to the library. Maybe someone else will like it. I picked up three books and haven't yet decided which to read first. DD11 has today off of school (parent-teacher conferences), and I think I will take her to a movie.

[Schadenfreude]

I have finished The longest winter : the incredible survival of Captain Scott's lost party by Katherine Lambert. I was really impressed with their survival skills and ability to stay (mostly) calm and sane during a horrific circumstance. I think a lot of it was due to the culture they were raised in. It makes you wonder how people today would fare.

[Matryoshka]

I finished Story of Your Life and Others and Age of Innocence (audio).  I really liked the stories in Story of Your Life and Others.  I like short stories in general, and I haven't read any in a while.  I also liked how the author reimagined some laws of the natural world in some of the stories (like, what if the 'science' believed by the ancients or the people in the middle ages had turned out to be true?) along with philosophy, theologies, physics and linguistics.  A really fun stew!  4 1/2 stars

 

Age of Innocence was okay.  The narrator was good, but not awesome.  I liked the story, but I guess I've read so many stories set in that time period that the quite overt social commentary/criticism on the manners of that age seemed ... not fresh?  Three stars.

 

Since then I've started The Palace of Illusions (audio) and The Warmth of Other Suns (ebook), about the Great Migration.  I'm so glad someone mentioned that the narrator on Palace of Illusions was good, as it encouraged me to try the audio book, and I'm really loving it.  I think I'm really going to like this one.  

 

For my next physical book I was planning on El laberintu de los espíritus/Labyrinth of the Spirits, but it is taking a looong time in the mail (it's coming from Book Depository - I don't think it's been published either in the original or the translation in the US yet...).  So I started on another Spanish book I ordered at the same time, which got here with Prime, El poeta niño/The Child Poet, which had been highly recommended by a few people here.  I had been expecting more of a story with poetic language, but it's more like someone took a bunch of pictures of their childhood and handed them to you with no preamble of context about who the person was or anything about their life.  The pictures are interesting, but I'm missing context.   It did help me a bit when I found the table of contents at the back of the book (that's where it normally is in Spanish books, but I didn't realize this book had one at first), which made clear that each and every paragraph is a separate entity, and I think I'll like it better when my brain can stop trying to find a thread of connectivity between one paragraph and the next, and just meander contemplatively through it.  It's short, and with this structure not continuous, so I'll probably continue a bit for now but put it down when Labyrinth of the Spirits shows up...

[Penguin]

I didn't realize there was a limitation to fiction on any of the categories except the ones that made them by definition fiction (Flufferton, SciFi, Dystopian, Short Stories, Steampunk?).  I'd also assume Mystery and Classic to be fiction, unless True Crime type books counted, and there could be some old nonfiction that could qualify as Classic???  Origin of Species? No idea.

 

I hope it's no limited to Finance and Western... currently other than Finance I have nonfiction down for Local Author (which I also contemplated using for the Seaworthy square) and Prime Number (if I can use The Imaginary Tale of the Square Root of Negative One for that....?)

 

Anyway, if there are limits to other squares, someone let me know now so I can adjust. :)

Yes, that is why I asked for clarification. I had thought that either fiction or non-fiction were fine for all squares, but then there were some bits in posts and in the rules summary that led me to second guess that assumption.

 

Certainly early enough for me to adjust, too :)

[Matryoshka]

Speaking of audio books... some people mentioned that they couldn't find the 'right' audio book with the right cover on Goodreads... I will admit that I have been paying no attention at all to matching editions to what I've read (for older stuff where I read it years ago and the edition that comes up isn't what I read) or for audio books - are there separate entries for these??  Do they then include narrator in the entry, say?

 

At any rate, is there a a reason I should I start caring, or should I continue my wanton ways? :tongue_smilie:

[Ethel Mertz]

**

Once Beyond a Time…  by Ann Tatlock

 

"Tatlock's lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories." ~ Publishers Weekly

**

 

Regards,

Kareni

I loved Tatlock's All the Way Home. The time is WWII and revolves around the friendship between a Japanese American girl and a WASP girl. Beautiful story. Thanks for reminding me about Tatlock's books!

 

I'm reading The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma by Ratika Kapur. It's taking me awhile to get into it and I almost abandoned it. I'll try reading a bit more.

 

I finished the second book in Susan Wiggs' Bella Vista series - The Beekeeper's Ball. I love her writing. Here's a quote from the grandfather who was part of the Danish Resistance during WWII:

 

"From today's perspective, it is easy to look back and deride ourselves for not seeing the storm coming. But you understand, we were simply Danes, living our lives and going about our business. It was quite some time before I even grasped that there was a division between Jews and Gentiles. We were all Danes first. Denmark did not force Jews to register their property, or to identify themselves, and God knows they were never made to give up their homes and businesses....

 

It all came about gradually as the Germans tightened their control. They broke their promises one by one, replacing each edict with another. The Germans even claimed the Jews of Scandinavia would not be included in their Final Solution. But by that time, everyone knew that was a lie."

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

A currently free (today only) classic ~

 

Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad

 

"From the author of Heart of Darkness: A condemned British seaman on the run from a grievous mistake in his past may find redemption in the Far East.
 
A young British seaman, Jim lands a major opportunity when he becomes first mate on the Panta, a ship transporting Muslim pilgrims to Mecca for the hajj. But when disaster strikes at sea, Jim and the rest of the crew abandon the ship and its passengers. While his crewmates evade trial, Jim must face the court and is punished for his dereliction of duty.
 
Depressed and tortured by his conscience over his act of cowardice, and stripped of his navigation officer’s certificate by the court, Jim travels east to avoid further scandal. His sea captain friend, Charles Marlow, helps him find work and settle in the remote island kingdom of Patusan, where the natives come to revere him. But as Jim slowly develops a measure of serenity and respect within himself, a looming danger may jeopardize the new life he has built.
 
An adventurous tale of tragedy and redemption, Lord Jim is considered one of the greatest works by the author of Typhoon and The Secret Agent."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

<p>

 

Here's Robin's list of Bingo rules (from her blog):

 

Bingo Guidelines and Clarifications

• Page count minimum is 200 pages.
• Novellas and rereads don't count as that would be too easy.
• Book has to be started and completed this year, no carry overs from last year.
• No double dipping.
• Free space is book of your choice. Yes, you have to read a book to tick off free space.
• Audiobooks are fine as long as has substance and the actual book is over 200 pages in length

Clarifications:

• There isn't a category for play this year so no plays.
• Children and Young adult books are iffy and depend on if they have substance. The young adult novels today are like the regular adult novels of the 70's. Yes Harry Potter counts. Use your best judgement.
• Finance – Can be fiction or non fiction
• Western - As in cowboys, outlaws, lawmen and indians up through the 1900's. Can be fiction or non fiction and from any country and just not U.S. related.
• Debut author – Author’s debut from 2016 or 2017
• Outer space books -- space as in outer space, not of this planet, no air. Space beyond the atmosphere of earth. Can include climbing in a rocket and leaving our world or life on another planet or alien worlds.

Thanks for posting that. I am not sure if nonfiction is specifically noted for Western and Finance because someone specifically asked about those two, or if it is because the others squares must be fiction.

 

Probably just me being dense, but I do want to play by the rules :)

[Matryoshka]

Thanks for posting that. I am not sure if nonfiction is specifically noted for Western and Finance because someone specifically asked about those two, or if it is because the others squares must be fiction.

 

Yeah, that still isn't clear to me either... I had assumed the former explanation over the latter, but it could go either way...

[Lady Florida.]

Thanks for posting that. I am not sure if nonfiction is specifically noted for Western and Finance because someone specifically asked about those two, or if it is because the others squares must be fiction.

 

Probably just me being dense, but I do want to play by the rules :)

I believe someone asked several threads ago, and that's the only reason it's mentioned. It was a clarification. Same with No Plays - the subject came up at one point so Robin clarified it.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Robin M]

Thanks for posting that. I am not sure if nonfiction is specifically noted for Western and Finance because someone specifically asked about those two, or if it is because the others squares must be fiction.

 

Probably just me being dense, but I do want to play by the rules :)

 

Fiction or non fiction works for any category even those that are obviously fictional such as steampunk, and science fiction.  

Even though some folks try to categorize some nonfiction books as dystopian, they relate to world history (stalin, hitler, socialism, etc.)  I think for our purposes we'll stick with fiction for dystopian. 

 

7 essential nonfiction books about science fiction and fantasy

 

non fiction steampunk