Book a Week 2017 - BW6: Pick a book by the cover

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Mom-ninja.]

Confession time: I only read 5 books from that modern classic list. I just tend to not read modern book much. At least I didn't used to. I am doing so much more now thanks to this thread. 

 

 

[Raifta]

Confession time: I only read 5 books from that modern classic list. I just tend to not read modern book much. At least I didn't used to. I am doing so much more now thanks to this thread. 

 

 

I've only read 8 and tried and abandoned about 5 more.  There's about 15 that I've wanted to read for a while on there, probably about 15 more that I hadn't heard of before that sound promising and a bunch that don't interest me.

[Matryoshka]

Sorry to hear so many people are sick, hope everyone is feeling better soon! And I'll second (third?) that Sambucol is wonderful stuff - you just have to take it before you're full-blown sick to it's too late...

 

I finished The Warmth of Other Suns. Very good book. I had of course heard of the Great Migration but it was interesting to read in more detail, and she does a good job showing the immense scale and scope of the migration (which is usually talked about in at most a paragraph in US History books). One of the major theses of the book is that the migrants left the South because of the unbearable conditions of Jim Crow, which seems rather obvious to me, but apparently there have been arguments that it was because of some boll weevil infestation (like the Civil War had nothing to do with slavery...). I have read other books on these topics, but not for a while, and it was a bit depressing to read again how bad it really was down there, especially in Mississippi and Florida (lynchings publicized in the papers and attended by thousands... just can't wrap my head around it). The extent of discrimination in the North was also covered - paying twice as much for rent in the neglected and only parts of the city where they were allowed to live, while at the same time only being allowed the most menial jobs and not being paid as much even as other immigrants. The whole thing is told through a framework of the stories of three migrants, from three different areas with three different levels of education (one had been a sharecropper, one was Ray Charles's doctor) who went to three different cities (NYC, Chicago, LA). This made it very readable. 4.5 stars.

 

Sergio Y. came in from the library yesterday for the birthstone challenge (Amethysts mined in Brazil) and I read the whole thing. I liked it very much. I didn't feel like it expanded my knowledge of trans issues at all - my dd has a couple of trans friends, and I've thought through much of that. But I did like how Sergio/Sandra's character was written, and I liked Armando's coming to grips with his own issues and thinking, which I think was really the core of the book. In many ways S's decision to emigrate to find happiness mirrors the stories of the migrants in the other book I'd just read (as it does the immigrant stories in the book itself). 4 stars.

 

I've started Lab Girl. I'm not far in, but I am really enjoying her writing. It doesn't seem to matter how mundane what she's writing about is, she does it well enough to not just hold my interest but make it enjoyable.

 

I'm so happy I joined this group. I'm reading all kinds of things I would never have heard about except for recommendations here. I'm enjoying having books going in different media at once and am definitely finding that for me to read more it's really important to have a plan, a to-read list of things I'm excited to read (and I'm finding Bingo and the challenges a great way to prioritize books from a longer list). I'm almost done with my audio book (good thing, it's due in a few days), and I realized that I was 8th on the holds list for what I'd intended to read next, so I spent a bunch of time going through Overdrive and putting things on both Hold or Wishlists so I can find the next thing quickly. I also put stuff on my hard-copy Wishlist at the library, and some things I couldn't find I ordered.

 

So now I am the proud owner of Amish Vampires in Space, which would be my current pick for "Things I'm Embarrassed to Be Seen Reading in Public", but even though the book was totally started as a joke, apparently the author did a great job and it has great reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and I'm intrigued (this is for my Outer Space bingo square ;) ) Nordermoor/Jar City is on the way, and I just re-ordered El laberintu de los espíritus/Labyrinth of the Spirits from another supplier because Book Depository totally lied about having it in stock.

 

ETA: And not that anyone cares, but had a need to complete my shopping list :tongue_smilie: I forgot that I also finally picked up Das geheime Leben der Bäume/The Secret Lives of Trees at the international bookshop on Monday - it had been on backorder since New Year's (but because I ordered it then it was still 50% off, yay). I wasn't planning on reading that one super-soon, but as I'm reading about all the plant stuff in Lab Girl, I think it might be a good follow-up...

Edited February 10, 2017 by Matryoshka

[Matryoshka]

I've only read 8 and tried and abandoned about 5 more.  There's about 15 that I've wanted to read for a while on there, probably about 15 more that I hadn't heard of before that sound promising and a bunch that don't interest me.

 

I've also read 8, and there are about that many more that were already on my to-read list.  I'm going to look up a bunch more that looked somewhat interesting that I hadn't heard of on Goodreads and see if I think I should add them as well...  yes, and a bunch that don't interest me.

Edited February 10, 2017 by Matryoshka

[mumto2]

An interesting list: 100 Must-Read Modern Classics

 

 

 

I think Jane will be happy to note that the first book on the list is one by Barbara Pym.

 

I bet if all the BaWers looked through the list, between all of us, every book on that list will have been read at least by one person here....

  

 

I've read 9 on the list. I've abandoned or had in a stack a few more.

 

 

This list is a few years old, but it's one I was glad to find...

 

The 10 Best Vampire Novels No One Has Read

This is a great list with some different vampire fiction. I have read 0 of these so looking to trying a few of them. As a bonus I was actually able to find a few of them on overdrive so they have been added to my wish list.

[Chrysalis Academy]

This list is a few years old, but it's one I was glad to find...

 

The 10 Best Vampire Novels No One Has Read

 

Nice! I haven't read any of those. 9/10 went on my TR list.

[Ellesmere]

Still too woozy to do anything but relisten to familiar audiobooks. Amazing how sick getting a few holes poked in you can make you. My poor husband is dealing with everything, working from home, and oldest flew home to lend support for a few days. How on earth do other people manage? We are reading The Penderwicks and enjoying it. I painted frantically up to the end and now have a bunch of little paintings to try to sell and some that will serve as sketches for larger paintings, eventually. And I learned a ton, since I focused on my town, a place I haven't painted much. My brother-in-law lent me two books of paintings in my style but by master painters. I have spent a lot of time deciding what makes them great. And then I switched to sleeping and trying not to be sick. I am looking forward to reading up on what everyone is reading, eventually. : ) Nan

My kids have been listening to and reading The Penderwicks for the past couple of weeks. They are obssessed! And dropping hints that they'd like to see the Berkshires before too long.

 

Hope you recover well & quickly.

 

And  :grouphug:  to everyone who is feeling under the weather and/or has the flu. 

 

I will freely confess that I do not get the Kate DiCamillo love at all. The only books of hers I've tried I did not like. I thought they were way to emotionally disturbing for the age of kids the stories seemed to target.  I'm sorry for your poor sweet girls, and agree with Lori D's suggestions - find something sweet and life-affirming for them, pronto! They will enjoy reading the dark stuff soon enough, but no need to rush it. My girls are 10 and 14 and one is one either side of that divide - my dd10 hates stuff where moms die or sad dark things happen. Dd14 has just in the past year started to enjoy a darker story that makes her think and question things. I'm not sorry to have waited with older dd till she was ready.

 

Not a DiCamillo fan at all here. Whew, I can admit that freely here, too!

Has anyone read The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog?  It looks like something DD would love but the subject matter seems like it could swing to anti-religious and I haven't been able to find a review that lets me know.  I don't mind a mix of religious viewpoints at all!  That's not my concern.  I'm specifically worried that it is going to be anti-Catholic. 

I haven't read it yet but one of my kids liked it. Here's a link where he talks about his reception at Catholic schools, if that helps at all:

https://www.booklistonline.com/Adam-Gidwitz-Bringing-Religion-to-the-Middle-Grade-Masses/pid=8525408

[Lady Florida.]

I think we had a conversation awhile ago about the proper spelling of 'you all' the way Southerners say it. (Or maybe it was out on the general chat board.)

 

Is it y'all or ya'll?

 

Grammar perfectionists will probably go with y'all. But, ds & I were discussing it last night (why, I don't know) & I mentioned that I routinely see it both ways. Visually, ya'll is more pleasing (to me at least & seems more reflective of the way it is actually pronounced). Ds' stance is that ya'll is correct because Southerners use 'ya' as a form of 'you'. For example, "Go on. I'll catch up with ya soon." In which case, ya'll can be or is as correct as y'all.

 

y'all = either you all or ya all

ya'll = ya all

 

Comments?

 

:lol:

 

 

My vote is for y'all. It's gramatically correct even if it isn't a real contraction.  :lol:

[Chrysalis Academy]

It's funny, I don't ever say y'all when I'm speaking, but I write it quite frequently here. I guess because I'm not often addressing a large group when speaking, while I am addressing, well, y'all -  when I write posts? I spell it "y'all"  by the way. ;)   :D

[melbotoast]

Definitely y'all. Otherwise it would look funny when you call for all y'all. :rofl:

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Angelaboord]

I've read 16 1/2. Ish. Mostly in my last two years of college, I think, but some more recently.

 

Was it Mom- Ninja who asked for graphic novel suggestions? My dd and I have just decided to do a little graphic novel detour because it's February and because we can. Here are the titles on our list:

 

Soviet Daughter: A Graphic Revolution

American Born Chinese

In Real Life (Cory Doctorow)

March: Book 3 (John Lewis)

Nimona

Ms. Marvel

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage

 

She's finishing up Persepolis and then will hand it off to me.

 

We also have No Fear Shakespeare graphic novels of Hamlet and Macbeth hanging around, and also graphic adaptations of Emma and Sense and Sensibility.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Angelaboord]

Definitely y'all. Otherwise it would look funny when you call for all y'all. :rofl:

That's a whole other conversation. How to write" all a'y'all" ? All a' ya'all?

 

It's kind of starting to look like one of those fantasy novels where every other name has at least one apostrophe. [emoji12]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mom-ninja.]

I finished The Shephard's Crown and it was bittersweet. It was his last novel. I loved this book. I like all the Aching books but this one was so good. It takes on gender roles, aging, marriage, moving forward yet cherishing the past, finding one's own way, and growing up. It was sad that one of my favorite characters died, but it was an essential part of the story.  What a great book. Sigh. I'm sad it's over. 

 

[Robin M]

It's y'all. Nuff said. ðŸ‘

 

💋â¤ï¸ðŸ˜

[Kareni]

I just finished All of Me  by Gina Sorelle which I enjoyed and which also made me cry.  (Adult content)

 

"Stella Ciaramitaro spent the last year battling a disease that tried to take her life…and take her away from her four crazy, pain-in-the-butt sisters, occasionally suicidal father, and career as an Emergency Room nurse. Stella’s disease wreaked a lot of havoc, leaving her with visible and invisible scars, but she’s hanging in there. Doing just fine, actually.

Or she was until HE showed up.

Nathan Drazek is a mess and he knows it. A childhood full of mental and physical abuse, four tours in Afghanistan, and ten years policing one of the toughest beats in East Cleveland have left him aloof and nearly incapable of interpersonal relationships. But that’s okay, because Nathan isn’t interested in anything more than just getting by.

Or he wasn’t until SHE showed up.

From the moment Nathan nearly arrests Stella on, sparks fly, limits are tested, and boundaries are shattered. A tenuous, tender friendship quickly evolves into something powerful and passionate they cannot wish away or control. But as they grow closer, new issues arise and old hurts resurface, threatening to destroy their fragile new beginning.

With everything at stake, Nathan and Stella must ultimately decide which runs deeper: their scars or their love."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Schadenfreude]

I finished Miss Melville Regrets by Evelyn E. Smith. What can a woman do? Susan Melville's trust fund is dwindling, her teaching job is terminated, her lover is abroad for the season, and her apartment is going co-op.

So naturally Miss Melville decides to shoot herself at a posh society party. Unfortunately, she misses -- and kills the guest of honor instead. When she slips out the door, a stranger follows. He thanks her for doing the job for him, and Miss Melville's new career is born.

Of course she has scruples. Miss Melville won't kill just anybody, but she's about to face a job that even she will find a challenge of the most dangerous order, an assignment she just might regret -- for good.

I chose it by the cover. The book I found has the original cover (red) not the one on Goodreads (black). It was good for a quick light read. I'm undecided if I will continue the series or not.

[Lady Florida.]

It's funny, I don't ever say y'all when I'm speaking, but I write it quite frequently here. I guess because I'm not often addressing a large group when speaking, while I am addressing, well, y'all -  when I write posts? I spell it "y'all"  by the way. ;)   :D

 

I don't ever  write it except in discussions like this one. :D 

 

I don't really say it much anymore either. I said it when more when I was around groups of people, especially children ("I need all y'all to listen quietly now please") or when planning family gatherings. Dss took over hosting the gatherings so he can call us whatever he wants to, and I don't work with kids anymore. 

 

Definitely y'all. Otherwise it would look funny when you call for all y'all. :rofl:

 

Of course.

[mumto2]

I finished Miss Melville Regrets by Evelyn E. Smith. What can a woman do? Susan Melville's trust fund is dwindling, her teaching job is terminated, her lover is abroad for the season, and her apartment is going co-op.

So naturally Miss Melville decides to shoot herself at a posh society party. Unfortunately, she misses -- and kills the guest of honor instead. When she slips out the door, a stranger follows. He thanks her for doing the job for him, and Miss Melville's new career is born.

Of course she has scruples. Miss Melville won't kill just anybody, but she's about to face a job that even she will find a challenge of the most dangerous order, an assignment she just might regret -- for good.

I chose it by the cover. The book I found has the original cover (red) not the one on Goodreads (black). It was good for a quick light read. I'm undecided if I will continue the series or not.

Fyi, in the other editions section on the books main page on Goodreads there is a red cover with a smoking gun. If you click on it your cover hopefully will match. Great cover btw. Not sure if my link will work since I didn't select the book but I did change the cover https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12225191-miss-melville-regrets Edited February 10, 2017 by mumto2

[Ethel Mertz]

  

 

I've read 9 on the list. I've abandoned or had in a stack a few more.

 

 

 

This is a great list with some different vampire fiction. I have read 0 of these so looking to trying a few of them. As a bonus I was actually able to find a few of them on overdrive so they have been added to my wish list.

 

I read 9 too.

 

Roads are awful here, but the blizzard is over. We had wind gusts up to 70 mph and I was sure we were going to lose our chimney cap. Now there's talk of another storm next week.

 

It's a nice day to cozy up to the fire and read.

[aggieamy]

It's y'all. Nuff said. ðŸ‘

 

💋â¤ï¸ðŸ˜

 

I guess that's the final verdict since Robin is the boss of the thread.  (And I agree with her.)

 

 

I haven't read it yet but one of my kids liked it. Here's a link where he talks about his reception at Catholic schools, if that helps at all:

https://www.booklistonline.com/Adam-Gidwitz-Bringing-Religion-to-the-Middle-Grade-Masses/pid=8525408

 

Pretty interesting that two different Catholic schools had two different opinions.  It looks like a really interesting book.  I think I'll just go ahead and read it before handing it off to DD.  :P

[Schadenfreude]

Fyi, in the other editions section on the books main page on Goodreads there is a red cover with a smoking gun. If you click on it your cover hopefully will match. Great cover btw. Not sure if my link will work since I didn't select the book but I did change the cover https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12225191-miss-melville-regrets

Thank you! That is the cover.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Man, I had delusions of productivity today, plus a strong desire to get outside for some exercise since it has finally stopped raining. But I am down with the crud. I'm thinking of taking a sick day.

 

I picked up, read voraciously 78 page, and abandoned The North Water.  It's really well written, gripping, great conflict and characterization, but just too brutal & violent. It takes place on a whaleboat in the 1850s in the Arctic waters. So on top of the human brutality, there is lots of animal slaughter. I hate reading that. I'm giving it to dh, he's a Captain Hornblower/Aubrey Maturin fan and I think he might like it. Or stomach it better than I, at least.

[Onceuponatime]

I've read 15 on the modern classics list. I 've abandoned 1 and have plans to read a few others.

 

This week I finished Mrs. Pargeter's Pound of Flesh by Simon Brett and Tregaron's Daughter by Madeleine Brent. Tregaron's Daughter was a typical light gothic romance, similar to a Mary Stewart tale. The storyline was predictable but entertaining. I was surprised to see that Madeleine Brent is actually a Peter O'Donnell. I think it's the first time I've ever read a romance book wriiten by a male with a female pseudonym. From comments in the text, Mr. O'Donnel must have had feminist leanings. He at least shows some respect for the female characters. Plus, the heroine is not a ninny. 😊

 

PS: If anyone is interested, I can pass on Tregaron's Daughter.

Edited February 10, 2017 by Onceuponatime

[mumto2]

I read 9 too.

 

Roads are awful here, but the blizzard is over. We had wind gusts up to 70 mph and I was sure we were going to lose our chimney cap. Now there's talk of another storm next week.

 

It's a nice day to cozy up to the fire and read.

:grouphug: I've been thinking about you and Nan today regarding the blizzard. It's been snowing here off and on all day but keeps melting because the ground hasn't frozen. Wet, cold, and soggy. I'm sure the roads are going to turn to ice tonight. Glad my famkly is in for the evening. Maybe I will even manage to finish By Gaslight.

 

I hope Nan is starting to feel better too!

[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

[Raifta]

My book club met last night. The books we read were The Nest and Carry On, Jeeves.

 

People seemed "meh" on The Nest. I never got around to reading it. When I asked if I should put/keep it on my to-read list, the answer seemed to be maybe, but only quite low down on the list.

 

Everyone enjoyed Carry On, Jeeves. I think it's just the time of year when everyone needs some humor.

 

Our next choices are Their Eyes Were Watching God and Bad Feminist. But, I realized the library doesn't have Bad Feminist so we may end up selecting something else instead.

 

Your book club picks 2 books?  Wow!  Just curious how that works - is it to give people a choice so they can read one, the other or both?  Or is the expectation that they would read both (even if sometimes this doesn't pan out)?

 

I'm finding that my book club is having trouble convincing people to read one book.  I'm wondering if a choice of books might actually get a better response.

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Butter]

Just be aware that Audible has now automatically checked the 'include audio version' to each kindle book so if you don't want the audio version you need to manually uncheck each order. A bit sneaky on their part.

 

I just checked a few Kindle books that have Audible options and it's not checked for me.  I wonder if there is some setting or something that is auto-checking it for you.

 

I think we had a conversation awhile ago about the proper spelling of 'you all' the way Southerners say it. (Or maybe it was out on the general chat board.)

 

Is it y'all or ya'll?

 

Grammar perfectionists will probably go with y'all. But, ds & I were discussing it last night (why, I don't know) & I mentioned that I routinely see it both ways. Visually, ya'll is more pleasing (to me at least & seems more reflective of the way it is actually pronounced). Ds' stance is that ya'll is correct because Southerners use 'ya' as a form of 'you'. For example, "Go on. I'll catch up with ya soon." In which case, ya'll can be or is as correct as y'all.

 

y'all = either you all or ya all

ya'll = ya all

 

Comments?

 

:lol:

 

(I do notice that the correct feature on this board seems not to recognize ya'll as a proper term, whereas y'all seems to pass muster. I think the board computer needs to accept both. Lol.)

 

Definitely y'all.

 

And it, of course, becomes possessive by writing y'all's as in y'all's books.

[Lady Florida.]

My book club met last night. The books we read were The Nest and Carry On, Jeeves.

 

Everyone enjoyed Carry On, Jeeves. I think it's just the time of year when everyone needs some humor.

 

Our next choices are Their Eyes Were Watching God and Bad Feminist. But, I realized the library doesn't have Bad Feminist so we may end up selecting something else instead.

 

I think you're right about the need for humor. Everyone thanked me last month for choosing Best. State. Ever. and said it was great to read a book that made them laugh. 

 

My book club read Their Eyes Were Watching God a few years ago and we all loved it. Some complained about the dialect, but they said they also have trouble with the dialect in Dickens' and Mark Twain's works. 

[ErinE]

Two kids down with something yesterday and today. They woke up with coughs and complaining of aching legs. Not the flu or strep, according to the doctor, just an illness that mimics the flu. I did not know there were viruses called paraflus. I learn something new every day.

I'm working my way through Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang and thoroughly enjoying it. The stories are exactly what I love about science and speculative fiction, interesting reflections on humanity and science or in one story, ancient history.

Edited February 11, 2017 by ErinE

[Raifta]

 

Sometimes it's one book. Sometimes two. The expectation is to read whatever is picked (though I don't always manage that myself).

 

A choice of books might be worth trying for your book club. Maybe two that are related somehow?

 

 

I like the idea of two related books.  Will float that at the next meeting.  We kind of did something like that accidentally last year where we read a book then all wanted to switch our next book to a related book (and then watch a movie based on one of the books).

 

Finished The Sky and the Forest by C.S. Forester.  I see that he writes the Capt Horatio Hornblower books as well.  And The African Queen.  Interesting.  It was not what I expected.  I fell that Forester is a good writer but that this is very much a book that depicts two historical periods - the one in which he lived and wrote and the one in which his characters exist.  The book tells the story of a village chief, Loa - thought to be a god - in central Africa who is ripped from his home by Arab slave traders, escapes thanks to his oldest wife and their son and then finds his way back to his village and reinstates himself as a god/chief despite what happened and all the new things he has experienced along the way.  This takes up about 85% of the book, then there is a chapter giving wider context to the history of central Africa during this time and then we are suddenly in the world of the Europeans who have come to conquer central Africa under the direction of King Leopold of Belgium and their ultimate incursion into Loa's territory.

 

Overall I thought it was a good story, but I just cringed every time Forester talked about Loa's 'untrained mind' or having to make his 'unaccustomed mind think'.  It pervaded the whole book and rather spoiled it for me -  had it been one of the Europeans from the last chapters telling the story, it would have sat a bit better but it was clearly not them so it came off as casual racism.  I liked how Loa did learn and change over the course of the book, but I didn't feel that he started off being an absolute idiot; he just had different knowledge and skills (as did his wife and son) than one might have if one were living in a European city during the same time period because he needed to survive in a very different environment.  Alright, lecture over.

 

It was the third book on my new The Shelf project and I don't think I'll be keeping it.  It is a sad slice of history and I'm now curious if I can find any writing by African writers on the same subject.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished Cloud Atlas. Fantastic book. Very postmodern in structure, but a unique way to get across a point that is searingly relevant today: 

 

"Belief is both prize & battlefield, within the mind & in the mind's mirror, the world. If we believe humanity is a ladder of tribes, a colosseum of confrontation, exploitation & bestiality, such a humanity is surely brought into being. . . You and I, the moneyed, the privileged, the fortunate, shall not fare so badly in this world, provided our luck holds. What of it if our consciences itch? Why undermine the dominance of our race, our gunships, our heritage & our legacy? Why fight the 'natural' (oh, weaselly word!) order of things?

 

Why? Because of this:-one fine day, a purely predatory world shall consume itself. Yes, the Devil shall take the hindmost until the foremost is the hindmost. In an individual, selfishness uglifies the soul; for the human species, selfishness is extinction.

 

Is this the doom written within our nature?

 

If we believe that humanity may transcend tooth & claw, if we believe divers races & creeds can share this world as peaceably as the orphans share their candlenut tree, if we believe leaders must be just, violence muzzled, power accountable & the riches of the Earth & its Oceans shared equitably, such a world will come to pass. I am not deceived. It is the hardest of worlds to make real. Torturous advances won over generations can be lost by a single stroke of a myopic president's pen or a vainglorious general's sword."

[BarbecueMom]

Just catching up with this thread, and I'm sorry to hear of so many illnesses! I've been dealing with a sinus infection thing for the past eight or so days, which isn't fun, but at least it's not flu.

 

I finished Name of the Wind and... I didn't hate it. For some reason, it didn't click with me, and I can't put my finger on why. DH excitedly recommended it to me (he watches Patrick Rothfuss's Dungeons and Dragons web show and was already a fan of his), so perhaps I had too many expectations going into it. My sons' piano teacher also raved about it, so maybe I'm missing something.

 

I started The Twenty Seventh City, which is a novel based in my city (St. Louis). I had expected to come off the holds list for Hidden Figures this week, but it didn't happen.

 

Hope everyone who is ill feels better soon!

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

Earlier today I finished Wrecking Ball (Hard To Love Book 1)  by P. Dangelico which I enjoyed, even though the hero was not too heroic initially.  (Adult content)

 

"Cam DeSantis’ life is a hot, steaming pile. How else would you describe losing your husband, your job, and your money all at once? Desperate times call for desperate measures, so when salvation comes in the form of one intolerable a-hole, who just happens to be the starting quarterback for the vaunted NY Titans, she has no choice but to accept his offer as a live-in nanny slash teacher for his eight year old nephew. Now all she has to do is find a safe place in her mind to hide whenever she feels the need to throat punch him into tomorrow…which is often.

Calvin Shaw has zero interest in women. Wait, wait––let me rephrase that. He loves women, he just doesn’t want anything to do with ‘um. Not since his wife, presently ex-wife, got knocked up by the guy she was cheating on him with. Problem is––there’s one living in his house. And he doesn’t know what’s worse, that he promised to be civil, or that he’s attracted to her."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Chrysalis Academy]

Now you make me want to read it again! It's one of the few I have kept, thinking it will definitely be re-read by me. I know both Pam & I are extreme promoters of the book! Lol.

 

Love, love, love Cloud Atlas.

 

Are you planning to watch the movie? Even though it's different (almost has to be because of the postmodern structure of the book), I completely loved the movie.

 

 

Yes, I definitely want to see the movie, but dh wants to read it first. Although now that I see the preview I think that having actors play multiple roles is going to be a little bit jarring. Did that work for you?  I can see how it will be a completely different work than the book. But it does look great.  I also want to read more by this author. I know you don't tend to read multiple books by the same author, but have you read anything else he's written?

 

ETA: Re Gatsby the movie - I'm nervous about seeing this one. I adore the book so much, I'm afraid I will hate the movie. I don't like the trailer at all. 

Edited February 11, 2017 by Chrysalis Academy

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Butter]

Book #16: The Key of Kilenya by Andrea Pearson.  It's the first book of a middle grade fantasy series I got free ages ago.  I bought the entire series because the first one was that good.  My boys LOVED it.  A 14 year old gets chased into a tree which leads to another world and then he goes on a quest by the Makalos to retrieve the missing key from the evil Lorkon.  Really imaginative book.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I love grouping - grouping books, books & movies,etc. It's fun now that my girls are getting big enough to enjoy more movies I like, though 10 is still a little young for many.  But I'm always looking to lump things together. We're doing a bunch of Jane Austen (books & movies) right now, and next year when we do American history we'll do Gatsby, and then a bunch of noir books and movies - Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Sunset Boulevard, the works. I'm super excited about it.

 

No Country for Old Men (the movie) was fantastic. And you know I loved the book. Definitely worth seeing. So true to the book.

Edited February 11, 2017 by Chrysalis Academy

[Kareni]

... I would love to run a books/movie group.

 

I don't watch too many movies, but some pairings I've enjoyed ~

 

 

The Martian/The Martian

 

The Mouse that Roared/The Mouse that Roared

 

 

and for a younger audience:

 

The Sheep-Pig also Babe, the Gallant Pig/Babe

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Ausmumof3]

I'm sitting here reading instead of my normal morning routine. It's 8:30 and my body is buzzing to get going with my workout. I'm normally finishing up by this time so this is driving my bonkers. My youngest is on the couch still sleeping and I really want him to sleep, therefore I'm holding off until later. You'd think reading would distract me but my body is rebelling and fidgety. This is what happens when you are addicted to exercise. You need your daily fix! I can't even sneak outside for a run because that will get my dog and cat all excited and bouncing around.

 

I finished Walden last night. :hurray: Only 9 days behind schedule. I found some things Thoreau said to ring true. People as a whole don't change much. However, I also found him to be conceited in many ways. He had the answers to life and if you didn't live and do as he did then you were not enlightened. His whole chapter on "economy" was irritating. He simply did not take into account that he was a single, young, healthy man whose needs are different than others. He could not imagine what it takes to feed and care for children, what a pg/lactating mother needs nutritionally, elderly, or sick persons. He slammed a husband and wife for their dirty house using them as an example of how people just don't apply themselves and do things correctly. I bet he never ever tried to keep a house clean with children living in it. I bet he never had to be in charge of feeding children.

 

He seems to think he has all the answers so I was turned off by that tone of conceit.

This is what I feel through a lot of Thoreaus work. Many of the things he seems to look down on as trappings of civilisation are things that make life bearable for women with little children. There is a huge lack of understanding of family life. And in general it's easy to praise poverty when you aren't compelled to live in it.

[ErinE]

 

There are just so many good ones to pair/choose.

 

Don't forget The Remains of the Day! I think I told the story here, where I shared my all-time favorite novel with my book club, and no one read it. Couldn't get into to it. Too boring. Not interesting.

 

We watched the movie and everyone liked it. The book is just as good!

 

Watch the tension between Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins in this clip. I adore this scene. 

 

"Are you reading a racy book?"

 

Edited February 11, 2017 by ErinE

[aggieamy]

I'm so disappointed to see that there's not one 'out of the box' thinker on the y'all vs. the ya'll issue.

 

Sigh.

 

:biggrinjester:

 

Yal'l?

 

:confused1:  :lol:

 

Yes, I definitely want to see the movie, but dh wants to read it first. Although now that I see the preview I think that having actors play multiple roles is going to be a little bit jarring. Did that work for you?  I can see how it will be a completely different work than the book. But it does look great.  I also want to read more by this author. I know you don't tend to read multiple books by the same author, but have you read anything else he's written?

 

ETA: Re Gatsby the movie - I'm nervous about seeing this one. I adore the book so much, I'm afraid I will hate the movie. I don't like the trailer at all. 

 

 

I actively avoid movies of books that I loved because I don't want their pictures to override the pictures in my mind.  

[Kareni]

I'm so disappointed to see that there's not one 'out of the box' thinker on the y'all vs. the ya'll issue.

 

Sigh.

 

:biggrinjester:

 

 

 

Yal'l?

 

:confused1:  :lol:

 

Lest we be told that we're using an excessive amount of apostrophes, I vote for:

 

Yawl.

 

Regards,

Kareni