Chrysalis Academy Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 (edited) Rose and Robin and any other Bawers in the area. I keep seeing pictures of the dam. No idea at all of the geography in that area......everyone OK? San Francisco is not affected right? Horrible situation in Oroville, I feel so sorry for those people. They've really been jerked around by public officials: it's fine, no worries, we got this, everything's ok, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!. Kind of just that sudden and breathless. I'm a huge supporter of the boots on the ground folks who help during disasters, that's not what I'm talking about, but whoever made the decisions about when and how to communicate about this . . . I think there were some steps missing. But it's well away from San Francisco, north and east. It is due north of Sacramento, but Sac shouldn't be affected unless the whole dam went, which isn't considered a possibility at this point. The Feather River is getting well trashed, though, and almost 200,000 people in the counties north of Sac have been evacuated, so it's a really tough situation. I don't know of any BAWers in the area, but my heart goes out to all those people. What a horrible night they've had. I'm sure Sac is full of evacuees today, though. No word yet on when the evac order will be lifted although the situation seems to have stabilized overnight. But more rain is in the forecast this week, so the danger is far from over. Edited February 13, 2017 by Chrysalis Academy 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 The Writer's Almanac is a daily dose of history/literature with a poem. Today's episode mentions Galileo being summoned to the Inquisition on this date for proselytizing the Copernican heresy of heliocentrism. Today also marks the birthday of the French mystery writer Georges Simenon. But the reason that I am mentioning The Writer's Almanac today is because I really liked the poem Antilamentation by Dorianne Laux. The first two lines completely captivated me: Regret nothing. Not the cruel novels you readto the end just to find out who killed the cook. It is worth a read or a listen: http://writersalmanac.org/ 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 I'm back. Done with taxes. I'm sure I owe this year. I'm just hoping it's close to what I have saved to pay in taxes and not 3x that amount. We'll have to see what the accountant says tomorrow. Well then you should just come visit me and we'll go to visit his house together! I'd love that! Guess what? I'm reading North of Normal on my NOOK thanks to WTM and my hubby has Truman on his nightstand. Small world. Go figure! :) 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 (edited) I also thought this article was interesting: The Simple Truth Behind Reading 200 Books a Year https://betterhumans.coach.me/the-simple-truth-behind-reading-200-books-a-year-1767cb03af20#.vbisqwxej Interesting. I agree that most people have time to read, they just choose to use that time in other ways. I do question the idea that all time spent on social media is trash. I know people doing some wonderful things with the help of social media. I'm pretty sure he's also talking about non-fiction books. I could read 200 flufferton books in a year but they wouldn't have the effect on me that he's pushing for. :) Still, he makes very good point. Too many people (especially Americans but it's also a world wide problem) don't read or don't read enough. I'm back. Done with taxes. I'm sure I owe this year. I'm just hoping it's close to what I have saved to pay in taxes and not 3x that amount. We'll have to see what the accountant says tomorrow. Glad you're back. Sorry you owe. I need to get ours done this week but I've been putting it off. I shouldn't complain. By mutual consent dh handles the bills, I do the taxes. My part only comes once a year while his is year-round. Edited February 13, 2017 by Lady Florida. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 A one day only currently free book for Kindle readers ~ On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin "Darwin’s most famous work formed the bedrock of evolutionary biology In one of the most important contributions to scientific knowledge, Charles Darwin puts forth the theory that species evolve over time through the process of natural selection. When he first established this hypothesis, many ideas about evolution had already been proposed and were receiving public acclaim, but none could fully explain the course of human evolution as elegantly as Darwin’s did. Drawn from extensive research performed on various creatures living in the Galápagos Islands, his research suggests that “one species does change into another.†This revolutionary notion has become a landmark of scientific theory." ** I like Michelle Diener's science fiction romances but have not read this historical romance of hers which is currently free through February 15: A Dangerous Madness (Regency London Series Book 3) by Michelle Diener "The Duke of Wittaker has been living a lie...He’s been spying on the dissolute, discontented noblemen of the ton, pretending to share their views. Now he’s ready to step out of the shadows and start living a real life...but when the prime minister of England is assassinated, he's asked to go back to being the rake-hell duke everyone still believes he is to find out more.Miss Phoebe Hillier has been living a lie, too...All her life she's played the game, hiding her fierce intelligence and love of life behind a docile and decorous mask. All it's gotten her is jilted by her betrothed, a man she thought a fool, but a harmless one. But when she discovers her former fiancé was involved in the plot against the prime minister, and that he's been murdered, she realizes he wasn't so harmless after all.And now the killers have set their sights on her...The only man who can help her is the Duke of Wittaker--a man she knows she shouldn't trust. And she soon realizes he's hiding behind a mask as careful as her own. As the assassin steadfastly vows he acted alone, and as the clock ticks down to his trial, the pair scramble to uncover the real conspiracy. And as the pressure and the danger mounts, Phoebe and Wittaker shed their disguises, layer by layer, to discover something more precious than either imagined–something that could last forever. Unless the conspirators desperate to hide their tracks get to them first.Note: A Dangerous Madness is connected to the other novels in the Regency London series through an overlap of characters, but each novel is complete on its own, and you do not have to read them in order." Regards, Kareni 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Horrible situation in Oroville, I feel so sorry for those people. They've really been jerked around by public officials: it's fine, no worries, we got this, everything's ok, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!. Kind of just that sudden and breathless. I'm a huge supporter of the boots on the ground folks who help during disasters, that's not what I'm talking about, but whoever made the decisions about when and how to communicate about this . . . I think there were some steps missing. But it's well away from San Francisco, north and east. It is due north of Sacramento, but Sac shouldn't be affected unless the whole dam went, which isn't considered a possibility at this point. The Feather River is getting well trashed, though, and almost 200,000 people in the two counties north of Sac have been evacuated, so it's a really tough situation. I don't know of any BAWers in the area, but my heart goes out to all those people. What a horrible night they've had. I'm sure Sac is full of evacuees today, though. No word yet on when the evac order will be lifted although the situation seems to have stabilized overnight. But more rain is in the forecast this week, so the danger is far from over. Thank you! I feel so bad for all those people but so glad you aren't being evacuated. The pictures are so frightening. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Rose, I think you asked me last week if I had ready any of David Mitchell's other stuff. Years ago (prior to reading Cloud Atlas), I read about half of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. His writing is absolutely gorgeous, but I got bogged down in the storyline, which is long & unravels slowly. I haven't tried anything else by him, though I'm considering Slade House for October (since it's listed as horror). And, I've always wanted to read The Bone Clocks. I have Ghostwritten on my shelves that I got one time at a library sale. So, I guess I will get around to reading something else by him at some point. I love, love, love Cloud Atlas, but I tried The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet twice and could not get into it. I've not yet read any other book by Mitchell, but plan to at least try The Bone Clocks this year. 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schadenfreude Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 :grouphug: Butter and Mom Ninja, I pray that everyone gets better soon. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thessa516 Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Not as much reading accomplished last week. No illness or family issues here, just drama from my quilt guild -- I kid you not! All is well once again in the land of middle aged and retired ladies who deal in fabric and batting, so I can continue with my reading life now. Though, funny story, I was recently at lunch with a small group of quilters, and said I was looking forward to an afternoon of reading. And when they asked "oh, what are you reading?" I tried to describe By Gaslight. I made the mistake of saying that I had originally thought it might be steampunk -- and I lost them with that word. Had to explain steampunk, had to explain my love of genre literature. I got the dismissive "oh, like Star Trek" comment and they changed the subject! I am now tainted as one of those people, lol, someone who reads all that weird stuff! I swear -- next to my peers, white, middle aged women -- I am a huge geek. Once a year among the throngs at comic-con, though, I'm just a clueless, un-hip suburban mom. I'm right there with you! On the outside, I'm a white, middle-class, middle-aged woman. But on the inside, I've got spunk. DH and kids think I should have funky blue or purple hair. Earlier this week I had to promise the kids that I'd dye my hair an unnatural color sometime when I become a little old lady. :lol: The Writer's Almanac is a daily dose of history/literature with a poem. Today's episode mentions Galileo being summoned to the Inquisition on this date for proselytizing the Copernican heresy of heliocentrism. Today also marks the birthday of the French mystery writer Georges Simenon. But the reason that I am mentioning The Writer's Almanac today is because I really liked the poem Antilamentation by Dorianne Laux. The first two lines completely captivated me: Regret nothing. Not the cruel novels you read to the end just to find out who killed the cook. It is worth a read or a listen: http://writersalmanac.org/ The 'like' button wasn't enough for me. I love those two little lines! Thanks for the link! 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Checking in quickly. Finished Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers which was a bookclub book. It seemed like a weird pick for our bookclub. While I think everyone in our club is Christian, we're pretty secular as a book club. And we don't typically do romance novels. This is Christian romance, heavy on the worldview I thought, and I'm not sure how we'll discuss it. I didn't really like the book though I've enjoyed others by this author. I'm also reading How To Be Black by Baratunde Thurston when I'm on the treadmill. I'm enjoying this one a lot. There is lots of humor in this book as well as frank discussion on being black in America. He hooked me early on when he said something like, "You're probably reading this in February because it's Black History Month." Um, yep. But he didn't make me feel bad for fitting that category--the humor helps a lot. Incidentally, this is a book I thought would fit the category of books you're embarrassed to read on the subway. I have not taken it out of the house as I don't know what runs through other people's minds when seeing the white middle-aged mom reading "How To Be Black." Up next I also have Ali and Nino by Kurban Said. This if for the bingo square for a book with my name in the title, though I'm sure this Ali stresses the second syllable instead of the first. I had trouble finding anything with Alison in it but this came up for Ali, and I'm actually intrigued by the description. "Ali and Nino, first published in Vienna in 1937, has been hailed as one of the enduring romantic novels of the century--a relatively short book with an epic sweep...Ali Khan is an Islamic boy from Azerbaijan with his ancestors' passion for the desert and warrior legends, but his lover Nino, a beautiful Christian girl from Georgia, is the child with a more European sensibility." 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 (edited) . Edited February 19, 2018 by ErinE 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CadenceSophia Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 All I finished this week was La quête de Despereaux. I read it myself this time instead of with the kids. Learned my lesson there with Kate DiCamillo. I can fully understand now why some people are crazy about her, while others are turned off. I do love her prose but this was not a book I'd ever want to read to/have my children read. I absolutely cried over poor Rosie -- thinking that her mother died because the mother didn't care what Rosie wanted, and then being sold and abused until she went deaf. Good, loved people area always compassionate and courageous, neglected and unloved people turn bad. Bleck. Now I really want to make a pot of soup. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted February 13, 2017 Author Share Posted February 13, 2017 We are safe in Sacramento according to authorities. Here's some rather dramatic photos of the dam and spillway 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 We are safe in Sacramento according to authorities. Here's some rather dramatic photos of the dam and spillway Thanks for sharing that link, Robin. Lots of detailed information and images. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 (edited) Aack! Somehow I missed that we've already started The Story of Western Science. Now I have to catch up. I'm currently reading two books: The Wizard's Daughter by Barbara Michaels, which is my light read, and The Snow Leopard by Peter Mattheissen, which requires more concentration. With The Snow Leopard I am back in the himalayas. This account unfolds with a different feel than Edmund Hillary's. It is less mentally focussed on the quest and and more zen, literally. Mattheissen is a buddhist, his wife has died, and he is accompanying a field biologist. He philosophizes and reminisces while they travel. He also describes the landscape and people in much more detail than Hillary did. Edited February 14, 2017 by Onceuponatime 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbookbuzz Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 You know how a bibliophile is constantly finding MORE to read and not less? yeah, that. A book a week is definitely not happening here but I am reading! Oh, I did finish Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan. Am now on the sequel, The Siege of Macindaw. While the entire Ranger's Apprentice series can all be read as stand alone books, these two just do better if you read them together and in order. Then I also was reminded of, and found!, a book I'd read before, The Seven Deadly Wonders. It's a great intrigue/thriller involving history, Egyptian boobytraps, etc. So I'll be moving on to that next. Plus, my herbalism instructor just sent out a newsletter with an attachment containing at least 50 ebooks! I may or may not have started drooling over this collection! 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 I just finished The Ice Beneath Her which is a Swedish police procedural by Camilla Grebe. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30184856-the-ice-beneath-her. This is the first book by this author to be translated to English. It felt different from the other Scandinavian police procedurals that I have read, a bit more American than I really liked, possibly because of the translator. The story had quite a surprise ending and I did enjoy it. It just was missing the edge I am used to I think. It was more of a book set in Sweden than a Swedish author. I have another Scandinavian author planned for my Birthstone challenge this month with Snow Angels for my A so I will be able to compare. I had a long post lost during the night about Jenn's quilting ladies. ;) My taste in books definitely doesn't match my woman friends here, an occasional fluffy historical fan but I normally only connect with best seller's like Gone Girl which is probably why I keep reading them. Oddly enough I get to talk books with dh's friends. One loves paranormal's especially Kim Harrison and the other is reading Scandinavian Police Procedurals right now. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I finished Winter Is Coming. A bit of a slog for a relatively short book, although it did offer food for thought. I know Robin has asked that we leave politics out of this thread, so I can't say much more about it! I'm still enjoying The Wise Man's Fear at almost halfway through, and I just picked up The Story of Western Science so I can catch up with the readalong. Other than a bunch of kid-related reading (2 Warriors books for DD and a bunch of short stories for DS's upcoming lit unit) that was all for me last week. I just ordered Winter is Coming, so thanks for the mention of it! I also thought this article was interesting: The Simple Truth Behind Reading 200 Books a Year https://betterhumans.coach.me/the-simple-truth-behind-reading-200-books-a-year-1767cb03af20#.vbisqwxej I sort of flinched at the average number of hours a year the average American spends on social media. I don't think I spend that much time, but I definitely still think I would be reading more if I couldn't bring the Internet with me when I sit down to nurse the baby or rock her to sleep. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Excellent article! Thanks for posting it. I just shared it on FB. Guess what? I'm reading North of Normal on my NOOK thanks to WTM and my hubby has Truman on his nightstand. Small world. And, I just downloaded Truman. Gosh that's a big book! We've been having snow and wind all day, so I am sitting near the fireplace reading away. What I finished this week: 16. Dockside – Susan Wiggs - I love this series. It's light and a good antidote to the heavier reads in my book pile. 17. The Pearl that Broke its Shell – Nadia Hashimi. Highly recommended novel about the lives of two women, generations apart, and how they challenged the patriarchy of their homeland of Afghanistan. Trigger warning: domestic violence. What I'm currently reading: The Final Day - William R. Forstchen. The final book in his trilogy. Life after an EMP attack destroys the power grid. Good for the dystopian bingo square. The next Susan Wiggs book. Still reading The Market as God by Harvey Cox. I have to catch up on the History of Science read along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I'm smiling at everyone describing how their reading tastes, interests and knowledge sets them apart. I have to share this quote from Will Schwalbe in The End of Your Life Book Club: We didn't only read "great books," we read casually and promiscuously and whimsically. That's us. The League of Casually Promiscuous and Whimsical Readers. :laugh: I did find a new book buddy in my group of quilting friends. She loves genre literature as much as I do and we make pilgrimages to the local indie genre bookshop. Not sure yet how much our tastes match, but its fun to shop with a like minded friend. 30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 That's us. The League of Casually Promiscuous and Whimsical Readers. :laugh: I'll happily be a member of that league! Last night I finished a re-read of Radiance (Wraith Kings Book 1) by Grace Draven since I received a copy of Eidolon, the sequel, from (I believe) my Secret Sister. I enjoyed it once more. "~THE PRINCE OF NO VALUE~ Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has lived content as the nonessential spare heir to a throne secured many times over. A trade and political alliance between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis requires that he marry a Gauri woman to seal the treaty. Always a dutiful son, Brishen agrees to the marriage and discovers his bride is as ugly as he expected and more beautiful than he could have imagined. ~THE NOBLEWOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE~ Ildiko, niece of the Gauri king, has always known her only worth to the royal family lay in a strategic marriage. Resigned to her fate, she is horrified to learn that her intended groom isn’t just a foreign aristocrat but the younger prince of a people neither familiar nor human. Bound to her new husband, Ildiko will leave behind all she’s known to embrace a man shrouded in darkness but with a soul forged by light. Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart." This is really a lovely story (with a few icky scenes); it has a lot of humor, too. I recommend it. I'd happily move on to the sequel; however, my book group is meeting on Thursday so I need to read our chosen book. I'm about a quarter of the way through And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini; it's told in an interesting format, but it's giving me feelings of impending doom which I dislike. Regards, Kareni 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Interesting. I agree that most people have time to read, they just choose to use that time in other ways. I do question the idea that all time spent on social media is trash. I know people doing some wonderful things with the help of social media. I'm pretty sure he's also talking about non-fiction books. I could read 200 flufferton books in a year but they wouldn't have the effect on me that he's pushing for. :) Still, he makes very good point. Too many people (especially Americans but it's also a world wide problem) don't read or don't read enough. What exactly counts as social media? Facebook is easy. Probably twitter. What about our beloved BaW? Or Goodreads? Or Instagram? I find it almost unbelievable that people on average watch four hours of tv a day and spend two hours on social media. How do they have so much free time? My "hobbies" are reading, writing, playing games with friends, and going for walks. On those four activities a day I don't get to devote four hours to them. So in the interest of this conversation about "time wasting" ... how much time a day do you think you spend in activities that are solely for your enjoyment? For example, reading to yourself or knitting or quilting or painting or whatever you consider a hobby. We are safe in Sacramento according to authorities. Here's some rather dramatic photos of the dam and spillway That is so interesting and horrifying. That's us. The League of Casually Promiscuous and Whimsical Readers. :laugh: I love this! 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) That's us. The League of Casually Promiscuous and Whimsical Readers. :laugh: Totally love it! I vote to adopt it as our motto! Would make great title for bookshop or website. Edited February 14, 2017 by Robin M 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelaboord Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) What exactly counts as social media? Facebook is easy. Probably twitter. What about our beloved BaW? Or Goodreads? Or Instagram? I find it almost unbelievable that people on average watch four hours of tv a day and spend two hours on social media. How do they have so much free time? My "hobbies" are reading, writing, playing games with friends, and going for walks. On those four activities a day I don't get to devote four hours to them. So in the interest of this conversation about "time wasting" ... how much time a day do you think you spend in activities that are solely for your enjoyment? For example, reading to yourself or knitting or quilting or painting or whatever you consider a hobby. Lol That's what I was thinking. "Well, social media is anything except BaW." Actually, I think of social media as being Facebook-Twitter-Instagram, the sort of virtual hangouts that reward and encourage distraction instead of connection. (Although I am a fan of Instagram.) BaW doesn't count because it encourages connection and real thought, not just sound bytes and memes. I *have* taken good things from Facebook, don't get me wrong, but I am so distractible that checking my Facebook feed is basically the kiss of death. Then I surface 30 minutes later and feel like I have a hangover. [emoji15]Goodreads doesn't count as "social media" for me because I'm justifying wasting time on books, but honestly, it's part of what I do to de-stress and transition from the rest of the day. Of course, what I used to do was just pick up a book. Anyway, I do think he's setting the word count pretty low to inflate the number of books to make a point maybe - 50K is the absolute bare minimum for a novel, and 60K is more usual as the minimum number. That's a pretty short book. And I know that even if I stopped checking Facebook entirely (which I'm considering) I still probably wouldn't hit 200 novels a year because I don't really actually have that much time to read. I basically have 2 reading periods when I sit down to put the baby to sleep in the afternoon and at night - or sometimes in the middle of the night or early morning if she wakes up and I can't sleep while I'm putting her to sleep. I got the feeling he was directing his post more toward young, single professionals who probably do have more time than they think they do. Still, I thought it was good to have the reminder that reading is essential and that probably I can read somewhat more if I move it up the priority list. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Edited February 14, 2017 by Angelaboord 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Nyssa Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Ali in OR, did you know there is a movie based on Ali and Nino? Here's the link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_and_Nino_(film) I haven't seen it but it looks interesting. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 From the Tor. com site ~ Books to Read If You Loved Hidden Figures by Swapna Krishna and, from a different site ~ Mission: Impossible-style raiders 'cut through skylights and abseiled into warehouse to steal antique books worth £2m' Regards, Kareni 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 A book that I enjoyed some time ago is now on sale for 99 cents. As I recall, conservative readers would not be offended by the content in this book ~ Making Faces by Amy Harmon "Ambrose Young was beautiful. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She'd been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have...until he wasn't beautiful anymore. Making Faces is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl's love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior's love for an unremarkable girl. This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us." Regards, Kareni 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) I am really not trying to turn this into a craft thread but when I saw the Little House on the Prairie Quilt Along I had to post it. Apparently the mom who designed it is aiming it at her second grade dd. https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/during-quiet-time-9907881/little-house-on-prairie-sew-alongtake-two-5413174365. I haven't looked at the how to bits but from glancing at the photo of all the blocks this is a great starter quilt for anyone with a book connection! You should be able to save the instructions for later years so a perfect future home ed project potentially for those with little ones. Eta Here are the detailed tutorials http://duringquiettime.com/little-house-on-the-prairie-sew-along Kareni, thanks for the Hidden Figures link. Not sure why but I had been resisting even looking at the description of the book. I've requested it now. Edited February 14, 2017 by mumto2 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 No time to read any of the replies yet. Just thought to let everyone know that this book is on sale today at amazon for $1.99. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) An "E" title being next required, behold ("en" in Latin, more appropriately assonantic) Charles Lamb's classic Essays of "Elia" at last moved from the dusty shelves of what was my TBR pile when Great Girl was tiny. Not quite the thing for travel, this particular volume being far too attractive and out-of-print to risk slipping beneath the trays of United Airlines, but possibly some progress may be made beforehand. And influenced by recent posts on Why We're Not Actually Getting Books Read, I stole the five-to-seven o'clock hours this morning, conveniently provided by a spring thunderstorm and the consequent invasion of my side of the bed by Wee Girl, to launch into Lamb's late eighteenth century compositions. A particularly sympathetic passage from his "Chapter on Ears," in which I am endeared to the author by his admission that, like me, while surrounded by musicians (and, in my own case, having a child who I'm informed has musical gifts as well as a terror of lightning), he has to fake an appreciation of instrumental music: Above all, those insufferable concertos, and pieces of music, as they are called, do plague and imbitter my apprehension. Words are something; but to be exposed to an endless battery of mere sounds; to be long a-dying; to lie stretched upon a rack of roses; to keep up languor by unintermitted effort; to pile honey upon sugar, and sugar upon honey, to an interminable tedious sweetness; to fill up sound with feeling, and strain ideas to keep pace with it; to gaze on empty frames, and be forced to make the pictures for yourself; to read a book, all stops, and be obliged to supply the verbal matter; to invent extempore tragedies to answer to the vague gestures of an inexplicable rambling mime—these are faint shadows of what I have undergone from a series of the ablest executed pieces of this empty instrumental music.ETA: It is d---lishly hard to sustain an imitation of Lamb's style even for the length of a single post. Edited February 14, 2017 by Violet Crown 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 That's us. The League of Casually Promiscuous and Whimsical Readers. :laugh: Love this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I'm plugging away and reading more than any time in the last decade, but I chose books that are too hard and long to keep up! I'm about halfway through SWB's History of the Ancient World and am absolutely loving it, especially because our CM curriculum has the kids dabbling in ancient history and I can now discuss it somewhat cogently. My City of God study group is going through the book at the rate of one "book" per week and I'm really enjoying our discussion. At this rate, we'll finish in June (and that'll be one book!!!). As a protestant, all the angel talk is pretty confusing, but I'm enjoying the rabbit trails it is leading to in understanding philosophy and history. I started my German club book Das Herzenhoerer and find it mesmerizing. I'm also dabbling in a few parenting books, but having a hard time reading them through (as opposed to just reading what I need). Emily 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 A one day only currently free Kindle book ~ Penrod by Booth Tarkington "Booth Tarkington’s humorous take on youth, imagination, and the seemingly endless font of adult foolishness Penrod Schofield is the epitome of a precocious twelve-year-old: crafty in his dealings developing a business and mischievous in his interactions at the local grammar school. He is neither a rascal nor a paragon of virtue, but rather an ordinary boy growing up in a rural early-nineteenth-century Indiana town. In these comic sketches by Booth Tarkington, it is up to Penrod, along with his dog, Duke, and friends Sam, Herman, and Verman, to rescue themselves from countless scrapes and humiliations—usually of the adults’ making. Penrod is deliriously effective in its evocation both of an earlier era and of the unfettered joy of being a young man in a world of bikes, cap guns, and cranky authority figures. Tarkington’s heartwarming story highlights the naiveté of youth—and the hypocrisy of adulthood." Regards, Kareni 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) I liked the how-to-read-200-books article; I am always looking for inspiration. But the reality is that there are a few other worthy (to me) things that compete with my reading time. It isn't as simple as ditching facebook and trash TV. My biggest hobby see-saw right now is between reading and learning two foreign languages. My updates: I finished The Bear and the Nightingale. I really enjoyed the story, but I felt like both the author and I rushed through the ending. Then I went back to Dr. Zhivago, which is impossible to rush through if one does not want to be lost in a maze of characters. Dr. Z is going to be a slow, delicious read for me. One of my most bookish IRL friends visited from out of state last weekend. :001_wub: There was much discussion of books, book clubs, and bullet journals. And there was book swapping. I was on the receiving end of My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. On a not-so-fun-note, I spent yesterday morning in the ER with mysterious chest pains. I brought Dr. Zhivago along, but was unable to concentrate on it. I was able to read something lighter, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. In fact, I was there long enough to read the whole thing...The source of the chest pains remains a mystery, but did not appear to be heart related. The Power of Habit has a bit of self-help, but it is really more of an anaylsis of habit. Case studies include Alcoa, Starbucks, and the civil rights movement. Go elsewhere if you want the nitty-gritty on how to quit smoking or stay off of Facebook. Edited February 14, 2017 by Penguin 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Penguin, I hope you'll soon be pain free. Heather, I hope you'll soon be better and that your daughter will soon have some answers. Mom-ninja, I hope your tea arrived (if not the bell you were wishing for). Sending positive thoughts to all for good health. ** I'm making progress in And the Mountains Echoed for my book group. I took a break from it last night to re-read some stories from Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs. Regards, Kareni 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 For those interested -- Charles Lamb's essay "Valentine's Day." http://essays.quotidiana.org/lamb/valentines_day/ 'In other words, this is the day on which those charming little missives, ycleped Valentines, cross and intercross each other at every street and turning. The weary and all for-spent twopenny postman sinks beneath a load of delicate embarrassments, not his own. It is scarcely credible to what an extent this ephemeral courtship is carried on in this loving town, to the great enrichment of porters, and detriment of knockers and bell-wires. In these little visual interpretations, no emblem is so common as the heart, —that little three-cornered exponent of all our hopes and fears, —the bestuck and bleeding heart; it is twisted and tortured into more allegories and affectations than an opera hat. What authority we have in history or mythology for placing the head-quarters and metropolis of God Cupid in this anatomical seat rather than in any other, is not very clear; but we have got it, and it will serve as well as any other. Else we might easily imagine, upon some other system which might have prevailed for any thing which our pathology knows to the contrary, a lover addressing his mistress, in perfect simplicity of feeling, “Madam, my liver and fortune are entirely at your disposal;†or putting a delicate question, “Amanda, have you a midriff to bestow?†But custom has settled these things, and awarded the seat of sentiment to the aforesaid triangle, while its less fortunate neighbours wait at animal and anatomical distance.' 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I liked the how-to-read-200-books article; I am always looking for inspiration. But the reality is that there are a few other worthy (to me) things that compete with my reading time. It isn't as simple as ditching facebook and trash TV. My biggest hobby see-saw right now is between reading and learning two foreign languages. My updates: I finished The Bear and the Nightingale. I really enjoyed the story, but I felt like both the author and I rushed through the ending. Then I went back to Dr. Zhivago, which is impossible to rush through if one does not want to be lost in a maze of characters. Dr. Z is going to be a slow, delicious read for me. One of my most bookish IRL friends visited from out of state last weekend. :001_wub: There was much discussion of books, book clubs, and bullet journals. And there was book swapping. I was on the receiving end of My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. On a not-so-fun-note, I spent yesterday morning in the ER with mysterious chest pains. I brought Dr. Zhivago along, but was unable to concentrate on it. I was able to read something lighter, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. In fact, I was there long enough to read the whole thing...The source of the chest pains remains a mystery, but did not appear to be heart related. The Power of Habit has a bit of self-help, but it is really more of an anaylsis of habit. Case studies include Alcoa, Starbucks, and the civil rights movement. Go elsewhere if you want the nitty-gritty on how to quit smoking or stay off of Facebook. :grouphug: Glad your heart got a clean bill of health, and hope the pain goes away. 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 For those interested -- Charles Lamb's essay "Valentine's Day." http://essays.quotidiana.org/lamb/valentines_day/ 'In other words, this is the day on which those charming little missives, ycleped Valentines, cross and intercross each other at every street and turning. The weary and all for-spent twopenny postman sinks beneath a load of delicate embarrassments, not his own. It is scarcely credible to what an extent this ephemeral courtship is carried on in this loving town, to the great enrichment of porters, and detriment of knockers and bell-wires. In these little visual interpretations, no emblem is so common as the heart, —that little three-cornered exponent of all our hopes and fears, —the bestuck and bleeding heart; it is twisted and tortured into more allegories and affectations than an opera hat. What authority we have in history or mythology for placing the head-quarters and metropolis of God Cupid in this anatomical seat rather than in any other, is not very clear; but we have got it, and it will serve as well as any other. Else we might easily imagine, upon some other system which might have prevailed for any thing which our pathology knows to the contrary, a lover addressing his mistress, in perfect simplicity of feeling, “Madam, my liver and fortune are entirely at your disposal;†or putting a delicate question, “Amanda, have you a midriff to bestow?†But custom has settled these things, and awarded the seat of sentiment to the aforesaid triangle, while its less fortunate neighbours wait at animal and anatomical distance.' I thought of posting your link on facebook, then I read the whole essay. They do say, "Know your audience." Second thoughts won. 😄 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I thought of posting your link on facebook, then I read the whole essay. They do say, "Know your audience." Second thoughts won. 😄 Ha! Fortunately we here are a literate and open-minded bunch. :) 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) Sending best wishes to Penguin. Sounds like a scare! And Happy Valentine's Day to my promiscuous and whimsical friends in this bookish league. (Hat tip to Jenn.) For your reading and dining pleasure: The Paris Review published an essay on this cookery book a few years ago. Within is the quote on Kidneys in Cream that should get all of our proverbial juices flowing: This is a rich, exotic dish which is full of goodness besides being an aid to virility. Some of the youngest-looking men on the screen and stage declare they owe their youthful appearance to a large consumption of liver and kidneys. As VC quoted earlier, "Madam, my liver and fortune are entirely at your disposal." XXOO Edited February 14, 2017 by Jane in NC 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Ali in OR, did you know there is a movie based on Ali and Nino? Here's the link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_and_Nino_(film) I haven't seen it but it looks interesting. Awesome! I'll have to try to find it. I'm only in chapter 3 but I'm already thinking this could be the best book I've never heard of. Really good for diving into Islamic, desert culture ideas and attitudes, differences between that and European ideas and attitude, and I think some good history stuff factors in later--Russian Revolution, WWI. And just well-written too. They don't really know who the author is since it was a pen name--they think a Tartar who fled Russian revolution and settled in Vienna. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Hearts and books play a part in this intriguing post from the Book Wenches ~ A Valentine Book This post is also enjoyable ~ The Hero in the Black Hat Regards, Kareni 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 On a not-so-fun-note, I spent yesterday morning in the ER with mysterious chest pains. I brought Dr. Zhivago along, but was unable to concentrate on it. I was able to read something lighter, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. In fact, I was there long enough to read the whole thing...The source of the chest pains remains a mystery, but did not appear to be heart related. The Power of Habit has a bit of self-help, but it is really more of an anaylsis of habit. Case studies include Alcoa, Starbucks, and the civil rights movement. Go elsewhere if you want the nitty-gritty on how to quit smoking or stay off of Facebook. Well that's scary. So glad it wasn't your heart. I was a bit disappointed in the Power of Habit book. I really was looking for more of a "how to" book rather than a "why" book. The Paris Review published an essay on this cookery book a few years ago. Within is the quote on Kidneys in Cream that should get all of our proverbial juices flowing: I would rather look old than eat livers and kidneys. Yuck! 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) Well that's scary. So glad it wasn't your heart. I was a bit disappointed in the Power of Habit book. I really was looking for more of a "how to" book rather than a "why" book. I would rather look old than eat livers and kidneys. Yuck! I was hoping for more of a how-to book, also. I read about this one on a blog, but it looks like you already have it marked TBR :) Edited February 14, 2017 by Penguin 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I was hoping for more of a how-to book, also. I read about this one on a blog, but it looks like you already have it marked TBR :) I'm reading it right now actually. It was one of the free kindle unlimited books on Amazon so I decided to give it a try. I'll report back when I've finished it. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Finally finished something! Pride and Prescience by Carrie Bebris - I liked this much better than that other P&P mystery. It was a everything I've come to love and enjoy in a cozy mystery. Good characters, only bad guys die, and fast paced. There was a wierd supernatural twist that caught me off guard but still really good. (Thank you Lori D for the recommendation!) For Deader or Worse by Sheri Cobb South - I got this as an ARC and enjoyed it. This series is somewhere between cozy mystery and cozy light romance. I recommend starting with the first in the series if you want to read them. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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