Book a Week 2017 - BW8: Book festivals and birthdays

[-M-]

Books read, so far. Notes to follow.

 

January
â–  Pygmalion (George Bernard Shaw; 1912. Drama.)
â–  A.D.: After Death, Book 2 (Scott Snyder; 2016. Graphic fiction.)
â–  I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives (Martin Ganda and Caitlin Alifirenka; 2016. Non-fiction.)
â–  Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (J.D. Vance; 2016. Non-fiction.)
â–  The Selfishness of Others (Kristin Dombeck; 2016. Non-fiction.)
â–  So Long, See You Tomorrow (William Maxwell; 1980. Fiction.)
â–  King John (William Shakespeare; 1623. Drama.)
■ The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood; 1986. Fiction.)
â–  Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City (Matthew Desmond; 2016. Non-fiction.)
â–  Bird Watching (Paula McCartney; 2010. Non-fiction.)
â–  The Taming of the Shrew (William Shakespeare; 1590. Drama.)
â–  The Two Gentlemen of Verona (William Shakespeare; 1589. Drama.)
â–  Much Ado: A Summer with a Repertory Theater Company (Michael Lenehan; 2016. Non-fiction.)
â–  Henry VI, Part 1 (William Shakespeare; 1591. Drama.)

 

February
â–  King Charles III (Mike Bartlett; 2014. Drama.)
â–  Henry VI, Part 2 (William Shakespeare; 1591. Drama.)
â–  Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (Bryan Stevenson; 2014. Non-fiction.)
â–  Henry VI, Part 3 (William Shakespeare; 1591. Drama.)
â–  Richard III (William Shakespeare; 1592. Drama.)
â–  Sun Moon Star (Kurt Vonnegut; 2016. Fiction.)
â–  Titus Andronicus (William Shakespeare; 1593. Drama.)
â–  The Comedy of Errors (William Shakespeare; 1594. Drama.)
■ Love’s Labour’s Lost (William Shakespeare; 1595. Drama.)
â–  The Futures (Anna Pitoniak; 2017. Fiction.)
â–  Books for Living (Will Schwalbe; 2016. Non-fiction.)
â–  Countdown City (Ben H. Winters; 2013. Fiction.)
â–  Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath (Ted Koppel; 2015. Non-fiction.)
â–  The Joy of Geocaching (Paul and Dana Gillin; 2010. Non-fiction.)
â–  Rhinoceros (Eugene Ionesco; 1959. Drama.)

Edited February 20, 2017 by M--

[-M-]

Hello, BaWers!

 

Here are some of my notes about books read this month:

 

Books about books appeal to me, and in 2012, Will Schwalbe’s The End of Your Life Book Club proved to be an amiable enough contribution to the genre, as did his recent Books for Living. One of the delights of the books about books genre is adding to one’s TBR pile, so what a pleasure it was to find that the recommendations that most interested me were already on my shelves.

 

To read: The Importance of Living (Lin Yutang); A Little Life (Hanya Yanagihara); A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry); Valley of the Dolls (Jacqueline Susann)

To reread: Stuart Little (E.B. White); David Copperfield (Charles Dickens); Reading Lolita in Tehran (Azar Nafisi); The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Muriel Spark)

 

The only purchase I made while reading Books for Life was The Confession, a John Grisham novel about the death penalty, which, because I read Just Mercy earlier this month, touched a chord of serendipity / synthesis / synchronicity.

For the commonplace book:

 

p. 188
The world is filled now with huggers. Maybe that’s because we live in such a technological age that people crave human touch. Men and women whom you barely know hug you hello and goodbye. Kids in school hug each other. Even in business meetings, people will give you a hug if they’ve sat with you in meetings a few times before (though not if they work at the same company). I really don’t like being hugged by anyone other than my husband. People regard this as a character flaw. One friend even devoted an hour of time with his analyst to discussing why I didn’t like to hug. I gather he takes it personally.

 

p. 255
Reading is a respite from the relentlessness of technology, but it’s not only that. It’s how I reset and recharge. It’s how I escape, but it’s also how I engage. And reading should spur further engagement.

 

Speaking of the commonplace book, much of Eugene Ionesco’s Rhinoceros might be pressed into mine, but I will content myself with the following bits from Act III, when Dudard and Berenger discuss the way things are:

 

p. 75
BERENGER: I understand what you mean, at least I’m trying to. But you know — if someone accused me of being a bad sport, or hopelessly middle class, or completely out of touch with life, I’d still want to stay as I am.

 

p. 78
BERENGER: If only it had happened somewhere else, in some other country, and we’d just read about it in the papers, one could discuss it quietly, examine the question from all points of view and come to an objective conclusion. We could organize debates with professors and writers and lawyers, and blue-stockings and artists and people. And the ordinary man on the street, as well — it would be very interesting and instructive. But when you’re involved yourself, when you suddenly find yourself up against the brutal facts you can’t help feeling directly concerned — the shock is too violent for you to stay cool and detached. I’m frankly surprised, I’m very very surprised. I can’t get over it.

 

The Remy-Bumppo Theatre Company hosted a staged reading of this oft-read but rarely seen play last night, and as I did when watching the Shakespeare Project of Chicago’s King John last month, I thought, This is a play for our time, to be sure. From the conclusion:

 

People who try to hang on to their individuality always come to a bad end. [He shakes himself out of it.] Oh well, too bad! I’ll take on the whole lot of them! I’ll put up a fight against the lot of them, the whole lot of them! I’m the last man left, and I’m staying that way until the end. I’m not capitulating!

 

I first read Rhinoceros in high school and thought myself so clever for “getting†it and Sartre’s No Exit and Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. As so many of us discover when we return to the books we swallowed whole as younger readers, though, I “got†little more than the tattered texts I purloined from the shelves of the English department — well, that and the tacit promise that I would return to the treasures at some point, which I have.

 

On the topic of returning to books, last year The Last Policeman (Ben H. Winters) so pleased me that I was reluctant to begin Countdown City, fearing the second in the trilogy would disappoint. It did not. I plan to read the third book later this week.

 

Much of the “Shakespeare in Year†project also represents a return of sorts, although I find that I am less chagrined by these past readings than, say, of Rhinoceros or No Exit. This is probably because I have been reading and rereading Shakespeare for the last fifteen years; as an adult and an autodidact, then, I have approached the plays and now the sonnets and long poems knowing that so much remains for me to learn.

 

Other commitments require that I continue to read ahead in order to keep up with the schedule, so at this writing, I have read through Sonnet 27 and Line 576 of Venus and Adonis and completed the following plays:

 

â–  The Taming of the Shrew
â–  The Two Gentlemen of Verona
â–  Henry VI, Part 1
â–  Henry VI, Part 2
â–  Henry VI, Part 3
â–  Richard III
â–  Titus Andronicus
â–  The Comedy of Errors
■ Love’s Labour’s Lost

 

A few notes: I appreciated Titus Andronicus much more than I had thought I would, but that doesn’t mean it was an easy read. Even if one accepts the idea that the plot is willfully over-the-top, it’s still horrifying. Given the graphic sound effects in the Arkangel recording, I had unhappily anticipated close-ups of violence and bloodletting from the film featuring Anthony Hopkins in the title role. It was, however, rather restrained, for which I was most grateful. Not all of the production choices appealed to me (frankly, I just didn’t understand a few), but overall, it earned a thumbs-up for both acting and restraint.

 

Maybe it was my mood, but The Comedy of Errors fared much better in this, my third or fourth, reading. Would that I could say the same about my second reading of Love’s Labour’s Lost. I’m actually a little concerned because we will see the Chicago Shakespeare Theater production next month; can they make this seem less… ridiculous? Again, maybe it was my mood.

 

The Sonnets. Sigh. Don Paterson’s commentary, though, makes the journey bearable. And perhaps I am too old to encounter Venus and Adonis for the first time because I have, several times, wondered, Kissing is a polite euphemism, right? What this work has made me realize is that I must read Ovid’s Metamorphoses. (I read some early in our home education days and some more before seeing the Lookingglass Theatre presentation of Mary Zimmerman’s play.) This year’s reading plan is already wildly ambitious, but Ovid is moving up.

 

Well before I get to Ovid, though, I will reread Edward III for “Shakespeare in Year†and finish The Changeling (Thomas Middleton and William Rowley), which the Shakespeare Project of Chicago will present later this month.

 

I will also read a few more books about geocaching. To explain: As an election judge, I have met some interesting folks with whom “What are you reading?†has been the perfect way to step around both banalities and (most) politics. Last week, a fellow election judge mentioned a popular fiction novel I had tossed across a hotel room in disgust three years ago, but rather than going there, we moved onto EMPs and emergency preparedness, which is not my usual fare, but in confirming via Amazon that, yes, he was talking about the tossed book, I saw Ted Koppel’s Lights Out, a book I knew was already on my shelves. It was clear-sighted, but I was glad to finish. Since early November, I have felt, well, not unlike Berenger: If only it had happened somewhere else, in some other country, and we’d just read about it in the papers….

 

The same judge also talked about his family’s interest in geocaching. When I first heard about this pursuit years ago, it seemed like a perfect fit for our family, but our days were already so full. The rhythm of our lives has changed a great deal since then, though, and the judge’s enthusiasm was contagious, so as we parted, he extracted a promise that I would tell him about our adventures when we work together again this week. On the way home from the polling place, I borrowed The Joy of Geocaching (Paul and Dana Gillin) from the library. That evening, I created an account at geocaching.com and downloaded the app to my phone, and this weekend my husband and I found our first cache. Actually, the truth? I found the cache on Friday afternoon, but I didn’t understand what I was looking at. When I brought my husband to the same spot on Saturday afternoon, he indicated that I had read the map and the app’s compass properly (I defer to him in such matters; he is an Eagle Scout), so it should be here…. “I’ve got it!†I hooted softly. “I’ve got it!†Aware that I needed to be discreet, I showed him the contents and the ingenious hiding spot, and we logged the cache in hard copy and in the app. We are late to this but it dovetails current pursuits: biking (we took the first ride of the year on Saturday, by the way: thirteen easy miles; it was beautiful), walking / hiking in the county and state parks and conservation areas, and archery.

 

Hmmm. That leaves Calculating God and Diary of a Provincial Lady. The latter is a reread. In recommending it recently, I suggested that if one thought Downton’s Dowager Countess was the primary reason to sit through any episode of Downton Abbey after the middle of Season Two, if one fancied the idea of British Bombeck, and if one fancied a book that would take him or her completely and utterly out of this place and time, then one might be advised to reach for Diary of Provincial Lady. Calculating God arrives on my stack via one of those “blind date with a book†gimmicks that popped up around Valentine’s Day. I answered a flurry of questions and landed on this. I read and enjoyed Sawyer’s WWW : Wake in 2010, so I am actually looking forward to my date.

Edited February 20, 2017 by M--

[CadenceSophia]

I read Jane Eyre this week. This is on the list of books I can't wait to be able to read and discuss with my daughter.

 

Trying to decide what to read this week. I got 1Q84 in the mail. The binding looks delicious and very tempting. I also started the Hobbit (again). It is the French translation which I own a physical copy of. Haven't read it in French before and I feel obligated to read my paper books since I set a goal to read the paper books I own but haven't read yet during the first quarter of the year. I'm sure I'll be kindle-only during the rest of the year due to new baby. So do I force myself through the Hobbit (which I know well enough that it isn't terribly exciting it read again), or just give up and go straight to 1Q84? Decisions decisions..

 

Since I have been having some insomnia, I started reading War and Peace (La Guerre et la Paix) on my Kindle. I wonder if I'll actually make it through :) DH and I are also listening to the audio book over the course of this year together.

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free collection of essays for Kindle readers ~

 

Culture and Anarchy by Matthew Arnold

 

"Matthew Arnold’s acclaimed collection of essays tackles difficult questions about humanity, culture, society, and the ultimate value of government

In this critical masterwork, Matthew Arnold contrasts culture, which seeks to utilize the best of human thought, with anarchy, which derives from the impulse toward nonconformity and the dissolution of the church. In the context of these two opposed concepts, Arnold explores the nature of goodness, morality, self-improvement, and progress.
 
Written in response to upheaval and reactionary tumult in nineteenth-century Great Britain, Culture and Anarchy is a timeless treatise on society by a great philosophical mind."

**

 

A couple of posts I read and enjoyed today ~ Keeper Shelf: A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles  by guest reviewer JAM

 

"I came to romance literature late in life. At the advanced age of sixty-seven in fact. For years I sashayed past the drugstore book racks smirking at the titles and cover art while thinking to myself in decidedly superior tones: Well, at least I don’t read that tripe.

 

It was only recently that I remembered that my mother-in-law’s stuffed tripe was absolutely delicious.

 

Then in the winter of 2014, after fifty years of devouring English literature leavened with enormous dry-as-dust tomes of history and political economy, a girlfriend (yes, we septuagenarians have girlfriends) who had repeatedly twitted me about my narrow literary tastes sent me a link to a blog post by New Zealand fantasy author, Tansy Rayner Roberts. It had the beguiling title: The Feminist Rake and Other Bedtime Stories.

 

Well, hellfire. I was immediately sold. In short order I burned my own eReader white hot as I cut a non-stop swath through the canon for over two years. I started with Heyer, Dare, James, Quinn, Balogh, Chase, Grant, Milan and McLean. Then I went on to just about everything else I could purchase or download from my local library network, particularly works that garnered favorable reviews and featured non-standard heroines and beta heroes.

 

As Roberts writes, “This stuff is pure corseted crack.†Indeed it is. ..."

 

 

and the article mentioned within the above ~ The Feminist Rake and Other Bedtime Stories by Tansy Rayner Roberts

 

"So, here’s a thing. I’ve always considered myself a reformed ally of romance writers (having been thoroughly educated by friends that my teenage scorn of the genre was unwarranted and based on many false premises). I’ve read Beyond Heaving Bosoms. I’ve listened to almost every episode of the Will Write For Wine podcast. I know the correct and socially appropriate ways to use phrases like ‘Glittery Hoo-Ha’ and ‘Magical Wang.’

 

But until very recently, I would never have considered myself a romance reader. Yes, I’ve read most of Jane Austen, some of Georgette Heyer (I prefer her murder mysteries) and all of Jennifer Crusie, and maybe a couple of dozen random contemporary romance titles in my life. Normally my romance reading happens from the outside looking in, though. The occasional genre-crossover title, or books like those of Mary Robinette Kowal and Gail Carriger which starts out using the trappings of romance fiction but moves on further...."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Happy]

Hi Y'all!

 

I'm dipping my toes in this thread....I've often read all your posts, but never posted. Taking a deep breath and plunging in.... :)

 

I love narrative non-fiction...last week I read 'Lion' otherwise known as 'A Long Way Home' by  Saroo Brierley. Powerful story of a lost boy and how he got lost and eventually found his way home. I have ties to India and both of my sons came to us via adoption. Always interesting to read other adoption stories.

 

The other one was 'Hidden Figures' by Margot Lee Shetterly. Excellent book! I enjoyed seeing the space race through the lives of these 'computers.'

 

I read fiction when I'm stressed or too tired to think straight. Right now rereading Nora Robert's 'Sea Swept,' an all time favorite.

 

My goal is to read 52 books this year--and with all I see on your lists...whew, I'm inspired!

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Butter]

I finished The Train to Crystal City by Jan Jarboe Russell.  That's book #20.  It is the San Antonio mayor's current book club choice.  It was a bit hard to read because it was rather horrifying what our country did to US citizens during WWII just because they were Japanese or German or Italian.  On top of that is the very disturbing part of our government bringing people up from Latin American countries, arresting them as illegal immigrants, and then putting them in Crystal City Internment Camp to await repatriation to Japan or Germany as part of a hostage exchange program with those countries.  Some of the repatriates were US citizen children and teens who had never been to Japan or Germany and were thoroughly American kids.  It makes me sad that fear and also greed (hostage exchange) led to that.  It's super sad that our government's current stance on the Germans involved was they were all security risks and weren't interned based on their ethnicity like the Japanese were.  Never mind some of the children interned were toddlers and many babies were born in those camps so certainly those surviving today - the children during WWII - were no security risk at all.  The book was very well written.

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

I'm dipping my toes in this thread....I've often read all your posts, but never posted. Taking a deep breath and plunging in.... :)

 

Welcome, Happy, from another Nora Roberts fan.  I like the Chesapeake series, too.

 

I noticed from your footer remarks (is that what one calls them?) that you're a published author.  Do you care to share more about that?  (fiction? non-fiction?  titles?!)

**

 

I began three young adult books recently all of which I've put aside after reading about 100 pages or so.  I may give them a try some other time as all seemed intriguing but just weren't right for me now.

 

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

 

Iceling by Sasha Stephenson

 

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

 

 

I did re-read a book though after recently reading the third book in the same series ~ Strong Signal (Cyberlove Book 1)  by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell  (Adult content)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Alice]

Alice, happy (belated?) birthday.

 

:

Thanks! My actual birthday was a few weeks ago but this was the first good weekend to get away.

[Just Robyn]

Robyn, did you want to come up with a post for Sunday's thread about the book or just keep it a casual readalong?  

 

Oooh, a post sounds fun. 

[Matryoshka]

I read Jane Eyre this week. This is on the list of books I can't wait to be able to read and discuss with my daughter.

 

Ah, Jane Eyre.  :wub:

 

Dd and I have been listening to this for what seems like ages in the car, as she will only listen to a book in the car for the 25 minute ride to robotics about twice a week (this was negotiated).  But it's just reminding me how much I love Jane!  And I think dd is liking it much more than she'll admit - even she laughs out loud at some of the barbed repartee between Jane and Rochester.  :)  We're finally over halfway through...

[Caroline]

Today I read Martha's Vineyard Isle of Dreams by Susan Branch. I think Negin read it earlier this year. I was having skin cancer removed from my face, so I had a lot of time waiting for biopsies, etc. Good news--they got it all. Bad news--it was much bigger than anticipated. Good news-- plastic surgeon on sight to do stitches. Bad news-- my bottom lip is incredibly swollen. Good news--we have the week off school for me to recover.

 

I am reading Lord of the Flies with my student who is hospital bound for a couple of months for leukemia treatment. It started with me helping her with calculus. But I figured we could read together, too. She's a sweet girl, and I am blessed to get to help her. I truly mean that.

 

So I am sitting here with frozen corn on my face and painkillers messing with my brain. But I promise, when I don't look like frankensteins monster any more, I will visit Stacia at the library. Oh, and I have to be off meds so I can drive, too.

[melbotoast]

I saw this on amazon today and thought some might be interested if you need an amethyst book for the birthstone challenge. Currently free.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Amethyst-Chase-Family-Book-1-ebook/dp/B006QP63LI

 

London, 1666: Amethyst Goldsmith makes dazzling jewelry, but her future isn't nearly as bright as the pieces she creates. Though custom dictates she wed her father's apprentice, her heart rebels against the match. In mere days Amy will be condemned to a stifling, loveless marriage, and she sees no way out--until the devastating fire of 1666 sweeps through London, and tragedy lands her in the arms of a dashing nobleman who knows a diamond in the rough when he sees it...

 

Colin Chase, the Earl of Greystone, has his future all figured out. He's restoring his crumbling castle and estate to its former glory, and the key to its completion is his rich bride-to-be. But the Great Fire lays waste to his plans, saddling him with trouble--in the form of a lowly shopkeeper's daughter with whom he's most inconveniently falling in love...

 

PLEASE NOTE: This book contains steamy love scenes. If you'd prefer to read a Sweet & Clean (kisses-only) version of this story, look for "The Earl's London Bride" by Lauren Royal & Devon Royal.

 

 

ETA: link to the PG version here https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B018496LH4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487645651&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=the+earls+london+bride&dpPl=1&dpID=61%2BqBxxv2xL&ref=plSrch

Edited February 21, 2017 by melbotoast

[Jane in NC]

Here is an author I had missed: Tom Sharpe. Anyone?

 

The wee free box at my town's Recreation Center had a paperback from the UK by Sharpe called the Wilt Alternative. Supposedly very funny satire originally published in '79. Why have I not heard of him?

[Kareni]

Here is an author I had missed: Tom Sharpe. Anyone?

 

The wee free box at my town's Recreation Center had a paperback from the UK by Sharpe called the Wilt Alternative. Supposedly very funny satire originally published in '79. Why have I not heard of him?

 

I read Tom Sharpe's Porterhouse Blue: (Porterhouse Blue Series 1) in the early eighties; it was a gift from the then man in my life.  I enjoyed it, but I no longer recall the specifics.  I'll be interested, Jane, in your take on The Wilt Alternative.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[idnib]

Well, now I've got the creeping crud that has been going around....

 

 

Oh no, feel better soon!

 

Hi Y'all!

 

I'm dipping my toes in this thread....I've often read all your posts, but never posted. Taking a deep breath and plunging in.... :)

 

 

Welcome Happy!  :seeya:

 

Today I read Martha's Vineyard Isle of Dreams by Susan Branch. I think Negin read it earlier this year. I was having skin cancer removed from my face, so I had a lot of time waiting for biopsies, etc. Good news--they got it all. Bad news--it was much bigger than anticipated. Good news-- plastic surgeon on sight to do stitches. Bad news-- my bottom lip is incredibly swollen. Good news--we have the week off school for me to recover.

 

I'm glad they got it all and you're on the mend.

 

I've not been getting much reading done these last two weeks. A friend of mine is dealing with a very stressful illness and I've mostly been chauffeuring her mom and her kids around, plus watching the kids at my home. Deciding I don't have the right frame of mind and circumstance to read anything requiring a long attention span, I am reading Grisham's The Chamber. I picked it up a while back at the Little Library down the street. I read the first few Grisham novels, and then got away from him because I didn't enjoy The Client. Well I stopped one book too early at least, because I am really enjoying The Chamber, its setting of Mississippi after Civil Rights, and its plot revolving around a KKK bomber on death row.

 

I mentioned last week that I lost a long post on Euphoria and as new things pile up, I've not only lost the wherewithal to recreate it, I'm also feeling pressed for time to make a mini version. Instead, I'll post a poem referenced in the book. One of the characters has lost a brother in WWI and uses this poem to cope with it. It really moved me and I keep thinking of the last line. The author is Edward Shillito, a Free Church minister in England.

 

Hardness of Heart

 

In the first watch no death but made us mourn;

Now tearless eyes run down the daily roll,

Whose names are written in the book of death;

For sealed are now the springs of tears, as when

The tropic sun makes dry the torrent's course

After the rains. They are too many now

For mortal eyes to weep, and none can see

But God alone the Thing itself and live.

We look to seaward, and behold a cry!

To skyward, and they fall as stricken birds

On autumn fields; and earth cries out its toll,

From the Great River to the world's end--toll

Of dead, and maimed and lost; we dare not stay;

Tears are not endless and we have no more.

 

[Robin M]

Oooh, a post sounds fun. 

Awesome. Pm'ed my email address to you can send to me when ready.   

[Happy]

 

Welcome, Happy, from another Nora Roberts fan.  I like the Chesapeake series, too.

 

I noticed from your footer remarks (is that what one calls them?) that you're a published author.  Do you care to share more about that?  (fiction? non-fiction?  titles?!)

**

 

 

 

I published quite a few magazine articles way back when...sigh....time truly does fly! Mostly photography, horse and dogs, travel, and a bit about homeschooling.

 

I have first drafts of three romance novels on my shelf. I loved writing them, but the writing of them proved to me that I am not Nora Roberts. :lol: And that while I love a good first draft, I detest the rewrite and editing process.

 

Currently writing a riveting non-fiction book on Real Estate--for the novice seller or buyer. Riveting, I tell ya!  :laugh:

 

Thank you for all the warm welcomes, everyone!

[Mom-ninja.]

 

 

I just started reading Mr. Midshipman Easy by Frederick Marryat.  It's funny!  I didn't realize this.  I am reading it for the 'Seagoing' square in the bingo thing.  Very enjoyable so far.  Like Jane Austen and P. G. Wodehouse put together only nautical.  

 

 

 

Sounds like something I need to read then. 

 

 

 

 

Alice, happy belated birthday

 

Stacia, get better soon

[Kareni]

I published quite a few magazine articles way back when...

I have first drafts of three romance novels on my shelf...

 

Currently writing a riveting non-fiction book on Real Estate--for the novice seller or buyer. Riveting, I tell ya!  :laugh:

 

Thanks for sharing those details, Happy.  If I'm suddenly in need of a riveting book dealing with Real Estate, I know where to go!

**

 

A hodgepodge of currently free Kindle books ~

 

 

Inspirational fiction:  The Midwife's Tale by Delia Parr

 

Non-fiction: Thomas Merton: A Life Inspired by Wyatt North

 

Science fiction romance:  This is Me.  by C.E. Wilson

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[JennW in SoCal]

Today I read Martha's Vineyard Isle of Dreams by Susan Branch. I think Negin read it earlier this year. I was having skin cancer removed from my face, so I had a lot of time waiting for biopsies, etc. Good news--they got it all. Bad news--it was much bigger than anticipated. Good news-- plastic surgeon on sight to do stitches. Bad news-- my bottom lip is incredibly swollen. Good news--we have the week off school for me to recover.

 

I am reading Lord of the Flies with my student who is hospital bound for a couple of months for leukemia treatment. It started with me helping her with calculus. But I figured we could read together, too. She's a sweet girl, and I am blessed to get to help her. I truly mean that.

 

So I am sitting here with frozen corn on my face and painkillers messing with my brain. But I promise, when I don't look like frankensteins monster any more, I will visit Stacia at the library. Oh, and I have to be off meds so I can drive, too.

 

Oh goodness -- been there done that, only it was my nose and shoulder. Hope it doesn't make it too hard to eat -- that would add insult to injury!

 

Hoping everyone with creeping crud recovers quickly.

 

And another welcome to Happy as she joins our fun group of book lovers.

[Robin M]

Welcome Happy! You sound like my twin. Love Nora Roberts and the writing process. However the editing process. Meh!

 

Hugs and lots of virtual soup and good wishes winging to Stacia and all those suffering from the crud. Went to the doctor today as mine turned into a sinus infection. Which in turn made my bp go through the roof. Yet another med to try.

 

More cold pea packs for Caroline. Hope the swelling goes down soon.

 

☔ï¸â˜”ï¸â˜”ï¸

[mumto2]

Welcome Happy!

 

Stacia, I hope you are feeling a bit better today.

 

Since my Y books for Amethyst did not seem to be arriving I went looking for a new book and found something rather different from what I normally read. The Year of the Hare is a Finnish translation with a great cover https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11859561-the-year-of-the-hare. As someone who shares a pet bunny with my neighbour the cover was enough to try this one. At the book's start a journalist is riding in a car that injures a baby hare. The journalist gets out of the car and rescues the bunny and finds himself abandoned by his associate sitting on the side of the road. This is the start of his quite unbelievable comedic journey with a hare. The parts about the bunny companionship I fully get because I have spent a great deal of quality time with my bunny pal. One warning, there are two oddly out of place scenes of animal related cruelty that don't fit the rest of the book. The first one I hope is a translation issue but bothered me quite a bit and the second involved hunting but didn't fit the book. Liked this one greatly,without the animals being hurt it might have been a five.

[Kareni]

I have a book to recommend to those who enjoy fantasy; I finished this yesterday and really enjoyed it.  I look forward to reading on in what I think will be a five book series.

 

The Queen of Blood: Book One of The Queens of Renthia  by Sarah Beth Durst

 

"Set in the magical world of Renthia, The Queen of Blood is Sarah Beth Durst’s ambitious entry into adult epic fantasy. With the danger of Peter Brett’s The Warded Man, heart of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, and lyricism of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, this is the first chapter in a series destined to be a classic.

 

Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .

 

But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms.

 

With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . .  before it’s bathed in blood."

**

 

A one day only currently free book for Kindle readers ~

 

Life in the Iron Mills by Rebecca Harding Davis

 

"A shocking rendering of poverty, tragedy, and desperation in the American North

This shocking depiction of the lives of impoverished Welsh miners in the American North was one of the first novels to expose the brutal realities facing the nation’s poor. Rebecca Harding Davis casts an unflinching gaze into the lives of the destitute, drunk, and desperate in a work that was controversial for its honesty, but popular for its adept storytelling.
 
The story follows Hugh Wolfe, a proud and educated yet desperately poor laborer in an iron mill, and his cousin Deborah, who breaks the law for a chance at a better life for Hugh. If they keep the ill-gotten money, the pair could transcend their hardship, and Hugh could become the talented artist he was born to be; however, keeping the money would mean sacrificing the morals they’ve so stridently adhered to all their lives.
 
First published in 1861, Life in the Iron Mills became notorious for its merciless descriptions of underclass suffering. As relevant today as it was in the nineteenth century, this is a classic, hypnotic tragedy."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

A few days ago I downloaded samples of four books, and yesterday I read all four samples.

 

All four of them were either recommended by a BaW member or were linked (usually a list) by someone here.

All four of them are now on my want to read list.

 

They are -

The Fall of the House of Dixie -non-fiction

Never Caught - non-fiction

A Gentleman in Moscow - fiction

The Ministry of Pain: A Novel - fiction

 

You all are bad for my ever-growing list, in the best possible way. :D

Edited February 21, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[JennW in SoCal]

Welcome Happy!

 

Stacia, I hope you are feeling a bit better today.

 

Since my Y books for Amethyst did not seem to be arriving I went looking for a new book and found something rather different from what I normally read. The Year of the Hare is a Finnish translation with a great cover https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11859561-the-year-of-the-hare. As someone who shares a pet bunny with my neighbour the cover was enough to try this one. At the book's start a journalist is riding in a car that injures a baby hare. The journalist gets out of the car and rescues the bunny and finds himself abandoned by his associate sitting on the side of the road. This is the start of his quite unbelievable comedic journey with a hare. The parts about the bunny companionship I fully get because I have spent a great deal of quality time with my bunny pal. One warning, there are two oddly out of place scenes of animal related cruelty that don't fit the rest of the book. The first one I hope is a translation issue but bothered me quite a bit and the second involved hunting but didn't fit the book. Liked this one greatly,without the animals being hurt it might have been a five.

 

I read that book a few years ago, really loved it and am glad someone else I know has now read it! Don't remember the two out of place scenes, just that it was quirky and fun.

[Matryoshka]

All four of them were either recommended by a BaW member or were linked (usually a list) by someone here.

All four of them are now on my want to read list.

 

They are -

The Fall of the House of Dixie -non-fiction

Never Caught - non-fiction

A Gentleman in Moscow - fiction

The Ministry of Pain: A Novel - fiction

 

You all are bad for my ever-growing list, in the best possible way. :D

 

I have added 16 books to my to-read list just this week, and all but one of them were recommended by someone on BaW or from a linked list on BaW.  :D  

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Lady Florida.]

If you like audio books and have been meaning to try a particular series, Audible has a number of first-in-the-series books on sale for $4.95

 

http://www.audible.com/mt/First-in-a-Series-17?page=1

 

 

ETA: Also, An Unattractive Vampire is the Daily Deal. I would never have heard of that book, let alone read it, if not for Stacia and BaW. :D

 

http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/An-Unattractive-Vampire-Audiobook/B01IC3E52U/ref=a_hp_c2_dd_b?ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=1TW9HJ3C7KY3VB6M2PRD&pf_rd_m=A2ZO8JX97D5MN9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=5000&pf_rd_p=2901929922&pf_rd_s=center-2

Edited February 21, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Raifta]

Since the kids and I are taking this week off for arts/crafts/science experiments, I've been sneaking in a lot of reading as well while they are off making elaborate creations out of cardboard.

 

I actually finished all the books I was reading and now get to start afresh.

 

Book # 16 for the year:  Dear Fang, With Love by Rufi Thorpe – Picked this up at the library by accident (from new novel section – thought it was something else).  Father and daughter getting to know each other for the first time really even though she is 17 travel to Lithuania where his grandmother grew up and escaped the Nazis and in the setting of finding out more about his family, he discovers that his daughter really does have bipolar disorder.  A very interesting cast of characters, nicely paced until the end which somehow dragged once Vera had her second breakdown and had to be admitted to psychiatric care in Vilnius.  I wouldn’t keep it if I owned it and I didn’t love it but it was well written and tender in parts and I enjoyed it overall.  And I get to use it for my Eastern Europe bingo square.

 

Book #17 for the year:  Father’s Big Improvements by Caroline D. Emerson – this is a Scholastic book first published in 1936 and this edition from 1965.  It was a quick entertaining read aloud for the kids.  The premise is that the Marshall family lives in a small New England town in the late 1800s and father is an early adopter – of running water, a coal furnace, electric light, a telephone, a phonograph, bicycles, a car and a kitchen with a gas oven painted bright white and green.  The adventures they have as these things are installed and the kids grow up from 4 to 20 are chronicled – and sometimes things don’t go as planned (hey, you need gas for the car!  Sometimes the pipes freeze if the furnace goes out!).  It was a fun light read and exactly what I needed, although I think I enjoyed it more than the kids - we aren't going to keep it though, we will pass on the whimsy to another family.

 

Book #18 for the year: 1.      Morality Play by Barry Unsworth – this was a complete surprise and not a book I would ever have chosen to read had I not borrowed it from my dad upon his recommendation (he read it because it’s a Booker Prize nominees and he’s reading all of those).  I was going to use it for my BaW Bingo “Recommended by a Friend†square and then when I filled that with the book from Barbara, for my “Middle Ages†square but it could also serve the “mystery†square.  The writing is not flashy but elegant and the story spools out nicely.  I am not a fan of murder mysteries in general but didn’t even feel that I was reading one.  The use of the group of players creating their own play based on events in the town (ie. The murder of the young boy) was fascinating – as a former Theatre major I loved reading about the way players (actors) worked in the middle ages and the characters were all very distinctly drawn for me.  If this wasn’t my dad’s book and one from my shelf of books, I would keep it on the shelf.  I feel like it’s a quiet book, but one that makes you think and ponder as well as being a good story and incorporates a lot of great historical details.

 

I've started I'll Give You the Sun, a YA novel by Jandy Nelson and although I'm only at the end of the first chapter, I'm loving it.  I can relate so much to the male teen character and it brings me back very vividly to being a teen and writing a lot of (likely very bad) poetry and having all the feelings.  I had a lovely nap in the bathtub late this afternoon and actually had some vivid dreams inspired by the book - that's how much it has sunk in already.  I'm hoping that the rest can live up to the beginning!

 

 

[Schadenfreude]

I just finished Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. This book was recommended by a friend and didn't disappoint. I liked the way you could guess what was going to happen at the end, then you find out you were wrong, and then you find out you were right.

 

Quote:

"The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn.

 

Maybe he has a gift, maybe it's a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd's otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different.

 

A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd's deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15.

 

Today is August 14.

 

In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares, and a testament by which to live: sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Lady Florida.]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets -- another 5-star children's book.

 

I might be just as excited as your ds that you're finally reading these. :D

 

Stacia's reading Harry Potter!  :hurray:  :party:

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

I finished Whiteout (Seasons of Love Book 1) by Elyse Springer and enjoyed it.  I wasn't quite sure where the story was going which was a pleasant change. Plus there was a Rent (a favorite musical) connection.  (Adult content)

 

"A Seasons of Love Novel

Noah Landers wakes up one day with a headache and no memory of where — or who — he is. Jason, the man taking care of him, tries to fill in some of the blanks: they’re in a cabin in Colorado on vacation, and Noah slipped on ice and hit his head. But even with amnesia, Noah knows Jason is leaving out something important.

Jason O’Reilly is sexy as hell, treats Noah like he’s precious, and seems determined to make this the romantic getaway they’d apparently dreamed of together. But Noah’s more concerned that he’s trapped alone with Jason in the middle of a blizzard while his slowly returning memories bring hints of secrets and betrayal.

Noah’s not sure what’s the truth and what’s a lie. But as he learns who he is — and who Jason is to him — he’s forced to reevaluate everything he believes about himself, about loyalty . . . and about love."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[JennW in SoCal]

I might be just as excited as your ds that you're finally reading these. :D

 

Stacia's reading Harry Potter!  :hurray:  :party:

 

 

Right?!

 

Now I'm excited for you to get to my favorite of the series, Prisoner of Azkaban.

 

Harry Potter was such a huge part of our homeschool life. Did I ever tell y'all that my oldest met his best friend in a theater class where they put on a play based on the first book? My red headed ds played Ron and his friend played Harry. The two of them went to Wizarding World in Florida last year and while riding the Hogwarts Express there play acted the trip to Hogwarts from the first book!  :laugh:  

[Onceuponatime]

I read a western! It was Six-Gun Snow White by Cathrynne Valente. Here is my review: I can't rate this. The story was very cleverly written with the Snow White symbolism and narrative weaving, but I can't say I liked it. It was too raw and ugly for me. On the other hand it exposes the story of Snow white as ugly and not at all enchanting. I should have known it would be like this after reading Valente's Deathless.

Edited February 22, 2017 by Onceuponatime

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I'm still working on The Underground Railroad.

 

All of my exercising and trying to be active has altered the rest of my lifestyle and I'm ready for bed by 8:30pm. I'm trying to read before falling asleep but I only get a few pages in before nodding off.  I'm going to have to try to find reading time during the day when I am wide awake.

[ErinE]

.

Edited February 19, 2018 by ErinE

[Lady Florida.]

I don't have a clue what to read for the Outer Space bingo square, so I started searching for books set in space. I found this site where you can search for books in a particular setting. Thought some of you might be interested.

 

Books Set In

[ErinE]

. 

 

Edited February 19, 2018 by ErinE

[Lady Florida.]

John Scalzi's Old Man's War is a very approachable space opera. He explains all the new technology without creating a big info-dump.

 

I've been trying to figure out if The Sparrow counts. I can't really tell where it's set. Since it's on my TR list anyway, I suppose I can just read it and then I'll know if it counts or not. 

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free book for Kindle readers ~

 

The Chase of the Golden Plate by Jacques Futrelle 

 

According to the Wikipedia entry, Futrelle died in the sinking of the Titanic.

 

"Mistaken identity and intrigue abound in this classic mystery tale

In the midst of a high-society masquerade ball, someone pulls off a daring heist. Several gold plates have been stolen, their value estimated at $15,000. Even more shocking is the fact that the crime seems to have been committed by a guest attired as a burglar, the costume complete with a loaded revolver! Hiding in plain sight, the thief escapes with his loot and drives off with his beautiful blond accomplice. What follows is a gripping tale of romance, honor, and mystery featuring the beloved Professor Van Dusen, better known as “the Thinking Machine.â€"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[JennW in SoCal]

I don't have a clue what to read for the Outer Space bingo square, so I started searching for books set in space. I found this site where you can search for books in a particular setting. Thought some of you might be interested.

 

Books Set In

 

I highly recommend Hyperion, probably the best sci fi novel I've ever read. Best of all it is part of the First-in-a-Series sale at Audible, and it is an excellent listen!

 

Hyperion is The Canterbury Tales in space. There are none of the familiar space tropes --  no evil aliens keen on conquering all, no wise-cracking heros nor earnest young heros realizing their destiny. It is seven pilgrims, for lack of a better word, each telling their stories as they are en route to the planet Hyperion to face something called The Shrike. It is profound and absorbing and unlike anything else I've read in the genre.

[Kareni]

... DE Stevenson

 

 

... DE Stevenson. 

 

You both might be interested in this review I just saw on the Dear Author site ~

 

REVIEW: Vittoria Cottage by D.E. Stevenson

 

There are older additional reviews which you can see here.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

I highly recommend Hyperion, probably the best sci fi novel I've ever read. Best of all it is part of the First-in-a-Series sale at Audible, and it is an excellent listen!

 

Hyperion is The Canterbury Tales in space. There are none of the familiar space tropes --  no evil aliens keen on conquering all, no wise-cracking heros nor earnest young heros realizing their destiny. It is seven pilgrims, for lack of a better word, each telling their stories as they are en route to the planet Hyperion to face something called The Shrike. It is profound and absorbing and unlike anything else I've read in the genre.

 

Thanks. This sounds like something I can do. I've sent a sample to my Kindle. My library has the ebook but not the audio book. I doubt I'll want to own it, so I'll probably borrow the the ebook if I like the sample. Space isn't my favorite setting and aliens aren't my favorite characters. :) 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I've been trying to figure out if The Sparrow counts. I can't really tell where it's set. Since it's on my TR list anyway, I suppose I can just read it and then I'll know if it counts or not. 

 

Yep, it definitely counts, as it's set on a non-earth planet.

 

My all time favorite set in space series is the Imperial Radch series, starting with Ancillary Justice. I know you've heard me rave about it before . . . 

 

I also really love Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Leguin.  Set on another planet.