Book a Week 2017 - BW9: Fairy tales aren't just for Children

[Lady Florida.]

A couple of book related links.

 

Because the world needs a Walden video game.

 

http://waldengame.com/

 

Jake Gyllenhaal and Joaquin Phoenix will be The Sisters Brothers.

 

http://www.avclub.com/article/jake-gyllenhaal-and-joaquin-phoenix-are-sisters-br-250147?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=feeds

[mumto2]

 

I just finished a book that might interest some others here.

 

It has ~

 

-- magical realism as a character sees words (names, dates, stories) written on the faces and bodies of others

 

-- an Eastern European connection as part of the story (a small part, admittedly) takes place in Lithuania

 

-- a mystery (not a who done it? but rather a what really happened?)

 

-- a pilgrimage

 

-- a young man who reads Latin

 

-- a pair of red shoes

 

-- blurbs by some bigs names such as Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Gail Godwin, three-time National Book Award finalist

 

It was an excellent read, and I recommend it.

 

 

Indelible by Adelia Saunders

 

"A masterful, enthralling debut novel about fate, family secrets, and the stories our bodies tell.

 

 

Magdalena has an unsettling gift. She sees the truth about people written on their skin--names, dates, details both banal and profound--and her only relief from the onslaught of information is to take off her glasses and let the world recede. Mercifully, her own skin is blank.

 

When she meets Neil, she is intrigued to see her name on his cheek. He's in Paris for the summer, studying a medieval pilgrimage to the coast of Spain, where the body of Saint Jacques is said to have washed ashore, covered in scallop shells. Magdalena, desperate to make things right after her best friend dies--a tragedy she might have prevented--embarks on her own pilgrimage, but not before Neil falls for her, captivated by her pale eyes, charming Eastern European accent, and aura of heartbreak.

 

Neil's father, Richard, is also in Paris, searching for the truth about his late mother, a famous expatriate American novelist who abandoned him at birth. All his life Richard has clung to a single memory of his mother--her red shoes--which her biographers agree he never could have seen.

 

In Adelia Saunders' arresting debut, secrets are revealed among forgotten texts in the old archives of Paris, on a dusty cattle ranch in the American West, along ancient pilgrim paths, and in a run-down apartment in post-Soviet Lithuania. By chance, or perhaps by fate, the novel's unforgettable characters converge, and Magdalena's uncanny ability may be the key to their happiness."

 

Regards,

Kareni

I found it!

[Tress]

Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is $1.99 on the kindle today.

https://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Strange-Norrell-Susanna-Clarke-ebook/dp/B003RRXXMA/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

What's the usual price for it? <trying to decide if $5.49 is still a bargain or not......, because apparently $1.99 is only for Americans>

 

[Penguin]

What's the usual price for it? <trying to decide if $5.49 is still a bargain or not......, because apparently $1.99 is only for Americans>

 

Tress, my amazon page is showing a regular Kindle price of $8.99 with the $1.99 valid through the end of February.

Edited February 27, 2017 by Penguin

[Kareni]

Regarding Indelible by Adelia Saunders:

 

I found it!

 

I hope you'll enjoy it.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some book-ish posts ~

 

How Victor Hugo came to write “Les Misérablesâ€, his magnum opus

 

and for you, Robin, since you mentioned J.D. Robb's Eve and Roarke recently ~

 

A Lot of Bits And Some Pieces

 

Regards,

Kareni

[6packofun]

I'm reading a mystery/suspense called Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough that has me pretty captivated.  Enjoying it so far and wondering where it's going to go next because I know it has a twist!

 

I'm reading aloud The Wild Robot by Peter Brown to ds10 and we love it!  He wishes for a bit more action, but I think it's sweet and funny.  Deserving of the 5 stars on Amazon!  (When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is--but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a fierce storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.

 

As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home--until, one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her.

From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.)

 

But I'm super excited to start our next read-aloud called The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz which looks like a fun way to learn medieval history in the vein of The Canterbury Tales.  I hope it's as good as it looks!  http://www.adamgidwitz.com/books/inquisitors-tale/

[Kareni]

A couple of bookish posts ~

 

 

From Word Wenches: What we've read in February

 

 

and from Women Wrote about Comics: 11 Romance Authors of Color You Should Be Reading

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Finished reading my 20th book The Purple Pterodactyls: The Adventures of W. Wilson Newbury by de Camp for my February gemstone challenge. It was a decent collection of supernatural short stories.

[Ethel Mertz]

We had a ridiculously busy week with almost no reading time, but I did just finish Ali and Nino by Kurban Said today, my bingo pick for having my name in the title. I am so glad I found this book. Really enjoyed it--brought alive to me a time and place I didn't know much about (Azerbaijan 1918-1920. Well-written and fairly short--I definitely recommend it. It's got me going to Wikipedia to find out more about the book, the author, and that part of the world. Brief blurb from Amazon (Publisher's Weekly):

 

First published in 1937 and issued in the U.S. by Random House in 1970, Said's romantic tale of young love and political upheaval in Central Asia calls for violins and handkerchiefs. Set mostly in Azerbaijan during WWI and the Russian Revolution, this captivating novel is a cinematic, at times melodramatic, mix of romance and wartime adventure. Its hero, narrator Ali Khan Shirvanshir, a Tartar and Shi'ite Muslim, flouts social convention by marrying his childhood friend, Nino Kipiani, a fair-skinned Georgian Christian. Ali rebels against a tradition-bound, male-chauvinist society typified by his father's pre-wedding advice: "Do not beat her when she is pregnant." When war erupts, Nino, ensconced in a villa in Tehran, keeps her pregnancy by Ali a secret as long as she can. Their marriage is a union of Western and Eastern sensibilities. Nino is unhappy in Persia, but Ali is reluctant to accompany her to Paris, where she flees with their infant daughter as Ali marches off to defend the short-lived Azerbaijani republic against the invading Red Army. Said (1905-1942) was born Lev Naussimbaum in Baku, the son of a German governess and a Jewish businessman. He combines starkly realistic depictions of war with colorful tableaux?wild dances, an oral poetry competition, desert camels, a meddlesome eunuch. A saga of war and love and the difficult marriage of Europe and Asia in the Caucasus, this is at heart a rousing, old-fashioned, tear-jerking love story.

Thanks! I just put a hold on it at the library.

 

 

In Adelia Saunders' arresting debut, secrets are revealed among forgotten texts in the old archives of Paris, on a dusty cattle ranch in the American West, along ancient pilgrim paths, and in a run-down apartment in post-Soviet Lithuania. By chance, or perhaps by fate, the novel's unforgettable characters converge, and Magdalena's uncanny ability may be the key to their happiness.

Thanks for mentioning this! I've got it on my TBR list.

[Mom-ninja.]

 

My criterion for books was battered paperbacks from my TBR shelf that I could (and did) leave behind in various forms of transportation or hotel room for the next English-speaker.

 

I love doing this. I also love finding books left. In fact, I just found one at my son's dance studio. I waited 2 weeks just in case it was forgotten and not left on purpose. I also asked the other people if anyone knew if it belonged to someone. It was not claimed so I brought it home. The Lost Tudor Princess; The Life of Lady Margaret Douglas by Alison Weir. So I've added it to my shelf. Speaking of the shelf, I moved all my unread books to one shelf and I plan to read them from one end to the other. I can stick to this plan, right?

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Angelaboord]

I'm reading a mystery/suspense called Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough that has me pretty captivated. Enjoying it so far and wondering where it's going to go next because I know it has a twist!

 

]

I have this one sitting beside me, but I'm not sure I can read more of it because I'm worried the kid is going to get hurt. I can't read books where kids get hurt and I hate being surprised by it, so for now the book is just sitting here. I don't think I've read quite a quarter of it yet.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Tress]

My February update: book 20 - 43. Six Dusties.

 

Still reading:

- SWB's Story of Science

- Herodotus' Histories

 

I'm going to take a board break for Lent. See you all at Easter

 

 

Fiction:

 

Jennifer Worth – The Complete Call the Midwife Stories: True Stories of the East End in the 1950s (e-book, Chunky)

Very interesting stories, although certainly not as fun and uplifting as the TV series.

Terry Pratchett – The Wee Free Men (Dusty)

Hella S. Haasse – Heren van de thee (Dusty)

Hella S. Haasse – De verborgen bron (Dusty) Hella Haasse is the Grand Old Lady of Dutch literature and I love reading her :001_wub: .

Homerus – Ilias (vert. De Roy van Zuydewijn, Dusty, Chunky)

Lance Piantaggini – Piso Ille Poetulus, A Latin Novella (Latin)

Andy Weir – Martian (library, reread) - Reread, and stilll fun.

Rindert Kromhout – Soldaten huilen niet (library)

Rindert Kromhout – April is de wreedste maand (library)
Rindert Kromhout – Vertel me wie wij waren (library) Special mention of this wondeful YA serie by Rindert Kromhout :hurray: about the Bloomsbury group. It was a bit too YA for me, but that's okay...I'm obviously not a YA ;). My dd13 is reading it too and it has sparked so many wonderful rabit trails!

Agave Kruijssen – Walewein (Dusty) - King Arthur retelling, in Dutch.

J.D. Robb – Purity in Death (e-book, reread)

J.D. Robb – Portrait in Death (e-book, reread)

J.D. Robb – Origin in death (e-book, reread)

J.D. Robb – Midnight in Death (e-book, reread)

J.D. Robb – Memory in Death (e-book, reread)

 

 

Non-fiction:

 

Timothy Snyder – Bloedlanden, Europa tussen Hitler en Stalin (library, Chunky) Absolutely brutal reading. It took me more than a month of reading small chunks, setting it away, picking it up again. Still...very, very necessary reading.

Justin Martyr – First and Second Apology (Dusty) Very glad I choose this version, with this many footnotes and commentary. It made me realize that my dream of learning enough Greek to read these type of books in the original Greek.....is totally futile, as even the professionals can't get it right. Just concentrate on getting to Homer, I guess.

Joris Luyendijk – Dit kan niet waar zijn (library) Dutch journalist, always worthwhile reading, this time about the banking crisis. I'm going to count it for my Economy square for the Bingo chart.
Meik Wiking – Hygge, de Deense kunst van het leven (library) Completely fluffy book, trying to make money quickly by following the Hygge hype. Blech.

 

Poetry (Dutch):

 

Hans Hagen – Ik schilder je in woorden (library, poetry)
Hans Hagen – Maar jij (library, poetry)

Ellen Deckwitz – Olijven moet je leren lezen, een cursus genieten van poëzie (library)

Pierre Eggels – Spelen met gedichten, deel 2 (library)

 

Edited February 28, 2017 by Tress

[Jane in NC]

Since today is Shrove Tuesday, I want to bid a temporary farewell to those BaWers who walk away during Lent.  We will miss you and will look forward to your return on Easter.

 

I grew up calling this day "Shrove Tuesday" or "PÄ…czki Day" (pÄ…czki being a jelly filled doughnut).  It wasn't until my son dated a British girl that I heard the term "Pancake Day" which I guess really is a thing in the UK. So however you slice it (or pour it?), enjoy your pre-Lenten treats.

 

ETA: If you need a distraction today, here is the Melvyn Bragg In Our Time discussion on Bruegel's painting The Fight Between Carnival and Lent.

 

 

Edited February 28, 2017 by Jane in NC

[mumto2]

Since today is Shrove Tuesday, I want to bid a temporary farewell to those BaWers who walk away during Lent. We will miss you and will look forward to your return on Easter.

 

I grew up calling this day "Shrove Tuesday" or "PÄ…czki Day" (pÄ…czki being a jelly filled doughnut). It wasn't until my son dated a British girl that I heard the term "Pancake Day" which I guess really is a thing in the UK. So however you slice it (or pour it?), enjoy your pre-Lenten treats.

 

ETA: If you need a distraction today, here is the Melvyn Bragg In Our Time discussion on Bruegel's painting The Fight Between Carnival and Lent.

Pancake day is a huge thing in England. The supplies went on display in stores pretty much when Christmas was over. The Easter candy all went out too. I have some Smarties eggs hidden already. So good! One thing I find rather fascinating, as someone who makes her own pancakes, is they are sold in packages in all the stores. The packaging looks rather like an English Muffin package. Maybe 12 pancakes in each package......obviously my ds would need his own package. I have never eaten them but my kids assure me they are pretty good. Btw, Golden syrup and lemon juice are featured in the displays also. This was the first year I saw maple syrup in displays too.

 

 

I am waving goodbye to the BaWer's who will be gone until Easter. We will miss all of you greatly.

[Mom-ninja.]

Hang on, today is Pancake Day?! Woohoo! Gonna have ds make some.

[Jane in NC]

Pancake day is a huge thing in England. The supplies went on display in stores pretty much when Christmas was over. The Easter candy all went out too. I have some Smarties eggs hidden already. So good! One thing I find rather fascinating, as someone who makes her own pancakes, is they are sold in packages in all the stores. The packaging looks rather like an English Muffin package. Maybe 12 pancakes in each package......obviously my ds would need his own package. I have never eaten them but my kids assure me they are pretty good. Btw, Golden syrup and lemon juice are featured in the displays also. This was the first year I saw maple syrup in displays too.

 

 

I am waving goodbye to the BaWer's who will be gone until Easter. We will miss all of you greatly.

 

My son would fly to the UK to visit his former girlfriend with a bottle of maple syrup in his suitcase for her family. It became a regular request from girlfriend's mum. 

 

Can't imagine premade pancakes though!

 

[mumto2]

My son would fly to the UK to visit his former girlfriend with a bottle of maple syrup in his suitcase for her family. It became a regular request from girlfriend's mum.

 

Can't imagine premade pancakes though!

 

I'm don't think that most people even heat them up. They are sold year around and the kids have had the at what I consider a quick snack buffet. Where you would find lots of cold nibbles like sausage rolls etc.

 

On a bookish note I finished Half-Off Ragnanok https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17667009-half-off-ragnarok. It was great. I might even read the next in the series close to immediately! :lol:

[Violet Crown]

We're too mongrelized Irish-American to have fancy things like Pazc... Pakcz... whatever, or Mardi stuff, so just Shrove Tuesday with pancakes with butter and syrup around here, with mass and irritable hunger planned for tomorrow. Good times!

 

This year I'm going to exercise some self-control, I hope, and continue to check into the Book Thread on Sundays without surfing anywhere else on the InterTubes. A challenge for this addictive, all-or-nothing personality.

[Angelaboord]

We're too mongrelized Irish-American to have fancy things like Pazc... Pakcz... whatever, or Mardi stuff, so just Shrove Tuesday with pancakes with butter and syrup around here, with mass and irritable hunger planned for tomorrow. Good times!

 

This year I'm going to exercise some self-control, I hope, and continue to check into the Book Thread on Sundays without surfing anywhere else on the InterTubes. A challenge for this addictive, all-or-nothing personality.

Same here. We will add chocolate chips and whipped cream to our pancakes, though, which will make tomorrow's irritable hunger even more fun, I'm sure.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free book ~

The Diamond Master by Jacques Futrelle

 

"A New York jeweler is thrust into international intrigue when a perfect diamond inexplicably appears in the mail

A breathtakingly flawless diamond is delivered to accomplished jeweler Harry Latham. Even though he is an expert in his trade, Latham is astonished by the stone’s perfection and cannot begin to fathom its value. The package containing this extraordinary gem did not include a message, instructions, or a return address—and Latham soon discovers that 4 other American jewelers received diamonds identical to it. In fact, even the most skilled among the recipients cannot discern a difference between the stones. Where did these diamonds come from? Who might have sent them? And to what end?"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[ErinE]

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Edited February 19, 2018 by ErinE

[6packofun]

I have this one sitting beside me, but I'm not sure I can read more of it because I'm worried the kid is going to get hurt. I can't read books where kids get hurt and I hate being surprised by it, so for now the book is just sitting here. I don't think I've read quite a quarter of it yet.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I'll probably finish it tonight...so far it doesn't look like that's going to happen!  Want me to let you know for sure?  (Who knows, maybe the ending will be lame.  LOL)

[Lady Florida.]

We're too mongrelized Irish-American to have fancy things like Pazc... Pakcz... whatever, or Mardi stuff, so just Shrove Tuesday with pancakes with butter and syrup around here, with mass and irritable hunger planned for tomorrow. Good times!

 

 

We never called it anything or did anything. Very Americanized Irish-Italian here, raised Catholic in the sixties as Vatican II changes were slowly taking place. Our parish kept Latin mass until they had to change. We called it New Mass.

 

There was Ash Wednesday and then Lent. We heard that some people made a big deal out of Tuesday but in our mini-culture we didn't.

Edited February 28, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Mothersweets]

Hello everyone! I love fairy tales! Super interesting post, Robyn!

 

I finished one book last week - The Wedding Bargain by Agnes Sligh Turnbull. Set in the 30s, this story is about a young woman who has been in love with her boss for the past 8 years. She finally decides to quit (as he never seems to notice her more than he notices the furniture) when he calls her into his office and proposes a marriage of convenience. She says yes (of course!squee! finally!) hoping that time will do the trick and make him love her. However, he has a few secrets in his past that come back to haunt both of them.

 

 

This was set in the 30s but was written in the 60s and I had a hard time picturing it happening in the 1930s - even the cover of the book shows a couple looking mid-century. I liked this until the end when things were wrapped up in a very improbable way. Fun read, though, I liked the writing a lot. 

 

Still reading Truman and I also started two other books. 

 

I haven't yet read the entire thread - off to do that now!

[Penguin]

Now I really feel like I belong to the the BaW thread. I am reading Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer for my Flufferton bingo square. I had never even heard of Georgette Heyer before, lol.

 

I also started reading The Little Prince aloud to my 10th grader. I have a high success rate for choosing books he likes, and I think he is going to love it. Just like I did when my beloved 11th grade English teacher suggested it to me. I made my son promise not to look up anything about the book or the author until we were done.

Edited February 28, 2017 by Penguin

[Schadenfreude]

We usually have a huge Fat Tuesday party. This year a couple of us were gifted tickets to Phantom of the Opera, so we are doing that instead.

[Violet Crown]

We never called it anything or did anything. Very Americanized Irish-Italian here, raised Catholic in the sixties as Vatican II changes were slowly taking place. Our parish kept Latin mass until they had to change. We called it New Mass.

 

There was Ash Wednesday and then Lent. We heard that some people made a big deal out of Tuesday but in our mini-culture we didn't.

Isn't it weird how the fast days used to be the bigger deal, and now they're eclipsed by the feast days?

[Mothersweets]

I am still reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but the end is in sight! My kindle copy was sucked back into the abyss for a while, but I was able to check it out again from a different library.

 

I also read Venetia by Georgette Heyer. I didn't really enjoy this one, but she has plenty to choose from :D

 

I reread Jane Austen’s Lady Susan. My DH bought me the Love and Friendship movie that came out recently, but I think I will get rid of it. It doesn't really work as a movie for me.

 

 

It was a bust for me, too. The best thing about it was the group of ladies dressed in Regency garb at the theater! 

 

And keep trying with the GH books - there is one for everyone! :)

[Robin M]

and for you, Robin, since you mentioned J.D. Robb's Eve and Roarke recently ~

 

A Lot of Bits And Some Pieces

 

Regards,

Kareni

Thank you, doll! Somehow missed that post. I don't know why she continues to let the naysayers get under her skin. I enjoy her forthrightness.

 

I think I also have you to thank for leading me to Emily Larkin's Unmasking Miss Appleby. Just finished and looking forward to reading more of the Baleful Godmother series. Unique and sexy and fun read. Just right for fairy tale week.

[Kareni]

... I think I also have you to thank for leading me to Emily Larkin's Unmasking Miss Appleby. Just finished and looking forward to reading more of the Baleful Godmother series. Unique and sexy and fun read. Just right for fairy tale week.

 

I'm glad you liked it!  I'll have to move it up Mount Saint-E book.

**

 

A book-ish post ~

 

Books That Punched Us in Our Tear Ducts  by Stubby the Rocket

**

 

A couple of free Kindle books ~

 

Syphon's Song (Mayflower Mages)  by Anise Rae

 

"Legends say a syphon can drain a mage dry. He'll brave the danger. Will she?

 

Someone's playing pranks. The body of the late Casteel patriarch has been stolen and gifted to the family's enemy, the powerful Rallises. As far as Bronte Casteel is concerned, they can keep it. She hasn't spoken to her family in thirteen years, not since they exiled her from society for her lack of mage power. But she's a syphon mage, able drain another mage's power. Syphons' destinies are always the same: death by fiery stake. She hides her secret by living among the Nons--powerless humans and the lowest class in the Republic. When her family orders her to go plead for the body's return, she comes face to face with the one man who knows her secret.

 

Colonel Vincent Rallis isn't letting his syphon get away this time. Not when she's under suspicion of body-napping and aiding anti-mage terrorists. He'll prove her innocence whether she wants him to or not, and then convince her they belong together. . .forever.

 

Vincent's help comes with a steep price: Bronte must reveal her power. The inevitable ensuing witch-hunt and trial would be bad enough, but even a tough girl might buckle if her prosecutors are her own parents."

 

and

 

 

Sweet Enemy: A Veiled Seduction Novel  by Heather Snow

 

"Beakers and ball gowns don’t mix.

 

So when lady chemist and avowed spinster, Miss Liliana Claremont, receives a coveted invitation to the Earl of Stratford’s house party, no one expects her to accept. After all, it’s well known that Lord Geoffrey Wentworth, a rising political star, is in need of a suitable bride, and it’s assumed he will choose one from the select group of attendees.

 

Yet Liliana has no desire to lure the rich and powerful earl into marriage. She’s come to Somerton Park for one reason—to uncover what the Wentworths had to do with the murder of her father. She intends to find justice, even if she has to ruin Stratford to do it.

 

To get the evidence she needs, Liliana intends to keep her enemy close, though romance is not part of her formula. But it only takes one kiss to start a reaction she can’t control…"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

Isn't it weird how the fast days used to be the bigger deal, and now they're eclipsed by the feast days?

Yeah especially since most people in our culture would probably have more benefit from the fast than the feast--or maybe that is just a personal assessment.

[Angelaboord]

I'll probably finish it tonight...so far it doesn't look like that's going to happen! Want me to let you know for sure? (Who knows, maybe the ending will be lame. LOL)

Yes! Then I will be able to read on at peace [emoji4].

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lady Florida.]

Isn't it weird how the fast days used to be the bigger deal, and now they're eclipsed by the feast days?

 

I hadn't thought about it but now that you bring it up, I see it. It's interesting. 

 

Yeah especially since most people in our culture would probably have more benefit from the fast than the feast--or maybe that is just a personal assessment.

 

Nah it's not just you, I agree. Feasts are plentiful these days. Most of us could benefit from a bit of fasting (literally and figuratively).

[Robin M]

My question is why do the Girl Scouts have to show up just as lent is starting, it's a conspiracy, I tell you. Can't resist those thin mints!

 

💋

 

Prayers and blessings for all those taking a board break for lent.

Edited February 28, 2017 by Robin M

[Angel]

We had a lovely and relaxing vacation at Siesta Key! Not a lot of reading got done by me, but dh and the girls knocked out some books! I am trying to share a couple pictures but since I'm new to both my iPad and Flickr they may come across as links. (Jane, if it shows up, is the bird an osprey??)

 

As far as reading, I can't remember what I posted last so here are the last few books I've read...

Searching for Dragons

A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside- I LOVED this book

Anne of Avonlea and

Anne of the Island - enjoyed this almost as much as Anne of Green Gables and Aly and her friend found lots to discuss in this book!

 

https://flic.kr/p/Sh2GEL

https://flic.kr/p/RYn4us

 

https://flic.kr/p/Shh7G4

 

https://flic.kr/p/ShhKX7

https://flic.kr/p/R6WR1D

Edited March 1, 2017 by Angel

[Violet Crown]

Yeah especially since most people in our culture would probably have more benefit from the fast than the feast--or maybe that is just a personal assessment.

No you are quite right; there's definitely some sort of shared cultural causality going on. But I suspect it's too complex for easy analysis.

 

Anyway, associations from this discussion reminded me that I keep intending to check out from the library the collected stories of Breece D'J Pancake, a brilliant American writer who died tragically young. So I'm going to get on that.

[Ethel Mertz]

Here's what I've read in the last week: 

 

21. Fireside (Lakeshore Chronicles #5) – Susan Wiggs

22. The Market as God – Harvey Cox. Book club choice. Well done, drawing comparisons between the (stock) market or marketplace and religion.

23. Jubilee – Margaret Walker Five stars! Here is my review from Goodreads: A brilliant novelist, Margaret Walker deftly brings us to the time of slavery, through the civil war, and through the violent period of reconstruction which birthed Jim Crow. The characters are magnificently woven together and come together as a tapestry portraying the fears and hopes running through a new era. Don't miss this book.

 

I'm currently reading another Susan Wiggs book, a Father Christmas mystery, The Amethyst Road by Louise Spiegler, and am picking up where I left off with The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship: Pauli Murray, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Struggle for Social Justice.

[Jane in NC]

We had a lovely and relaxing vacation at Siesta Key! Not a lot of reading got done by me, but dh and the girls knocked out some books! I am trying to share a couple pictures but since I'm new to both my iPad and Flickr they may come across as links. (Jane, if it shows up, is the bird an osprey??)

As far as reading, I can't remember what I posted last so here are the last few books I've read...

Searching for Dragons

A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside- I LOVED this book

Anne of Avonlea and

Anne of the Island - enjoyed this almost as much as Anne of Green Gables and Aly and her friend found lots to discuss in this book!

https://flic.kr/p/Sh2GEL

https://flic.kr/p/RYn4us

https://flic.kr/p/Shh7G4

https://flic.kr/p/ShhKX7

https://flic.kr/p/R6WR1D

Yup, that is an Osprey--also known as a fish hawk. It has a very distinctive whistle.

[CadenceSophia]

Yeah especially since most people in our culture would probably have more benefit from the fast than the feast--or maybe that is just a personal assessment.

I'm assuming you mean physically, not spiritually? Being Orthodox, I will tell you that most people gain weight from the fast!

[CadenceSophia]

I'm having a hard time keeping up with these threads! Barely any time to read last week. I did cover a few chapters in War and Peace as well as half of 1Q84.

Why is casual discussion of bizarre sex seemingly a requirement for modern top list literature? After all the fuss over Outlander, I'll say I'd far rather read that type of inclusion than read about a character who can't walk down a staircase without almost falling over with her 30 year olds memories of "experimentation", described in detail, or extremely odd ways of hunting down men in bars. There are a few aspects I like in the book. Reserving judgment until the end.. Or at least trying to.

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Angel]

Yup, that is an Osprey--also known as a fish hawk. It has a very distinctive whistle.

It was amazing!! Skye and I debated the whole way back to the condo about whether or not it meant to dive all the way in the water. I looked it up finally 😀We love seeing wildlife.

 

I finished listening to Calling on Dragons by Patricia Wrede last night before bed. It was ok. Part of that may have been the voices, because the donkey about drove me bonkers! Though on thinking about it, I never really liked the storyline at the end.

 

Between a sore back and a tornado watch last night, I slept very little. So far we seem to have fared ok weather wise.

[mumto2]

Angel, Not sure if you have ever read any of Blaize Clement's cozy mysteries which are set on Siesta Key. I am doing a read/reread of the series because I realized I had only read a couple of them when I discovered this listhttp://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2012/11/the-ten-coziest-cozy-mystery-series-traditional-mysteries-kerry-hammond. I am only a few chapters into the first one Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter which is a reread and enjoying it.

 

Btw, I have read at least one book in all the series listed on the list linked above. Great selection!

 

In other reading news I have finally gotten around to reading my first Lee Child's mystery. I am starting at the beginning so am reading The Killing Floor. I can't believe I missed these! I looked at the publishing date and have concluded they all happened while I was busy with little ones so I have a whole new series with 20 plus books to enjoy.

 

I also finished Amethyst Dreams for the gemstone challenge. It must be one of Phyllis Whitney's last books, published in 1999 I think. That probably explains a great deal. It wasn't great although it did talk about Amethyst geodes so it really fit the challenge.

[ErinE]

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Edited February 19, 2018 by ErinE

[AllSmiles]

I'm not sure that everyone will get this deal, but this morning I found a Groupon deal for Amazon Unlimited. It was $0 for a 2 month subscription. What is good about this particular deal is that you can use it even if you already have Amazon Unlimited. It simply extends your subscription. I hope someone finds this useful :)

[Kareni]

 I used this recipe for baked pÄ…czki.

 

Those look delicious!  Now I'm drooling.

 

And since food is on my mind, can anyone recommend any favorite books for someone looking to eat a low sodium diet?  My husband and I have been found to have elevated blood pressure so we've been making a lot of dietary changes.

**

 

I finished two historical romances recently ~

 

Someone to Hold (A Westcott Novel) by Mary Balogh

 

This is a new release, and I enjoyed it.  It's not my favorite of the author's books, but I'll probably re-read it at some point.

 

"Humphrey Wescott, Earl of Riverdale, has died, leaving behind a fortune and a scandalous secret that will forever alter the lives of his family—sending one daughter on a journey of self-discovery...

 

With her parents’ marriage declared bigamous, Camille Westcott is now illegitimate and without a title. Looking to eschew the trappings of her old life, she leaves London to teach at the Bath orphanage where her newly discovered half-sister lived. But even as she settles in, she must sit for a portrait commissioned by her grandmother and endure an artist who riles her every nerve.

 

An art teacher at the orphanage that was once his home, Joel Cunningham has been hired to paint the portrait of the haughty new teacher. But as Camille poses for Joel, their mutual contempt soon turns to desire. And it is only the bond between them that will allow them to weather the rough storm that lies ahead..."

**

 

I also re-read with pleasure Not Quite a Husband  by Sherry Thomas.  If you haven't already read this, mumto2, you might enjoy it.  This book has an unusual story line.

 

"Their marriage lasted only slightly longer than the honeymoon—to no one’s surprise, not even Bryony Asquith’s. A man as talented, handsome, and sought after by society as Leo Marsden couldn't possibly want to spend his entire life with a woman who rebelled against propriety by becoming a doctor. Why, then, three years after their annulment and half a world away, does he track her down at her clinic in the remotest corner of India?

 

Leo has no reason to think Bryony could ever forgive him for the way he treated her, but he won’t rest until he’s delivered an urgent message from her sister—and fulfilled his duty by escorting her safely back to England. But as they risk their lives for each other on the journey home, will the biggest danger be the treacherous war around them—or their rekindling passion?"

**

 

And here's a one day only currently free book that deals with finance ~

 

Lombard Street: A Description of the Money Market by Walter Bagehot

 

"Financial observer and journalist Walter Bagehot sheds light on the world of banking in his influential tract

 

Written in response to a nineteenth-century banking crisis in England, Walter Bagehot’s influential treatise was one of the first to clearly explain complex financial systems like international banking, currency, and corporate finance in clear and easy-to-understand language. Credit, Bagehot suggests, is based primarily on trust. When the banks lose the public’s trust, the entire system can collapse.

 

In Lombard Street, Bagehot—who was the editor in chief of the Economist—sets forth a series of proposals for the strengthening and survival of struggling financial institutions, such as allowing irresponsible banks to collapse and creating strong central banks to combat inflation. His insights are as relevant in today’s economic climate as they were when the book was first published in 1873."

 

Regards,

Kareni