Book a Week 2017 - BW26: pearls, pearls, and more pearls

[Jane in NC]

 

And... anyone know of an awesome book translated from an obscure language?

 

 

 

Smile As They Bow by Nu Nu Yi, translated from the Burmese by Alfred Birnbaum & Thi Thi Aye.

 

 

Smile as They Bow lives in my dusty stacks, courtesy of Stacia.  I would be happy to pass it along (after I move it up the stacks and read it).

 

Or...how about Bulgarian?  Sufficiently obscure? Wolf Hunt by Ivailo Petrov is the only novel I have read that was translated from the Bulgarian.  And I happen to have a copy of this new Archipelago edition that I could send to you.

[Guest]

I forgot to say, I've amassed quite a collection of BAW postcards from around the world and the US. They bring me joy, so I repurpose them as bookmarks. I got a new one this week!

Without intending ti hijack the thread, I would LOVE to know of what you speak. I had been thinking of putting out a plea here to exchange Christmas cards all over the country and world. Whatever it is you are doing - can I get in on something like this?

[Penguin]

Hi, all. I am hoping I can join in here, although I don't accomplish as prodigious an amount of reading as some (all?) of you do. â˜ºï¸ I am currently reading Hillbilly Elegy, which I find very interesting. I am about 62% finished that one (on Kindle). I am also listening to The Snowball on audiobook while I do my workouts. This is a biography about Warren Buffet. It's interesting. I spend a lot of time mulling over wealth accummulation vs. Miserliness. Buffet often appears to the miserly side of the equation, though I do admire frugality.

 

I might go for a Pearl-themed book when I finish Elegy.

Quill, welcome to the group/thread! I am certainly not one of the prodigious readers here, but I have found that participating has really upped my output. I started in the BaW threads this past January.

 

In 2016 (pre-BaW participation), I completed 16 books. And here we are only 1/2 way through 2017, and Goodreads tells me that I have finished 37 so far this year.

[Jane in NC]

Without intending ti hijack the thread, I would LOVE to know of what you speak. I had been thinking of putting out a plea here to exchange Christmas cards all over the country and world. Whatever it is you are doing - can I get in on something like this?

 

There is a BaW postcard list--I believe that Robin has the master list so send her a PM.

 

We are also known to mail books to each other. In addition, BaWers do an optional Secret Santa exchange.

 

As Once said up thread,  postcards from BaWers make great bookmarks!

 

[-M-]

Hi all,

 

I said I'd repost the War and Peace read-a-long list near the top of this week's post so it would be easier to find. This is what I've got so far, feel free to tell me to add you. :)

 

War and Peace read-a-long:

 

Maude: Matryoshka, Stacia(1), JennW, M--, Penguin, Mumto2, Mothersweets, Violet Crown, Angelaboord, Ali in OR...

P/V: Lady Florida, Jane in NC, Strawberries, ErinE...

Briggs: Scoutermom, Stacia(2), RobinM...

Garnett: Ethel Mertz...

 

Dutch (Bloemen & Wiebes): Loesje, Tress

Hello! I'm reading the Maude translation.

[Matryoshka]

Hello! I'm reading the Maude translation.

 

You're actually already on the list, in between JennW and Penguin. Your screenname is very short! :)

 

I'd seen that you said on last week's thread that you were reading the Maude, so I just popped you in there. :D

 

 

 

Edited because I had a typo in Penguin! 

Edited June 26, 2017 by Matryoshka

[Chrysalis Academy]

Well, drat.  So, if I had to pick one of those two for the Vietnam square, which would you recommend?

 

And... anyone know of an awesome book translated from an obscure language?

 

 

Hm, maybe I should look at that one.  That would be stretching me. :)  Any category it might fit into? 

 

 

I've got an idea for Record breaker - One Summer, America 1927 by Bill Bryson - it's about a bunch of records broken that year.  I was thinking of finally trying one of those Jeeves & Wooster books and see if that made me laugh out loud...  won't know till I try!

 

All the rest of those leave me equally stumped.  If the lovely ladies of BaW make you another Big Bingo for next year, I may well declare victory wherever I'm at and give that one a go... ;)

 

The Refugees is a collection of short stories from the POV of Vietnamese-American immigrants of various generations. I thought several of the stories were stellar and I'd probably recommend starting with that one. I gave it 4 stars. The Sympathizer is a novel about a half French half Vietnamese man who is a Communist agent serving as a lieutenant in the South Vietnamese army at the end of the Vietnam war. He ends up coming to the US with his general and continuing his double-agent action here. It's a book all about identity and belonging and betrayal and friendship, Wonderful book, but also more difficult to read. They are both just great but I read them in the order I'm suggesting and would do it again that way.

 

I used Commonwealth for my "On a 2016 Best of list" It's set partly in CA and partly in GA.  

 

Thanks for the Record Breaker suggestion. That's a good one, and it led me to think of reading about Nellie Bly, too. Which could also work for female adventure!

[ErinE]

Hello everyone! I missed posting last week's reading as I was prepping for a long car trip from the southern US to the Northern US. Right now I'm about three hours from the Canadian border, but I don't think I'll get there this year. My kids were amazing. I was nervous about their ability to handle so much time in the car yet they did well with only a few meltdowns. We didn't get to stop much except I took a detour to see Old Faithful and my kids made a point to thank me for taking them to see it. 

 

Here's my photo of Old Faithful

 

Things have been a struggle lately. I try not to attach to much providential feeling towards certain events, but a thousand miles from home, a chance encounter at the Old Faithful site helped me so much. I had just missed the geyser eruption because diapers while my older kids were able to see it. To stretch their legs, we wandered around a bit, ate ice cream, and realized we were close to the next eruption time (about 90 minutes). I was nervous as it was late in the day and my younger two were getting that crazed look in their eyes that comes from being tired. We settled down on the walkway to watch and I spent the bulk of my time chasing after my toddlers to prevent them from stepping in boiling water. My kids ended up playing with another woman's children and I struck up a conversation with the mom. We both thought the other (and the children) looked familiar and realized we both homeschooled (though I no longer do so). We must have met each other at some other point in time. So if you're reading this, the woman who homeschools following classical education and was in Yellowstone last week, thank you for talking to me. It was a light moment when things seemed dark

 

I'm taking a medication that slows my thinking down and I find it difficult to concentrate. I'm grateful for the pain management benefits, but I'm really looking forward to getting off this stuff. I'm reminded of "Flowers for Algernon" as I wonder often what it was I just read which leads me to a rabbit trail, if y'all don't mind. DH and I were eating dinner with a couple and "Flowers for Algernon" came up in the conversation. DH asked what part we found most compelling. For him, it was the moment the character loses his ability to read a foreign language. For the other woman, it was the girlfriend crying over her love's lost abilities. For me, it was the character taking off on his own with a book he can't understand, hoping one day he'll recapture the knowledge he has lost. What does it reveal about ourselves when we choose the scene that moved us most? So I ask the question of you: what moment did you find most compelling in "Flowers for Algernon"?

 

Books read last week and the week before:

• Cake: A Love Story by J. Bengtsson. Contemporary Romance. A college student finds herself swept up in the a romance with a rock star who has a tortured past.
• Bluescreen by Dan Wells. Science Fiction. In a world where most everyone has a digital brain enhancement, a virus masquerading as a drug turns humanity into zombies.
• 36 Revolutionary Figures of History from the Great Courses. History. A compilation of various Great Courses lectures about people who changed history. This is probably the worst Great Courses lecture I've listened to as it suffers from the disjointed jump from one lecturer to another. The one on Karl Marx was especially terrible and bizarre. While not denying Marx's revolutionary status, I didn't need to hear the long description of the Columbia professor's annual pilgrimage to Marx's London grave (FYI, the lecturer for Russian history does a much better job on Marx). It's also heavily American focused. Samual Slater (brought factories to America) is featured, but not Richard Arkwright (first factory in UK, arguably a more significant achievement). Harriet Beecher Stowe, but not Oliver Cromwell or Simon Bolivar. It would have been far better with a single lecturer who studies revolutionary movements and could bring a cohesive narrative to the whole.

I have not finished, but I want to praise A History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev. The professor does a fantastic job of bringing you into the thought processes of the various historical figures, explaining the reasons why people acted as they did while not downplaying the (often disastrous) results. I'm up to the 1905 revolution and the fall of the monarchy is next. I'm fascinated by the arc from Charles I of England to Louis XVI of France to Nicholas II of Russia. What if the Russian monarchy had implemented reforms earlier, especially the emancipation of the serfs in 1863?

 

I'm also slowly reading a history of Russia. Audiobooks seem to suit me better right now. I'm on week 4 of reading Kraken by China Mieville, which I'm enjoying but it's tough to stay focused.

Edited June 27, 2017 by ErinE

[Loesje22000]

Without intending ti hijack the thread, I would LOVE to know of what you speak. I had been thinking of putting out a plea here to exchange Christmas cards all over the country and world. Whatever it is you are doing - can I get in on something like this?

I might be wrong but I doubt one can hijack these threads :)

[ErinE]

On to War and Peace as I think my prior post was getting too long. I'm really enjoying Peaver and Volokhonsky's translation. It feels smoother than the Briggs I read ages ago though I'll admit I think I've matured in my ability to read older, classic literature. The translators have an interesting discussion in the front section explaining their process and theories related to translating from Russian to English, trying to keep intact the literary devices Tolstoy uses throughout the book.

 

There's a handy list of principal characters and their relationship to each other (page xvii-xviii), an extensive notes section (pages 1225-1247), a historical index of people (pages 1249-1264), and a narrative summary of the sections (1265-1273). The only thing missing is maps, but the book is quite thick as is.

 

I'm struck by how modern the book feels, not certain if it's a reflection of the translation or Tolstoy's prose. The story moves from character to character as each tries to push forward their own interests. In A History of Russia, the lecturer claims Pierre is based on Tolstoy's life. How hard it must have been to think about his own callow behavior and portray it for all to read? The young princess seems a sympathetic character, cruelly ignored by her husband Andrei, until her actions reveal her to be a silly girl. She seems more upset to be leaving society than her husband leaving for war and seems to revel in his cruel behavior, describing it to many people to gain more sympathy. Who wouldn't be impatient with her flighty behavior? I thought Anna Mikhailovna to be a scheming opportunist until it's revealed that as a widowed poor woman, she must use connections and personality to gain influence for her son Boris. I adored the father Bolkonsky as he tries to educate his daughter and storms at his son for going off to war. He was described so vividly, it was easy to see in my head. Here in a particularly descriptive passage, prince Andrei has left his pregnant wife (the little princess) in the care of his father and sister while he leaves for the war. The father has hurried his son out of the study, not letting him leave with tender or lingering goodbyes.

 

     From the study, like gunshots, came the oft-repeated angry sounds of the old man blowing his nose. As soon as Prince Andrei left, the door to the study quickly opened, and the old man's stern figure appeared in its white smock.

 

     "Gone? Well, that's good!" he said, gave the unconscious little princess an angry look, shook his head reproachfully, and slammed the door. (p. 111)

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2017 by ErinE

[Matryoshka]

So I'm cleaning and decluttering the house in preparation for an exchange student that's arriving on Thursday.  Yes, I procrastinate.  :p   Thanks so much for helping with that, BaW. ;)

 

Dh and I were moving stuff around in the attic to make room for boxes of stuff from my twins' college dorms and his mother's house that have been taking up room in living areas, and I came across a box of my old books.  I started looking through them and wondering what to do with them, because it's ridiculous to keep them in the attic where I'll never see them, but every bookshelf in my house is already full and I have stacks more of books to do something with.  I have a hard time getting rid of books I've liked (this is one reason besides cost I've been using the library and Overdrive so heavily this year - I do not need to get attached to any more physical books!!).  Anyway, I think it's because I like looking at them and remembering what I've read.  These books are mostly mass-market paperbacks - the tiny kind with no white space that honestly my old eyes can't even read anymore.  I'd likely get a new copy from the library if I wanted to re-read.

 

And then I remembered Goodreads.  I can 'look back' at my shelves there.  So I think I may have finally found a way to let these old books go...  I may bring them down and match the covers.  When I started on Goodreads I didn't realize that was a thing I could do (and didn't remember which cover a book had).  So, yay Goodreads!

[fastweedpuller]

Ah, ErinE, W&P is full of such gems, and you've highlighted why, exactly, I preferred the P&V translation to the others and got it as soon as it came off the press (well, almost).  Maps would be helpful though.  But I remember my first go-round (high school!) I did use a cheat sheet.  As I have "done" W&P multiple times, I will just watch you all enjoy it from my comfy chair here.

 

And:  Pierre for the win of fave characters!  Stick with him.  :)

 

I bailed on Too Big To Fail.  Fail!  More than halfway through it too.  I chose it for the Economics square, as I did live it at the time (about half our architecture firm's work is in NYC so many of our clients are Wall Street types; very fraught times as our projects went bust or boom with the banks' fates) and was curious about how that house of cards came tumbling down.  But honestly, even though the author was great at fleshing out the hows and whys and all the characters involved...it is just not interesting enough to me for me to continue.  Maybe if I had read it when it was fresh; 2017 is too far from 2009, and I know how it all panned out.  Plus he was a bit too fawning to the lives of the rich male and not terribly famous but perhaps infamous...

 

We spent the weekend in the hospital.  Hubs had a strange gut issue (still figuring it out frankly, but he is home now and is scheduled for more tests).  He is a horrid patient btw.  I am sure you all have people like that in your lives.  Anyway, we remarked, often, how SLOW time goes in the hospital.  It's a time warp, you're on 2/3 speed, or slower.  I was able to finish his socks AND mark off a fair bit of Middlemarch but my goodness.  Not a preferred place to be at all!  But kayaking...or watching Old Faithful...

[-M-]

You're actually already on the list, in between JennW and Penguin. Your screenname is very short! :)

 

I'd seen that you said on last week's thread that you were reading the Maude, so I just popped you in there. :D

 

 

 

Edited because I had a typo in Penguin!

I am a goof. Who doesn't recognize her own screen name? Chuckle. Okay. For the record, I am Melissa, formerly MFS of M-mv... and for a while, just M--. Thank you for including me!

[Matryoshka]

I am a goof. Who doesn't recognize her own screen name? Chuckle. Okay. For the record, I am Melissa, formerly MFS of M-mv... and for a while, just M--. Thank you for including me!

 

LOL.  It does just blend.  But since I see you've now lengthened it, I'll go update with the new version. :D

[Kareni]

And... anyone know of an awesome book translated from an obscure language?

 

Well, there's always Gilgamesh!

 

We spent the weekend in the hospital.  Hubs had a strange gut issue (still figuring it out frankly, but he is home now and is scheduled for more tests).  He is a horrid patient btw.

 

Sending good thoughts to you and the horrid patient that the hospital will soon be well behind you.

**

 

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy

 

"The fates of two ill-matched couples intertwine in this poignant masterpiece from one of England’s greatest novelists

 

Eustacia Vye is as wild and beautiful as the landscape that surrounds her grandfather’s house on Egdon Heath. Dark-haired, tempestuous, and haughty, she yearns to escape her rural corner of England, and believes that by marrying Clym Yeobright, a native of the heath just returned from Paris, she will find the romance and adventure her heart craves. But Clym’s interests run in the opposite direction—toward comfort, community, and tradition—and the young couple’s happy union soon turns miserable. When a former suitor pays a fateful visit, Eustacia must decide whether to break her vows to Clym or forego her exotic dreams forever.

 

One of Thomas Hardy’s most beloved novels, The Return of the Native brilliantly evokes the dangerous allure of romantic fantasies. Rich in mythological allusions yet grounded in the hard realities of nineteenth-century village life, it is one of the most heartbreaking tragedies ever told."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

Well, there's always Gilgamesh!

 

But I've already read it! :lol:

[ErinE]

Kareni, I've become a terrible book collector from your posts. 😉 I am very grateful for your links as it's created a long list of TBR books in Kindle. Now I've added another one. I guess there's a bit of comfort for me to have access to those books just in case!

[Matryoshka]

So, while I'm decluttering books, anyone want a crack at the book Amish Vampires in Space, which Kareni highlighted a few weeks back?  Free for the taking!  

 

Or I bring it to the library and give it away... 

[Butter]

Yesterday I read Horrible Histories: Vicious Vikings by Terry Deary.  I'm not counting it toward my total for the year, but I was pre-reading it for Fritz for next school year.  I had high hopes for it since I'd heard such great things, but I was a bit disappointed.  It was extremely heavy on the entertainment and very light on the education.  It's good enough for very, very light and basic stuff about Vikings I suppose.

[Robin M]

Without intending ti hijack the thread, I would LOVE to know of what you speak. I had been thinking of putting out a plea here to exchange Christmas cards all over the country and world. Whatever it is you are doing - can I get in on something like this?

 

 

Hi Quill - welcome to our perpetual book party.   I'll be happy to add you to our postcard/book swap list.  I also have a separate list for secret santa.   I can provide you with the list in pm or email it to you. Let me know in pm which you prefer.   We send postcards while traveling, just because, and/or to share something neat we came across.  Quite fun to receive postcards from our global travelers.   

[Kareni]

Kareni, I've become a terrible book collector from your posts. 😉 I am very grateful for your links as it's created a long list of TBR books in Kindle. Now I've added another one. I guess there's a bit of comfort for me to have access to those books just in case!

 

I live to serve!

 

So, while I'm decluttering books, anyone want a crack at the book Amish Vampires in Space, which Kareni highlighted a few weeks back?  Free for the taking! 

 

 

If no one else speaks up, you can send it my way.  Given that I have a to be read stack of mountainous proportions, it might take me a year or two (or seven) to get to it.

**

 

Last night I finished Ilona Andrews' White Hot: A Hidden Legacy Novel  which I enjoyed.  Now I'm waiting for book three which is due out in August.  Do read book one first.

 

"The Hidden Legacy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews continues as Nevada and Rogan navigate a world where magic is the norm…and their relationship burns hot

 

Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she's used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family's detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor "Mad" Rogan.

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada’s “talent.†But there’s no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice …"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Matryoshka]

If no one else speaks up, you can send it my way.  Given that I have a to be read stack of mountainous proportions, it might take me a year or two (or seven) to get to it.

**

 

Plain vampires are headed your way! :D  Just pm me your addy.

 

Stacia, I'm sure Kareni will be happy to send it to you next ! 

Edited June 26, 2017 by Matryoshka

[Matryoshka]

Matryoshka, you could also try the Pakistani book The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad. A few of us BaWers read it. (I gave it 4 stars.)

 

(The linked blog is a good place to find books from different places/different languages.)

 

I actually looked at that one, as it was on my TR list.  It was written in English, apparently.  :glare:   A lot of books from/about India also seem to be written in English.

 

I also found a really cool-looking book by a Mongolian writer (The Blue Sky).  Apparently he writes in German.  Sigh. (I put it on my TR list in German, though).

 

I'm thinking about the Burmese and Bulgarian books...:)

[Shawneinfl]

Another booklist for your summer reading pleasure...

 

This one is books recommended in various TED talks.

 

http://ideas.ted.com/101-books-to-dive-into-this-summer-a-reading-list/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethit

Edited June 26, 2017 by Shawneinfl

[Shawneinfl]

Hi Quill - welcome to our perpetual book party.   I'll be happy to add you to our postcard/book swap list.  I also have a separate list for secret santa.   I can provide you with the list in pm or email it to you. Let me know in pm which you prefer.   We send postcards while traveling, just because, and/or to share something neat we came across.  Quite fun to receive postcards from our global travelers.   

 

Robin, Can I get in on the postcard list/swap? I don't know how I missed it.

 

Shawne

[Shawneinfl]

I am a goof. Who doesn't recognize her own screen name? Chuckle. Okay. For the record, I am Melissa, formerly MFS of M-mv... and for a while, just M--. Thank you for including me!

 

Melissa, I don't know if I can call you Melissa. You've been M-mv too long in my head for this old brain to change. For a moment I thought, "Who stole M-mv's avatar?!!" I always appreciate your thought's on Shakespeare, theater and birding...

 

Shawneinfl

[Kareni]

Plain vampires are headed your way! :D  Just pm me your addy.

 

Stacia, I'm sure Kareni will be happy to send it to you next ! 

 

Since it may take me seven years to get to it, please send it to Stacia first.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

Since it may take me seven years to get to it, please send it to Stacia first.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Stacia, if you want it, pm me. I've already got it in a mailing envelope!  Gotta make this place look less like book-hoarder central before the girl gets here! :lol:

[Robin M]

Robin, Can I get in on the postcard list/swap? I don't know how I missed it.

 

Shawne

Yes, doll!  PM me with your snail mail and email address. 

[Kareni]

Another booklist for your summer reading pleasure...

 

This one is books recommended in various TED talks.

 

http://ideas.ted.com/101-books-to-dive-into-this-summer-a-reading-list/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethit

 

That was an enjoyable list to peruse!  Thanks, Shawne.

**

 

Here's another list:

The Best Beach Reads Of 2017  by Elena Nicolaou

 

and a historic post I found interesting:

Stunning Photographs of FSA Libraries in the 1940s  by Ashley Bowen-Murphy

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Reading bingos seem to be the topic of the day.  You can read about the bingo of a romance reader's store here ~

Recommendations for Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo

**

 

My library has a summer reading program for adults, and I'm attempting to complete their bingo.  So, I may be doing a little branching out.  Today I read the short non-fictional inspirational work Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life ... and Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven.  It was a quick and enjoyable read.

 

"Should be read by every leader in America...a book to inspire your children and grandchildren to become everything that they can." --Wall Street Journal

"Powerful." --USA Today

"Full of captivating personal anecdotes from inside the national security vault." --Washington Post

"Superb, smart, and succinct." --Forbes

BASED ON THE INCREDIBLE GRADUATION SPEECH WITH OVER 10 MILLION VIEWS ON YOUTUBE

"If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.

On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university's slogan, "What starts here changes the world," he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves-and the world-for the better.

Admiral McRaven's original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life's darkest moments."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I live to serve!

 

 

 

 

**

 

Last night I finished Ilona Andrews' White Hot: A Hidden Legacy Novel which I enjoyed. Now I'm waiting for book three which is due out in August. Do read book one first.

 

"The Hidden Legacy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews continues as Nevada and Rogan navigate a world where magic is the norm…and their relationship burns hot

 

Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she's used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family's detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor "Mad" Rogan.

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada’s “talent.†But there’s no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice …"

 

Regards,

Kareni

I don't think I posted here but I read the first in that series, Burn for Me, last week. Quite enjoyed it and am on a wait list for White Hot.

 

I finished The Moonstone. Loved it.....and I even knew who did it for most of the book. ;)

 

Eta: pretty sure I listened to this one https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16637927-the-moonstone

 

:grouphug: to all that need one.

Edited June 26, 2017 by mumto2

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Mothersweets]

Does anyone here read Anne Bogel's  Modern Mrs.Darcy blog? or listen to What Should I Read Next?

 

I just signed up for her email list and by doing that, I received a reading journal designed by her - and this is so neat! There are quotes sprinkled thought the pages of the journal and our own SWB is included! 

 

Apparently Ms. Bogel is a big fan of SWB and also included her in a reading quiz she created. http://modernmrsdarcy.com/quiz   How fun!  

[Maus]

It's been a while since I posted... 

 

It took me fifteen minutes to find my last post so I could see where I left off.

 

24.  "Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor" by Jon Scieszka.  DD12 has started this series, looking for something that is easy to read like the "Creature from my Closet" series from Obert Skye she read a few months ago.  I try to read what the kids are reading.

 

23.  "Counseling with Our Councils" by M. Russell Ballard (LDS).

 

22. "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" by Avi.  First time I've read this, though I picked up a used copy several years ago.

 

21. "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief" by Lawrence Wright.

20. "QB: My Life Behind the Spiral" by Steve Young.

19. "Batneezer: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

18. "Lord of the Hat: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

17.  "Beyond Belief" by Jenna Miscavige Hill.

16. "Ruthless" by Ron Miscavige.

15. "Katfish: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

14. "Pinocula: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

13. "Potterwookiee: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

12. "Worth the Wrestle" by Sheri Dew (LDS).

11.  "Wonkenstein: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

10. "Cub Scout Wolf Handbook". 

9. "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

8. "A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy" by Sue Klebold

7. "Columbine" by Dave Cullen.

6. "Changed through His Grace" by Brad Wilcox (LDS)>

5. "The Reason I Jump" by Naoki Higashida.

4. "No Doubt About It" by Sheri Dew.

3. "Amazed by Grace" by Sheri Dew.

2. "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown.

1. "Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake" by Frank W. Abagnale.

 

[Angelaboord]

Postcards! I received one this week from the lovely Jane. [emoji2] Jane, your postcard sparked a conversation with my oldest ds about whether or not Iceland will be on his travel itinerary when he heads to Rome for the spring semester of his junior year since it is "on the way". We were wondering if Iceland in February was the kind of place one would want to visit or not. I keep meaning to show him the photos you shared on the thread, which I enjoyed very much!

 

I keep wanting to participate in BaW mail by actually sending something but time in my head behaves differently than time in the real world. Did anyone see Doctor Who on Saturday? There was a ship escaping from a black hole. Time at one end of the ship had slowed down so much that minutes on that end of the ship equaled years at the other end of the ship. That's basically the way I think time runs vs. the way time really runs. One day you will all get mail from me.

 

I only finished one book last week: Chemistry, by Weike Wang. It was ok. It reads very much like an MFA novel with some interesting discussion of Chinese culture and science thrown in.

 

I did begin W &P. I have to say that I liked Pierre in the very beginning, mainly because he seemed to be very real among all the others who were using "manners" to cloak themselves. I am not very far into the book at all, though, as you can probably tell.

 

I'm still reading David Sedaris' book Theft By Finding, and I still don't see how this book would be that good to "dip" into. I'm about 2/3 of the way through and his life has begun to turn around although he still has a way to go. I'm relieved. [emoji5]

 

And I read a Nathaniel Hawthorne short story this morning, The Birthmark. I wish we could track our other reading in Goodreads, or maybe I just want "credit". Anyway, it was one of his gothic/mad scientist stories, which I do enjoy -- a scientist marries a beautiful woman who has a small birthmark on her cheek in the shape of a hand. It may or may not mar her beauty, but the scientist becomes obsessed with it, sure that he can rid her of this imperfection which reminds him of her mortality. Thought-provoking, with strong echoes of Frankenstein. My 18 yo dd has to read a collection of short stories and excerpts for the honors program she'll start at her college in the fall, and this was the first story. I thought it sounded interesting, so I found it online and read it this morning.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Happy]

My reading list has been all over the place. In the last two weeks, I've read 'The White Princess' by Philippa Gregory. I'd seen the Starz mini series....which I ended up liking better than the book. A little more enhanced drama and mystery in the show. That was my first Philippa Gregory and I enjoyed it well enough to pick up another one soon.

 

Next was 'Moonlight Over Paris' by Jennifer Robson. An enjoyable read. I liked the details of an aspiring artist's life in 1920-something Paris. Not a keeper, but a nice read.

 

'The Automatic Millionaire' by David Bach was a good read--and depressing. If only I'd really applied this sort of thinking to our financial life a few decades ago. Then I remember we didn't save back then because we were flat broke all the time. :)

 

'Before We Were Yours' by Lisa Wingate. A gripping and heartwrenching story of children caught up in the machine that was the Tennessee Children's Home in the 1940s. A fictionalized account of a true life scandal. Adoption is dear to my heart and this story really caught my attention. One I will mull on for a long while.

 

Lastly was 'Hell's Rejects' by M. R. Forbes. Hmmm...its science fiction, which I enjoy. Rather military which I don't, but once I got into it, I found it hard to put down. I've discovered it's the first of a trilogy (I think) so I can see myself picking up the next one in the future.

 

I love reading through y'all's lists--my want to read list never gets shorter with y'all around. :)

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

A  currently free Kindle book that I think some here will enjoy; I did.  The author's website says this is for a limited time. ~

 

A Different Blue by Amy Harmon

 

This is classified as inspirational, and I don't recall any content that would be troubling.

 

"Blue Echohawk doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know her real name or when she was born. Abandoned at two and raised by a drifter, she didn't attend school until she was ten years old. At nineteen, when most kids her age are attending college or moving on with life, she is just a senior in high school. With no mother, no father, no faith, and no future, Blue Echohawk is a difficult student, to say the least. Tough, hard and overtly sexy, she is the complete opposite of the young British teacher who decides he is up for the challenge, and takes the troublemaker under his wing.

This is the story of a nobody who becomes somebody. It is the story of an unlikely friendship, where hope fosters healing and redemption becomes love. But falling in love can be hard when you don't know who you are. Falling in love with someone who knows exactly who they are and exactly why they can't love you back might be impossible."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Postcards! I received one this week from the lovely Jane. [emoji2] Jane, your postcard sparked a conversation with my oldest ds about whether or not Iceland will be on his travel itinerary when he heads to Rome for the spring semester of his junior year since it is "on the way". We were wondering if Iceland in February was the kind of place one would want to visit or not. I keep meaning to show him the photos you shared on the thread, which I enjoyed very much!

I keep wanting to participate in BaW mail by actually sending something but time in my head behaves differently than time in the real world. Did anyone see Doctor Who on Saturday? There was a ship escaping from a black hole. Time at one end of the ship had slowed down so much that minutes on that end of the ship equaled years at the other end of the ship. That's basically the way I think time runs vs. the way time really runs. One day you will all get mail from me.

I only finished one book last week: Chemistry, by Weike Wang. It was ok. It reads very much like an MFA novel with some interesting discussion of Chinese culture and science thrown in.

I did begin W &P. I have to say that I liked Pierre in the very beginning, mainly because he seemed to be very real among all the others who were using "manners" to cloak themselves. I am not very far into the book at all, though, as you can probably tell.

I'm still reading David Sedaris' book Theft By Finding, and I still don't see how this book would be that good to "dip" into. I'm about 2/3 of the way through and his life has begun to turn around although he still has a way to go. I'm relieved. [emoji5]

And I read a Nathaniel Hawthorne short story this morning, The Birthmark. I wish we could track our other reading in Goodreads, or maybe I just want "credit". Anyway, it was one of his gothic/mad scientist stories, which I do enjoy -- a scientist marries a beautiful woman who has a small birthmark on her cheek in the shape of a hand. It may or may not mar her beauty, but the scientist becomes obsessed with it, sure that he can rid her of this imperfection which reminds him of her mortality. Thought-provoking, with strong echoes of Frankenstein. My 18 yo dd has to read a collection of short stories and excerpts for the honors program she'll start at her college in the fall, and this was the first story. I thought it sounded interesting, so I found it online and read it this morning.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

 

Dd's bf went to Iceland last February on an organized school trip for her geography glass.....here that means more the studying glaciers at gcse level etc. I know things went well but she needed some serious cold weather gear and that might not be what your ds wants to pack for Rome!

 

Short stories......many are on Goodreads and I have a category called short stories for ones I want to remember that I have read. I also put my novellas in and consider it it's own category at the end of the year. They do end up in my big count done by Goodreads for the challenge. I can't figure out how to stop that. Which leads me to Matryoshka's idea.......

 

 

 

So I'm cleaning and decluttering the house in preparation for an exchange student that's arriving on Thursday.  Yes, I procrastinate.  :p   Thanks so much for helping with that, BaW. ;)

 

Dh and I were moving stuff around in the attic to make room for boxes of stuff from my twins' college dorms and his mother's house that have been taking up room in living areas, and I came across a box of my old books.  I started looking through them and wondering what to do with them, because it's ridiculous to keep them in the attic where I'll never see them, but every bookshelf in my house is already full and I have stacks more of books to do something with.  I have a hard time getting rid of books I've liked (this is one reason besides cost I've been using the library and Overdrive so heavily this year - I do not need to get attached to any more physical books!!).  Anyway, I think it's because I like looking at them and remembering what I've read.  These books are mostly mass-market paperbacks - the tiny kind with no white space that honestly my old eyes can't even read anymore.  I'd likely get a new copy from the library if I wanted to re-read.

 

And then I remembered Goodreads.  I can 'look back' at my shelves there.  So I think I may have finally found a way to let these old books go...  I may bring them down and match the covers.  When I started on Goodreads I didn't realize that was a thing I could do (and didn't remember which cover a book had).  So, yay Goodreads!

Help me think this through, I would love to record my reading from the past in my Goodreads but don't want to effect my yearly count. I know I can create shelves to organize it but exactly how are you planning to do this? I know how to do the covers it's not making myself read 1000 books in 2017 that I am trying to figure out.

 

I just created a previously read exclusive shelf which will take care of it I think. I need to figure out how to rate etc. I have some years book lists etc to record. Ideas??????

[Matryoshka]

Help me think this through, I would love to record my reading from the past in my Goodreads but don't want to effect my yearly count. I know I can create shelves to organize it but exactly how are you planning to do this? I know how to do the covers it's not making myself read 1000 books in 2017 that I am trying to figure out.

 

I just created a previously read exclusive shelf which will take care of it I think. I need to figure out how to rate etc. I have some years book lists etc to record. Ideas??????

 

If you just mark a book as "Read", it doesn't give it any read date, and won't affect your yearly count.  I don't have a 'Previously Read' shelf, as that's already exactly what the "Read" shelf is.  Things you've previously read.  So go delete that new shelf - you don't need it. :)

 

I joined Goodreads in January this year.  I have 465 books on my "Read" shelf but I still only have 67 on this year's count.  The only reason I have any on last year's count is that I went in and manually gave them "Read" dates of sometime last year (though I had to guess what they were).  I add new books to my "Read" list all the time as I come across or remember books I know I've read.  I usually rate them (just with stars), but not always - that's optional.  If you give a book stars, it will both rate it and mark it as "Read" in one step.  With no read date.  Easy peasy, one step.

 

If you want to mark a book as "Read" without rating it, just click the arrow to the right of the "Want to Read" green bar below the book picture, and scroll down and pick "Read".  If you rate it first, you can skip this step.

 

If you want to match a book with a cover, that is an extra step, as is giving a book marked this way a "Read" date.  I haven't bothered for anything previous to last year - I really have no memory of when I read it, just that I did.

 

I do have shelves by subject, so if I want to go back and look at SciFi books I've read, or Spanish books I've read, I don't have to look at all 465 books! :lol:

Edited June 27, 2017 by Matryoshka

[Chrysalis Academy]

Does anyone here read Anne Bogel's  Modern Mrs.Darcy blog? or listen to What Should I Read Next?

 

I just signed up for her email list and by doing that, I received a reading journal designed by her - and this is so neat! There are quotes sprinkled thought the pages of the journal and our own SWB is included! 

 

Apparently Ms. Bogel is a big fan of SWB and also included her in a reading quiz she created. http://modernmrsdarcy.com/quiz   How fun!  

 

Hah, that was a fun quiz, but I had a hard time choosing which answer to check - on several of the questions there was more than one choice that seemed to work equally well.  I got "The English Major" which is probably what I should have been . . .  That was fun, thanks for sharing.

 

ETA: I've read all the "what should I read next" suggestions, so apparently it's right on!

Edited June 27, 2017 by Chrysalis Academy

[Penguin]

I finished Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family last night, and am looking forward to the book club discussion tonight. 

 

Nicole Maines is a confident young woman, and I love that about her. I also watched her TED talk, Transgender: You're Part of the Story. But it was the story of the family that really pulled me in. I spent a lot of time thinking about the decisions and sacrifices that were made by each individual for the sake of the family, and I appreciated reading about the individual struggles as well as the impact on the fabric of the family as a whole.

 

But when Mom and the twins moved 2+ hours away from Dad so the kids could escape a toxic school environment only to attend a middle school that was merely a different flavor of toxic, I was baffled. Admittedly, I wanted to shout at the book: What about homeschooling?! 

 

One of my IRL friends has suggested that I now read This is How It Always Is, a novel about a family with a transgender child. I have added that to my TBR list.

 

Hoping to start W&P today!

Edited June 27, 2017 by Penguin

[Jane in NC]

I hope you are enjoying it, Jane. I really did enjoy that one. Ds read it too before we sent it to you.

 

 

 

 

 

Ohhhhh.... <rubbing hands gleefully>! Maybe we can come up with some really tough or odd ones for 2018.

 

 

Bwahahahaha!

 

(Pssst to my partners in crime who helped create the 240 list -- I guess we'd better start thinking of some categories!)

 

 

Challenge accepted, Stacia!

 

The first line in the quote above refers to the novel Good Morning Comrades by Angolan writer Onjaki.  What an engaging and well written tale!  Then I read the afterward...  This went from being a good book to a great book.  Angola was one of the countries that I studied back in my undergrad days in a Comparative Government class.  It was one of the last African nations to gain independence from its European colonizer, in this case Portugal in 1975.  What was fascinating to my political science prof was the role that Cuba played in shaping Angola--and that is what we see in Good Morning Comrades.  The afterward really helps the reader see the role of nationalism in shaping perspective.  Fascinating. (Obviously that Comparative Government class that I took decades ago was one I really enjoyed!  I can't believe how much I have retained from it.)

 

Rose, I will send you this one as you might want to preread it for Shannon's use down the road.

 

I have been trying to prune my library lists which have been out of control.  A couple of years ago I started creating recommender lists so that I could thank the person who suggested I read a certain author or book.  For some reason, J.L. Carr's A Month in the Country landed on the Stacia list.  I am fairly confident she did not recommend this.  I suspect that I put it on a library list after watching the film version on PBS starring Colin Firth and Kenneth Brannagh.  Here is a review from the Guardian. In between W&P and essays on Getting Lost, I will enjoy the restorative power of A Month in the Country.

 

 

Remove Your Shoes … and Your Books 

Faculty groups alarmed by potential impact of new TSA plan for screening carry-on luggage.

 

Oh boy.  I can't "like" this post. Nor do I want anyone rifling through my books or documents. 

[ErinE]

Hah, that was a fun quiz, but I had a hard time choosing which answer to check - on several of the questions there was more than one choice that seemed to work equally well. I got "The English Major" which is probably what I should have been . . . That was fun, thanks for sharing.

 

ETA: I've read all the "what should I read next" suggestions, so apparently it's right on!

I got Explorer, but I suspect it describes most of us on the BAW threads.

 

"The Explorer knows that a reader lives a thousand lives. This type enjoys experiencing a world of possibilities and firmly agrees that reading builds empathy. Explorers are thoughtful about what they read next. They are likely to get their book recommendations from their fellow readers and sometimes fellow travelers, the issues of the day, and their own research."

[Chrysalis Academy]

I got Explorer, but I suspect it describes most of us on the BAW threads.

 

"The Explorer knows that a reader lives a thousand lives. This type enjoys experiencing a world of possibilities and firmly agrees that reading builds empathy. Explorers are thoughtful about what they read next. They are likely to get their book recommendations from their fellow readers and sometimes fellow travelers, the issues of the day, and their own research."

 

Yep, that sounds like me, too! I think what skewed me toward the English Major was the fact that I'm a mad introvert IRL. The fellow readers I interact with are you guys, not actual flesh-and-blood people. (I know you guys are all real, but you know what I mean!  ;)  :D )

[Chrysalis Academy]

Challenge accepted, Stacia!

 

The first line in the quote above refers to the novel Good Morning Comrades by Angolan writer Onjaki.  What an engaging and well written tale!  Then I read the afterward...  This went from being a good book to a great book.  Angola was one of the countries that I studied back in my undergrad days in a Comparative Government class.  It was one of the last African nations to gain independence from its European colonizer, in this case Portugal in 1975.  What was fascinating to my political science prof was the role that Cuba played in shaping Angola--and that is what we see in Good Morning Comrades.  The afterward really helps the reader see the role of nationalism in shaping perspective.  Fascinating. (Obviously that Comparative Government class that I took decades ago was one I really enjoyed!  I can't believe how much I have retained from it.)

 

Rose, I will send you this one as you might want to preread it for Shannon's use down the road.

 

 

 

Hah, Jane, as I was reading the description, I was thinking, "I'd like to read that book," and then I got to the next paragraph - you are way ahead of me! Thanks a million. 

[Matryoshka]

I got Explorer, but I suspect it describes most of us on the BAW threads.

 

"The Explorer knows that a reader lives a thousand lives. This type enjoys experiencing a world of possibilities and firmly agrees that reading builds empathy. Explorers are thoughtful about what they read next. They are likely to get their book recommendations from their fellow readers and sometimes fellow travelers, the issues of the day, and their own research."

I got Student, but I there were a couple of questions where there were for me two equally good answers, and if I'd picked the other I would have gotten Explorer, specifically the one that asked why you read - seeing things from another perspective, or learning new things makes me feel alive. Well, both!!!

 

The description for Student and Explorer aren't all that different, I think...

 

The Student

 

"The Student loves to learn, and loves to learn new things, just for the fun of it. You might read deeply on one subject you're passionate about; you may enjoy reading widely on a huge variety of interesting topics. Either way, new ideas make you feel energized. You're likely to get your book recommendations from colleagues, experts in various fields, and your own targeted research."

[Kareni]

Apparently Ms. Bogel is a big fan of SWB and also included her in a reading quiz she created. http://modernmrsdarcy.com/quiz   How fun!  

 

I too am an Explorer.

**

 

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~  The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracián

 

"Life guidance from a famed Renaissance man.

 

This influential work of philosophy by one of the great thinkers of the Renaissance era advises people of all walks of life how to approach political, professional, and personal situations in a dog-eat-dog world. Comprised of three hundred pithy aphorisms, it offers thought-provoking and accessible advice. Some subjects include “Never Compete,†“The Art of Letting Things Alone,†and “Anticipate Injuries and Turn Them into Favours.â€"

 

Regards,

Kareni