Book a Week 2017 - BW27: Scifi July

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday and welcome to week 27 in our 2017 adventurous prime reading year. Greetings to all our readers and those following our progress. Mister Linky is available weekly on 52 Books in 52 Weeks  to share a link to your book reviews.

 

 

We embracing the heat with Scifi July, our author of the month, Octavia Butler as well as this month's gemstone, Ruby.  This month we are celebrating Independence Day in the United States in honor of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, 241 years ago on July 4, 1776.  July is also National Blueberry, Hot dog, Ice Cream and Cell Phone Courtesy month.  Let's not forget Video Game day, Embrace your Geekness day, Global Hug Your Kids day as well as Ugly Truck Day and Threading the Needle Day. 

 

Our birthstone of the month is one of my favorites - Ruby.  Is anyone else thinking of Dorothy with her ruby red slippers.   There's no place like home.   You may choose to spell out the word, reading one book per letter or read a book with the name or the colors of the stone in the title.  Or perhaps find an author whose name is Ruby.   You may decide to find a book set in the time period where the birthstone was discovered or surrounding the myth and lore or set in countries where the birthstone is currently found.

 

Rubies were originally discovered in Myanmar (Burma) in the ancient times and soldiers thought the stones made them invincible.  Rubies have long been believed to symbols of passion, protections and prosperity. They were traded along China's North Silk Road and the stones were buried beneath the foundations of building to secure good fortune. Thailand is the main source today and the gemstones are also found in India, Madagascar, Russia, Kenya, Afghanistan and Pakistan.  

 

Our armchair travels continue as we delve into Science Fiction this month.  According to the Gunn Center for the study of science fiction, the genre is the literature of the human species encountering change through science, technology, and cultural shifts as well as ideas and philosophy, alternative point of view and an approach to understanding the universe.  More simply put, it is speculative fiction about the future, taking us through time and space and parallel universes.  

 

The sub genres vary from alien invasion to steampunk to artificial intelligence to nanotechnology to space operas. World's Without End has always been a fun site to explore  when it comes to finding science fiction and fantasy reads.  Other sites include Unbound Worlds, Tor, and SFFworld.  Our mini challenge - Mind Voyages  - also provides a variety of Hugo and Nebula award winners and nominees from which to choose. Octavia Butler, our author of the month, won numerous awards for her science fiction short stories, novelettes and books.  I have Dawn in my book stacks to read this month and will talk more about Octavia next week. 

 

Happy reading! 

 

**************************

 

War and Peace – Read  Volume one – part three

 

 

 

Story of Western Science:  Chapter 22 with seven  more chapters to go!

 

**************************

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

Link to week 26

 

Edited July 2, 2017 by Robin M

[Robin M]

Sorry gang, I was a complete slug this morning.  My kitty alarms didn't work. James nicely put them outside.  :laugh:

 

I just finished #7 in Wheel of Time – A Crown of Swords – and it seemed a bit more chaotic with a lot more characters coming into play and poor Matt being treated rather shabbily for most of the book. Last night I delved into The Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes which is pretty darn good.  Also  reading Fire Up Your Writing Brain by Susan Reynolds which is quite interesting and just downloaded a new release by a blogging friend -  Journaling towards Wholeness by Molly Totoro.     I’m ready to dive into War and Peace and give it my complete attention…sort of, kinda, maybe.  :thumbup1:   

 

I finished Sage Cohen’s Fierce on the Page which totally inspired me into starting a new blog and doing a  30 day post every day on my blog personal challenge. I managed quite successfully and now I’m back  in the habit of writing every day. Yeah!  My goal is to do the same this month and I’m experimenting with drawing, poetry and flash fiction as well as talking about books and writing.  I picked up two books on writing poetry  -Sage Cohen’s   Writing the Life Poetic and In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet’s Portable Workshop by Steve Kowit.  Will be working through both this summer. Always good to learn something new. 

[Loesje22000]

I finished several books:

 

Sister of my heart (Divakaruni)

The Timetravellers wife

Red Rosa (graphic novel by Kate Evans)

 

Continuing:

Outlander#2

W&P

 

I tried the movie ' Cloud Atlas' tonight, but decided to abandon it.

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers.  (I've posted this one previously; I recall a conversation about dwarfs/dwarves and wonder if this was the book that instigated it.) ~

 

Bee: The Princess of the Dwarfs by Anatole France

 

About the Author

Anatole France (pseudonym of Jacques Anatol Thibault, 1844- 1924) was the most prominent French man of letters of his time. France's style was precise, elegant, gentle, ironic, and humorous. He was elected to the French Academy, and in 1921 was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. Some of his other works include The Aspirations of Jean Servien, The Revolt of the Angels, and Penguin Island.

 

 

"When her true love is abducted by mysterious creatures, a girl must summon the strength to save him

From the moment they met as young children, Bee and George have been bound together by a deep love. But when George goes off on a quest to a forbidden lake, home to dangerous water nymphs, it is up to Bee to rescue him. On her adventure she meets Loc, the king of the dwarfs, who proves to be more kind and generous than the humans she knows. Even as he showers her with riches in an attempt to make her stay, Bee never loses sight of her purpose: finding George. She will do anything to get him back.

A fairy tale for all ages, Bee: The Princess of the Dwarfs is a classic that has delighted children and adults alike for more than a century with its ebullient characters and wondrous worlds."

**

 

Also currently free ~

 

In honor of Scifi July:  Youth by Isaac Asimov  

 

"Two young boys find some very unusual new pets in this short story from a Grand Master of Science Fiction.

Tagging along while his astronomer father visits an industrialist at his vast estate, young Slim is lucky enough to make fast friends with the industrialist’s son, Red, who has recently caught some very strange animals on the property.
 
The animals seem intelligent enough, and Red recruits Slim to help him train the odd creatures to do circus tricks. But the boys are about to discover their playthings aren’t exactly animals—and they’ve allowed themselves to be caught for a reason . . .
 
Youth is a riveting tale from the author of countless classics, including I, Robot and the Foundation Trilogy, which won the Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series."

**

 

a romance: The Wrong Child  by Patricia Kay

 

"A SciFi that soars ..." Kirkus, starred:  Saving Mars (Saving Mars Series Book 1)   by Cidney Swanson

 

also by the same author, a story about a young woman who can turn invisible:  Rippler (Ripple Series Book 1)

 

Christian science fiction also featuring invisibility:  Stealthy Steps (Nanostealth Book 1)  by Vikki Kestell

 

 

Others books that look intriguing ~

 

Echoes (Echoes Book 1)  by Therin Knite

 

The Summoned Mage (Convergence Book 1)  by Melissa McShane  

 

The Time Travel Trailer  by Karen Musser Nortman

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Just Robyn]

Rose, I read your daughter's story. So charming and well crafted. Congrats and thank you for sharing! 

 

I am with you guys on W&P - finished Book 1, Part 2 yesterday. I am also reading Tolkien's Tree and Leaf, and a YA novel, Eyes Like Stars. 

 

Some books I think I finished sometime between the last time I posted and now:

 

Freud: The Key Ideas by Ruth Snowden - a readable overview of Freud that seems balanced.

 

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen - very similar to the movie, quick and interesting read. I liked the style and will consider trying one of the author's novels.

 

Islam and the Future of Tolerance: A Dialogue by Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz - informative, readable, talks about varying groups of Muslims, various problems and practical solutions - Harris's thoughts being more idealistic and Nawaz's more practical and therefore, in this case, more helpful, imo

 

Rumpelstiltskin - And Other Angry Imps with Rather Unusual Names - by Amelia Carruthers - several Rumpelstiltskin-ish tales from around the world.

 

[Jane in NC]

Despite the distractions of the week, I did read our W&P assignment.  My 21st century eyes have a hard time understanding how soldiers functioned during the Napoleonic Wars, i.e. the formal lines marching toward each other with soldiers moving ahead as others around them fall, the constant marching wearing their great coats, shakos and packs, etc. Maintaining order amongst the thousands of troops must have been a challenge. 

 

I do have an alligator story for you.  Some of the neighbors gathered on a dock for a glass of wine on Friday.  It was then noted that an alligator had appeared the last couple of mornings in the estuary where it would sun itself on a bank opposite the dock.  A few weeks ago we were canoeing in these waters.  A fishermen a block or so up said that we were brave, that an alligator was living in the neighborhood.  I thought this was just fisherman hyperbole but apparently not.  When my husband proposed kayaking in these waters yesterday, I raised an eyebrow.  We had a nice beach walk instead.

 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished listening to Rabbit Cake yesterday.  I loved it, adored it, and highly, highly recommend it. The narrator's voice - a 12 year old girl - is the best, freshest child-voice since Scout.  This was a heartwarming, chuckle-worthy, mildly tearjerking novel about coping with loss and coping with those left behind. It was truly wonderful, one of the best books I've "read" in a long time. Seems like I say that a lot, but I really mean it!

 

Sci-fi month: I guess I jumped the gun on my re-read of Dune, one of the grandaddys of sci fi. This is probably my 4th or 5th re-read, and I find something new every time. I absolutely love the last line: "History will call us wives" and continue to love the characters of Jessica and Chani.  This time I was struck (as I'm sure many have been) by the description of a desert people persecuted by a dominant force developing the culture of jihad. What an unfortunate prescience Herbert showed with that creation. I was also struck that Dune reads to me like a book in desperate search of prequels, rather than sequels. I never liked FH's sequels as much as the original book, and BH's prequels, while interesting, don't live up to the standards of Dune, IMO. 

 

Ruby: I put Ruby by Cynthia Bond on hold - has anyone read that?

 

I'm currently reading The Sirens of Titan (a little serendipity with Stacia), War with the Newts, An Everlasting Meal, and The Good Gut, and listening to Stardust. I've finished 140 books this year, which puts me one month/20 books ahead of schedule. And there are so many things I'm dying to read! So many books, so little time. 

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[mumto2]

I am determined to finish spelling. Alexandrite so have put other reading on hold for the moment. I am a few pages into Taken by Benedict Jacka for a T and finished Black Ribbon by Susan Conant for a R. I just need my E book to come off hold! I had three E books where I was next in line on Overdrive and suddenly moved to 2 people ahead of me on one. I guess people had suspended it. Strange! I deleted that one so am just waiting for one of the others.

 

Susan Conant writes an interesting series called Dog Lover's mystery's which I used to read and own all of pre big move. My bf has the books now and has continued the collection. I've been meaning to go back to reading them and recently noticed some of them including Black Ribbon in my Overdrive library. This is one I can't remember at all although I must have bought it....I was pregnant when it was released so brain fog maybe. The one isn't set in Cambridge MA like most of the series and is missing most of the reoccurring characters so not a favourite. At some point I will read from this point on.....https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39362.Black_Ribbon

 

We didn't get to go to the beach today. :( Ds didn't have one of his assignments done for his online class and they are due tonight. He needs to learn to read his syllabus better and has received lots of lessons\advice from his family today! Considering that he is still typing away not going was a good call. BTW, I just finished the first weeks War and Peace assignment so don't wait for me. I do intend to catch up but want a few days to finish my current books and a couple that will return very soon. I feel a bit guilty after giving Ds a serious lecture this morning on the importance of reading one's textbook! Mom's a slacker but at least he doesn't know! ;)

[Ali in OR]

I finished Spaceman of Bohemia this week and loved it. I didn't really have any expectations going into, so it easily exceeded my hopes for it. I had great great grandparents who emigrated from Bohemia in the 1860's or 70's and I really know very little about Bohemia, but I'm curious to learn more through reading. I really need to find a history book or something from or about 19th century Bohemia, but Spaceman of Bohemia didn't disappoint in giving me a taste of their culture and who they are as a people. There were so many themes touched on this book--loneliness, humanity, being a little country in a superpower world, strains of infertility on a marriage, corruption within communism, corruption within capitalism, death, leaving a legacy, the joys of nutella. I expect this book to be on my top 5 list for the year, and I think it would make a good Christmas present for my dad (not coincidentally also of Bohemian extraction).

 

I'm also all caught up in W&P. Woohoo! Part 2 was a war section, and while not quite as fun as the Part 1 Peace section for me, I still enjoyed it and could follow it just fine. Though 50 years earlier than the Civil War, I think having read about that war and having watched enough Ken Burns, I was better prepared for understanding the military action. And Tolstoy is still delighting with his character portrayals. I tried listening to the Librivox Maude version while on a long drive but had some trouble following it. They have different readers for every chapter. Some don't get the phrasing and emphasis quite right, all are foreign accents, they handle the French translation in different ways, etc. I had to skim the section I had listened to to make sure I caught everything, so I think I'll be sticking to print. On to part 3!

[Matryoshka]

I didn't get that much read this week.  Only one book technically, but I did finish a second one this morning before getting out of bed, so I'll include that here: 

 

68. Tooth & Claw by Jo Walton.  Prim cannibalistic dragons try to secure their fortunes and place in society by influence and marriage.  For a June fantasy book and also Big Bingo "No human characters".  3.5 stars.

 

69. The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston (ebook).  Actually ended up quite enjoying this.  A nice distraction from all the drawing room conversation in both W&P and Tooth and Claw. 4 stars.

 

 

Currently Reading:

 

- The Round House by Louise Erdich (audiobook)  I'm liking this quite a bit.  

 

- War and Peace (of course :) )  I'd like to blame my lack of other reading on this, but I didn't even manage to keep up with this!  But I've read a bunch today now that I finished some other books, and am now only about 20 pp from finishing last week's piece.

 

Our exchange student arrived this week, so much of my time was taken up decluttering and cleaning.  At least I sometimes remembered to listen to my ebook while decluttering. ;)  And now she's here we'll be likely going places, but fortunately she and my dd16 seem to be getting on very well, so they have some adventures planned together so I don't have to do all the work.

 

Coming Up:

 

- The Radium Girls (ebook) came in on Overdrive hold, so that's my next ebook.

 

- All Our Wrong Todays - kept getting postponed in favor of other things since SciFi book club was postponed, but it's time to start reading.

 

- A Long Way Home came in after a long wait at the library, so I should get to that, but not sure if it will be this week...

 

- Next audio book... I have a bunch of things on suspended hold (they came in too fast!), so I should pick one.  I'm thinking maybe Dune?  Unlike Rose, I have never read that, and as a SciFi fan that's probably almost unforgivable... ;)

 

 

[Matryoshka]

Looking for some recommendations... 

 

- A Ruby book.  Anyone know of a good one that might pique my interest?  Searching for "Ruby" got waaaay too many hits to sort through...

 

- Stacia brought up Kurt Vonnegut.  There's a Big Bingo square for him.  I remember reading a bunch of books of his years back, but the only titles I'm 100% sure I read are Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five.  I'm pretty sure I read some more, though. I remember liking all of them quite a bit (just not enough to remember the names of the others, apparently...).  Anyway, any recommendations which I should read for Big Bingo?

[Matryoshka]

I am with you guys on W&P - finished Book 1, Part 2 yesterday. 

 

Which translation?  I don't have you down yet. :D  :bigear:

[Chrysalis Academy]

I tried Ruby a year or two ago, but I found it sad & it wasn't what I wanted at the time. (I didn't finish it; I couldn't deal with the level of violence against girls/women.)

 

I read The Sirens of Titan about 25 years ago & remember not liking it, lol. It might have been the first one of his I read. I've never revisited it, but maybe I should. I'm guessing I might like it much better at this point.

 

Good to know; I probably wouldn't like it then. Thanks.

 

I'm actually enjoying Sirens of Titan quite a bit so far. I don't think I would have gotten it 25 years ago!!  :lol:

[Jane in NC]

J.L. Carr's A Month in the Country is a quiet gem, a novella that has been republished by the New York Review of Books which offers this description:

In J. L. Carr’s deeply charged poetic novel, Tom Birkin, a veteran of the Great War and a broken marriage, arrives in the remote Yorkshire village of Oxgodby where he is to restore a recently discovered medieval mural in the local church. Living in the bell tower, surrounded by the resplendent countryside of high summer, and laboring each day to uncover an anonymous painter’s depiction of the apocalypse, Birkin finds that he himself has been restored to a new, and hopeful, attachment to life. But summer ends, and with the work done, Birkin must leave. Now, long after, as he reflects on the passage of time and the power of art, he finds in his memories some consolation for all that has been lost.

 

 

 

The author's obituary in the Independent provides a lovely anecdote:

 

The Carrs began by publishing hand-drawn historical maps of the English counties, and tiny booklet selections of celebrated poets. An early edition of John Clare retailed at sixpence for adults and fourpence for children. Carr recalled that after a mention in the Guardian 'Letters came tied in bundles. I lost a penny on each book thanks to the enormous number of children with thoroughly mature handwriting.'

 

I am not sure how this book ever found its way on my library lists, but I am delighted that it did!

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

I've recently finished a couple of book.  Last night I finished Jo Goodman's most recent western historical romance A Touch of Frost which I enjoyed.

 

"RESCUE ME

After his train is robbed at gunpoint, Remington Frost awakens from a blow to find the bandits gone…along with the woman he was shadowing for protection. No stranger to risk, Remington will do what it takes to bring Phoebe Apple to safety and her kidnappers to justice. But ransoming Phoebe is just the start of trouble…

Phoebe is shocked to learn that her mysterious rescuer is none other than Remington Frost, the son of her sister’s new husband. Home at Twin Star Ranch, she falls happily into western life—and cautiously in love with Remington. But danger hides close to home, and their romance illuminates a web of secrets and betrayal that may put the rancher and his intended bride past the point of rescue."

**

 

I also read The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook: Over 125 Delicious, Life-Changing, Plant-Based Recipes  by Ann Crile Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn and found a few promising new recipes that I've passed along to my husband (the chef de la maison).

 

"Hundreds of thousands of readers have been inspired to turn their lives around by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn’s Jr.’s bestseller, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. The plant-based nutrition plan Dr. Esselstyn advocates based on his twenty-year nutritional study—the most comprehensive of its kind—is proven to stop and reverse even advanced coronary disease, and is built on the message the Esselstyn family has lived by for years: Your health is truly in your own hands, and what you eat matters.

Mother-daughter team Ann and Jane Esselstyn have decades of experience developing delicious, healthful recipes for both their family and Dr. Esselstyn’s many grateful patients. Now, they combine their expertise to offer you the cookbook companion to Dr. Esselstyn’s groundbreaking book, with more than 125 easy and mouthwatering recipes, brimming with nourishment for your heart and your overall health. From their quick and easy meals like Fast Pasta and Greens and delicious “Sloppy Joes†to their indulgent desserts like their signature Kale Cake and Minty Frozen Chocolate Balls, these recipes will empower you to reclaim your health and discover the pleasures of eating plant-based."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Just Robyn]

Which translation?  I don't have you down yet. :D   :bigear:

 

Maude, and it's lovely.

[mumto2]

J.L. Carr's A Month in the Country is a quiet gem, a novella that has been republished by the New York Review of Books.

When I read the description I instantly thought of of this location with medieval wall paintings. This church currently sits in Nottinghamshire but the county lines are historically fairly fluid where it is so very possibly Yorkshire at some point in history. http://www.paintedchurch.org/blyth.htm. it's a nice church with a good bell tower. ;) The church is listed in the 1000 best churches book by Simon Jenkins because of the paintings.

[Violet Crown]

Home at last. Woke up 21 hours and 50 Fahrenheit degrees ago. Read a lot of Lautréamont today because he's just as comprehensible when jetlagged and sleep deprived as at any other time. Starting War and Peace ... tomorrow.

[JennW in SoCal]

This week's War and Peace playlist jumps ahead in the book, but I thought Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture would fit the holiday week. It was Arthur Fiedler who started the tradition of having the 1812 Overture played on the 4th of July at the big outdoor pops concert, complete with fireworks and canon. It has become a staple of summer pops concerts all over the country, whether on the 4th or not, to have a big spectacular featuring this work. 

 

My one and only experience of this sort was way back in college. The small community orchestra in Roswell, NM would hire college kids from the 2 big NM universities and El Paso to flesh out its ranks for big concerts and I joined the fun for a Father's Day concert in the park back in, oh, 1979? 1980? I remember the program featured music from Star Wars, The William Tell Overture (Lone Ranger theme to some of you) and our big finale was to be the 1812. I was stoked. There were no canons in the park, no fireworks planned, but the conductor said not to worry, he had a brilliant plan to create the sound of a firing canon. Yeah, right. His brilliant plan???

 

 

 

--wait for it ---

 

 

 

 

 

Using a handgun to fire blanks into a metal trash can!!!! :lol:  :smilielol5:  :rofl:     And guess what it sounded like??  Someone shooting into to a metal trash can!  We got "CLANK!" instead of boom!  

 

Here is a nice narrative of the 1812 Overture, complete with links to a recording to listen to while you read the narrative, and links to the hymns and folk tunes Tchaikovsky wove into the work. 

 

Wikipedia has a nice article, too, about the work, if you want a little more information.  

[Mothersweets]

Jenn, I love how you are giving us music every week! Huzzah! :)

 

I only read a few more chapters of W&P this week - I'm still in the military campaign of part one. I've been trying to listen to some of the audio of the chapters that have me a bit confused. For example, the chapter where Prince Andrei leaves home had me scratching my head. HIs family was so...odd. The father was so cold and rigid and Andrei's wife was so melodramatic when he left (screaming and fainting  :huh: ?). It helped me to understand the characters intent after listening to those few chapters.

 

I had several hold books come in for me from the library so I wanted to get them read right away. 

 

A Fine Romance:Falling in Love With the English Countryside by Susan Branch. Lovely book! This is the third in the series and I loved all the details of her trip through the English countryside and found the author's enthusiasm charming.  I think my favorite of the three books is the second one. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17977817-a-fine-romance

 

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry. I loved this book! I've been seeing it on all the summer reading lists and "books to read in 2017" lists and thought I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did! It took me a chapter or two to get into it but once I did I think I read it in two days. I'm the worst at describing books so here is the link to Goodreads for it https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075861-the-essex-serpent

One thing that was really different in the book is that the main character has a 12yo son who seems to be autistic or on the spectrum somehow (I'm sorry I'm not sure of the correct terms). The other characters in the story treat him gently and we are privy to his thought processes a bit and I just loved him.

 

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya  Menon. Really liked this one, too! YA about two Indian-American teens whose parents are trying to play matchmaker with them. It was a bit different and I enjoyed the back and forth between the two characters. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28458598-when-dimple-met-rishi

Edited July 3, 2017 by Mothersweets

[Matryoshka]

Maude, and it's lovely.

 

I added you - it's still in last week's thread, but should be easy to find if anyone wants it - it's the 2nd post in Week 26.

[Kareni]

Home at last. Woke up 21 hours and 50 Fahrenheit degrees ago. Read a lot of Lautréamont today because he's just as comprehensible when jetlagged and sleep deprived as at any other time. Starting War and Peace ... tomorrow.

 

Welcome home!

 

...The small community orchestra in Roswell, NM would hire college kids from the 2 big NM universities and El Paso to flesh out its ranks for big concerts and I joined the fun for a Father's Day concert in the park back in, oh, 1979? 1980?

 

When I hear mention of Roswell, NM, I'll admit that community orchestras are not what come to mind!

 

 

... There were no canons in the park...

 

But what about all of that fine art and literature??!!

**

 

I finished perusing another book of recipes.  This book is quite different from the book I mentioned earlier today which uses only fruits, vegetables, and grains and includes no oil or meat.  The recipes in this book happily use Splenda, Crisco, and the like.  Still, it was definitely worth a read.

 

The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium International Cookbook  by Donald A Gazzaniga

 

"When a serious heart problem caused Don Gazzaniga to give up his career in communications, he was warned to keep to a diet with very little salt or other sodium. Undaunted, he discovered a way to continue enjoying the meals he loved and still keep his sodium level far below what most cardiologists feel they can expect from their patients.

The idea has led to three published books found on the kitchen shelves of thousands of grateful families dealing with congestive heart failure. First came a large general cookbook. It was followed by a baking book, and then a book of recipes for light meals and snacks. What could be next?

 

Before Don's illness, he and his wife, Maureen, traveled a lot. Don's job took him all over the globe. And wherever they went, they sought out that country's traditional dishes. When the light-meals book was finished, Don was looking for yet another low-sodium cookbook idea. He and Maureen pulled out their collection of recipes, did their magic of making them very low on sodium, and voilà! The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium International Cookbook is a delicious and healthy treat for the entire family."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

I read A Dark Time in America - 5 Stars - Dennis Prager is a favorite of mine and I always enjoy his wisdom and insight. This fantastic and thought-provoking read is a collection of his columns from 2014.

 

Some of my favorite quotes:

 

“If your parents bring you no shame, be very grateful. If you're proud of them, celebrate.â€

 

“No matter how old you are, as long as a parent is alive, you are still a child. It is only after both die that you cease being a child. And then, all of a sudden, not only are you no longer a child, you are also next in line.â€

 

“Israel is the only country in the world targeted for annihilation.â€

 

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

Fantastic, couldn't put it down

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay – nothing to write home about

1 Star

Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

[Onceuponatime]

I've been reading a lot, just not finishing anything. Today I should finish the DK Sociology book, which I've been using as tool to study for my sociology CLEP. I'm almost done with the Haunted Bookshop, which is not quite as charming as Parnassus on Wheels. Mr. Morley uses this story as a vehicle for his political sentiments after WWI. While I empathize, it does distract from the main story. He also goes off on rapturous philosophical tangents about his favorite books and authors.

 

I've also been reading The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger. Halfway through, I am tempted to move it to the unfinished category. The story has been mildly entertaining so far but "I have a bad feeling about this" and I'm not up for sticking it out through a sad ending. So, I committed a personal sin and looked at multiple reviews to try to piece together the direction the story would take. Meh.

 

I need to get started on A Separate Peace by John Knowles, for my bookclub meeting on Thursday.

[ErinE]

Books read last week:

• The Chosen by J. R. Ward. Paranormal Romance. A new mother is conflicted between her love interest and her children.
• Kraken by China Mieville. Weird Fiction. The theft of a preserved squid sends the world into an apocalyptic end. This was my first completed Mieville read. While he's a talented and imaginative writer, I've found the introduction of his books tend to focus more on the worldbuilding, less the plot. I was able to power through the slow start to finally finish. When Mieville hits a good scene, the results are fantastic. Here he has a magical construct union, an ancient Egyptian spirit as a union leader, familiars on strike, various religious cults, knuckleheads, a house containing a water god, and a fight scene that would have a been an excellent book ending, but wasn't.  When the true Big Bad is revealed, it felt silly and disappointing. The organization of the plot was muddled; most of the book jumped from dialogue scene to dialogue scene with the only differentiation between human characters based on the amount they cursed. Rose, I think you have this as a "to-read" and I should note the weird genre seems to have taken over the horror genre. When a talkative father and his silent son appear, things get gruesome quickly.
• For Fukui's Sake by Sam Baldwin. Nonfiction-Memoir. A British man spends two years teaching English in Japan.

I continue to work through the History of Russia, still an excellent listen. I'm up to The Great Terror, Stalin's consolidation of power over the USSR.
 
This week's War and Peace section was focused on the war. Rostov's scenes reminded me of The Red Badge of Courage, a young man hoping to show great heroism in battle but running away. From various sources, it seems Tolstoy didn't believe there were "Great Men" in history capable of changing the course of events, and I think this section is the first illustration of this theme. Prince Andrei hopes to win recognition for his contribution to the battle but instead ends up defending the bravery of a lowly officer, a "small man with weak, awkward movements" and poor example of a proper Russian military man.
 
A few quotes:
 
 

"Occasionally, amidst the monotonous waves of soldiers, like a spray of white foam on the waves of the Enns, an officer pushed his way through, in a cape, with his physiognomy distinct from the soldiers'; occasionally, like a strip of wood swirled along by the river, a dismounted hussar, an orderly, or a local inhabitant was borne across the bridge by the waves of infantry; occasionally, like a log floating down the river, a company's or an officer's cart floated across the bridge, surrounded on all side, loaded to the top, and covered with leather." (p. 139)

"The news was grievous and at the same time pleasant for Prince Andrei. As soon as he learned that the Russian army was in such a hopeless situation, it occurred to him that it was precisely he who was destined to lead the Russian army out of that situation, that here was that Toulon which would take him out of the ranks of unknown officers and open for him the first path to glory!" (p. 162)

"Rostov was not listening to the soldier. He looked at the snowflakes dancing above the fire and remembered the Russian winter with a warm, bright house, a fluffy fur coat, swift sleighs, a healthy body, and all the love and care of a family. 'And why did I come here?' he wondered." (p. 200)

Edited July 3, 2017 by ErinE

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

The Iliad by Homer 

 

"Alexander Pope’s beautiful verse translation of the Ancient Greek epic of the Trojan War.

One of the oldest surviving works in Western literature, Homer’s epic poem has captivated readers for millennia. Set at the end of the Greeks’ decade-long siege of Troy, it centers on a quarrel between the Greek King Agamemnon and his greatest asset in battle, the warrior Achilles. From this conflict between two great men, The Iliad weaves a tale of warring nations, vengeful gods, plagues, betrayals, and the terrible consequences of prideful rage."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I know there are a number of us here who have enjoyed books by Sheri Cobb South.  Here's a review of her new book from Jayne on the Dear Author site ~

 

REVIEW: Moon over the Mediterranean by Sheri Cobb South

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Ethel Mertz]

More on North Carolina Alligators... Because ... Alligators.

[Jane in NC]

More on North Carolina Alligators... Because ... Alligators.

 

Old news..that article is dated 2012. But I can tell you that a smaller alligator was in the surf recently in my town.  Apparently the police were called. The officer watched as the gator left the surf, climbed over the dunes and returned to a fresh water pond. We suspect that the officer was protecting the alligator from the man who wanted to get his gun and shoot the poor thing. (Alligators are protected here.)

[Chrysalis Academy]

Books read last week:

• The Chosen by J. R. Ward. Paranormal Romance. A new mother is conflicted between her love interest and her children.
• Kraken by China Mieville. Weird Fiction. The theft of a preserved squid sends the world into an apocalyptic end. This was my first completed Mieville read. While he's a talented and imaginative writer, I've found the introduction of his books tend to focus more on the worldbuilding, less the plot. I was able to power through the slow start to finally finish. When Mieville hits a good scene, the results are fantastic. Here he has a magical construct union, an ancient Egyptian spirit as a union leader, familiars on strike, various religious cults, knuckleheads, a house containing a water god, and a fight scene that would have a been an excellent book ending, but wasn't.  When the true Big Bad is revealed, it felt silly and disappointing. The organization of the plot was muddled; most of the book jumped from dialogue scene to dialogue scene with the only differentiation between human characters based on the amount they cursed. Rose, I think you have this as a "to-read" and I should note the weird genre seems to have taken over the horror genre. When a talkative father and his silent son appear, things get gruesome quickly.
• For Fukui's Sake by Sam Baldwin. Nonfiction-Memoir. A British man spends two years teaching English in Japan.

 

 

 

Thanks for the warning! I will be removing it from my TR list forthwith.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I went to the library with DGD and we came home with over 20 books. We went crazy. I found quite a few "want to reads" in the New Nonfiction area. Guess what was there? Our library's first copy of The Well Trained Mind. SWB is now represented in small town IL. I picked it up, read a couple of pages, and found myself wishing I had another child to homeschool. Alas, I left it there for someone else to be the inaugural reader.

 

Here's the deal, guys, I now have over 15 print books and 8 Kindle books sitting in my queue. I have four started. I am not the type of person who can have multiple books going at the same time. I simply must follow the story to the conclusion. How do you handle having so many books waiting for your attention? Each book has unique aspects that make me want to read THAT one right now.  It's a tad overwhelming (but what a pleasant overwhelm it is).

 

 

[Ali in OR]

How do you handle having so many books waiting for your attention? Each book has unique aspects that make me want to read THAT one right now.  It's a tad overwhelming (but what a pleasant overwhelm it is).

 

Like you, I prefer to have one book going at a time. If I try to do 2 or 3, it might look like one on the treadmill (and I only read it that half hour in the morning), one or two on the coffee table for reading the last hour before bed, and in theory I could have a kindle with me for out and about town, but really I don't typically try to read more than 2 at a time. Our library holds are now 3 weeks and I know from years of book-a-week that I really can read one every week, so I'm okay with picking up up to 3 library books at a time. This summer I expect to always have 2 books going as I work through War and Peace. That one does not travel and does not go on the treadmill--it's strictly last hour of the day reading.

[Jane in NC]

I often have one fiction, one non-fiction and one audio book going simultaneously, maybe a book of poetry too. I will usually read six novels to one non-fiction book though--such an escapist!

 

At the moment, I am reading W&P, a book of essays, Susan's History of Science, listening to an Alan Furst WWII espionage novel in the car.  Maybe I'll add another fictional selection to the mix.  If I do, it will be a light weight read.

 

Frankly I cannot bear to read non-fiction for hours at a time.  Not sure what my problem is...

[Matryoshka]

Here's the deal, guys, I now have over 15 print books and 8 Kindle books sitting in my queue. I have four started. I am not the type of person who can have multiple books going at the same time. I simply must follow the story to the conclusion. How do you handle having so many books waiting for your attention? Each book has unique aspects that make me want to read THAT one right now.  It's a tad overwhelming (but what a pleasant overwhelm it is).

 

I used to be like that too, but I changed my ways this year when I joined BaW, and I think it's the reason I've been able to read so much more without feeling like I'm reading much more.

 

I've always got three books going at once, but they're all different, so they don't 'mix'.

 

1. One hard-copy book

2. One ebook

3. One audiobook

 

I tend to read them in different places - ebook when I'm out waiting somewhere, when I've got short bits of time, when I don't have a hard-copy book (my ebooks are on my phone, so I've always got one), later at night (maybe because of the light, I don't fall asleep so easily reading them), audiobook in car or sometimes while cleaning, hard-copy book for sofa or when I'm out and know I'll get to sit for awhile. .  Also, I've usually got one non-fiction going at all times (usually the ebook, but not always), which also helps.

 

And sometimes I add a fourth book, which is a longer term read (like War and Peace right now).

 

And I also tried to adjust my attitude.  Why am I so worried about more than one story going at a time?  I watch a bunch of TV and Netflix shows, all of which have their own story arcs and are mostly watched a bit at a time a week apart (well, except for binge-watching), but I've never worry about how I keep all those stories apart - so apparently my mind can handle lots of stories at once...

 

I use Overdrive for ebooks/audiobooks.  Since someone here explained how to put those on suspended hold, it's been much easier to control the flow of them coming in.  For hard-copy books, I just have a list and order one or two at a time as needed.  

 

I manage my larger to-read list and what I'm reading on Goodreads.  Love Goodreads.

[Penguin]

Old news..that article is dated 2012. But I can tell you that a smaller alligator was in the surf recently in my town. Apparently the police were called. The officer watched as the gator left the surf, climbed over the dunes and returned to a fresh water pond. We suspect that the officer was protecting the alligator from the man who wanted to get his gun and shoot the poor thing. (Alligators are protected here.)

My mom lives in on the coast in the NC alligator zone. Do you know if it is true that the northernmost habitat for NC alligators is Wilmington?

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm definitely a multi-book-at-a-time kind of girl. I just read one book in each category at a time, but sometimes I have a lot of categories active at once. I usually have one audiobook, one nonfiction, one literary fiction, and one "mind-candy" fiction going at a time. Plus one or more things I'm pre-reading for school. So right now, I have additional categories of Utopian/Dystopian lit and Psych/Econ. Plus right now I'm reading books about health and/or nutrition, so that's another category. And then I have at least one read-aloud with each kid.  So yeah, it can add up. It's kind of silly. But I find that I need a stack of at least 4 books if I'm going to sustain my attention reading for several hours. I definitely read more by reading more than one book at a time - when I get tired of one book, I pick up another book, rather than doing something else.

 

Goodreads says I am currently reading 12 books at the moment. That's true-ish, but 3 of them are kind of on hold due to something else coming in from the library and grabbing my attention. So 9, 2 of which are read-alouds. So 7, 6 regular and one audiobook.  Sheesh, I should get a life, no?

[Violet Crown]

Like Jane, I can't read nonfiction for long; lyric poetry especially is impossible for me to read for stretches of time and still get anything out of it. Usually I have three books going:

(1) fiction or drama,

(2) poetry, and

(3) nonfiction (usually history, literary criticism, or essays).

 

Right now then it's War and Peace, poetry of William Soutar, and Essays of Francis Bacon.

[theelfqueen]

I haven't  been posting... but I have been reading.

 

Currently: We Are Legion, We are Bob. and Building Magic - Disney's Overseas Theme Parks

 

Recently: Ready Player One, Neil Patrick Harris:Choose Your Own Autobiography, Space Mountain (graphic novel), At Home by Bill Bryson, Troublemaker (Leah Remini), Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow...etc...

 

 

Edited July 4, 2017 by theelfqueen

[theelfqueen]

At the very least I usually have an Audiobook and a print book at the same time... sometimes a fiction and a nonfiction in the print category.

 

I read quite a bit of nonfiction but usually in lighter genres (memoirs and special interests).

 

[theelfqueen]

I finished the first book of my 2017 reading journal, now working in the second:

 

https://goo.gl/photos/q98phMnDvPuQcFdX8

 

[Robin M]

I never used to read more than one book at a time. I was a very monogamous reader.  I used to never read non fiction either.  I didn't listen to audiobooks because I didn't have the patience or attention span. I discovered I enjoy audiobooks when its a book I've already read.   Now I always have an audiobook going in the car, usually J.D. Robb.   One or two nonfiction books which are usually about writing.  Non fiction has to be in physical form because I like to write in the margins and underline the heck out of them in order to remember what sparked.  A physical book as well as an ebook which I read on the go.   Not to mention the book that lives in the bathroom which right now is Kon Tiki.   :laugh:    I think is was Robyn (crstarlette) who said she likes to reread an old book between each new book.  I used to never reread either and now I do.   If it's a really good book (usually Nora Roberts) I zoom through the first time, then read again much more slowly.  You'll discover the more you read, the more your brain can handle.  

[Jane in NC]

My mom lives in on the coast in the NC alligator zone. Do you know if it is true that the northernmost habitat for NC alligators is Wilmington?

 

Years ago I learned that their habitat extended north of New Bern--not surprisingly into the Alligator River Refuge to the west of the Outer Banks.  Now they moving even further north because of climate change. Get ready Virginia:  gators may be headed your way!

[Robin M]

I finished the first book of my 2017 reading journal, now working in the second:

 

https://goo.gl/photos/q98phMnDvPuQcFdX8

What an awesome idea!  Very neat! 

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia