Book a Week 2017 - BW28: Octavia Butler

[ErinE]

I'm back home after a few weeks visiting family with limited internet access. We flew back. I missed the long drive time (I made good progress on several audiobooks), but I was glad to be back within in a day, as opposed to a four day trip.

 

I'm thoroughly enjoying War and Peace. When I read a book for the first time, I tend to skim through quickly and it's a pleasure to read the passages slowly and really think about what Tolstoy was saying. I'm so glad it's a group read.

 

Books read:

• Pride and Pleasure by Sylvia Day. Historical Romance. A woman threatened by attempts on her life hires a bodyguard to protect her and pretend to be her love interest.
• History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev by Mark Steinberg. History-Russia. I've listened to many history courses from the Great Courses and this is without a doubt, the best one I've heard. The love Steinberg has for Russia shines through, but he doesn't hide from the realities of the country's history. Before describing major events, he brings you into the background and motivations of the major people and groups, helping you see why certain actions were taken. I was generally familiar with most of the events, but Steinberg brings great nuance and depth, helping me see many events and people in a fuller, if not different, light. It's hard for me to call out which lecture I enjoyed the most, but the lecture on Gorbachev brought greater insight into the final leader for the USSR. One day, I hope to work through the course handbook while listening to the lectures again. Highly, highly recommended!
• Gulag: A History by Anne Applebaum. History-Russia. A compilation of memoirs and official documents from the Russian Gulag system. This book was hidden on my shelves, never read. I think I picked it up when I was on a World War II kick. I found it again when I was looking for a light read. This is not a light read, but an important one. Each chapter opens with a poem from Gulag prisoners. I don't have the book with me; otherwise I'd quote a few. I'm reminded of The American Slave Coast, another important book to read and remember history. Though the book generally progresses chronologically, the chapters are organized around themes. The one on women and children made my heart ache. A highly recommended, but disturbing read.

Current reads:

• War and Peace (Pevear/Volokhonsky) which I find myself reading past the weekly stopping point. I lugged the book onto the plane and managed to read a good number of pages while my toddlers watched a movie. The History of Russia course helped me better understand the historical events. I finally broke down and purchased a physical copy. I had too many excerpts I wanted to notate.
• Classics of Russian Literature another Great Courses listen. I love that the lecturer says the Russian prose, providing a line by line English translation, then finishes by saying the Russian all in one go. You can hear the rhythms and beauty as he speaks. He also sings a bit. It makes me want to learn Russian, so I can read the original works. I'll be sure to get on that when I have the time! I'm not finished yet, but if you've enjoyed Russian literature (I've only read a bit of Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, and Tolstoy), I think you'd enjoy this course.
• The Paper Magician my light fantasy read
• The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard. Leonard is a master of pithy dialogue. If you've seen the movie Get Shorty or the television series Justified, he wrote the stories they were based on. I'm reading to study and learn.

[Mom-ninja.]

Just reached the 1/3 mark last night (page 300 of 900). It builds slowly, but it's become quite exciting with all of the deposing and fighting to return to power, the politicking, and right now, everything is running towards the big showdown between the 3 families -- the deposed Yorks making their bid to return vs. the Lancasters + Nevilles -- the Lancaster king had been deposed by the Yorks who had the help of the Nevilles; the Nevilles have turned and now support the Lancasters... And it's all so tense, because of all the intermarrying between the families, you have brothers vs. brothers, father-in-law vs son-in-law, and all the towns of England caught in the middle not knowing who to open the gates to, because if that faction turns out to lose, the winning faction will take reprisals...   :eek:

 

Who knew the War of the Roses was so exciting! :laugh:

 

Also, major lightbulb moment, early on in reading the book, when realizing that the Roses of the war refers to the white rose symbol of the Yorks and the red rose symbol of the Lancasters -- remind anyone else of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, and the White and Red Queens, and the playing card soldiers painting the white roses red to avoid having their heads chopped off?!

 

I feel that same way right now listening to Four Queens  which is about 4 sisters who each married powerful men in Europe in the mid 1200s. I am hooked. It's all so intriguing and interesting. It makes me wish we actually had diaries from these women or could interview them so we could know how they really felt and thought. 

[Matryoshka]

Just reached the 1/3 mark last night (page 300 of 900). It builds slowly, but it's become quite exciting with all of the deposing and fighting to return to power, the politicking, and right now, everything is running towards the big showdown between the 3 families -- the deposed Yorks making their bid to return vs. the Lancasters + Nevilles -- the Lancaster king had been deposed by the Yorks who had the help of the Nevilles; the Nevilles have turned and now support the Lancasters... And it's all so tense, because of all the intermarrying between the families, you have brothers vs. brothers, father-in-law vs son-in-law, and all the towns of England caught in the middle not knowing who to open the gates to, because if that faction turns out to lose, the winning faction will take reprisals...   :eek:

 

Who knew the War of the Roses was so exciting! :laugh:

 

Also, major lightbulb moment, early on in reading the book, when realizing that the Roses of the war refers to the white rose symbol of the Yorks and the red rose symbol of the Lancasters -- remind anyone else of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, and the White and Red Queens, and the playing card soldiers painting the white roses red to avoid having their heads chopped off?!

 

So good to hear another rousing review.  I put this on my TR list way back in January, but other things keep cutting in line!  Looking forward to finally getting to it after W&P. :)

[strawberries]

Ethel, Another good Southern author is Sharyn McCrumb. Her ballad series is good. I have only read the first few but enjoyed them. http://www.sharynmccrumb.com/ballad_overview.html

 

I've also read her cozy series. It's one of my favourites! :)

 

I loved King's Mountain. DH and I read it before going to the national park a couple of years ago.

 

Currently I am reading Bridge of Spies. It's a true story about the circumstances surrounding a prisoner exchange between the US and Russia in the early 60's. It is well researched but not dry at all. DH recommended it, calling it "something espionage-related that you'll actually like" after I complained about Casino Royale. He was correct.  :) 

 

At the end of Volume I, I'm actually starting to prefer the war chapters over the peace ones in W&P. The way Pierre is just allowing life to happen to him is frustrating.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Just reached the 1/3 mark last night (page 300 of 900). It builds slowly, but it's become quite exciting with all of the deposing and fighting to return to power, the politicking, and right now, everything is running towards the big showdown between the 3 families -- the deposed Yorks making their bid to return vs. the Lancasters + Nevilles -- the Lancaster king had been deposed by the Yorks who had the help of the Nevilles; the Nevilles have turned and now support the Lancasters... And it's all so tense, because of all the intermarrying between the families, you have brothers vs. brothers, father-in-law vs son-in-law, and all the towns of England caught in the middle not knowing who to open the gates to, because if that faction turns out to lose, the winning faction will take reprisals...   :eek:

 

Who knew the War of the Roses was so exciting! :laugh:

 

Also, major lightbulb moment, early on in reading the book, when realizing that the Roses of the war refers to the white rose symbol of the Yorks and the red rose symbol of the Lancasters -- remind anyone else of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, and the White and Red Queens, and the playing card soldiers painting the white roses red to avoid having their heads chopped off?!

 

Yes, what surprised me so much about this book was how gripping, how exciting it was, despite the fact that I already knew what was going to happen - I'd read historical accounts, so there were no big surprises, yet she creates such an engrossing story that you are sucked right in and on the edge of your seat. Spoiler alert, I cried pretty constantly for the last ~100 pages of this book, despite the fact that I already knew what was coming . . . so touching.

 

We were talking last night about filmed versions of Shakespeare, and how a good staging can make a familiar story feel fresh and unexpected. One of my favorite Shakespeare film moments of all time is the staging of the death scene in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo+Juliet - every time I watch it, I'm thinking, "Look down! Her fingers are twitching! No!! Don't drink it!!!!" despite the fact that I *know* he will.  It's just so well staged that it sucks you right in and you can imagine a different outcome. Or hope for it, at least. I got that same feeling with The Sunne in Splendour. Such a tragic story.

[Matryoshka]

I haven't been getting a ton of reading done this week.  I finished both the e- and audiobooks I had going, but they were almost done at the beginning of the week.  I haven't made much progress in my hard-copy book, Menschen im Hotel/Grand Hotel, and I haven't touched W&P (at least I was caught up).

 

I did just start a Ruby book, Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman.  I decided I needed something light and quick.  I got the audio, because I'd heard mixed reviews on the book in general, but some reviews on Goodreads said the audio was really well done and enhanced their enjoyment of it, and so far, I'm agreeing.   Essex Serpent will have to wait till later; no reason it needs to be read this month (unlike something Ruby).

 

SciFi book club was last night, and no one but me even finished Too Like the Lightning!  A bit of a shame, even if they hated it it would have given lots to discuss!  (They did quit because they weren't liking it, so that would have been likely).  So we were left with All Our Wrong Todays, which people were mostly lukewarm on - I think somewhere in 3-star territory.  Picks for next time are The Fold and the SciFi send-up Starship Grifters.  Maybe that latter one will fit into the "Something Silly" category on Big Bingo. :)

[Lady Florida.]

All of the X titles look good. I've had The Autobiography of Malcolm X on my to-read list for several years but keep forgetting about it. I downloaded samples of the other two X books. Thank you once again, Baw. :)

 

War and Peace update: I'm at the Battle of Austerlitz. The first time I read this book I glazed over much of the battle-related chapters. I'm trying to pay more attention to them this time. I find if I concentrate on the people in the battle (what Andrei is thinking, and Rostov, and individual unnamed soldiers) it's easier to get through. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I haven't been getting a ton of reading done this week.  I finished both the e- and audiobooks I had going, but they were almost done at the beginning of the week.  I haven't made much progress in my hard-copy book, Menschen im Hotel/Grand Hotel, and I haven't touched W&P (at least I was caught up).

 

I did just start a Ruby book, Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman.  I decided I needed something light and quick.  I got the audio, because I'd heard mixed reviews on the book in general, but some reviews on Goodreads said the audio was really well done and enhanced their enjoyment of it, and so far, I'm agreeing.   Essex Serpent will have to wait till later; no reason it needs to be read this month (unlike something Ruby).

 

SciFi book club was last night, and no one but me even finished Too Like the Lightning!  A bit of a shame, even if they hated it it would have given lots to discuss!  (They did quit because they weren't liking it, so that would have been likely).  So we were left with All Our Wrong Todays, which people were mostly lukewarm on - I think somewhere in 3-star territory.  Picks for next time are The Fold and the SciFi send-up Starship Grifters.  Maybe that latter one will fit into the "Something Silly" category on Big Bingo. :)

 

I loved Ruby in the smoke, the audio version. But I hated, hated hated the sequel, The Shadow in the North. So, you been warned!  ;)

[Lady Florida.]

I'm back from my music adventures in the upper Midwest. I spent several days in Chicago with various family members and played tourist. We went to the top of the Sears Willis Tower and I confronted my terror of heights and stepped out onto the plexiglass platform 103 stories over the street. We also took an architectural tour by boat which was quite excellent. Outside of the city I was delighted by the fireflies (we don't have those here) and the epic lightening and thunderstorm that lasted over an hour one night. We get very little of that here.

 

 

 

Sounds like you had a lovely time.You were very brave imo! 

 

Glad you had time to read and that you enjoyed News of the World. I loved it too and might not have heard of it if not for these threads. Those other titles look good too, so I downloaded samples. I've had Julian Barnes' The Sense of an Ending on my TR list for a while but I might try The Noise of Time first.

 

Nope. Nope. Nope.

 

No way would I step out onto a clear platform! My fear of heights story - I couldn't even step close to the railing/wall of the Eiffel Tower or the Space Needle. At each place, I stayed close to the center and just looked out at the view. We had to take the stairs at the Eiffel Tower because the elevator was so packed. I hurried down the steps, clutching the railing and keeping my eyes down. DH kept urging me to look at Paris! The view's gorgeous! I finally snapped, firmly telling him to quit talking to me.

 

I'm the person who urges their kids away from stuff like that, telling the random story of the one guy who leaned on a window and fell out. 

 

File my name under Nope. Nope. No way. Never. 

 

My fear of heights stories -

 

Years ago my roommate and I stayed at the Grand Cypress Hotel in Orlando while a friend of ours from Texas was here and staying there. She's claustrophobic and I'm acrophobic. We were on the 7th floor. Every time we went in the glass elevator I was pressed against the back wall so I couldn't see down and she was pressed against the outside so she could see out. We were quite ridiculous looking pair.

 

We often like to go to the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse just south of Daytona Beach. It's a nice place to wander around and to have a picnic, even if you don't visit the lighthouse. It's one of the tallest lighthouses in the country (Cape Hatteras is the only taller masonry lighthouse). The first time we took ds he was around 8 or 9. He and dh climbed the 203 steps to the top. I kept looking up because I wanted to know when they left (which in my view meant safe). They spotted me and waved. Mistake! I had to walk far away and don't think I let out a breath until they were at the bottom standing in front of me.

 

I'm not afraid of heights only for myself, but for anyone who is with me. More than once I've had to walk away from a safe, but high place so I couldn't see, and therefore didn't spoil everyone else's fun. 

[mumto2]

Regarding War and Peace.....I am loving the audio book! I am getting very close to being caught up and probably will be tomorrow assuming that I am able to pull my quilting out for a couple of hours. The narrator has a lovely voice and I am enjoying just sitting back quietly and letting him read to me.

 

Strawberries, The Rosewood Casket is the one I remember liking the best from Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad series. I don't think I read King's Mountain. I would like to read more in this "series" of stand alones so will probably try King's Mountain next. BTW, the movie for Bridge of Spies was great but I have not read the book.

 

Matryoshka, I am currently feeling a bit proud of myself for finishing Too like the Lightning ;) :lol: and a bit more average. I still need to find my Ruby in the title book but have found my books to spell Ruby. I just need to read them! I am so glad Ruby only has four letters so I can make progress on Bingo. I might even manage to read News of the World ( my western) finally thanks to Jenn's recommendation today.

 

Eta...I'm another fear of heights person. I once decided not to work in a tall building with a glass elevator because I had a hard enough time suffering the interview on the twentieth or so floor. I don't drive over big bridges either if it can be helped. If I have to I go slow on the inside lane.....if dh is with me he drives.

 

Sorry about the typos. Different kindle.

Edited July 12, 2017 by mumto2

[Matryoshka]

I loved Ruby in the smoke, the audio version. But I hated, hated hated the sequel, The Shadow in the North. So, you been warned!  ;)

 

LOL, well, I'm not much of a series person generally (too many other books to be stuck in sequels!), so maybe that's a good thing! I still have many Erlendur books to get through, and I've still only read the first of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective series. I probably will continue with more of both of those, the latter more slowly than the former.  But I'd definitely already heard very mixed things about the Sally Lockheart books, so I'll call it a day after my Ruby checkbox is filled. ;)

[JennW in SoCal]

My family cannot believe I stepped out onto that platform due to a history of my freaking out over heights. Going to the Grand Canyon with young children almost killed me as most of the places we stopped to look had NO fences or guard rails and my little boys wanted to look over the edge. The Great Grand Canyon Freak Out is legendary in my family!  But being up in the Sears Tower was different psychologically because I was hermitcally sealed inside the building -- there was no danger of wind gusts that could scoop me up and carry me over, or knock me over. No edges I might trip over, no sandstone cliffs that might give way under me. I don't think I could walk on that plexiglass bridge that juts out over the Grand Canyon, nor do I see my self rappelling down any cliffs in the near future, but I'm rather proud of doing this. 

 

My favorite memento from the Grand Canyon gift shop is the book Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon. Morbidly fascinating, and I might add, totally justified my freak out. 

 

Some of you may need to avert your eyes -- here's proof of my derring do in Chicago last week...

 

 

 

 

[ErinE]

 

 

Some of you may need to avert your eyes -- here's proof of my derring do in Chicago last week...

 

 

 

 

 

Still a nope, but I applaud you for your bravery...

[Ali in OR]

A little War and Peace question:

 

I'm past the point of this mattering much, but I'm wondering if anyone can detail for me what exactly "the little princess's" (ie Prince Andrei's wife's) mouth looks like. Pretty much every time she is mentioned, Tolstoy describes her mouth--in the Maude translation I think the phrase is "little downy mouth". I'm not looking directly at the book, so from memory he says something like her upper lip is small?? Can't quite cover teeth? But the effect is charming, so not a horse mouth I presume. Anyone have a different translation for "little downy mouth" or care to guess what exactly it means?

[ErinE]

In the same time period I read Nickel and Dimed, I read Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology and Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream. In Better Off, a college graduate joins a religious group similar to the Mennonites (he leaves off the actual name to protect the community). His proposal to his friend/girlfriend was strange since they couldn't live in the community without being married. But they end up having several children together so I'm guessing things worked out relationship-wise. He comes off a bit odd, but I thought it was interesting to think about the pervasive use of technology and continuous pursuit of consumer goods. 

 

Scratch Beginnings was deliberately written as a response to Ehrenreich. Committed to the experiment for a full year, the author shows up in a completely new city with very little money and navigates his way through living in a homeless shelter, finding a job, and locating an apartment. He ends up with a truck, furniture, and several thousand dollars, but doesn't complete the full year as a relative falls sick. He was a young, healthy man who worked as a furniture mover (often receiving free furniture and electronics) which colored my view of his experience, but I thought he pointed out some weaknesses in Ehrenreich's book: her unwillingness to stay with a job long term and find roommates.

[EmmaNZ]

I don't know, but I am pretty sure that I will be thinking about it all day :lol: .

I would love to do this. But I think I would do it alphabetically somehow - not sure though if that would be by author's name or first word of the title.

[ErinE]

A little War and Peace question:

 

I'm past the point of this mattering much, but I'm wondering if anyone can detail for me what exactly "the little princess's" (ie Prince Andrei's wife's) mouth looks like. Pretty much every time she is mentioned, Tolstoy describes her mouth--in the Maude translation I think the phrase is "little downy mouth". I'm not looking directly at the book, so from memory he says something like her upper lip is small?? Can't quite cover teeth? But the effect is charming, so not a horse mouth I presume. Anyone have a different translation for "little downy mouth" or care to guess what exactly it means?

 

Pevear and Volokhonsky are less kind. There's "short little lip with its little mustache" (p. 27). As she attempts a conversation with Andrei and Pierre, it's described as follows: "her little lip rose, giving her face not a joyful, but an animalish, squirrel-like expression" (p. 26). I think the lip is meant to convey her less attractive qualities.

[Kareni]

My family cannot believe I stepped out onto that platform due to a history of my freaking out over heights. Going to the Grand Canyon with young children almost killed me as most of the places we stopped to look had NO fences or guard rails and my little boys wanted to look over the edge. ...

 

I visited the Grand Canyon for the first time a couple of years ago.  I was quite taken aback at the lack of fences/guard rails and said to my husband that I was glad we didn't have small children with us.  I kept WELL away from the edge.  I have this irrational feeling that if I get too near the edge I'll be sucked over!

**

 

I've finished a few books recently ~

 

the science fiction romance Dark Planet Warriors by Anna Carven; I enjoyed this but not quite as much as I'd hoped to.  I'd happily read more of this series were the books to fall into my lap.  (Adult content)

 

"Abbey

 

Some scary looking aliens have just boarded Fortuna Tau, our little asteroid mining station. Kordolians, by the looks of things. What the hell do they want with this floating rust bucket? What are they even doing here?

 

Come to think of it, I've never seen a Kordolian up close before. They're huge and intimidating, with strange silver skin and pointed ears. They have freaky nano-armor, and they're packing a serious arsenal. We Humans stand no chance against them.

 

When I encounter their General, I find him insufferable. Arrogant. Domineering. He won't tell me anything. I guess that's what happens when your race is kicking ass across the Nine Galaxies. You get pigheaded.

 

So why do I keep running into him? Why does he keep looking at me like that? And what's with this weird feeling I get when he's around? I really hope these guys fix their ship and go away soon, because I get the feeling they could be major trouble.

 

Tarak

 

Sucked into a wormhole during a fierce skirmish with an enemy ship. Spat out near a Human mining station in a remote corner of the Nine Galaxies. Stuck with weak Humans who operate with inferior metals and technology.

 

This mission couldn't get any worse.

 

We need to fix our craft, kill the cursed Xargek, and get out of here before the wormhole collapses. I don't really care about these Humans. Their existence makes no sense to me.

 

So why has this strange Human female captured my attention? She's messy, awkward, and she babbles nonsense half the time.

These Humans are crazy. I don't understand them at all, especially this female. Why do I keep coming back to her?

 

I need to leave this place before I go insane."

**

 

the contemporary romance Dating You / Hating You  by Christina Lauren.  I put this down when I was about a third of the way through the book and almost gave up on it.  There was no issue with the book, but I don't care for stories in which the main characters are competing for something (in this case a job).  I did resume reading and ultimately enjoyed the book.  (Adult content)

 

"Despite the odds against them from an embarrassing meet-awkward at a mutual friend’s Halloween party, Carter and Evie immediately hit it off. Even the realization that they’re both high-powered agents at competing firms in Hollywood isn’t enough to squash the fire.

 

But when their two agencies merge—causing the pair to vie for the same position—all bets are off. What could have been a beautiful, blossoming romance turns into an all-out war of sabotage. Carter and Evie are both thirtysomething professionals—so why can’t they act like it?

 

Can Carter stop trying to please everyone and see how their mutual boss is really playing the game? Can Evie put aside her competitive nature long enough to figure out what she really wants in life? Can their actor clients just be something close to human? Whether these two Hollywood love/hatebirds get the storybook Hollywood ending, or just a dramedy of epic proportions, you get to enjoy Christina Lauren’s heartfelt, hilarious story of romance in the modern world."

**

 

and the male/male science fiction romance Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts by Lyn Gala which I quite enjoyed.  (Significant adult content)

 

"Liam loves his life as a linguist and trader on the Rownt homeworld, but he has ignored his heart and sexual needs for years. He won't risk letting anyone come too close because he won't risk letting anyone see his deeply submissive nature. For him, submission comes with pain. Life burned that lesson into his soul from a young age. This fear keeps him from noticing that the Rownt trader Ondry cares for him.

 

Ondry may not understand humans, but he recognizes a wounded soul, and his need to protect Liam is quickly outpacing his common sense. They may have laws, culture, and incompatible genitalia in their way, but Ondry knows that he can find a way to overcome all that if he can just overcome the ghosts of Liam's past. Only then can he take possession of a man he has grown to love."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Carol in Cal.]

I'm back from my music adventures in the upper Midwest. I spent several days in Chicago with various family members and played tourist. We went to the top of the Sears Willis Tower and I confronted my terror of heights and stepped out onto the plexiglass platform 103 stories over the street.

 

Just READING this gave me a little stab of vertigo.  Not liking your picture, it's nothing personal, but wow.  :)

[Kareni]

This is impressive ~

 

Artist Uses 100,000 Banned Books To Build A Full-Size Parthenon At Historic Nazi Book Burning Site

 

"Argentinian artist Marta Minujín, 74, has created a monumental replica of the Greek Parthenon from 100,000 copies of banned books. According to the artist, it symbolizes the resistance to political repression.

 

The Parthenon of Books in Kassel, Germany is part of the Documenta 14 art festival. With the help of students from Kassel University, Minujín identified over 170 titles that were or are banned in different countries around the world, and constructed the full-size replica of the iconic temple from those books, plastic sheeting, and steel.

 

But probably what is Germany’s most controversial book – Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf†– will not figure on the Parthenon. And for a good reason: the Nazis were notorious censors of books. In fact, Minujín’s work stands on a historic site where the Nazis burnt some 2,000 books in 1933 as part of a very broad campaign of censorship. “Where they burn books, at the end they also burn people,†Heinrich Heine said in the 19th century."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Carol in Cal.]

In the same time period I read Nickel and Dimed, I read Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology and Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream. In Better Off, a college graduate joins a religious group similar to the Mennonites (he leaves off the actual name to protect the community). His proposal to his friend/girlfriend was strange since they couldn't live in the community without being married. But they end up having several children together so I'm guessing things worked out relationship-wise. He comes off a bit odd, but I thought it was interesting to think about the pervasive use of technology and continuous pursuit of consumer goods. 

 

Scratch Beginnings was deliberately written as a response to Ehrenreich. Committed to the experiment for a full year, the author shows up in a completely new city with very little money and navigates his way through living in a homeless shelter, finding a job, and locating an apartment. He ends up with a truck, furniture, and several thousand dollars, but doesn't complete the full year as a relative falls sick. He was a young, healthy man who worked as a furniture mover (often receiving free furniture and electronics) which colored my view of his experience, but I thought he pointed out some weaknesses in Ehrenreich's book: her unwillingness to stay with a job long term and find roommates.

 

Adding these to my list!

 

 

Edited July 12, 2017 by Carol in Cal.

[Ali in OR]

Pevear and Volokhonsky are less kind. There's "short little lip with its little mustache" (p. 27). As she attempts a conversation with Andrei and Pierre, it's described as follows: "her little lip rose, giving her face not a joyful, but an animalish, squirrel-like expression" (p. 26). I think the lip is meant to convey her less attractive qualities.

 

Ahhh, so "downy" is probably referring to a light mustache! Thanks.

[Penguin]

I am at my mom's house, and she is helping me learn how to crochet (x-post here ). The thing is, she makes afghans and I want to make critters and little people. So she has a bit of a challenge, too. In the end, I think it will be good that we make different things. Literary Yarns is the book I bought, and I am so excited to figure this out!

 

 

ETA: I tried to post the book cover but got the error message saying that I am "not allowed to use that image extension on this community."

Edited July 13, 2017 by Penguin

[mumto2]

Ahhh, so "downy" is probably referring to a light mustache! Thanks.

I did some googling and I think the thin lip part is referring to a thin short upper lip in plastic surgery terms which seems to equal a "gummy" smile. Lots of teeth and you can see someone's gums. I thin my audio book actually said hairy once.

[Kareni]

I know you've been waiting for this ....

 

 

Nipples on My Knee leads shortlist for 2017's oddest book title award

 

"Nipples on My Knee by Graham and Debra Robertson, a memoir of “25 years in the sheep businessâ€, is the fleecy frontrunner for the the 2017 Diagram prize for oddest book title of the year.

 

It leads a modest flock of five titles contending for the annual prize run by trade magazine the Bookseller. Without giving away the origins of the title, the Robertsons invite readers to “sit back in front of the fireplace on a cold, snowy evening, perhaps with a glass of sherry, while we relate to you our experiencesâ€.

 

Tom Tivan, the Bookseller prize coordinator, said the book “has got to be an early bookies’ favourite, as it combines both animal husbandry and Carry On-esque ribaldryâ€."

 

 

You can see past winners listed at the wikipedia entry here.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Guest]

Scratch Beginnings was deliberately written as a response to Ehrenreich. Committed to the experiment for a full year, the author shows up in a completely new city with very little money and navigates his way through living in a homeless shelter, finding a job, and locating an apartment. He ends up with a truck, furniture, and several thousand dollars, but doesn't complete the full year as a relative falls sick. He was a young, healthy man who worked as a furniture mover (often receiving free furniture and electronics) which colored my view of his experience, but I thought he pointed out some weaknesses in Ehrenreich's book: her unwillingness to stay with a job long term and find roommates.

I read Scratch Beginnings... a couple years ago and found it interesting and intriguing. It did sort of bug me that he was a healthy, young, white, childless male, but he does own that aspect of his experiment. At least he is aware that those are advantages. I was so disappointed that he was unable to bring it through to a full year, although I guess it was moot by then anyway because he had already suceeded by his own definition and assisting his mother was the more important priority.

[Lady Florida.]

I'm reading the Pevear translation and couldn't quite figure out the lip. I know it's not complimentary but I'm not able to picture it at all.

[ErinE]

I'm reading the Pevear translation and couldn't quite figure out the lip. I know it's not complimentary but I'm not able to picture it at all.

I picture Keira Knightley ( with a little stache), who I think is gorgeous, but often has her mouth open a bit in pictures and movies. I think I've shared the story before, but around the time of the P&P movie, a Jane Austen lover pointed out Elizabeth Bennett would never stand around with her mouth open as it was too ill-bred.

Edited July 13, 2017 by ErinE

[ErinE]

Rose and Erin, I picked up The Just City by Jo Walton, which I think is dedicated to Ada Palmer. I was actually drawn to the sequel The Philosopher Kings, but I learned my lesson on reading series out of order with the Ancillary series so I begin at the beginning. Have either of you read anything from Walton?

 

ETA: Found an interview between Walton and Palmer about philosophy, sci-fi, and utopia/dystopia - http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/tomorrow-through-the-past-jo-walton-and-ada-palmer-in-conversation/

Edited July 13, 2017 by ErinE

[Matryoshka]

Rose and Erin, I picked up The Just City by Jo Walton, which I think is dedicated to Ada Palmer. I was actually drawn to the sequel The Philosopher Kings, but I learned my lesson on reading series out of order with the Ancillary series so I begin at the beginning. Have either of you read anything from Walton?

 

I just finished my first Jo Walton book, Tooth & Claw.  I liked it, but wasn't blown away.  But I've read really good things about her - not sure that T&C was all that representative of her work.  I've got some more of her books on my TR list.

 

ETA: Found an interview between Walton and Palmer about philosophy, sci-fi, and utopia/dystopia - http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/tomorrow-through-the-past-jo-walton-and-ada-palmer-in-conversation/

 

 

 

Thanks for that link, that was really interesting!  And now I'm curious about Jo Walton's utopian-ish books. :)

[Kareni]

A bookish post from Tor.com ~

 

Five Books (or Series) to Read if You Like The Laundry Files  by Charles Stross

**

 

Some currently free books for Kindle readers ~

 

two volumes of a family saga: Spit of a Minute: Box Set including Only More So by Dixie Burns

 

historical romance:  Ashton: Lord of Truth… by Grace Burrowes

 

contemporary twist on a Norse classic (I've enjoyed a different book by this author):  Postcards from Asgard by Amalia Dillin

 

historical fiction: Calling Crow (The Southeast Series, Book 1)  by Paul Clayton

 

"a satirical high-adventure romp through the Fantasy genre":  Champions of the Dragon (Epic Fallacy, Book 1)

 

young adult fantasy: Drake and the Fliers  by Allison Maruska

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I am at my mom's house, and she is helping me learn how to crochet (x-post here ). The thing is, she makes afghans and I want to make critters and little people. So she has a bit of a challenge, too. In the end, I think it will be good that we make different things. Literary Yarns is the book I bought, and I am so excited to figure this out!

 

 

ETA: I tried to post the book cover but got the error message saying that I am "not allowed to use that image extension on this community."

 

 

I hope you enjoy learning to crochet. Amigurumi seems to be dd's new favourite hobby. It's really satisfying because she can finish a character in a few nights while watching telly. She is almost done making all the Star Wars characters in this book https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32447422-star-wars-crochet-pack?ac=1&from_search=true and plans to do Marvel next. She also has a book of Fairy Tale characters out from the library but may "need" the literary characters. I'm thinking Christmas........

 

 

 

A bookish post from Tor.com ~

 

 

Five Books (or Series) to Read if You Like The Laundry Files  by Charles Stross

**

 

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

The recommendations for if you like the Laundry files which I have never read happen to contain 4 of my favourite series for the past couple of years! Peter Grant and the St. Mary's Chronicles are both on it. The fifth recommendation happens to be sitting in my Overdrive holds suspended because my stack is too high. I'm really looking forward to The Rise and Fall of the Dodo although I suspect it's one that will make my Kindle really popular with my dc's. Glad I can put my books on more than one kindle! https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jun/15/the-rise-and-fall-of-dodo-review

 

I suppose this means I need to read the Laundry Files now. I tried once before but think I gave up because of an issue with the physical book I had from the library. A few in the series are in my Overdrive library so I will give it a try that way.

[Mom-ninja.]

This is impressive ~

 

Artist Uses 100,000 Banned Books To Build A Full-Size Parthenon At Historic Nazi Book Burning Site

 

"Argentinian artist Marta Minujín, 74, has created a monumental replica of the Greek Parthenon from 100,000 copies of banned books. According to the artist, it symbolizes the resistance to political repression.

 

The Parthenon of Books in Kassel, Germany is part of the Documenta 14 art festival. With the help of students from Kassel University, Minujín identified over 170 titles that were or are banned in different countries around the world, and constructed the full-size replica of the iconic temple from those books, plastic sheeting, and steel.

 

But probably what is Germany’s most controversial book – Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf†– will not figure on the Parthenon. And for a good reason: the Nazis were notorious censors of books. In fact, Minujín’s work stands on a historic site where the Nazis burnt some 2,000 books in 1933 as part of a very broad campaign of censorship. “Where they burn books, at the end they also burn people,†Heinrich Heine said in the 19th century."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

I like the idea but I personally do not like the sheet plastic.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Rose and Erin, I picked up The Just City by Jo Walton, which I think is dedicated to Ada Palmer. I was actually drawn to the sequel The Philosopher Kings, but I learned my lesson on reading series out of order with the Ancillary series so I begin at the beginning. Have either of you read anything from Walton?

 

ETA: Found an interview between Walton and Palmer about philosophy, sci-fi, and utopia/dystopia - http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/tomorrow-through-the-past-jo-walton-and-ada-palmer-in-conversation/

 

Eliana turned me on to Jo Walton. and it was actually her Tor review that got me interested in reading Ada Palmer. I read My Real Children, which had a fascinating concept but didn't quite execute at the level I had hoped. I also read the Thessaly series. The Just City was very good, but was my least favorite of the three - there were definitely some aspects I had to push myself through - some sexual violence in particular. But the series got better and better and by the 3rd book I was completely convinced. It was a series that explored morality, free will, and Plato's utopian ideas and it was really thought-provoking, challenging and compelling. I recommend the series, and I do think you should start with the first book, which really sets up the whole scenario. I think without that first book you wouldn't get the full impact and it might be difficult to follow or accept the next books.

 

Here is what I wrote in my review of Necessity:

 

I had some mixed feelings about this series at various times throughout the trilogy, but now that I've reached the end, I love it. It was . . . heartwarming? Sounds corny, but there it is. I didn't want it to end.

 

"The overwhelming presumption is that you who read this are human, and that among the confused goals of your mortal life you want to be the best self you can. Know yourself. Bear in mind that others have equal significance. . . . The third and final volume ends with hope, always the last thing to come out of any box."

 

Hear, Hear.

 

 

ETA: I just read the interview. It was awesome!! I really respect these two authors and what they're trying to do with these books. I'm looking forward to more Terra Ignota.

Edited July 13, 2017 by Chrysalis Academy

[fastweedpuller]

I am at my mom's house, and she is helping me learn how to crochet (x-post here ). The thing is, she makes afghans and I want to make critters and little people. So she has a bit of a challenge, too. In the end, I think it will be good that we make different things. Literary Yarns is the book I bought, and I am so excited to figure this out!

Have a fun month, Penguin!  I avail myself of video instructions all the time with knitting.  Nobody out of the box knows all the steps of knitting so the internet is a really powerful tool.  And...if one person's instructions (or video) is unclear, there are usually a dozen others out there willing to "help" you. 

 

and mumto2, my dd is big into amigurumi too.  She made a lot of holiday cash by making cute ornaments and selling them at a craft market.

 

In the same time period I read Nickel and Dimed, I read Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology and Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream. In Better Off, a college graduate joins a religious group similar to the Mennonites (he leaves off the actual name to protect the community). His proposal to his friend/girlfriend was strange since they couldn't live in the community without being married. But they end up having several children together so I'm guessing things worked out relationship-wise. He comes off a bit odd, but I thought it was interesting to think about the pervasive use of technology and continuous pursuit of consumer goods. 

 

Scratch Beginnings was deliberately written as a response to Ehrenreich. Committed to the experiment for a full year, the author shows up in a completely new city with very little money and navigates his way through living in a homeless shelter, finding a job, and locating an apartment. He ends up with a truck, furniture, and several thousand dollars, but doesn't complete the full year as a relative falls sick. He was a young, healthy man who worked as a furniture mover (often receiving free furniture and electronics) which colored my view of his experience, but I thought he pointed out some weaknesses in Ehrenreich's book: her unwillingness to stay with a job long term and find roommates.

Barbara Ehrenreich is still such a hero of mine.  Thanks for telling me about these two books too.  I also quasi-recommend Tracie McMillan's The American Way of Eating, which is an in-the-trenches journo going deep into certain foodways.  Michael Pollan does it better but he doesn't ever truly step outside of his class, which is what BE is trying to point out.

[fastweedpuller]

I did horribly on this quiz!!  I need to go back to Jane School.

 

Test your knowledge of Jane Austen's Life...and Afterlife 

 

18 July is the 200th anniversary of her death.

[JennW in SoCal]

I did horribly on this quiz!!  I need to go back to Jane School.

 

Test your knowledge of Jane Austen's Life...and Afterlife 

 

18 July is the 200th anniversary of her death.

 

I did pretty poorly, too. I recently bought myself a coffee mug of Jane Austen quotes and was rather surprised how many quotes I couldn't place!

 

The mug is by those clever unemployed philosophers who also make the mug of Shakespeare insults and other clever items. Their motto is "the unexamined gift is not worth giving"!

[Lady Florida.]

I did poorly on the Jane Austen quiz. I only got 3 right. My first instinct was right on a few others even though I didn't go with my instinct. However, I wouldn't call myself a Janeite because I only know a few small details about her life. I'm sure I'd do much better if the quiz was about characters and events in her novels. :)

Edited July 13, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

In Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus

 

"This sixteenth-century religious satire by a Renaissance critic and theologian is “a masterpiece of humor and wise irony†(Johan Huizinga, Dutch historian).

At the onset of his hugely successful satire of medieval European society, Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus invokes the goddess Folly, daughter of Youth and Wealth, who was raised by Drunkenness and Ignorance. She’s followed by idolatrous companions, including Self-love, Flattery, Pleasure, and Laziness.
 
Through Folly’s wry and humorous speech, Erasmus denounces the superstitions and nonsensical eccentricities of his contemporary theologians and churchmen, monastic life, and the condition of the Catholic Church. An immensely influential humanist text, In Praise of Folly helped lay the groundwork for the Protestant Reformation and marked a transitional time between medieval beliefs and modern ideals."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

"The Tor.com eBook Club Selection for July is...

KUSHIEL'S DART by Jacqueline Carey!

 

Long ago the angels decreed, “Love as thou wilt,†and thus rose the kingdom of Terre d’Ange.

Cast aside due to the scarlet mote marring her left eye, Phèdre is saved by enigmatic nobleman Anafiel Delaunay. The spymaster recognizes her as being touched by the cruel god Kushiel, cursed (or blessed) to find pleasure in pain.

Under Delaunay’s patronage, Phèdre is trained as a courtesan spy, an expert in history, art, politics, masterful in the the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. In the bedchambers of the City of Elua’s nobles, gathering intel during pillow talk, Phèdre’s real training begins.

But Phèdre is only an acolyte in the arts of subterfuge. Blindsided by her own longings, she stumbles into a conspiracy that stretches beyond simple court gossip. Amid betrayals and the looming threat of war, Phèdre learns that that which yields does not always break.

Now is your chance to explore Jacqueline Carey’s intricate epic fantasy series."
 

Download Kushiel’s Dart here, available from July 13 to July 19"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mothersweets]

I did horribly on this quiz!!  I need to go back to Jane School.

 

Test your knowledge of Jane Austen's Life...and Afterlife 

 

18 July is the 200th anniversary of her death.

 

I got 5 right. Fun quiz but am agreeing with LadyFlorida - I'd do much better if it was about the people in her books!

[aggieamy]

Just wanted to let you ladies know that I appreciate all the nice thoughts/prayers/letters I've gotten. I'm very blessed to have such a great circle of friends.  Thank you.

 

I've been reading. Still can't concentrate on anything heavier than a fluffy reread. I have been able to do some non-fiction. For some reason that is okay. DH asked me to read Waverly because he loved it and I started it right before Jenna died and haven't been able to pick it up since. He so rarely recommends something to me that I want to read it but it's too think-y right now.

 

I'm loving being able to eavesdrop on your conversations about W&P. I'm glad you kept the conversation on the BaW thread because even though I'm not reading along it's fun to keep up with the opinions and where everyone is on it.

[Nan in Mass]

Hi All-

 

I have been reading lots, just not posting. And now, of course, I can't remember all the titles. Some I do remember are:

A few Ngaio Marshes (old favourites)

Steal Like an Artist (which struck me as right)

Grit (ditto-combined concepts from several other books and things I grew up knowing, so although it contained nothing new, I am glad I read it)

Several Cherryh scifis (not sure why I like these - they have many of the markers of not-for-me books)

Runemarks

Arabel's Raven

Enchanted Glass

Howl's Moving Castle (all came from the your-next-book feature of Overdrive when I put in Year of the Griffin, which my husband and I read aloud recently and I love - amazing how DWJ manages to hit all the experiences we had in college,all in the context of a wacky fantasy)

The Happiness Equation (struck me as true-wish I could get my boys to read this because although I expect they know most of it already, I think it is easier to do it on purpose if you have seen it put together and spelled out step by step)

 

Now I am reading Lord of the Two Lands. And trying to figure out how to paint woods. And working on helping to get youngest and his friend started on their adult lives, now they are graduated and employed. It is being a tricky, heavy parenting summer.

 

Nan

[Kareni]

I quite enjoyed the book I read last night.  I'd describe it as a historical romance with a strong mystery element.  It's set in Victorian times, and the two main leads are a boarding house keeper and a taxidermist.  (Some adult content.)  This book is part of a trilogy, and I look forward to reading more. 

 

An Unseen Attraction (Sins of the Cities)  by KJ Charles

 

"Lodging-house keeper Clem Talleyfer prefers a quiet life. He’s happy with his hobbies, his work—and especially with his lodger Rowley Green, who becomes a friend over their long fireside evenings together. If only neat, precise, irresistible Mr. Green were interested in more than friendship. . . .

Rowley just wants to be left alone—at least until he meets Clem, with his odd, charming ways and his glorious eyes. Two quiet men, lodging in the same house, coming to an understanding . . . it could be perfect. Then the brutally murdered corpse of another lodger is dumped on their doorstep and their peaceful life is shattered.

Now Clem and Rowley find themselves caught up in a mystery, threatened on all sides by violent men, with a deadly London fog closing in on them. If they’re to see their way through, the pair must learn to share their secrets—and their hearts."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Given the discussion on Jane Austen, some of you might be interested in this review by Myretta Robens ~

 

Jane Austen at Home Explore a Different Side of Austen

 

"In the world of Jane Austen biographies, there is no new thing under the sun. The best we can hope for is a biographer who understands Jane Austen and her world. In Lucy Worsley, we have that in spades.

 

After reading ancient and modern history at Oxford, Lucy Worsley began her career as a historical house curator. She worked as an Inspector of Historic Buildings for England’s National Heritage and as Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity responsible for maintaining the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace State Apartments, the Banqueting House in Whitehall and Kew Palace in Kew Gardens. In other words, this is a woman who knows her historical buildings, so it’s no surprise that her biography is framed by the homes in which Jane Austen lived...."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some enjoyable posts from Tor.com ~

 

Five Books With Ambitious Birds  by Nancy Kress

 

"When is a bird not a bird? When an author turns it into something else.

 

As a child, I was envious of birds—they got to fly and I didn’t (although not for lack of trying. However, the less said about that, the better). Later on, during my Teenage Romantic Period, I idealized them as emblems of The Natural World, beautiful and perfect, training Wordsworth’s “cloud of glory.†Later still, I discover that what birds trail are lice, vermin, and some very nasty diseases. Science ruins another cherished illusion.

 

But not completely. Bluebirds, orioles, hummingbirds, even the despised pigeon—they still carry connotations that transcend those of us gravity-bound on Terra. Many authors have exploited this to create birds that are more than warm-blooded bipeds—birds with ambition. Here are five:..."

**

 

The Persistence of American Folklore in Fantastic Literature by Christopher Brown

 

"In the summer of Wonder Woman, we haven’t heard much about Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, the woman who could wrestle alligators, run faster than a wildcat, beat up all nine of her older brothers, and be so nice that the bears would let her hibernate with them and the hornets would let her wear their big nests as Sunday hats. Maybe that’s because traces of Sally Ann from Tennessee are already there behind the golden tiara of Diana, Princess of Themyscira, hiding in plain sight. Wonder Woman may have a golden lasso, but Sally Ann made her own—by tying six snakes together and using it to pull helpless Davy Crockett from a tree.

 

It’s a writers workshop truism that great storytelling, especially in fantasy and science fiction, often draws on classical mythology. Wonder Woman isn’t the only adaptation of Greek myths to contemporary settings—Rick Riordan has built his own pantheon of Olympian-American kids, and burlier versions are all over the superhero comics. Norse mythology is the taproot of English-language fantasy, from Tolkien to Stan Lee’s Thor, the power of the sagas and characters recounted in Michael Chabon’s essay on D’Aulaire’s Book of Norse Myths and Neil Gaiman’s new nonfiction book Norse Mythology. And everyone knows how the hero’s journey monomyth distilled by Joseph Campbell from all of the above and more provided the core architecture of Star Wars—and countless other efforts to update the oldest human stories. But for Americans there is another body of heritage stories out there worth considering, one so deeply embedded in popular culture that we tend to forget it...."

**

 

New Favorite Theory: David Bowie Went to Hogwarts  by Emily Asher-Perrin

 

"There is only one explanation for David Bowie: He was actually a wizard who attended Hogwarts.

 

Observe:

 

David Bowie was born in 1947 in Brixton, South London. According to your average (muggle) history books, he attended Stockwell Infants School, then Burnt Ash Junior School, and then ended up at Bromley Technical High School following his eleven-plus exams in 1958. While Bowie was reportedly in a band as early as the age of fifteen, his career as a musician didn’t truly begin until 1967, when he began releasing singles with a slew of different bands that he joined and then departed. He then proceeded to become one of the most widely acclaimed rock stars of the 20th century, whose penchant for reinventing himself was nothing short of magical...."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

Also in a Jane Austen vein, some might be interested in this book which is ON SALE for $1.99 for Kindle readers.

 

Some reviews ~

 

At Kirkus

 

At SBTB

 

At AAR

 

Heartstone by Elle Katharine White

 

"A debut historical fantasy that recasts Jane Austen’s beloved Pride & Prejudice in an imaginative world of wyverns, dragons, and the warriors who fight alongside them against the monsters that threaten the kingdom: gryphons, direwolves, lamias, banshees, and lindworms.

 

They say a Rider in possession of a good blade must be in want of a monster to slay—and Merybourne Manor has plenty of monsters.

Passionate, headstrong Aliza Bentaine knows this all too well; she’s already lost one sister to the invading gryphons. So when Lord Merybourne hires a band of Riders to hunt down the horde, Aliza is relieved her home will soon be safe again.

 

Her relief is short-lived. With the arrival of the haughty and handsome dragonrider, Alastair Daired, Aliza expects a battle; what she doesn’t expect is a romantic clash of wills, pitting words and wit against the pride of an ancient house. Nor does she anticipate the mystery that follows them from Merybourne Manor, its roots running deep as the foundations of the kingdom itself, where something old and dreadful slumbers . . . something far more sinister than gryphons.

 

It’s a war Aliza is ill-prepared to wage, on a battlefield she’s never known before: one spanning kingdoms, class lines, and the curious nature of her own heart.

 

Elle Katharine White infuses elements of Austen’s beloved novel with her own brand of magic, crafting a modern epic fantasy that conjures a familiar yet wondrously unique new world."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Butter]

I finished reading "You Look Like That Girl..." by Lisa Jakub.  She was an actress from age 4 up to around 22 when she decided to leave it all behind.  She was the oldest kid on Mrs. Doubtfire and was in Independence Day and a whole ton of guest star TV roles and made-for-TV movies.  The book was good.  She had a very different childhood than most and while she left the acting world behind, she doesn't regret her experience in the least.

 

That finishes RUBY.

The Roman and the Runaway by AJ Braithwaite

Ultraviolet by RJ Anderson

Bundle of Trouble by Diana Orgain

"You Look Like That Girl…" by Lisa Jakub

[Kareni]

And currently free non-fiction for Kindle readers ~

 

Behind the Scenes or, Thirty years a slave, and Four Years in the White House by Elizabeth Keckley Biography/Administration of Abraham Lincoln

Elizabeth Keckley’s Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House is both a riveting slave narrative and a fascinating insider’s look at the First Family during the Lincoln administration. Keckley was the First Lady’s seamstress and confidante and the publication of her memoirs in 1868 caused a storm of controversy. The press excoriated Keckley for revealing the intimate secrets of her employers and Mary Todd Lincoln cut off her friendship with Keckley. Lincoln’s eldest son had the book suppressed.

After the White House, Keckley went on to become one of the first successful independent black business owners in America, forming a profitable line in dress-making for the wives of prominent politicians, including the spouses of Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. She also formed an important charity for black veterans of the Civil War. Supporters of Keckley’s Contraband Relief Association included Frederick Douglass, Henry Highland Garnet, J. Sella Martin, as well as prominent white figures, such as Wendell Phillips.

Includes image gallery with rare shots of Keckley and her contemporaries.

Behind the Scenes: or Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years int he White House was first published in 1868 and is considered one of the most candid and poignant slave narratives. Author Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley writes about her teenage years, working as a slave for the Rev. Robert Burwell in Hillsborough, NC. He is thought by many historians to have been Keckley's half-brother. The Burwells had twelve children and ran an academy for girls. She writes about mistreatment and violence visited upon her by Rev. and Mrs. Burwell, and the unwelcome sexual advances and eventual rape by one of the town's white citizens. After Keckley gave birth to a son, she and her baby were sent to live with Burwel's sister.

**

 

Notes on Nursing : What It is, and What it Is Not by Florence Nightingale
In her pioneering work, Florence Nightingale discusses holistic health, home health, alternative therapies, health prevention and maintenance, the role of women in nursing and in everyday life, nursing administration, leadership, communications skills as well as mind/body and body/mind relationships.

**

 

Christopher Carson, Familiarly Known as Kit Carson the Pioneer of the West by John S. C. Abbott
Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman, fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and U.S. Army officer. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime via biographies and news articles.

**

 

Coral and Brass by Holland M. Smith
A biography of General Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, known as the "father" of modern U.S. amphibious warfare.

 

Regards,

Kareni